Drink

The Oval

Good for drink and food, does an excellent Irish stew. Attracts a mixed age group. Lots of pictures of old Irish celebrities with a tribute to the Quiet Man.

Address: 78 Middle Abbey St D01 RW24
Getting there: corner with O'Connell St
Hours: Mon-Thu 10:30AM-11:30PM, Fri Sat 10:30AM-12:30AM, Sun 12:30-11PM
Website: theovalbar.com (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Dublin, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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See
GPO Museum
The GPO is the headquarters of the Post Office in Ireland, built in Neo-Classical style 1814-1818. In 1916 it was occupied by Irish rebels led by PH Pearse, who read the Proclamation of the Republic outside the front door of the building. The interior was burnt out by shelling from government forces against the rebels, but the exterior survived. Subsequently the GPO was restored, reopening in 1929, and remains a busy working post office. The museum within it is a multimedia exploration of the Easter Rising.
Mon-Sat 10AM-5PMAdult €17, conc €15, child €8.50
Do
Abbey Theatre
National Theatre of Ireland
Opened in 1904, and always at the centre of the Irish drama scene, the Abbey is a good venue for catching local playwrights' work but with a global repertoire. It's intended to replace the current building with two new theatres fronting onto the Liffey. This will mean a lengthy closure, but the work has not started.
Drink
The Lotts
Cafe bar, elegant interior with chandeliers, a marble bar and comfortable leather seating. Live music many nights. Small outside seating area.
Sun-Thu 11AM-8PM, Fri Sat 11AM-midnight
See
St Mary's Pro-Cathedral
Dublin's Catholic cathedral, built in 1825. Catholicism was always the majority religion in Ireland, but its practice was forbidden until the 19th century. The official cathedral is Christ Church, so designated by the Pope in 1300, but taken over by the Protestants in the 16th century. When the laws relaxed, St Mary's was built in neo-Classical style as a temporary or "pro"-cathedral, until such time as the Pope decrees otherwise or the Protestants hand back Christ Church. Neither event appears imminent.
Daily 9AM-5PM