Take a Dublin day trip to Drimnagh Castle. Visit Drimnagh Castle on public transportation. Combine Drimnagh Castle with a visit to IMMA and Rascal's Brewing in Dublin.
Ireland is a country filled with castles dating back hundreds of years and this lends a certain charm to the country. We discovered that there is even a castle hidden in plain sight within Dublin City: Drimnagh Castle.
Drimnagh Castle is situated in Crumlin about 45 minutes from Dublin City Centre by Dublin Bus. This one day in Dublin itinerary focuses on a day trip to Drimnagh Castle.
Read on and discover why you should visit lovingly restored Drimnagh Castle and other things to do around Dublin that you can combine into a perfect one day itinerary.
About This Drimnagh Castle Day Trip Itinerary
One Day in Dublin City Itinerary Rating: IntermediateThis Dublin day out itinerary is recommended for people with the following interests: art, history, food, non-touristy experiences
Drimnagh Castle Day Trip Itinerary in Brief
- Grab coffee and a treat to go at Creed
- Take Dublin Bus to Dublin Citywest
- Tour Drimnagh Castle inside and out
- Eat lunch including fresh baked goods at Farmhouse Cafe on Long Mile Road
- Visit IMMA, Ireland's Museum of Modern Art, and walk the formal garden
- Save the pub stop for later and grab cake and kombucha at IMMA's cafe
- Combine dinner and drinks with a tour of Rascal's Brewery HQ in Inchicore
Explore other one day Dublin City itineraries here:
Drimnagh Castle Day Trip Detailed Itinerary
Expect to be engaged in conversation by friendly staff members curious about what you have planned for the day ahead. Pick up some locally roasted coffee beans and perhaps a gluten-free treat to go with your coffee.
The Dublin Bus stop served by the 56a and 77a buses is just one block away from Gertrude across from Pearse Square Park.
The Dublin Bus stop served by the 56a and 77a buses is just one block away from Gertrude across from Pearse Square Park.
Board the bus and after about 40 minutes disembark at the Drimnagh stop and walk 7 minutes through the grounds of a local secondary school run by the Christian Brothers to reach Drimnagh Castle.
Drimnagh Castle is run by volunteers and is open weekdays only from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. On Fridays, the castle closes at 12:30.
Drimnagh Castle has a proper moat and it's actually filled with water. Drimnagh is believed to be the only castle in Ireland with a flooded moat in modern times!
Drimnagh Castle has a proper moat and it's actually filled with water. Drimnagh is believed to be the only castle in Ireland with a flooded moat in modern times!
Drimnagh Castle features a restored formal 17th century French-style walled garden filled with herbs like bay, sage, and lavender. There's even a fairy door that was added as part of the castle restoration.
Guided tours of Drimnagh Castle run on the hour and cost 9 EUR per adult. The walled garden is open to the public for free (with a donation box at the entrance should you feel moved to lend your support).
Guided tours of Drimnagh Castle run on the hour and cost 9 EUR per adult. The walled garden is open to the public for free (with a donation box at the entrance should you feel moved to lend your support).
The tour of the castle was fascinating and is chock full of history from Norman to Medieval times. At one point, Drimnagh Castle was owned by dairy farmers and then fell into ruin in the mid 20th century. Drimnagh Castle was restored to its former glory by a group of passionate volunteers.
The roof in the main hall of Drimnagh Castle is a restoration but done using Medieval techniques. The skilled craftspeople and others involved in the restoration have their likenesses carved into the structure--a nice touch.
The tour concludes with a walk around the back of Drimnagh Castle and features an informal garden that volunteers used to use to teach youth dry stonewalling techniques (building stone walls) common in the West of Ireland. There is also a very prolific apple tree.
The tour concludes with a walk around the back of Drimnagh Castle and features an informal garden that volunteers used to use to teach youth dry stonewalling techniques (building stone walls) common in the West of Ireland. There is also a very prolific apple tree.
SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT: Do the castles of Ireland capture your imagination? You've seen Drimnagh Castle, now why not plan a day trip to Ardgillan Castle or a weekend trip to discover all the things to do near Kilkea Castle in County Kildare? If you are willing to venture a little farther afield, check out Bunratty Castle, one of the top things to do in Limerick. While you're in Limerick, make a pitstop at magical Dromoland Castle. |
Concluding our visit to Drimnagh Castle, we walked down Long Mile Road heading for a nearby Luas stop. On the way, we stumbled upon Farmhouse Cafe about a 5 minute walk from Drimnagh Castle.
Focusing on fresh produce from their farm and fresh baked bread, the cafe looked amazing and we just had to stop for lunch. We started with a pot of tea to warm up after our Drimnagh Castle tour.
A Farmhouse croque with Irish chicken, bacon jam, cheddar, and bechamel sauce with a cup of vegetable soup followed. We even ordered a homemade mince pie for later.
Save the pub stop included in all my Dublin one day itineraries for later and sit down at IMMA cafe for carrot cake and kombucha. IMMA Cafe even serves Silverskin coffee, the best locally-roasted coffee in Ireland in my opinion.
Take a walk in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham's formal gardens. I love the contrast between the classical sculptures and modern glass buildings of Dublin Citywest beyond.
Take a brisk 30 minute walk from IMMA to Rascal's HQ in Inchicore for your pub stop, dinner, and evening entertainment rolled into one.
After lunch, we spent the afternoon at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), an art gallery situated in the historic Royal Kilmainham Hospital.
We were even treated to some pretty amazing rainbows after a brief rainstorm. General admission to IMMA is free with an added 8 EUR fee to visit any special exhibits.
Take a walk in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham's formal gardens. I love the contrast between the classical sculptures and modern glass buildings of Dublin Citywest beyond.
We grabbed a pre-tour glass of beer including creatively named and hoppy Ugly Christmas Jumper and Third Circle Brew's Raspberry and Blackberry Brett Series which was fruity and just slightly sour.
We enjoyed touring Rascal's craft beer brewery. We splurged on Rascal's Premium Brewery Tour for 20 EUR per person. We got to see different parts of the beer-making process illustrated on colorful street art-inspired panels.
Now for the best part: the beer tasting! We sampled some special brews with crusty flat bread including Peanut Butter Brown, Blackhorse Stout, Old Fashioned, and an Elderberry Sour. The Peanut Butter Brown was my favorite. It tasted like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a glass.
We enjoyed touring Rascal's craft beer brewery. We splurged on Rascal's Premium Brewery Tour for 20 EUR per person. We got to see different parts of the beer-making process illustrated on colorful street art-inspired panels.
Now for the best part: the beer tasting! We sampled some special brews with crusty flat bread including Peanut Butter Brown, Blackhorse Stout, Old Fashioned, and an Elderberry Sour. The Peanut Butter Brown was my favorite. It tasted like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a glass.
There you have it, a super-fun day out exploring off-the-beaten path places around Dublin.
Map of This Drimnagh Castle Dublin Day Trip Itinerary:
Click on the map below to open an interactive version in Google Maps covering the places included on the Drimnagh Castle centered Dublin day trip itinerary.
Guide to Sidewalk Safari Dublin City Itineraries
- Leisurely: No need to get up super-early to start this itinerary which is always good if you experienced a little too much of Dublin's famous craic the night before. Take your time exploring the sights on these itineraries or take detours that you discover on your own in the process of following my suggestions.
- Intermediate: You should be able to comfortably fit in the activities recommended even if you don't get an early start. There is a fair amount of walking involved in these itineraries to get from place to place.
- Ambitious: Lots to see plus a lot of walking. Make sure to get an early start or you won't make it to everything on the list.
The perfect formula for a day out in Dublin City includes: breakfast/coffee, morning activities, lunch, afternoon activities, a pub stop, dinner, and evening fun.
- Leisurely: No need to get up super-early to start this itinerary which is always good if you experienced a little too much of Dublin's famous craic the night before. Take your time exploring the sights on these itineraries or take detours that you discover on your own in the process of following my suggestions.
- Intermediate: You should be able to comfortably fit in the activities recommended even if you don't get an early start. There is a fair amount of walking involved in these itineraries to get from place to place.
- Ambitious: Lots to see plus a lot of walking. Make sure to get an early start or you won't make it to everything on the list.
The perfect formula for a day out in Dublin City includes: breakfast/coffee, morning activities, lunch, afternoon activities, a pub stop, dinner, and evening fun.
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