Timeline
15:06
Grab a Guinness at Mulligans. It is a busy pub with plenty of history and was frequented by James Joyce. The atmosphere is lively, and it is open from 12:00 on weekdays, so you will have no trouble finding a seat or a pint before the crowds arrive.
15:36
Walk to the National Gallery of Ireland. Use the entrance on Clare St to avoid the main queue. The gallery is free and open until 17:30 on January 15. Spend the next hour wandering the halls. If you are visiting in January, look for the JMW Turner watercolours, which are kept out of the light for most of the year.
16:16
Head to St Stephen's Green. It is only a nine-minute walk from the gallery, located to the southwest. Find a spot near the edge of the park facing southwest. The park was designed by William Sheppard and offers a clear view of the sky as the day ends.
16:36
Watch the sun set. On January 15, the sun sets at 16:36 toward the southwest. The golden light begins around 15:34, giving you a warm window to enjoy the view over the city before it fades.
17:21
End the evening at Bewley's Café. It is a grand, stylish coffee shop and a Dublin institution. Located about nine minutes from the green, it is open until 18:30 in January. It is a perfect place to warm up with a coffee or a light meal after the chill of the evening.
Local tip
The gallery displays its Turner watercolours only in January because the original donor specified they must be kept out of the light for the rest of the year. Check the route if you need to find the Clare St entrance.
Check before you go
- Mulligans is open from 12:00 on weekdays.
- The National Gallery of Ireland is open until 17:30 on January 15.
- Bewley's Café is open until 18:30 in January.
Built from places in the Wikivoyage guide to Dublin (CC BY-SA 4.0), with open map data from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).