Ballsbridge is one of those parts of Dublin that rewards a slow wander. It sits just south of the city centre, close enough to walk in for the museums and the shops, yet quiet enough to still feel like a proper neighbourhood. You get leafy streets, red brick terraces, a canal running through the middle of it and some of the city’s best known venues all within a few minutes of each other.

The Schoolhouse Hotel has been part of this corner of Dublin 4 since 1859, first as a schoolhouse and now as a hotel, so we know the area well. Here’s what we point our guests towards when they ask what’s worth doing nearby.

Walk the Grand Canal

The canal path is the easiest introduction to the area and it starts right outside our door. Head towards Baggot Street and you’ll pass old lock gates, swans that are far too used to people, and the bench dedicated to the poet Patrick Kavanagh, who wrote some of his best work along this stretch of water.

It’s lovely in the morning before the traffic builds, and lovelier again on a bright summer evening, with the light on the water and half of Dublin out for a stroll. Give yourself half an hour down as far as Portobello and back, or keep going all the way to Grand Canal Dock.

Catch an event at the RDS

The RDS is only a short walk away and its calendar covers almost everything. Concerts, craft fairs, exhibitions, trade shows, Leinster Rugby fixtures and the Dublin Horse Show in August all happen on the same site.

If you’re coming to Dublin for an event there, staying in Ballsbridge means you can walk to the gates in a few minutes rather than queue for a taxi at the end of the night.

See a match or concert at the Aviva Stadium

The Aviva Stadium sits at the end of Lansdowne Road, just around the corner from us. Ireland play rugby and football internationals there, Leinster host their bigger fixtures, cup finals are decided there and the stadium takes major concerts through the summer.

Even without a ticket, it’s worth a look. The glass and steel shell rises straight out of a Victorian residential street, which is a strange and brilliant sight the first time you see it.

Spend an afternoon in Herbert Park

Herbert Park is the green heart of Ballsbridge and a genuine local favourite. There’s a duck pond, a bandstand, tennis courts, a playground for younger visitors and plenty of open lawn for sitting with a coffee and a book.

It’s about ten minutes on foot from us. There are often events happening in the park, especially on weekends, so have a look online before you go.

Visit the National Print Museum

Tucked into the old garrison chapel at Beggars Bush, the National Print Museum is one of the quieter pleasures of Dublin 4. The collection covers the machinery and craft behind Irish printing, and the volunteers who run the working presses are happy to talk you through them.

It’s a small and unhurried way to spend an hour on a wet afternoon.

Walk out to Sandymount Strand

Sandymount Strand is about twenty minutes on foot, or one stop on the DART from Lansdowne Road. When the tide is out it stretches for what feels like miles, with the red and white Poolbeg chimneys standing over the far end of the bay and the wind coming straight in off the water.

It appears in the pages of Ulysses, which brings a steady stream of readers down to see it. Keep an eye on the tide times, as the water comes back in quickly across flat sand.

Walk into the city centre

One of the best things about staying in Dublin 4 is how walkable the rest of the city becomes. Trinity College and the Book of Kells are roughly fifteen to twenty minutes away on foot. The National Gallery of Ireland, the Natural History Museum and the Georgian squares of Merrion Square and Fitzwilliam Square are all closer again.

Follow Northumberland Road towards Merrion Square and you’ll pass some of the finest Georgian architecture in Dublin on the way.

Eat and drink in Dublin 4

Ballsbridge has a good mix of neighbourhood cafes, delis and long standing restaurants, and it stays busy without ever feeling frantic.

Our own Gastrobar serves seasonal food and drinks seven days a week, indoors under the original vaulted ceiling or outside on the garden terrace overlooking the canal. The terrace is where most people end up on a fine day. Booking ahead is a good idea at weekends and on event days.

Where to stay in Ballsbridge

The Schoolhouse Hotel has 31 cosy, comfortable rooms in a building that started life as a local school in 1859. The original features are still here, from the vaulted ceilings to the classroom proportions, with a warm, eclectic style throughout.

You’re a short walk from the Aviva Stadium and the RDS, a few minutes from the DART at Lansdowne Road, and close enough to town to leave the taxi app alone for the weekend.

Have a look at our rooms or read more about the area on our location page, and book direct for our best available rates.