Offbeat Activities in Dublin

This is not your typical itinerary. Think quirky, think cool, think behind the mask and check out Dublin's offbeat activities.

We begin our tour in a crypt (as you do...). Spooky places at the best of times - did someone say "I want my mummy?!" If so St Michan's has the next best thing this side of Cairo; bodies, hundreds of years old, almost perfectly preserved by the church's peculiar micro-climate.

After that you might need a drink, so join the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl. We can't think of anything more offbeat than an Oscar Wilde soliloquy in the darkness in the grounds of Trinity College, except perhaps a complete performance of Samuel Becket's Breath (all 25 seconds of it) outside the next pub.

Still on the nightlife theme who's up for the casino? Shame because there's no such gambling dens in Dublin. We can however take you to the Casino at Marino - it's a little Georgian gem, built in the days when casino meant small room.

Next up is the "Floozie in the Jacuzzi"; we refer of course to the strange-looking statue of Anna Livia, the spirit of the river, removed from its landmark O'Connell Street site after years of derision, now sitting outside the National Museum (Michael Collins Barracks site).

The GAA Museum, if not exactly offbeat, deals with two games that are definitely off the mainstream, and those are the iconically Irish Hurling and Gaelic Football. Go and educate yourself as to why the Irish just love them.

Another museum, but why on earth in Dublin would you see Star Wars hero Qui-Gon Jinn battling to the death with evil Darth Maul. The answer is that the good guy was played by Irish actor Liam Neeson, Of course!

And here's another famous name that you might not expect to come across in Dublin. The remains of St Valentine - patron saint of Love (and the greeting card industry on 14 February every year) lie in the Carmelite Church on Augier Street. Pay your respects.

You might think that Dublin's homage to the nation's greatest writer would be easy to find, worthy and serious. It's none of these but it's definitely worth seeking out The James Joyce Centre and its "secret courtyard".

Thousands of people simply pass by the unprepossessing exterior of the Newman University Church every day, unaware of the glittering Byzantine-style decoration within. Now we've told you, make sure you're not one of them!

Finally we come to Dublin's oddest tour. So, put on your plastic Viking helmets, roar at passing "Celts" and standby for splashdown in the Docks as your road vehicle turns into a fully fledged "Viking Ship". We told you it was odd!

St. Michan's Church and Crypt

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Church Street

Dublin's most unusual visitor attraction...
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Dublin Literary Pub Crawl

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9 Duke St
Duke Pub (Starting point)

Booze-soaked history lesson...
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Casino Marino

Malahide Road
Marino

Classic small Palladian house...
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Anna Livia Sculpture

Benburb Street,

Spirit of the river Liffey...
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GAA Museum (The)

St. Joseph's Avenue
Croke Park

A history of Irish sport...
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National Wax Museum Plus

4 Foster Place
Armoury Building

An Interactive Visitor Attraction...
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Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church

56 Aungier St

Religious love in this fine church...
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James Joyce Centre (The)

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35 N. Great George's St

Understanding Ireland's greatest writer...
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Newman University Church

87 St Stephen's Green

Extravagant Byzantine interior...
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Viking SplashTours

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tours depart from north side of St Stephen's Green

The most fun you can have in Dublin while wearing a Viking helmet!...
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