The Atlas Obscura Guide To Dublin

56 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Dublin, Ireland

Updated November 11, 2025

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Unusual Attractions in Dublin

Dublin, Ireland

The Long Room Library at Trinity College

The gorgeous library at Trinity College is home to remarkable treasures of Irish identity.

The vaults

Dublin, Ireland

St. Michan's Mummies

An Irish church where an 800-year-old mummy is reaching out of his coffin as if to shake hands.

St. Audoen’s Gate.

Dublin, Ireland

Saint Audoen’s Gate

The enchanting archway is the only surviving portal into Dublin’s lost medieval wall.

Dublin, Ireland

National Leprechaun Museum

A museum that cashes in on its infamous little people while teaching you a thing or two about the Irish fey.

Cell Doors

Dublin, Ireland

Kilmainham Gaol

One of Ireland's most infamous prisons for rebels including men, women and children.

The Hungry Tree.

Dublin, Ireland

The Hungry Tree

An 80-year-old plane tree is devouring an iron bench at Ireland's oldest law school.

A bog body.

Dublin, Ireland

Kingship and Sacrifice

This permanent collection of preserved bodies taken from Irish bogs is one of the leading authorities on such morbid mummies.

See All 56 Things To Do in Dublin

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Dublin

Dublin, Ireland

John Kavanagh ('The Gravediggers')

This pub built its reputation pouring post-shift pints for employees of the cemetery with which it shares a wall.

Dublin, Ireland

Ancient Bog Butter

The block of aged dairy is probably still edible after 2,300 years in a peat bog.

Art at the VCC

Dublin, Ireland

Vintage Cocktail Club

A 1930s-style speakeasy with a secret doorway and one-of-a-kind cocktails.

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Explore Dublin, Ireland

Museums 14

Memorials 9

History 7

Architecture 5

Statues 5

Celtic 4

Art 4

History & Culture 3

Parks 3

Murals 3

Urban Planning 3

Sculptures 3

Cities 3

Universities 2

Relics And Reliquaries 2

Sacred Spaces 2

Repositories Of Knowledge 2

Plants 2

Vintage 2

Catholic 2

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Recent Dublin Activity

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wants to go to The Long Room Library at Trinity College
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wants to go to St. Michan's Mummies
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has been to Samuel Beckett Bridge
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has been to The Irish Elk Collection
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has been to The Long Room Library at Trinity College

Stories About Dublin

A Bird Never Flew On One Wing is Harry Kernoff’s most well-known work.

The Artist Who Turned Dublin's Pubs Into Galleries

Harry Kernoff found inspiration and camaraderie in the city's watering holes.

by Ailbhe MacMahon, Atlas Obscura

February 20, 2025

Spoiler alert: The Irish Crown Jewels have never been found.

The Greatest Unsolved Heist in Irish History

Scandal, conspiracy, and cover-ups in the theft of the "Irish Crown Jewels" from Dublin Castle.

by Dan Nosowitz, Atlas Obscura

November 4, 2021

This is one of four statues that until recently stood outside the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin.

A Dublin Hotel Removed Four Statues and Sparked a Historical Debate

The sculptures depict Egyptian and Nubian women, and may reference slavery.

by Giulia Heyward, Atlas Obscura

August 31, 2020

The pub, pictured circa 1990.

How a Dublin Pub Became a Haunt for Gravediggers and Ghosts Alike

The watering hole sits next to a cemetery and has stories to match.

by Valentina Valentini, Atlas Obscura

October 29, 2018

A chorus line of statuettes at Dublin Mouldings.

The Alluring Statuette Dividing Dublin

The "Lady on the Rock" sculpture sits in windows all over town. But what does it mean?

by John Kelly, Atlas Obscura

February 3, 2017