Dublin is not that fair a city, though apparently it once was. The girls are not incredibly pretty, at least when compared to other countries’ capital cities. But what Dublin does have, is character, and it has it in spades. The character is not necessarily in its grand buildings though there are some, or in its broad streets because there are a few. It is in the people. This means you cannot look for Dublin’s essence in any particular place, instead you will likely encounter it in the most unlikely of places: queuing for a bus, banter with a shop assistant or in an overheard conversation in a pub. That is not to say there is nothing to do in Dublin or places to visit, there are, but the key is watching and listening. Hang out, watch and listen.

But if you like lists – and many people do – here’s our Authentic Dublin list of things to do when in Dublin:

This map might help: http://www.softguides.com/dublin/maps/centre.html

1. Dublin Bus Tour
It’s an easy option but it makes a lot of sense. Most tours take 1 to 1.5 hours (if you don’t get off the bus) and the tour guides will make you laugh while giving you a good introduction to the city. If nothing else it will help you get your bearings which may prove vital when it comes to finding your hotel at three the next morning. Stops include Trinity College, the National Gallery and Museum (both free), St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Guinness Storehouse and Jamieson Distillery. So as you can see by doing the bus tour you can probably tick off half your to do list. There are a number of bus tour operators but they all operate on a “hop on, hop off” basis, meaning you have 24 hours to complete the tour. The Guinness Storehouse closes at 6pm so don’t plan on spending the night there! Rumour has it Dublin Bus run the best tours. If you have heard different please let us know. Bus tours cost 14 or 15 euro.

2. Museums
The bus tour routes stop at many museums. Some are better than others. These are our top picks:

• Kilmainham Gaol Historical Museum: This is where the leaders of the 1916 Rising were held and then executed by firing squad, an act which galvanized Irish public opinion at the time and eventually led to the Irish War of Independence a few years later. Much more than a jail tour, this building encapsulates a pivotal moment in Irish history. It is hard to do this tour and not be moved.
  
• National Museum: The National Museum on Kildare Street houses a very impressive collection of gold and silver treasures dating from 2500BC to chalices and brooches from the 8th century and later. All the exhibits taken together provide a fascinating and accessible sweep through Irish history. A must.
  
• Trinity Collage: standing in the heart of the city centre where Dame Street and Grafton Street meet, Trinity College is probably Dublin’s most recognizable building. Access to the campus is free and a stroll through the grounds is a very civilizing experience after the noise and bustle of city life outside its walls. The various old halls, courtyards and green areas exude an air of quiet enlightenment. From April to October students offer 30 minute guided walking tours starting from main gate. The €10.00 cost includes admission to the Old Library where the 8th century Book of Kells is displayed. Not to be missed.
  
• National Gallery: Western European art from the middle ages through the 20th century. The collection of Jack B Yeats’ paintings is a highlight.
  
• Natural History Museum: the kids’ favourite with over 10,000 animals on display.
  
• Also worth a visit: St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Christchurch Cathedral, Chester Beatty Library and No. 29 Fitzwilliam Street Lower, a restored Georgian townhouse.

3. Guinness Storehouse
It is hard to believe but the Guinness Storehouse is now Dublin’s most popular tourist attraction. Does this reflect poorly on the tourists visiting Dublin? Or perhaps on Dubliners themselves in that this is the best they have to offer? Or perhaps it merely reflects the genuine genius that is a pint of Guinness? There’s no doubting the unique tastiness of the black stuff, but could it be that the marketing gurus at Guinness have created a phenomenon even they could not have predicted. I fear it is so. I am not saying don’t go. The story of Guinness and the many exhibits are interesting and the view from the Gravity Bar is certainly worth a look. And strange as this may seem, don’t expect the best pint of Guinness in Dublin.

4. Do a walking tour

• 1916 Rebellion Tour: highly acclaimed tour and very entertaining even if you are unfamiliar with the history. Meet at the International Bar on Wicklow Street. Two tours per day – enquire at the bar.
  
• Dublin Literary Pub Crawl: actors performing extracts from major works in a number of pubs with literary connections. Meet upstairs in The Duke pub on Duke Street.
  
• Traditional Irish Music Pub Crawl: go on a pub crawl with two musicians performing songs and playing music. Starts at Oliver St John Gogarty’s in Temple Bar, nightly at 7.30pm from April to October. Thursday to Saturday only from November to March.

5. Or go for a relaxing stroll on your own

• Stephen’s Green. Gorgeous on a sunny day. Half of Dublin lunches here during the summer. Grab a sandwich and join them.
  
• Merrion Square. Not as large as Stephen’s Green but even more spectacular when the flowers are in bloom.
  
• Grand Canal. Walk along Patrick Kavanagh’s ‘leafy-with-love banks’ from Rathmines Bridge to The Old Schoolhouse bar and restaurant.

6. Go Shopping:
In recent years Dublin has really taken off as a shopping destination. The two main areas of concentration are Henry Street (like Oxford Street in London, but smaller) and the more upmarket Grafton Street.

Henry Street : Home to trendy fashion stores Zara, Oasis, A-wear and Mango, there's also big department stores like Debenhams, Marks & Spencer and the home-grown Arnotts. If you don't like crowds, avoid at peak shopping hours. Around the corner on O'Connell Street is the excellent Penney's. The clue's in the name - you'll spend less here on a top than you will on your lunch; it's surprisingly trendy stuff and at the price, gobsmackingly decent quality.

Grafton Street : The charm of Grafton Street itself has faded somewhat due to the over abundance of mobile phone stores and the like, but in the surrounding warren of streets, cool shops are mushrooming every day. For high fashion and unique designer pieces, try Fran & Jane, Dolls, Ave Maria, Noa Noa, Jenny Vanders, Rococo, Chicas in the Westbury Mall and The Design Centre in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre. Brown Thomas, the most aspirational store in Ireland, is a vast department store spread over 4 floors. Stomping ground of affluent Dublin, this is the place to pick up your Balenciaga tote, Chanel sunglasses and Jimmy Choo sling-backs. Couture fashion resides on the second floor, with Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Chloe, Stella McCartney, Gucci and Paul Costello; and on the top floor, exquisite home collections including John Rocha and Louise Kennedy's crystal ranges, Denby homeware and Gaggia appliances. Brown Thomas is yummy mummy heaven; across the road its offspring BT2 is for the cool kids hooked on designer labels.

Dundrum Shopping Centre: A huge spanking new mall a few miles from the centre with plenty of parking. Upmarket stores include the only branch in Ireland of House of Fraser and the exclusive Harvey Nichols.

Temple Bar: Temple Bar is better know for its pubs and galleries, but in the 'posh' part there's also some great quirky shops. On Cow's Lane, Whichcraft do beautiful designer jewellery, crafts and artwork; Retrospect sell funky 20 th century furniture, lamps and clocks and every Saturday morning there's a market dedicated to handmade one-off original Irish design in clothing, homewares and jewellery.

Francis Street : If antiques is your thing, walk through the historical Christchurch and Patrick Street areas to get to Francis Street, literally lined with antiques shops, selling genuine pieces from all eras; check out Niall Mullen Antiques for exquisite remnants from the golden age of Art Deco.

7. Go to the Theatre
Dublin is famous for its writers and playwrights. Presumably as a result, Dubliners today are avid theatre goers. The Abbey, Gate and Gaiety Theatres are the most famous but there are many smaller highly regarded theatres that should not be overlooked. For up to date listings of what’s on check the following websites:
http://www.eventguide.ie/
http://entertainment.ie/

8. Stare up in wonder at the Spire, Dublin’s controversial new landmark on O’Connell Street. What could it possibly mean?

9. Go on a Pub Crawl
Dublin is famous for its pubs and rightly so. Don’t expect underground jazz joints or chic cocktail bars, though they are starting to appear, instead focus on Dublin’s strength: what I refer to as “old man bars”. Don’t be put off, this doesn’t mean bars full of old men, it simply means they are old style Dublin bars that have refused to change with the times. These just happen to be the bars that older, wiser folk prefer to imbibe in. The great thing about these bars is that they attract a mix of all ages except the very young, i.e. the 18 to 25’s who prefer not to be able to hear themselves think. Sorry, is that ageist? I mean no disrespect of course. The following are all great Dublin pubs, check out as many or as few as you like:

• Mullligans, Poolbeg Street (some say the best Guinness in Dublin)
• Kehoe’s, South Anne Street (get there before the suits arrive at 5.30pm)
• Neary’s, Chathnam Steeet (for civilized conversation)
• Grogan’s, South William Street (perfect Saturday afternoon spot)
• The International, Wicklow Street (an institution)
• The Long Haul, South Great George’s Street
• The Upstairs Lounge in the Central Hotel (comfy, cozy)
• Sackville Lounge, Sackville St, off O’Connell Street (the real McCoy)
• The Palace Bar, Fleet Street, Temple Bar (a gem)
• The Stag’s Head, Dame Court

DUBLIN EATERIES

Cafes

• Avoca Café, Suffolk St: stylish and very tasty on the top floor of the shop of the same name.
• Silk Road Café, Chester Beatty Library: mostly Middle Eastern food, delicious and great value.
• Nude, Suffolk Street: canteen style, quick and tasty wraps and paninis.

Restaurants

• The Mermaid Café, Dame Street: great Sunday brunch menu
• Café-Bar-Deli, Grafton Street and South Great George’s Street: serving reasonably priced pizzas, pasta and salads.
• Le Gueuleton, Fade Street: very popular restaurant serving French bistro food.
• Miller’s Pizza, Upper Baggot Street: 20 minute walk from Stephen’s Green, but worth it for possible the best pizza on planet Earth.

The Best

• Patrick Guilbaud’s, Merrion Hotel: one of Dublin’s finest restaurants. French cooking with an Irish twist. Impeccable.
• Chapter One, Parnell Square North: more fantastic French food, the pre-theatre menu (6 – 7pm) is great value.
• Shanahan’s on the Green, St Stephen’s Green: excellent steakhouse housed in sumptuous Georgian building.

There are many, many more great restuarants of course. For independent reviews, ratings, menus and location maps of practically every restaurant in Dublin check out: http://www.menupages.ie/

DUBLIN NIGHTLIFE
Because the centre of Dublin is pretty small and the best bars and clubs are all to be found in or near the centre it can sometimes seem on weekend nights that the whole city has become one massive block party. This makes for a great atmosphere early in the evening, but by the time 3am rolls around the scene can be pretty ugly. I mean ugly in an ugly way, not ugly in a scary or frightening way. For the most part Dublin is a safe and friendly city to go out in. Trouble will rarely find you, but if it does you will usually spot it coming. Walk away people, live to party another day.

So go out there and have some fun! Here are some places we recommend and some we feel we just have to mention:

Temple Bar

Most Dubliners give out about Temple Bar claiming it is overrun by English stag and hen parties and therefore avoid it all costs. This is certainly true most weekends but there are a few good bars worth a visit early on an evening out:

• The Porterhouse, Parliament Street: large friendly brew pub with Dublin’s largest selection of imported beers. Live music Tues, Wed & Sat nights, trad session on Sundays.
  
• The Foggy Dew, Fownes St: lively traditional bar with a good mix of punters, live music on Sunday evenings.
  
• The Morgan, Fleet St: more chic and sophisticated than most Temple Bar pubs. A comfy spot for some early evening cocktails.
  
• The Quays, Temple Bar Square: this music pub is tourist central but everyone tumbling out of the place seems to be smiling. Live music at all hours of the day makes this the place to go if you’re in the mood for singing along to everything from Neil Diamond to well known Irish ballads.

Other City Centre Bars:

• Hogan’s, South Great George’s St: trendy, but laid back crowd. Quality background music supplied by DJs seven nights a week. Recommended.
  
• The Globe, South Great George’s St: trendy, beautiful twenty-somethings. Excellent music, live jazz on Sundays from 6pm or so. Becomes part of Ri Ra nightclub after midnight.
  
• Café En Seine, Ron Blacks & Sam Sara, Dawson St: these three bars are worth checking out for their opulent décor alone. At night the décor is matched by an equally opulent crowd. The most expensive bars in Dublin, but worth a look just the same.
  
• Dakota, South William S.: one of the better super pubs, comfy seats, table service, good music, packed at the weekends so more suited to groups of friends.
  
• The Bank, Dame St: splendid Victorian building that used to be a bank. Popular after work spot. Check out that ceiling!
  
• The Morrison, Ormond Quay Lower: mellow chic on the ground floor of the hotel of the same name, good views of the river. Ideal for some comfy cocktails.
  
• The George, South Great George’s St.: Dublin’s first and best known gay bar. Bingo on Sunday nights is a hoot. For a more civilized experience try the Front Lounge on Parliament Street.

10 Minutes from the City Centre (walking):

But well worth the extra effort. These bars tend to have a more relaxed attitude, with a less intentionally cool crowd:

• Whelan’s, Wexford St: friendly student bar out front, live music seven nights a week in the intimate venue behind. Eclectic mix of music styles from rock to traditional, local bands and international names. Always worth checking out what’s on here: http://www.whelanslive.com/
  
• The Village, Wexford St: larger sister venue to Whelan’s showcasing better known local and international acts. Popular downstairs bar has DJs most nights of the week.
  
• Anseo, Wexford St: just up the street this unpretentious yet happening bar has DJs from Wed to Sat playing funky offbeat tunes. Tuesday is open mike night for aspiring singer songwriters.
  
• Vicar Street, Thomas St: Dublin’s premier live music venue. The place to catch big name bands in a club setting: http://www.aikenpromotions.com/
  
• Sin E, Ormond Quay Upper: raucous, but friendly bar with a mixture of DJs and live music.
• Dice Bar, Queen St., Smithfield: ultra-cool, New York style lounge bar with DJs seven nights.

Nightclubs:

The Dublin club scene is in a constant state of flux. Clubs and club nights move venues and change names all the time. For the most up to date info check the following websites:

http://www.eventguide.ie/ Free fortnightly print edition also available.
http://entertainment.ie/ Also carries movie, theatre and live music listings.

There are some permanent fixtures on the Dublin clubbing scene though and that fact alone makes many of these Dublin institutions:

• Lilly’s Bordello, Grafton St: the place to bump into Bono & friends. Though there are more fake celebs than real ones by all accounts. Dress for success.
• Reynards, off Dawson Street: another celeb hangout, popular with the Ron Blacks/Café en Seine crowd.
• POD, Harcourt St: reliably atmospheric club in the vaults of an old train station playing mainly house music.
• Tripod, Harcourt St: part of the POD complex, this larger club hosts visiting international DJs and live bands.
• Crawdaddy, Harcourt St: another part of the POD, smaller more intimate live music venue hosting local bands and indie types. The three venues together make this place a good bet any friday or saturday night.
• Spirit, Middle Abbey Street: a rave palace on three floors playing mainly hard house, young 20s crowd.
• Ri Ra, Dame Court: reliable weekday club. Strictly Handbag on Mondays is probably the best night of the week.

BEST DUBLIN WALK
The best walk within Dublin’s environs is Howth Head. Grab a DART from Tara Street Station (on the Liffey, just east of O’Connell Bridge) to Howth on Dublin’s north side (30 mins). Walk to the end of Howth along the water front following the road up and to the right at the end of the harbour. Keep following the coast and you will find yourself on a wide unpaved path that runs right around Howth Head. You can double back at any time or continue all the way to Sutton (2-3 hours) from where you can catch a DART back to the city centre. The walk has splendid sea views and is guaranteed to clear away any city cobwebs. Reward yourself with some of Dublin’s best seafood at King Sitric Fish Restaurant in Howth.

A second, more traditional and less taxing option is to walk the pier at Dun Laoghaire which extends more than a mile out into the Irish Sea. Again a DART from Tara Street – this time to the south – will get you there.

BEST DUBLIN DAYTRIP
The best daytrip from Dublin is undoubtedly to Glendalough (glen of the two lakes) in County Wicklow. Only an hour’s journey by car, Glendalough has a beauty and serenity found in few other places in Ireland. The ruins of the 8th century monastic settlement only add to the otherworldly peacefulness of this unique valley. There are walking and hiking trails to suit all energy levels, the Spink Loop being a current favourite of mine. If you don’t have a car while in Dublin you can catch St Kevin’s Bus which provides a daily service between Dublin and Glendalough: http://www.glendaloughbus.com/