Dublin Gay and Lesbian Vacations
Your gay Dublin vacation
Once bypassed by travelers to Europe, once-sleepy Dublin has become the hip and fashionable in the last couple decades. The Irish capital is a low-slung, easily-walkable place. Over a third of Ireland lives here, and it’s been estimated up to half the city’s population is under 25, thanks to Dublin’s large universities. The city’s sloping bridges and cold stone and granite buildings may make it appear languid and even maudlin at first glance, but slip into one of Dublin’s myriad pubs and you’ll find a slap-happy, no-one’s-a-stranger energy that makes any outsider feel at home – you’ll quickly feel the giddy state of being the locals call “craic.”
Best in Stay
LGBT Best in Stay Dublin hotels
Fitzwilliam Hotel
Arlington Hotel Temple Bar
Four Seasons Dublin
The Shelbourne Dublin, A Renaissance Hotel
Dylan Hotel Dublin
Jurys Inn Parnell Street
Flights
| Departure | Arrival | Travel dates | Round-trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | Dublin | Fri, Feb 1 - Tue, Feb 12 | $700 |
| Los Angeles | Dublin | Mon, Feb 11 - Mon, Feb 25 | $700 |
| New York | Dublin | Sun, Feb 24 - Mon, Mar 4 | $536 |
| London | Dublin | Thu, Feb 21 - Fri, Mar 8 | $157 |
| Washington DC | Dublin | Sun, Jan 20 - Sat, Jan 26 | $702 |
| Chicago | Dublin | Tue, Feb 5 - Thu, Feb 21 | $710 |
| Boston | Dublin | Tue, Jan 29 - Mon, Feb 4 | $625 |
| Seattle | Dublin | Thu, Feb 21 - Fri, Feb 22 | $693 |
| Denver | Dublin | Sun, Feb 17 - Sun, Feb 24 | $700 |
| Newark | Dublin | Mon, Feb 25 - Mon, Mar 4 | $566 |
| Philadelphia | Dublin | Wed, Jan 16 - Wed, Jan 23 | $734 |
| Charlotte | Dublin | Wed, Jan 23 - Mon, Feb 4 | $670 |
Why book on Orbitz?
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Miss Richfield 1981 says it best in this video—not all travel sites are created equal. When you book on Orbitz, your travel dollars work harder. Here’s why:
- We’re the ONLY leading travel agency with a perfect Corporate Equality Index Score from the Human Rights Campaign, with two GLAAD Media awards to boot.
- We’re the ONLY leading travel site with filters for hotel reviews by other LGBT travelers.
- We feature the top gay-friendly accommodations, including Best in Stay hotels and gay resorts.
- We’re proud sponsors of many LGBT charities and events, year after year.
Dublin highlights
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Dublin’s nightlife
Most of Dublin’s youthful and cozy pub nightlife is happily mixed straight/gay, and mainly found in a section of the old downtown called Temple Bar. From tiny holes-in-the-wall to mutli-floor mega bars, you can’t leave Dublin without downing a pint of black Guinness and hearing colorful life stories woven by new friends. Two side-by-side bars on George’s Street, The George and The Dragon, are Dublin’s oldest and most famous gay watering holes, and not to be missed.
Literary Dublin
The Irish are rightfully proud of their literary heritage, with James Joyce being nearly as big a hometown star as Bono. The James Joyce Centre in Dublin hosts frequent events, and check out the somewhat lecherous statue of local queer boy Oscar Wilde lounging on a rock in Merrion Square Park, across the street from his childhood home and a museum. Four of Ireland’s most respected living writers - Jamie O’Neill, Colm Toibin, Frank Ronan, and Keith Ridgway all happen to be gay. The Dublin Writers Museum is on Darnell Square, or come for the week-long Dublin Writers Festival in early June, just before Pride.
LGBT events and city festivals
Traditionally ultra-Catholic, homosexuality was only decriminalized in Ireland in 1993 (and allowed civil unions in 2011). Since then, the once nonexistent gay life has blossomed with high-profile events like the two-week International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival in May, the Dublin LGBTQ Pride Festival (with its own Bear Pride) in June, Gaze LGBT film fest in August, and the Alternative Miss Ireland over St. Patrick’s weekend in March.
Insider tips for Dublin gay travel
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Hit the pubs early
Visitors may be surprised to find that many pubs close their doors before midnight, but they can be rocking in the early evening with people straight from the office.
Mind your PDA
Although Dublin is very liberal compared to years past, this isn’t swinging London: Kissing your mate in public or other gay public displays of affection are still frowned upon.
Visit the Outhouse
The LGBT center Outhouse on Capel Street is open seven days a week with a café, meetings, library, and tons of gay travel info.