10 Famous Novels Set in Dublin

Dublin isn’t just Ireland’s capital—it’s also the setting for some of the greatest novels ever written. From James Joyce’s Dubliners to Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends, where coffee shops and awkwardness are the main characters, Dublin has been the backdrop for all sorts of stories. In their books, writers like Roddy Doyle, Edna O’Brien, and Jonathan Swift have used the city’s streets, pubs, and rainclouds as characters. You’ll find drama, humor, heartbreak, and more than a few pints of Guinness along the way. So if you’ve ever wondered what makes Dublin so attractive to writers—or want to spot a few literary landmarks without leaving your couch—here are 10 famous novels that bring the city to life. Bonus: No need to worry about getting caught in the rain.

Dubliners by James Joyce is a collection of 15 short stories published in 1914. Each story is set in Dublin in the early 20th century and follows the lives of ordinary people - children to adults - in moments of epiphany, paralysis, and quiet struggle. Joyce wanted to show Dublin as it was, calling it the “center of paralysis” and saying if the city were ever destroyed, it could be rebuilt from the details in his book. The stories are set in real locations - North Richmond Street, Grafton Street, and the River Liffey - so the city is not just a backdrop but a main character. Joyce started writing Dubliners in 1904 and faced years of delays in publication due to concerns about the realistic portrayal of Irish society and references to politics and religion. Now it’s considered a modernist classic and a precise portrait of pre-independence Dublin.

Montpelier Parade by Karl Geary is a coming-of-age novel set in 1980s Dublin, where the city’s economic and social constraints shape the life of Sonny, a working-class teenager. Dublin is more than just a backdrop, it’s the limitations and pressures Sonny faces from his cramped home life to the alienation he feels at school and work. The story contrasts his world with that of Vera, an older, more affluent English woman living on Montpelier Parade, and highlights the class and cultural divides within the city. Real locations like Grafton Street ground the novel in a recognizable Dublin, and the social landscape feels authentic. Born in Dublin before moving to the US, Geary draws on personal experience to depict the city with accuracy and nuance—eschewing romanticism in favor of a realistic portrayal of how place shapes personal identity and relationships.

In The Murder Box by Olivia Kiernan, Dublin is a key player; the setting seeps into the story and drives the plot. Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan is based at the Bureau for Serious Crime in Dublin, and when a mysterious murder mystery game – the Murder Box – arrives at her office, she is drawn into a complex investigation. This game mirrors real-life crimes, and Frankie finds herself in a web of intrigue that is woven into the fabric of the city. Cope Street near Temple Bar, where an art exhibition is being held, and Henry Street are key locations in the book and ground the story in the city. Kiernan’s Dublin is not just a backdrop but a character in its own right; the streets, landmarks, and atmosphere of the city shape the investigation, and the city’s essence is reflected in the story and the challenges Frankie faces in her search for justice.

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue is set in Dublin during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and takes place over three intense days in a maternity ward of a city hospital. Nurse Julia Power is in charge of a quarantined ward for expectant mothers with the flu, with the help of a young volunteer, Bridie Sweeney. The hospital is not named in the book, but the setting is an unnamed Dublin hospital. Dublin is vividly described during this time, the city’s response to the pandemic, the war, and the social dynamics of early 20th-century Ireland. The personal stories are woven with historical events to give a powerful picture of life in Dublin during a time of crisis.

Quentins by Maeve Binchy is set in Dublin and is about the lives of the people connected to Quentins, the restaurant. The novel is about the intersecting stories of the customers, staff, and owners of the restaurant and is a portrait of the relationships, struggles, and aspirations of the people of the city. Dublin is a big part of the story, both physically and socially, and Grafton Street, Dublin’s main shopping street, and the Temple Bar area are woven into the narrative. The novel touches on love, loss, and time passing; Dublin’s urban landscape is a character in itself, shaping the lives of the people in it. Binchy’s Dublin is everyday life, embodying the charm, the complexity, and the connections between the characters.

In Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney, Dublin is a character, and it shapes the lives and interactions of Frances and Bobbi. The setting is woven into the narrative, with specific locations that ground the story in the city. Frances and Bobbi are students at Trinity College Dublin, a big deal in their lives. They meet in various Dublin locations - cafes and bars in Temple Bar, the cultural and artistic hub. Frances’s flat is on Hardwicke Street, right in the middle of the city. The narrative also takes us to the posh suburb of Monkstown, where Nick and Melissa live, and we see the different social strata of Dublin. Through these settings Rooney captures modern Dublin, all its complexities and its people.

The Sinéad Moriarty’s The Good Mother story follows Kate, a mother of three, who, after her husband’s affair and their separation, moves back in with her dad to the Village Café in Dublin. The café is a family-run business and is a central setting, a refuge, and a symbol of the complexities of family ties. The story explores Kate’s struggles, including her daughter Jess’s leukemia diagnosis and co-parenting with her ex. While specific Dublin locations aren’t detailed, the Village Café gives us a glimpse into the local culture and the intimate spaces where people’s stories play out. Moriarty’s Dublin is a real deal backdrop, capturing the urban life and how it affects us all.

The Bleeding Horse and Other Ghost Stories by Brian J. Showers is a collection of Dublin-set ghost stories, each drawing on the city’s history and folklore. The title story is about the origins of the Bleeding Horse pub on Camden Street, supposedly named after a ghostly horse associated with the Battle of Rathmines in 1649. Other stories are set in various Dublin locations, the 1861 omnibus accident near La Touche Bridge over the Grand Canal, and the haunted Blackberry Fair in Rathmines. Showers weaves historical events with fictional elements to create a fabric of eerie stories that reflect Dublin’s layered past. The collection is notable for its atmosphere and its nod to Dublin’s literary heritage, drawing on authors like Sheridan Le Fanu and James Joyce. Published by Swan River Press, founded by Showers in Rathmines, it’s a modern take on Dublin’s ghost stories.

At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O’Brien is a metafictional novel set mostly in Dublin, where reality and fiction are layered upon each other. The story follows a nameless student at University College Dublin who, instead of studying, writes a novel about an author whose characters rebel against him. Dublin is both the literal and imaginative setting of the novel and grounds the experimental narrative in a familiar environment. Key locations include University College Dublin (then on Earlsfort Terrace), the students’ boarding house in Ranelagh, and various city pubs and streets such as Grafton Street—one of the Dublin attractions—which are everyday urban life. Published in 1939, it’s known for its innovative structure and satire.

Broken Harbour by Tana French is a psychological crime thriller and one of the best Dublin novels, but the main action takes place in a fictional seaside suburb called Brianstown – formerly known as Broken Harbour. The story follows Detective Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy and his partner Richie Curran as they investigate the murder of a family in a half-built house in a “ghost estate” – a term for Ireland’s abandoned housing developments since the 2008 crash. Brianstown is fictional, but it’s based on real Dublin commuter towns affected by the housing crisis and blends economic commentary with psychological suspense. The detectives are based in Dublin, and the city is referenced throughout – St. James’s Street Garda Station and other suburbs.

In a nutshell, these best novels set in Dublin capture the heart and soul of the city through powerful stories and vivid settings. They also highlight some of the places to visit in Dublin that bring each tale to life.