Visit St. Michan’s Church: Rebuilt in 1686 but originally dating from the 11th century, St. Michan’s church hides an unusual secret – it’s vaults contain preserved bodies (guaranteed to keep the children awake at night!). Within the church are magnificent carvings and an organ which is said to have been played by Handel. From the 1st November to 16th March open Monday to Friday 12:30pm to3:30pm. From the 17th March to 31st October open Monday to Friday 10:00am to 12:45pm and 2:00pm to 4:30pm. Open Saturday all year from 10:00am to 12:45pm. There is a charge for the guided tour of the vaults.
Go Horse Racing in Leopardstown: just a 15 minute taxi ride from the centre of the city Leopardstown racecourse has year round racing and is a great day or evening out. The evening racing during the Summer ia a particularly suitable family excursion.
Visit the Francis Bacon Studio at the Hugh Lane Gallery: Francis Bacon’s heir, John Edwards, donated the contents of the figurative painter’s London studio to the Hugh Lane Gallery in 1998. His studio, at 7 Reece Mews, South Kensington, was mapped and removed piece by piece and meticulously reconstructed in the Hugh Lane Gallery. The reconstructed studio features the original door, walls, floors, ceiling and shelves. There are over 7,000 items, including 570 books, 1,500 photographs, 100 slashed canvases, 2,000 artist’s materials and 70 drawings. Bacon had said of his studio: «I feel at home here in this chaos, because chaos suggests images to me».
Climb the sugar loaf – OK this is not quite Dublin as it is technically North Wicklow but if you fancy a bracing walk with magnificent views. The sugar loaf is about 30 minutes from the centre of Dublin.
Have an old-fashioned hot towel shave: White-coated barbers at the Waldorf barber shop on Westmoreland Street in Dublin 2 have been trimming and beautifying men at the premises since 1929. The barber shop also boasts one of the few female barbers in Dublin – Linda Finnegan.
Have a drink in the «highest pub in Ireland»: Johnny Fox’s in the Dublin mountains claims to be «undoubtedly» the highest pub in the country. There are a number of other pubs around Ireland with the same claim – the Ponderosa pub on the Glenshane Pass in Derry (where you can join the mysterious 1,000 feet high club) and Creedon’s pub on the top of Coom in KIlgarvan, Co. Kerry. Johnny Fox’s serves great food and great Craic year round.