Dublin Guide
Make friends and take in the literary heritage in Dublin. With its turbulent history behind it, the laid-back Irish capital has transformed itself into a modern European city with a nightlife to be proud of and booming business tucked between graceful Georgian architecture.
The oasis of calm at Trinity College and its biblical Book of Kells lie near busy Grafton Street and the Norman tower of Dublin Castle. History is on show in Dublin, from graceful Georgian terraces and the stomping ground of Yeats, Joyce and Beckett, to the bog bodies at the National Museum of Ireland.
Find top Irish designer gear and quirky jewellery in Powerscourt Centre, Temple Bar, and department stores Arnott's and Clerys around broad O'Connell Street. Get fired up for some high-street fashion shopping on pedestrianised Grafton Street at Bewley's café – a Dublin institution for coffee drinkers. Buy second-hand books around studenty Trinity College and St Stephen's Green, and antiques on Francis Street.
The huge Phoenix Park is home to Dublin Zoo, the Wellington Monument and cricket pitches. Relax with office workers and students on St Stephen's Green at lunchtime. Catch the DART train out to the Howth peninsula for a healthy walk around the headland, and to Dun Laoghaire (pronounced ‘leery') for a refreshing dip and coastal breeze.
Dublin boasts a slew of top theatres. The Abbey is the most famous, especially for new plays, while the Victorian Gaiety Theatre produces popular favourites. Orson Welles started his career at the opulent 18th-century Gate Theatre. The Civic Theatre has touring theatre and music and the National Concert Hall classical music.
Traditional dishes take a back seat in Dublin cuisine. Dine on French-tinged Modern Irish around St Stephen's Green, and savour oysters, smoked salmon and Guinness in Temple Bar's gastro pubs. Fusion is on the menu by Trinity College, outdoor cafés abound in the Italian Quartier Bloom near Jervis Street and fresh fish in coastal Howth.
Relive the uprising on the 1916 Rebellion Walking Tour, taking in the city centre's significant landmarks. Look out for bullet holes in the huge columns outside the General Post Office (GPO) on O'Connell Street – almost a century after they were fired there.
