Although it’s mainly a residential area you’ll find plenty hotels, shops, pubs and restaurants here as well. Its location is a huge selling point, situated between Dublin Airport and the city centre. It’s about 9km from the airport and only 2km from the heart of the city, making it an ideal base for checking out the sights and sounds of Ireland’s vibrant capital, which include the bustling Temple Bar district, Trinity College, O’Connell Street, the city’s main thoroughfare, the famous G.P.O building, Dublin Castle, the Guinness Storehouse, Smithfield Village, and of course, the endless shopping options on Grafton Street.
Sport and Croke Park
One of the main attractions of Drumcondra, and indeed Dublin, is the very impressive Croke Park, where Ireland’s national games of Gaelic football and hurling are played with great passion, generating huge excitement and support from fans. With a capacity of 82,500 it’s one of the largest sporting arenas in Europe. It’s the official headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association and also houses the official GAA Museum. The finals of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship are played in the stadium in September every year. And as well as holding musical concerts by international artists and Irish legends such as U2, in 2007 Croke Park opened up it’s gates to rugby and soccer Internationals for home teams.
What To Do and See
GAA Museum
The GAA museum is open daily, with limited access on match days. The Museum was opened to acknowledge the great impact the GAA has had on social and cultural life in Ireland since its foundation in 1884. The GAA Museum is located under the Cusack Stand in Croke Park and it looks at the status of the GAA at home and abroad, and its influential role in the nationalist movement and cultural revival in Ireland. Huge symbols of significance from GAA history are located in the museum, including trophies, jerseys, photos, and GAA memorabilia.
Find out more about the GAA Museum at Croke Park.
Tolka Park
Drumcondra is also the location of the Tolka Park soccer stadium, the home of Shelbourne F.C. and Shamrock Rovers who are prominent teams in the League of Ireland.
Dublin Writers Museum, Parnell Square
Dublin is famous as a city of writers and literary culture, and the Dublin Writers Museum is a must visit for anyone who wishes to discover, explore, or simply enjoy Dublin’s massive literary heritage. The city’s literary greats from the past 300 years are celebrated through their novels, letters, manuscripts and personal belongings.
The Writers Museum is a restored Georgian building on Parnell Square has magnificent plaster work in the first floor Gallery of Writers. Exhibitions, lunchtime theatre, bookshops and caf’ make this museum an essential visit for zealots of Dublin’s literary past.
The Helix Theater
The Helix is a multi-venue arts centre which opened in 2002, providing the people of Drumcondra and beyond with a mixture of fantastic quality music, entertainment and drama. It’s part of Dublin City University and has three different venues in one, The Mahony Hall, The Space and The Theater. Each auditorium attracts diverse performers from around Ireland and the world. Dame Kiri Ta Kanawa, Brian Kennedy, Lou Reed, Van Morrison, Sinead O’Connor have all performed there, along with plays by Dublin novelist Roddy Doyle, writer of the Commitments and The Woman who Walked into Doors. Instagram
The O2 (Formerly Point Theatre)
The O2 is an events centre in North Dublin. It was one of Ireland’s largest indoor concert arenas, with a seating capacity of up to 8,500. After its redevelopment, the capacity will be over 13,000. Over the years it has not only served as a venue for many different varieties of concerts by diverse acts such as David Bowie, Pearl Jam, REM, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, and the Smashing Pumpkins, but it has also been transformed into an ice rink, a boxing arena, an exhibition centre, a wrestling ring, a theatre, an opera house and a circus. It will officially be re-opened in December 2008, with top bands Coldplay and the Kings of Leon being the headline acts over the 2008 Festive Season. Read more on Wikipedia
Where to Eat and Drink in Drumcondra?
There’s no shortage of places for a pint or two in and around the Drumcondra area. Popular pubs include Fagans (Bertie’s favourite), Quinns and the Ivy House. Likewise there’s an excellent range of restaurants to suit all pockets, palates and tastes to choose from. These include The Cheese Pantry, the Cat and Cage, The Ivy House, Chilli Banana, Jade Dragon, The Rendevouz Restaurant and The Fayre City Bistro at the McEniff Skylon Hotel and the Sideline Bistro at Jurys Croke Park Hotel.
How To Get To Drumcondra
- By bus: If you’re travelling from the city centre the following bus routes will take you to Drumcondra ‘ bus numbers 3, 11, 11A, 13, 13A, 16 and 16A from O’Connell Street.
- By train: Drumcondra Railway Station reopened in 1998 as a station on the Maynooth/Longford commuter line. Connolly Station Dublin is approximately 2km from the Drumcondra area.
- Dublin Airport to Drumcondra: The 16 or 16A bus will take you from Dublin Airport to Drumcondra Station. Buses run almost every 20 minutes.
