Dublin was probably the city I spent the most time doing searches on. The center area has a large pub scene. Which, if I were younger, would be a fun night, but since we are a family, it was something that I wanted to avoid. I reserved a U.S. chain hotel near the Custom House at first. This option included breakfast and you can take a tram to go to the central part of the city. The downside is it is a long walk to the major sites, which are all on the other side of the river.

I then began to consider options that were closer to Christ Church Cathedral, Trinity College, Dublin Castle, and many other attractions on the south side of the River Liffey, which splits the city in two. Considerations I made were cost, bed size and noise, since the south side has more bars. I looked at a lot of hotels and found many rooms were set up for couples and not for families. I liked one, but it was near Christ Church Cathedral and come to find out the bells toll every hour day and night—24 hours each day.

I found a gorgeous property, the Schoolhouse Hotel,  that had been the St. Stephens Parochial School and built in 1859. It had beautiful common areas and dining halls with exposed beams and large windows and reminded me of Harry Potter if it was set in Ireland instead of Scotland. Yet, you had to take a bus from what I read to the city center. If it was just the two of us I would have booked it. If you stay here, let me know how you liked it!

I then looked north of the Liffey River. This area is made up of more retail than bars. I finally found the Jurys Inn Dublin Parnell Street. It is cross the river, but still near all the tourist sites. The reviews were decent. It provided an Irish breakfast and we could either walk to the central part of the city with the museums or we could take the tram. My son really enjoys taking trams, so I thought this would be the best idea. We were also away from the noise of the bar crowds. I cancelled the first one and went with this option.

Something to consider when it comes to summer lodging, Dublin does not get overly hot during the summer, so many hotels are without air conditioning. Yet, I decided that risking a very hot day with a small child and no air conditioning was not a risk I was willing to take.

CHECK LIST FOR DUBLIN WITH KIDS

If you have a kid and are traveling to Dublin during the summer make sure in checking hotels look for:

• Noise level
• Are there bars nearby?
• Public transportation
• Breakfast options – if you want to get going early
• Air conditioning – if traveling during the summer
• And bell schedule of nearby churches!