The best free things to do in Dublin, from botanic gardens to birdlife centres
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Pricey Dublin can drain the wallet – but for those city-breaking on a budget, there are plenty of free activities. From exploring the tropical glasshouses in the botanical gardens and getting a culture fix at a leading museum to picnicking in the company of park deer, here is the Telegraph Dublin expert Neil Hegarty's guide to the best free things to do.
Dublin City
Browse the rare books at Chester Beatty Library
Unexpected and splendid: the Chester Beatty Library, with its remarkable collections of Oriental, Islamic and Western art and books, is simply one of the finest museums in Ireland. This collection was gifted to the Irish State by Chester Beatty, an American mining magnate. The permanent 'Arts of the Book' and 'Sacred Traditions' exhibitions showcase the Library's treasures, which include Chinese jade books and Biblical papyri in state-of-the-art galleries; other exhibitions change regularly. Don't miss the easily overlooked tranquil, Japanese-themed rooftop garden – a beautiful and unexpected feature.
Contact: 00 353 1 407 0750; cbl.ie
Opening times: Generally open late morning until 5pm; check website for details
Nearest metro: Westmorland
Commune with Francis Bacon at a world-class art gallery
Stirring pieces by Manet, Monet, Renoir and Degas greet art lovers at Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane in Charlemont House, a gleaming Georgian edifice posturing on rising ground over Parnell Square. Don't miss the Sean Scully Gallery, with its striking canvases by the noted Irish painter; and the Stained Glass Room, glowing Harry Clarke's work. Most striking is the reconstructed workshop of Irish-born Francis Bacon, a window into the chaos in which the painter lived and created. The modern wing heralds eccentric art installations in the form of 'reflection chairs' and motorist maps doused in black ink.
Contact:00 353 1 222 5550; hughlane.ie
Opening times: Tue-Thur, 9.45am-6pm; Fri, 9.45am-5pm; Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, 11am-5pm
Nearest metro: Parnell
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Horribly Victorian at the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History
Dublin's 'Dead Zoo' – officially the city's Natural History establishment – has been preserved as a classic Victorian mausoleum-of-a-museum. Inside, you'll find a building filled to the rafters with all manner of stuffed animals large and small, preserved insects and spiders – in short, every species under the sun. It's unendingly fascinating, in a horrifying sort of way. Pride of place goes to a giant whale skeleton, which dominates the ground floor. Antler-wielding taxidermy lines the bannisters. The children will love this place: and if you're not too squeamish, you will too.
Contact: 00 353 1 677 7444; museum.ie
Opening times: Tue-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, 2pm-5pm
Metro: St Stephen's Green
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Artistry at the National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History
The imposing buildings that overlook the River Liffey at Collins Barracks are the largest of the National Museum's three Dublin campuses. They house spectacular collections of jewellery, furniture, ceramics and other decorative arts from Ireland and abroad, grouped around a vast and austere courtyard. The collections of Irish silver, and the Reconstructed Rooms exhibition, with its objects housed in purpose-built replica rooms, are very impressive. Don't miss the permanent Curators' Choice exhibition, in which some of this institution's most prized objects – such as the priceless Chinese porcelain Fonthill Vase – are set apart and given room to shine.
Contact: 00 353 1 677 7444; museum.ie
Opening times: Tue-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, 2pm-5pm
Metro: Museum
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ór: Ireland’s Gold at the National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology & History
The original site of the National Museum is still for many people the best and most enthralling. Above the entrance hall at Kildare Street rises a superb, top-lit portico. Further into the building, and Ireland's collection of prehistoric gold – all extravagant collars and bracelets and torcs – shines under subdued lighting. Other permanent exhibition spaces include The Treasury, with such iconic objects as the Cross of Cong, Ardagh Chalice, and delicate, golden Broighter Boat, dug from a County Derry field in 1895. If you want an insight into a scintillating and often tempestuous history, this is the place to come.
Contact: 00 353 1 677 7444; museum.ie
Opening times: Tue-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, 2pm-5pm
Metro: St Stephen's Green
Caravaggio! – at the National Gallery of Ireland
Ireland's National Gallery has looked across Merrion Square since its foundation in 1864. Come here to explore the country's national collection of European and Irish fine art. Top recommendations include: Caravaggio's 'The Taking of Christ', on permanent loan after being discovered hanging on a wall, unknown and unacknowledged, elsewhere in Dublin; the Jack B. Yeats collection; and the treasured collection of Turner watercolours, on display each January. The gallery has recently reopened after years of restoration work, and it's more glorious and impressive than ever. It's also very child-friendly, with regular events and drawing workshops in the sunny, top-lit atrium.
Contact:00 353 1 661 5133; nationalgallery.ie
Opening times: Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat, 9.15am-5.30pm; Thu, 9.15am-8.30pm; Sun, 11am-5.30pm
Metro: Dawson, Pearse
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Get with Nature at the National Botanic Gardens
Dublin's beautiful botanic gardens, on the banks of the River Tolka north of the central city, date back to 1795. They feature waterside walks and habitats ranging from deciduous woodland to steamy (and spectacular) tropical glasshouses that are cousins to those at Kew, and make a great bolthole on a wet day. The walled kitchen gardens have been recently developed, and manage to combine fun and education. Also explore the circular rose gardens on the river's edge, accessed by a footbridge – a lovely, fragrant spot on a sunny afternoon. The attractive new wood-clad visitor centre includes exhibition areas and cafés.
Contact: 00 353 1 804 0300; botanicgardens.ie
Opening times: Mar-Oct: Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm; Sat, Sun, 10am-6pm. Nov-Feb: Mon-Fri, 9am-4.30pm; Sat, Sun, 10am-4.30pm
Kilmainham and West
Cutting-Edge Art at the Irish Museum of Modern Art
The Royal Hospital – the 17th-century main building of IMMA, with its gracious quadrangle and splendid proportions – is reason enough to visit this fine museum, which first opened in 1991 to house the national collection of contemporary art. Guided tours of the collection are on offer – a good way to gain some additional insights into this historic place. Take a little extra time to admire the splendid parkland setting, with its views across to the Phoenix Park, and to explore the beautiful formal gardens. Add a decent café, and you have all the ingredients for an agreeable day out.
Contact:00 353 1 612 9900; imma.ie
Opening times: Tue-Fri, 11.30am-5.30pm; Sat, 10am-5.30pm; Sun 12pm-5.30pm
Metro: Heuston
Marvel at Dublin's park deer
West of the city centre, Phoenix Park is one of Europe's largest: a vast tract of meadows, ponds, woodland and herds of deer on rising ground north of the River Liffey. The Visitor Centre, at the heart of the park, will help with orientation – and don't miss the pretty tea room located beside the People's Garden, a sunken area with a lake and walks located near the main park entrance at Parkgate Street. On a sunny day, explore the park's open spaces by bicycle. Phoenix Park Bikes is located just inside the Parkgate Street entrance – reservations recommended.
Contact: 00 353 1 677 0095; heritageireland.ie
Opening times: The park is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Metro: Heuston
Coastal Dublin
Kite-flying and bird-watching on North Bull Island
North Bull Island arcs north and east from the mouth of the River Liffey, and is a tremendous resource for the city and its visitors. This sandy island has formed only in the course of the last 200 years, since engineering works in the harbour caused sandbars to shift and reform here. Today it is a Unesco Biosphere reserve and a birdlife centre, especially so in winter, when the island teems with migratory species. Walk on the Bull Wall breakwater or on Dollymount Strand, a Blue Flag beach, watch the kite flyers or simply blow away the cobwebs.
Contact: 00 353 1 833 8341; dublincity.ie
Opening times for North Bull Island Interpretive Centre: Mon-Thu, 10.30am-1pm, 1.30pm-4pm; Fri, 10.30am-1.30pm
Metro: Clontarf Road
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Cliff walking and seal-spotting at Howth
Picturesque Howth village, with its steep streets and pretty working harbour, make an easy and very agreeable day trip from Dublin city centre. The piers enclosing the harbour are of course tailored for an ice cream break on a sunny day; and while the Lutyens-influenced Howth Castle is private, its grounds are open to the public and are especially lovely in May when the azalea and rhododendron collections are in bloom. There are also wonderful cliff walks from the village; do remember that moderate care and sensible footwear are needed on the paths. Howth station is just a few minutes' walk from the harbour and village centre.
Contact: 00 353 1 840 0077; fingaldublin.ie
Metro: Howth
Sea Air and Swimming at Dún Laoghaire harbour
The great granite walls of Dún Laoghaire harbour have been attracting walkers and visitors since the construction of the port – a marvel of Victorian engineering – was completed in 1859, in what was then Kingstown. They say 20 minutes out and 20 minutes back, but you can do it in less. It's a wonderful walk in any weather – and great for children. Afterwards, stroll along the promenade to Sandycove, with its tiny beach, Martello tower, and famous Forty Foot bathing place. It's a crowded spot on summer afternoons, but at other times it's likely to be quiet. Plunge in, if you dare…
Contact:00 353 1 280 1018; dlharbour.ie
Metro: Dún Laoghaire
