Afternoon
Walk through Temple Bar and over the Ha’penny Bridge to get the tram to Kilmainham Gaol. This former prison, built in 1796, once held many of Ireland’s most famous revolutionaries. Be sure to book online here beforehand for hour-long guided tours that take in the sky-lit Victorian East Wing and the chapel where 1916 republican leader Joseph Plunkett wed his sweetheart Grace Clifford before being executed a few hours later. You might have time for a pre-dinner pint in the home of Ireland’s most famous stout, the Guinness Storehouse – about 15 minutes away. Or if whiskey is more your thing, Roe & Co distillery is also nearby for a snifter in its Powerhouse bar.
Evening
Variety Jones has a Michelin star but the vibe in the bare-brick space, furnished with colourful art and chairs, is laidback. The globetrotting six-course chef’s choice menu might include pork and prawn dumping, spaghetti alfredo and barbecued halibut with mussels, kicked off with an aperitif of vermouth made from hedgerow botanicals in County Kerry. Finish the night with music in Arthur’s Jazz Club nearby.
Day two
Morning
If you’re in need of a hearty start to the day, grab a breakfast roll (basically a fry-up in bread and a much-loved Irish classic) in locals’ haunt Declan and Donal’s deli, then head just down the road to 14 Henrietta Street. At this excellent museum, the guides bring the patina-ed walls to life, tracing 300 years of social history in one Georgian house – from its beginnings as the grand home of a viscount to becoming a tenement where 100 people lived. Afterwards, take the Luas tram from Parnell Square to Glasnevin Cemetery, where many notable Irish figures, such as the revolutionary Michael Collins and the suffragist Constance Markievicz, are buried. Climb the 198 steps to the top of Ireland’s highest round tower for views of the city edged by sea and mountains.