Dublin on A Dime

Oscar Wilde Statue
Photo © Julie Finley

Tip #3: Almost every public museum in Dublin is free!

Not only are they free, but they are also less congested than the typical tourist traps like the pub crawls in Temple Bar or the Guinness Storehouse.

The Hugh Lane Gallery (a.k.a. Dublin City Gallery) was my first stop. It was straight up awesome, with a great collection of art from not only Irish artists, but some of the masters, too! The highlight for me was the Francis Bacon installation (which is a permanent part of the collection). They re-created Bacon’s filthy studio and they have many rare works of his that haven’t been displayed anywhere else (not to mention the documentaries on rotation). If you like Francis Bacon. . . this is a MUST-SEE, plus it’s free! How cool is that?

Dublin City Gallery
Photo © Julie Finley

A few other free places I was able to enjoy in my limited time there were: Parnell Square, Merrion Square (where the Oscar Wilde statue is), Christ Church Cathedral, The Ha’Penny Bridge, The Irish National Print Museum, Dvblinia, and The National Gallery Of Ireland. Also, just wandering around aimlessly there, you absorb a lot of information and culture by default, but as I said, get a hotel in the middle of everything.

Christ Church Cathedral
Photo © Julie Finley

Another adventure you can take (where you’ll be around actual Irish locals) is a trip to the Dublin Zoo. Most tourists don’t bother with it, since they’re too busy getting shit-faced! It’s not really cheap per se, but it’s a nice outdoor excursion. It’s a very close walk to the Heuston Station Tram stop, an awesome public transport option in Dublin, that is cheap, clean, safe, easy, and ON TIME!!! You can take a walk around Phoenix Park (which is an enormous area of Green Space in Western Dublin). Just remember to wear some rain gear if you’re outside often because there are at least 15 minutes of rain every hour (and I went in April, which is one of their least rainy months).

Sheep at the Dublin Zoo
Photo © Julie Finley

As I have already mentioned, there are certain tourist traps in Dublin that are probably blown out of proportion. One of the best ways not to get suckered in is to strike up a conversation with a local! The Irish folks I came across seemed more than happy to talk to a tourist, and give some actual local insights. Many say, “Don’t bother with the Guinness Storehouse!” They say it’s not even a brewery tour, but just an expensive and boring way to get a stout in the end. The Jameson’s Distillery was recommended by locals (but I didn’t go, as time was a constraint).

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