The red, 20m-high Poolbeg Lighthouse is the most handsome and conspicuous landmark in Dublin Bay. It was rebuilt in 1820 to replace an original lighthouse from 1768. You'll need your own transport to get to the wall (otherwise it's a 1km walk from Ringsend), but once there, the 800m walk to the lighthouse rewards you with a stunning view of the bay and the city behind you, a view best enjoyed just before sunset on a summer's evening.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
27.8 MILES
Newgrange is one of the most remarkable prehistoric sites in Europe, famous for the illumination of its passage and tomb during the winter solstice sun…
4.37 MILES
Trinity's greatest treasures are found within the Old Library and the incredible Long Room is one of the most photographed rooms in Dublin, for good…
6.54 MILES
If you have any desire to understand Irish history – especially the long-running resistance to British colonial rule – then a visit to this former prison…
4.37 MILES
Trinity College Dublin is Ireland's most prestigious university, a collection of elegant Georgian and Victorian buildings, cobbled squares and nature…
4.16 MILES
A magnificent Caravaggio and a breathtaking collection of works by Jack B Yeats – William Butler Yeats' younger brother – are the main reasons to visit…
5.61 MILES
The most popular attraction in Dublin is this multimedia homage to Guinness. An old fermentation plant in the St James's Gate Brewery has been converted…
4.97 MILES
Explore behind the facade of one of Dublin's famous Georgian townhouses, carefully restored to gently peel back layers of complex social history over 250…
4.97 MILES
Ireland's largest church and the final resting place of Jonathan Swift, St Patrick's stands on the spot where St Patrick himself reputedly baptised the…
Nearby Dublin attractions
0.89 MILES
In the coastal suburb of Clontarf, follow the tang of sea air from the promenade across the wooden footbridge and continue down Bull Walk, enjoying an…
3.48 MILES
You don’t have to be into printing to enjoy this quirky little museum, where personalised guided tours (11.30am daily and 2.30pm Monday to Friday) are…
3.61 MILES
A gorgeous swathe of green lawns, ponds and flower beds near the Royal Dublin Society Showground. Sandwiched between prosperous Ballsbridge and Donnybrook…
3.65 MILES
It's not the roulette-wheel kind of casino but rather the original Italian kind, the one that means 'summer home' (it literally means 'small house'), and…
3.66 MILES
This modern square was designed by American landscape artist Martha Schwartz and opened in 2008. Its most distinctive feature is the red 'carpet' made of…
3.68 MILES
The angled, tube-like Convention Centre was designed by Kevin Roche in 2011. It looks its best at night, when it is lit up.
3.69 MILES
Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava's second Dublin bridge (his first is the James Joyce Bridge; 2003) is this wishbone-design structure (2007) in the…
3.73 MILES
An eye-catching 2m marble bust of folk singer Luke Kelly by award-winning German artist Vera Klute stands on the street where Kelly was born in 1940…