Planner’s Travel Series 

About the series: Welcome to our ongoing travel series. These are all posts written by planning students and professionals about what to do in a given city when looking for Brunch, a Brew, or a good idea on a Budget. To cap it all off, we include a fun planning fact!

By Míde Griffin

About the visit: Dublin is my hometown, and while I lived abroad and traveled a lot, there is no trip quite like a trip home! Or as the Irish saying goes – there’s no fireside like your own fireside. As Ireland’s capital, there is more to Dublin than pints and the craic (an Irish term meaning fun), but all the same, that’s not a bad place to start!    

Brunch  

Brother Hubbard’s on Capel Street – home of Dublin Brunch

Dublin has a wealth of superb brunch spots, but it’s hard to do better than Brother Hubbard’s on Capel Street, which has now expanded to three other locations. The veggie and vegan options are as good if not better than the meaty ones, so you can do good for yourself and the planet by trying the Vegan Mezze Tray or the Moroccan Eggs Zaalouk, both of which will keep you full until dinner time!

Brew  

It might seem a bit basic, but a trip to Dublin is not complete without a visit to the Guinness Storehouse and Gravity Bar, which really dodoes offer the best views of Dublin. I recommend timing your trip so that you can hit the bar during sunset! The tickets seem expensive, but for the price, you will learn about the Guinness family and how they impacted Dublin, for example by building housing for their workers which you can see in the surrounding areas, as well as about the fascinating history of Guinness’s advertising campaigns, and how to pull your own pint! Remember to book in advance… 

Budget 

A view from the Howth Cliff Walk

The Howth Cliff Walk is not only budget-friendly but also gives the time-constrained visitor a flavour of Ireland’s rugged beauty. It’s a 30 minute train ride from the city centre to Howth village, where there are great cafés and bars, and a 20 minute walk from there will take you up the hill to the cliff walk, where you can spend between one and three hours depending on the route you choose. Finish the day back in the village with fish and chips in the sea breeze!

Fun Planning Fact 

Outdoor diners, joggers, and pedestrians enjoying Capel Street

Capel Street, mentioned above, was one of several Dublin streets first pedestrianised during the Covid-19 pandemic as a response to increased demand for outdoor dining during restrictions on gathering indoors. Gladly the change stuck and it is now Ireland’s longest traffic free street. To illustrate the degree of public support, a record-breaking 7000 submissions were made to the consultation process after the initial trial, with 80% supporting full pedestrianisation and 90% in favour of some traffic-free measures. Brunch is even more enjoyable when it’s traffic free!

Featured Image: Dublin’s skyline. Photo Credit: Míde Griffin.

Míde Griffin is an aspiring economist, starting her first year of the MRes/PhD programme at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. She is particularly interested in gender economics, and how it interplays with environment, health and education. She has an undergraduate degree from Trinity College Dublin and a master’s degree from the University of Oxford (Balliol College). She loves traveling in European cities, practicing languages and soaking up the sun.