Student Bloggers

As a student ( especially one studying abroad at Trinity College), I have been on the search for free activities around Dublin. I want to explore and adventure, but cannot be spending 20 euros each time I leave the house. So in my first month, I think I have done a pretty good job of finding fun things to do without destroying my bank account, and here are my recommendations.

Museums

Ireland is home to many free museums and as someone used to paying upwards of $30 for a ticket is a big win. The National Gallery of Ireland, about a 5-minute walk from Trinity Campus has some beautiful paintings and sculptures that are a great way to kill time between classes while looking at some art.  It’s 3 floors, there’s so much to see and look at. You can also hop on a tour and listen to some of the guides explain the history behind the art, adding even more layers and depth to what you’re looking at. It also gives me the pride that I am a cultured student, even if art museums are not my favorite thing.

The National Museum of Archaeology is another short walk from Trinity’s Campus. It’s in a beautiful building right next to the National Library (so if you have Irish roots and want to investigate that, you can have a true day of history). I am more of a history museum person, but it had so much stuff from some of the first recorded Irish writings, Viking weapons, and boat pieces, to even skeletons (there were a surprising amount of them). Some films expand on some of the museum’s top pieces. It’s definitely worth a visit, even if you just want to say you tell your friends and family you saw multiple ancient skeletons. 

Now my favorite museum was by far and away the National Museum of Modern Art. The entire museum is located in an old British hospital, so it combines elements of both a history and an art museum. You get to see this gorgeous, old building juxtaposed with challenging modern art. They feature a beautiful exhibit on the death of language, placing you in a dark room as you hear some of the last words ever spoken as well as a piece on the degradation of air space through war. But my favorite exhibit was located in the chapel: an exploration of the human body and touch. The contrast between what was on the screen and the traditional use of the space was magnificent, highly, highly recommend. 

Churches 

A more traditional activity would be exploring Dublin’s many churches. While some of the more famous ones you have to pay for, if you walk around Trinity College’s campus, you can still find truly gorgeous, historical churches that are free to enter. St. Ann’s was a personal favorite of mine, but there are so many to see. It is a short and nice free thing to do if you want to kill time before class or simply for a walk and see some pretty things. 

Phoenix Park

Now parks are the conventional thing to do to kill time. St. Stephen’s Green is a gorgeous one right off of Trinity’s Campus, but if you have some time to kill and are willing to go a bit beyond city center, Phoenix Park is THE park, there’s so much to do. It’s almost 7 miles, even when you think you’ve seen it all, there’s still more. You can see the President’s House, the US ambassador’s house, an old castle, and some small gardens (that even have pumpkins for fall) all for free. If you are willing to pay, they have the Dublin Zoo. You probably could spend a whole day there, but it’s a great little break from the city where you can relax and touch some grass. 

Now Dublin has so much more to offer that is free that I did not mention here. These are just some of my favorite spots that if you’re studying abroad at Trinity, in Dublin, or just want to see a cheaper version of Dublin I recommend you check out. Dublin is a beautiful city with so much culture and many more adventures that await.