Getting Squiffy on the Liffey – A 48-Hour Dublin Photography & Guinness Adventure

Let’s get this straight: this wasn’t supposed to be a hardcore photography trip. My wife, Emma, has endured years of me disappearing on landscape shoots, so when she bought me this trip for Christmas, the idea was to not turn it into another one of those. But, of course, a camera came along (Canon EOSR with a 24-105 STM and a 16mm f2.8RF), and I did manage to sneak in some shots between pints of Guinness.

Day 1 – 6am Flights and Finding Temple Bar

When you book the early 6am flight from Newcastle, you arrive in Dublin before most locals have had their first coffee. By 7am, we were already on Irish soil, and after a quick taxi to Dublin One Hotel, we managed to sort an early check-in and get some much-needed sleep before heading out. The hotel looked great! The service was typically Irish—friendly and welcoming. We’d had a good start to our day.

Feeling slightly more human, we crossed the Liffey on foot (about a 20-minute walk from Dublin One) and made our way into town. There was no set plan—because in Dublin, plans get abandoned the moment you see a pub you like the look of… and there are lots of pubs! Predictably, we ended up in Temple Bar, where we had our first Guinness of the trip (because, well, it would be rude not to).

After a few pints and some classic Irish music, we decided to escape the tourist-heavy madness and find somewhere more local. That led us to Kavanagh’s Temple Pub, a proper Dublin boozer with a fantastic pint of Guinness. Within minutes of sitting down, we were chatting with the locals, who were convinced we were Scottish. We did our best to convince them otherwise, but I don’t think they believed us. The craic was flowing as fast as the rain outside, so any thoughts of photography momentarily subsided.

The heavy rain turned to a light drizzle, giving the city a cinematic feel, perfect for black-and-white photography. I focused on capturing Dublin’s textures—the cobbled streets, reflections in puddles, and the mix of modern and historic architecture. Rory’s Fishing Tackle on Abbey Street was a standout, a shopfront frozen in time, its weathered facade perfect for monochrome.

Photography Tip: Dublin’s overcast skies and rain make it a dream for black-and-white photography. Look for contrast—wet streets reflecting light, gritty textures, and dramatic skies. And if you’re balancing a pint in one hand, bump up that shutter speed!

Day 2 – Croke Park, Chinatown, and a Guinness Marathon

Saturday morning started with a walk to Croke Park—because I just couldn’t resist a few moody black-and-white shots of the nearby stadium. (I’m a huge sports fan and love visiting stadiums—don’t ask me why, I just do!) Croke Park is one of the biggest stadiums in Europe and plays host to Gaelic football, the national sport of Ireland. Emma was incredibly patient (or just resigned) as I snapped away, capturing the stadium’s towering presence over the surrounding streets. The bleak weather actually worked in my favour—heavy clouds make for dramatic skies, and Dublin’s gritty textures pop in monochrome. I framed shots through old railings and included warning signs and urban decay to add to the atmosphere.

From Croke Park, we headed to Trinity College, where I was allowed exactly ten minutes to photograph the historic square before being reminded that we were on holiday, not a work trip. Still, the symmetry, old stonework, and bicycles chained against wrought iron fences made it worth it. A brief detour led us to an incredible mural, a decaying wall with an eerie, abstract figure.

From there, we found ourselves in Chinatown, which was rammed with Chinese New Year celebrations—lanterns hanging everywhere, street performers, and an electric buzz in the air. The energy was contagious, but it was literally wall-to-wall with people cramming through the tight streets, making it nearly impossible to photograph anything of note.

The lure of the perfect pint called… and that’s when we found Hogan’s Bar.

Now, I’ve had a lot of Guinness in my time, but the pint at Hogan’s? Flawless. So good, in fact, that we had to order two more just to make sure the first wasn’t a fluke. Confirmed: best pint of the trip!

Feeling rather pleased with ourselves—and maybe even a little tipsy—we stumbled upon The Stag’s Head, a pub so charming it felt like it had been lifted straight from a film set. One pint turned into two, which turned into three, and soon we were making our way to The Auld Dubliner for more of the same.

At some point, there was another pub—its name lost to the haze of the evening—but what I do remember is that this time, it was me dragging Emma away from the pub. She could have stayed all night.

We met all kinds of people—Irish, Filipino, French, someone from our hometown Stockton, and a great couple from Manchester. The craic really is fantastic.

We finally made it back to the hotel around 8pm, knowing we had a brutal 3:30am alarm for our 7am flight home.

Photography Tip: Street photography in Dublin is best shot candidly—people rushing through the rain, a reflection in a pub window, the contrast between neon signs and historic buildings. Keep your camera ready, because the best moments appear when you least expect them.

The Guinness Effect

Here’s the thing—once Guinness gets involved, photography becomes… optional.

The afternoon was a blur of Temple Bar, random record shops, and lively streets filled with buskers. My camera sat on the table more than in my hands, but that’s part of the charm. Sometimes, you just soak it all in.

By the evening, we’d fully embraced the Dublin way. The pubs were alive, the rain drummed against the cobbled streets, and somewhere between my fifth and sixth pint, I made peace with the fact that this wasn’t a serious photography trip.

But it was a bloody brilliant one.

Dublin isn’t just about landmarks—it’s about atmosphere. Don’t just shoot the obvious; capture the pub doors, the old men laughing over a pint, the reflections in puddles. And most importantly, know when to put the camera down and enjoy the moment.

Would I go back? Absolutely!

Would I spend more time taking photos? Who knows… there’s clearly lots to be discovered in Dublin… but those wonderful pubs are seriously tempting.

Sláinte!