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Ireland Flings

City guide · Ireland

Dating in Dublin: where to meet, over-40s and singles events

By The Ireland Flings editorial team · Last checked

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On this page
  1. 01Where to go in Dublin
  2. 02Places for a first drink
  3. 03Dating in Dublin over 40 and over 50
  4. 04Getting home
  5. 05Staying safe in Dublin
  6. 06Questions

Dublin's centre is small enough to walk across in half an hour, which makes it an easy city for a first meeting. Pick somewhere between Grafton Street and Camden Street and most people can get there by Luas, DART or one of the cross-city bus routes without much thought.

The trick is avoiding the obvious. Temple Bar is built for visitors and stag parties, and it is loud from early evening. A few streets away, around South William Street, Drury Street and Fleet Street, the bars are quieter, the tables are closer together and you can actually hear the person across from you.

Go early in the week if you can. A Tuesday or Wednesday evening in a wine bar is a very different thing from a Saturday night on Camden Street, and it gives you a natural reason to keep it to one or two drinks.

Where to go in Dublin

  • Camden Street and Wexford Street

    A long strip of bars and restaurants running south from St Stephen's Green. Busy and well lit until late, with the Green Luas line a few minutes' walk away at Harcourt and St Stephen's Green.

  • Temple Bar, and where locals go instead

    Temple Bar itself is crowded and pricey. Cross Dame Street to South William Street, Drury Street and the lanes around George's Street Arcade, or walk east to Fleet Street, for bars that are just as central but far calmer.

  • Stoneybatter

    An old neighbourhood on the north side, near Smithfield, with a village feel and a handful of good pubs and restaurants. The Red Luas line stops at Smithfield and Museum, both a short walk away.

  • Ranelagh

    A south-side village on the Green Luas line, with its own Luas stop. Good for a date when neither of you wants to go into town, and the tram makes leaving easy.

  • Portobello and the Grand Canal

    Between Camden Street and Ranelagh, the canal banks are pleasant for a short walk before or after a drink. Stick to the lit, busy stretches near the bridges after dark.

Places for a first drink

Busy enough to feel relaxed, quiet enough to talk, and easy to leave. Check opening times on their own sites before you go.

  1. 01

    Frank's

    wine bar · Camden Street Lower

    A small wine bar and shop that doesn't take reservations, so there's no pressure to commit to a whole evening. A glass at the communal table is about as relaxed as a first meeting gets.

    Official siteMap (OpenStreetMap)

  2. 02

    Loose Canon

    wine bar · Drury Street

    A tiny natural wine bar that also does Irish cheese and toasties. It's walk-in only and close to the George's Street Arcade, so it's easy to find and easy to move on from.

    Official siteMap (OpenStreetMap)

  3. 03

    Peruke & Periwig

    cocktail bar · Dawson Street

    Georgian-themed rooms on Dawson Street, with a long cocktail list and plenty of whiskey. The first- and second-floor lounges give you somewhere to sit away from the ground-floor bar.

    Official siteMap (OpenStreetMap)

  4. 04

    The Palace Bar

    pub · Fleet Street

    A Victorian pub with a long literary history, a short walk from Temple Bar but a world away in feel. Ask for the snug or the back room if you want somewhere quieter.

    Official siteMap (OpenStreetMap)

  5. 05

    Doheny & Nesbitt

    pub · Baggot Street Lower

    A Baggot Street pub that dates back to 1828, spread over several floors and bars, so there is usually a corner to sit in. It gets busy on match days, so check the fixtures before you suggest it.

    Official siteMap (OpenStreetMap)

  6. 06

    L. Mulligan Grocer

    gastropub · Stoneybatter

    Irish craft beer, Irish spirits and a seasonal menu built around local produce. A drink can easily turn into dinner, and you can book a table if you'd rather not hover at the bar.

    Official siteMap (OpenStreetMap)

  7. 07

    The Devlin Bar

    cocktail bar · Ranelagh

    The ground-floor bar of The Devlin hotel, about five minutes from the Ranelagh Luas stop. Cocktails, small plates and jazz on some nights, without the noise of a city-centre bar.

    Official siteMap (OpenStreetMap)

  8. 08

    Clement & Pekoe

    café · South William Street

    A specialist tea and coffee shop that has been on South William Street for years. A good choice if you'd prefer a daytime meeting with no alcohol involved.

    Official siteMap (OpenStreetMap)

Dating in Dublin over 40 and over 50

40+

Dating in Dublin over 40

Over 40 in Dublin, most first dates are squeezed in after work, so a wine bar near the office beats a big night out. Frank's on Camden Street and Loose Canon on Drury Street are both walk-in only: you can meet at half six, have a glass or two and still be on the Luas before it gets late. If you're coming from the south side, The Devlin Bar in Ranelagh saves you the trip into town altogether.

If you'd rather have something to do than just sit and talk, the Chester Beatty in the grounds of Dublin Castle is free to visit and is a short walk from South William Street. An hour among its manuscripts and prints gives you plenty to talk about over a drink afterwards, and an easy way to say goodbye if the spark isn't there.

Places to try: Frank's · Loose Canon · The Devlin Bar · Chester Beatty

50+

Dating in Dublin over 50

Over 50, many people prefer a comfortable seat and a quiet room to a crowded bar, and Dublin's older hotels do this well. The Merrion has The Cellar Bar in its old wine vaults and No. 23, a small cocktail bar it describes as made for relaxed conversation. The Shelbourne on St Stephen's Green has the Horseshoe Bar and the No. 27 Bar & Lounge, a short walk from the Luas stop on the Green.

Daytime dates work well too. The National Gallery of Ireland on Merrion Square West is a short walk from both hotels, so a look around the collection followed by tea or a drink nearby makes a gentle first meeting. For an evening plan, a play at the Abbey Theatre gives you something to talk about afterwards, and IMMA at Kilmainham, with its grounds and exhibitions, suits a weekend afternoon.

Places to try: The Merrion · The Shelbourne · National Gallery of Ireland · Abbey Theatre · IMMA

13 dated singles events in Dublin on our singles events page, each checked on the organiser's own listing.

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Getting home

The Luas is the easiest way home for many people. Last trams leave the city centre at around midnight to half past midnight from Monday to Saturday, and about an hour earlier on Sundays and public holidays. Times differ by line and direction, so check the Luas or TFI timetable for your own stop before you head out.

The last DART trains reach Connolly at around 00:20, according to Transport for Ireland, which also lists the last departures towards Howth, Malahide, Bray and Greystones. Check the live times in the TFI Live app on the night, because engineering works and weekend changes do happen.

Transport for Ireland lists a set of Dublin bus routes that now run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as part of the BusConnects network redesign, plus Nitelink routes from the city centre to the suburbs on Friday and Saturday nights. Look up your route in the Journey Planner before you go out, not at 1am.

Taxis, hackneys and limousines are licensed by the National Transport Authority, and drivers are licensed by An Garda Síochána. The free TFI Driver Check app lets you confirm that the vehicle is registered and the driver is licensed to drive it, see the driver's photo and share your trip details with a friend.

Staying safe in Dublin

  • In an emergency, call 999 or 112. Both reach the emergency services, and 112 also accepts text messages through a relay service for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired.
  • Before you get into a taxi, check it with the TFI Driver Check app, or use the licence checker on the Transport for Ireland website. If the details don't match, don't get in.
  • Meet inside the bar rather than on a street corner, and tell a friend where you're going and who you're meeting.
  • Buy your own drinks and keep your glass with you. Busy bars are safer places to meet, but they're also where things go unnoticed.
  • Plan your own way home. If your date offers to share a taxi, it's fine to say no, and it's fine to leave whenever you want to.

The full list is in our first-date safety checklist.

Get the first-date safety checklist for Ireland

A one-page checklist for the night before, sent to your inbox. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.

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First dates in Dublin: questions

Is Temple Bar a good place for a first date?

Usually not. It's crowded, loud and aimed at visitors. A few minutes' walk away, around South William Street, Drury Street or Fleet Street, you'll find calmer bars that are just as central.

What time is the last Luas in Dublin?

From the city centre, last trams generally leave between about midnight and half past midnight from Monday to Saturday, and around an hour earlier on Sundays and public holidays. It varies by line and stop, so check the timetable for your own stop.

Are there night buses in Dublin?

Yes. Transport for Ireland lists a number of Dublin bus routes that run 24 hours a day, and Nitelink routes that run from the city centre to the suburbs on Friday and Saturday nights.

How can I check a Dublin taxi is licensed?

Use the free TFI Driver Check app or the licence checker on the Transport for Ireland website. The app shows whether the vehicle and driver are licensed, shows the driver's photo and lets you share your trip with a friend.

Sources · checked 19 October 2026