Things to do in and from Dublin

I’ve been to Dublin 3 times for varying reasons, I’m going to talk about the things I’ve done in Dublin and places I’ve gone from to from Dublin.

Tours

My first trip to Ireland was on a 3 day tour with Shamrockers, https://www.shamrockeradventures.com/
I went on a 3 day Southern Rocker tour, I would have loved to have gone on a longer trip but I could only get a small time off of work. This was my first trip to Ireland and I fell in love. We went to Blarney Castle, Cliffs of Moher, Galway & Dingle, I was very brave and kissed the Blarney stone! There’s quite a bit of driving but it’s a beautiful trip and well worth the visit. My guide was lovely and took us to all the best pubs!

When I was in Belfast I went on a day tour with Paddywagon, https://www.paddywagontours.com/ I really enjoyed it so when I went to Dublin to visit a friend and had a free day when she was working I looked to see what Paddywagon tours I could go on.
I decided to do a half day tour to Glendalough and Wicklow.
When we got to Glendalough we were given 1.5 hours to wander around and explore, this gave me time to walk to both lakes. The area was really beautiful and peaceful, I really enjoyed walking through the trees and exploring the lakes.

My friend took me on a Viking Splash Tour, this is a big yellow vehicle that transforms into a boat and takes you on the water! http://www.vikingsplash.com/
You get Viking hats to wear on the tour! Unfortunately when I went it was quite windy and my hat kept falling off.
This is a fun and different way to see Dublin, the guide was interesting and well informed.
My only complaint is that at times I struggled to hear what the guide was saying.

Walking Tour

In August I did the South Side walking tour with https://www.dublinfreewalksingtour.ie/freetoursouth unfortunately I was on a tight time scale so could only do the South side tour and had to leave that a bit early to get my plane.
The tour meets at the Spire on O’Connell Street, look for the guide with a yellow umbrella.
Our guide was really knowledgeable about Dublin and also really enthusiastic.
I always rave about free walking tours and think this tour is defiantly worth doing, I really enjoy the stories told as you pass the Bridge onto the South side.
We did a walk between Bray and Greystone, my friend drove to Greystone and we walked the coastal route to Bray. There are beautiful vies across the coast, the walk is fairly easy with a few hills! When we got to Bray we stopped for lunch before getting the train back to Greystone. We drove to Greystone but it is possible to get the train from Dublin.

Accommodation:

I’ve been really lucky when I have been in Dublin I have mostly stayed with friends.
Before my Shamrockers tour I stayed at The Four Courts Hostel http://www.fourcourtshostel.com/#homePage, it was super convenient as this is where the tour leaves from.
The hostel was clean, centrally located and provided a basic breakfast, what more can you ask for!