Dublin Big Weekend

Your weekend, day by day

1. 1

   Day 1

   

   Whisky, gin & rum tasting

   From about 15:00 · 1.5 hours

   Arrival day. The transfer brings the group from the airport into the centre, then the whiskey tasting in the afternoon: a guided, sit-down session with a host talking through each pour. The evening is free for the pubs.

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   Dublin's whiskey tastings sit inside working and heritage distilleries just west of the centre, in Smithfield and along James's Street in the Liberties. Guided tours run from about 45 minutes and finish with a comparative tasting, usually three or four whiskeys. For a group that prefers gin, a 90-minute tasting of three gins runs in a city-centre bar. Everything is 18+, so bring ID. A Saturday afternoon slot works well before dinner.

   A host pours a flight of four or five spirits and talks through where each comes from, how it is made and what you are supposed to be tasting. There is usually water and something to eat alongside, and the pours are measured rather than generous.

   Some sessions add a distillery tour, and a gin tasting often includes blending your own bottle to take home.

   It runs around ninety minutes, sitting down, and it works well for a group that wants a civilised hour before the night rather than another round of pints.

2. 2

   Day 2

   

   Comedy club

   From about 19:30 · 2.5 hours

   A free day in the city, then the comedy club in the evening: a compere and a run of stand-ups across two halves. Doors open around 7pm and the show starts at about 8.30pm, with reserved seating and table service. Smart casual is expected.

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   Dublin has a large dedicated comedy club plus a regular comedy night in Temple Bar, with a mix of local and international acts. Plan on two and a half to three hours. Doors open around 7pm, arrivals before 7.30pm sometimes get a free drink, and the show starts at about 8.30pm. Groups get reserved seating with table service and finger food platters, and the bar stays open after the show. Smart casual is expected, and at the larger club payment is card or contactless only, so nobody should rely on cash.

   The night runs a couple of hours in two halves, with a compere linking three or four stand-ups. Drinks are served at the table between acts at most clubs, and there is usually a bar afterwards.

   A stag group at the front will be found out by the compere within the first two minutes. Sit further back if that is going to ruin somebody's night.

   Smart-casual. Get there for the doors rather than the start time, because seating is often unreserved and a late group ends up split up.

3. 3

   Day 3

   

   Group dinner & restaurant

   From about 19:30 · 2 hours

   The booked group dinner, with one table for the whole group. Confirm final numbers and any dietary needs with the restaurant ahead of the day. If the group is heading out afterwards, dress for the bars rather than the restaurant.

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   Most group dinners that suit a stag in Dublin are in and around Temple Bar, which leaves the first pub a short walk away. Expect a set menu of two or three courses at reserved tables, about two hours, and sometimes a first drink included. Smart casual is the usual standard, and several places turn away trainers, sportswear and ripped jeans, so pack one pair of proper shoes. Bring ID, as 18+ checks are common. Service charge is often added to anything ordered beyond the set menu, so agree up front how extras will be split.

   A restaurant taking a large group will usually want a set menu, a deposit and final numbers a few days ahead. That is normal and it works in your favour: the food comes out together and the bill is per head rather than an hour of arithmetic.

   Tell them about allergies and anyone who does not eat meat when you confirm the numbers, not on the night.

   Dress code is the restaurant's. If you are heading to a club afterwards, dress for the club, because the restaurant is the softer door.

4. 4

   Day 4

   

   Club entry, VIP & booths

   From about 23:00 · 5 hours

   Reserved club entry for the group, past the queue on the guest list. Clubs are not the main event in Dublin, so treat it as the end of a pub night. Dress codes apply: no sportswear and no matching shirts.

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   Dublin's main club strip is Harcourt Street, with more late venues a few minutes away around Camden Street and Wexford Street. Guestlist entry here comes with a cut-off: depending on the club, the group has to be through the door by 9.30pm, 11pm or midnight, so plan dinner and the pubs around that rather than the other way round. Smart casual is the norm, at least one well-known club sets its door age at 23, and doors refuse anyone who looks too far gone. Booths are usually sold per table of about six, with a bottle of house spirits and mixers.

   Standard entry gets the group past the queue on a guest list, which matters because large male groups are the first ones a door turns away. A booth adds a reserved table, a set number of bottles with mixers and a host who looks after the table.

   Booths are sold on a minimum spend rather than a flat fee at many clubs, so the bottles you order count towards it. Ask what the minimum is and what it includes before you agree to anything.

   Dress code is enforced hard on stag groups. No sportswear, no trainers at some doors, no matching shirts, and nobody visibly drunk gets in regardless of the booking.