Picture this. It is a Sunday morning, and just as soon as you have stepped out of bed, you realise that it is raining cats and dogs. Usually, you would go to the pub to meet up with friends, sit by the fire, and listen to live traditional music. But today, despite the miserable weather, you want to try something besides your favourite cosy pubs. What are your options?
Creative Ways to Spend Your Rainy Sundays in Dublin
With an average of 128 to 150 rainy days per year, Dublin is not new to showers. But luckily, most of the rainfall is light, so you can pretty much walk through the city while barely getting wet. But regardless of whether it is pouring heavily or you are dealing with scattered showers, here are some fun ways to spend your day:
Tour the Museums
If you love learning new things, you will enjoy visiting Dublin’s museums. Take the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, for example. It tends to be a favourite for people who love learning about aircraft engineering and everything that goes into keeping airplanes in operation. And while you can learn a great deal about how this works from companies like Magnetic Engineering, a trip down memory lane can have you envisioning how airlines came to be. And nothing cements this more than a vintage plane suspended from the ceiling, which takes you back to the 1920s.
Beyond airplanes, Dublin’s museums help you learn a lot more about the city and Ireland as a whole. And we would recommend the following stops:
- The Little Museum of Dublin;
- EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum;
- Irish Whiskey Museum;
- Illusion Museum Dublin;
- National Gallery of Ireland.
All of these museums are open on Sundays, thus making them ideal for your rainy day quests where you can lose yourself in art, history, and tales that have been passed down for centuries.
Watch a Film
While it pours outside, many people choose to stay home and stream a movie or TV show. But do you know what’s cosier than that? Catching a show at the Irish Film Institute! Rather than centring on mainstream cinema, this institute focuses more on the cultural experiences and thus tends to lean on the following types of screenings:
- Independent dramas;
- Documentaries;
- Sci-fi and classic movies;
- Short films.
You also find that they often put on similar shows that you would find in typical cinemas, such as horror, thriller, and comedy shows. As such, if you would rather watch such movies, you will still find something that augurs well with your interests. And since their programs are always changing, you are always in for something quite unique.
Shop for Books
Do you know what pairs well with the sound of rain? The answer is reading a book. There is just something pleasantly cosy about curling up with a good book, a hot cup of tea, and listening to the rain outside. But where can you find a good read? Well, you are in luck, as Dublin has many independent bookstores that have just the curated selection for you. Some of the best finds are in spots such as:
- Chapters Bookstore – they also have pre-owned books for book readers who love thrifting;
- Hodges Figgis
- Books Upstairs – they have a cosy café where you can also read books;
- The Gutter Bookshop
- The Secret Book and Record Store – they, too, also have used books, as well as new selections.
No matter which shop you choose, the mere act of walking into the store and perusing their selection will have you feeling like you are the main character in your story.
