Dublin - Ireland's Capital

The city’s main thoroughfare is wide, flanked by interesting buildings, as well as some unattractive ones. Efforts are being made to improve it, but unfortunately it has ugly plastic signs, litter and a number of fast food outlets.

Despite negative aspects, it is worth seeing the General Post Office (GPO), where on Easter Monday, 1916, a group of rebels led by Pádraig Pearse, proclaimed the Irish Republic. British forces shelled it and most of the street from a gunboat in the Liffey. The rebels held out for five days and 16 of their leaders were executed and 200 imprisoned. You can still see bullet holes in the building and inside there’s a sculpture by Oliver Sheppard of the mythical Celtic warrior Cúchullain in memory of the Easter Rising heroes. There is an excellent 1916 walking tour which starts at the International Bar on Wicklow Street every day during the summer months.

Dominating the skyline is the Spire, seven times the height of the GPO, erected in 2003 to mark the Millennium, standing on the site of Nelson’s Column which was blown up by the IRA in 1965. The Spire’s tip sways when the wind is strong, but don’t worry – that’s part of its design.

Cross O’Connell Bridge, and on the right is the pedestrian Halfpenny Bridge, named after the toll charged from 1821 until the early 1900s. Pass the Bank of Ireland on College Green, opposite Trinity College, the home of the Irish Parliament from 1783 to 1801, a marvelous building in neo-classical style.

Trinity College is the oldest university in Ireland, founded in 1591 by Queen Elizabeth of England. Its cobbled quadrangles are surrounded by cream-colored stone buildings. Famous students include Oliver Goldsmith, Edmund Burke, Dean Swift, J.M. Synge, Samuel Beckett, and the author of Dracula, Bram Stoker.

The Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the gospels, dating from about 806, was in the Long Room of the Old Library, but because of visitor numbers it is now the center of an exhibition on the third floor of the Main Library. There are 860 pages, and each day one is turned.

The Douglas Hyde Gallery, at the Nassau Street entrance to Trinity College, hosts exhibitions of contemporary art.

It is said that it is nigh on impossible for an Irish person to walk the length of Grafton Street without meeting someone they know and it is not hard to see why. Permanently thronged with shoppers, browsers, buskers and chancers, Grafton Street, close to Trinity College, is pedestrians-only and full of shops. Some belong to UK chains, others are specialized, and there are plenty of coffee shops and restaurants, including Bewleys, a Dublin tradition.

A stroll down Grafton Street is a great way to get a flavour of modern Dublin; busy, cosmopolitan, confident, prosperous but still with a sense of fun and always entertaining.

A favourite place for a break from shopping is Bruxelles just off Grafton Street on Harry Street. There’s outside seating from which you can observe the passing parade of Dublin characters.

On the north side of the green, The Shelbourne Hotel looks out over it and retains the elegance and atmosphere of times past. It’s an institution, a wonderful place to stay, with charming staff, but if your budget isn’t up to it you can still enjoy its hospitality by taking morning coffee in the Lord Mayor’s parlor. Afternoon tea is also memorable; they serve bite-size sandwiches and delicious pastries, and you’re entertained by a pianist.

The national gallery is on Merrion Square with a recently built extension, the Millennium Wing, and a second entrance on Clare Street. Admission is free, except for special exhibitions. It has 54 galleries and more than 11,000 works of art, including many examples of Western European art and the most important collection of Irish art.

If your time is limited, concentrate on the Irish art – from the 18th and 19th centuries in the Milltown Wing; modern in the Millennium Wing and the Yeats Museum and Shaw Room, both in the Dargan Wing.

Close to the city’s center, Temple Bar has been developed as a cultural quarter, with the Irish Film Center, the National Photographic Archive, Arthouse Multimedia Center, Temple Bar Galleries, plus lots of bars, restaurants, shops. It can be very busy, especially in the evening and on weekends. It attracts young people from all over the country and the UK, who spill out onto the streets with drinks in their hands.

Although generally avoided by locals who consider it too “touristy” and not representative of the real Dublin, it is still one of the only parts of Dublin that is lively every night of the week. Most bars have live music and while the quality is certainly questionable there’s no doubting the party atmosphere. A great place to meet fellow travelers.

Christ Church Cathedral is Dublin’s oldest building, erected in 1038 by the Danish King Sitric, although most of what remains is Norman. Services take place at least three times a day, and visitors of all denominations or none are welcome to attend. The cathedral’s unique crypt is almost as big as the church above. It features an exhibition, Treasures of Christ Church, that includes gilt plate given by King William in 1697 to celebrate winning the Battle of the Boyne; the tomb of Strongbow; and a medieval reliquary that holds the heart of St. Laurence O’Toole, the city’s patron.

Marsh’s Library, close to Christ Church, was founded in 1701 by Archbishop Narcissus Marsh. It’s the oldest public library in the country and holds about 250,000 books, most from the 16th to 18th centuries. See the tiny reading cubicles, beautiful oak bookcases and the cages where those consulting rare volumes were locked in.

The James Joyce Center is nearby on North Great George’s Street, and the birthplace of George Bernard Shaw is on Synge Street.

The Guinness Storehouse, St. James’ Gate, is where you learn all about how the “dark stuff” is made and the history of the brewery spanning more than 250 years. Visits end in the Sky Bar with a glass of Guinness and a wonderful view of the city.

IMMA – the Irish Museum of Modern Art – is housed in part of what used to be the Royal Hospital Kilmainham where wounded soldiers were looked after. The magnificent neoclassical building, dating from 1680, was modeled on Les Invalides in Paris, and is used for special events.

The Chester Beatty Library is in the Clock Tower building in the grounds of Dublin Castle , (where you can visit the State Apartments), and is a very attractive and stimulating place to visit. The library’s collection was given to Ireland by the American Chester Beatty, who had made his fortune in mining and retired to live here in 1950. If you are not an avid reader, don’t be put off by its name, as you see far more than books. Displayed are manuscripts, prints, miniature paintings, icons, objets d’art as well as early printed books from Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. One floor is devoted to Beatty and his collection and the other to the great religions of the world. There’s a peaceful Roof Garden, a gift shop and café plus special events and temporary exhibitions.

Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 and two years later the leaders of the rebellion were imprisoned there. Robert Emmet, Charles Stewart Parnell, Eamon De Valera are just some of the well-known people incarcerated here until the gaol closed in 1924. The leaders of the 1916 Rising were executed by firing squad in the stone-breaking yard; their names are listed on a plaque. You can see the grim conditions in the tiny cells in the restored building and there’s a guided tour and an audio-visual presentation and exhibition.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland and the largest church in the country. There’s been a church on the site since 450 and there’s a legend that St. Patrick baptized converts at a well nearby. The present building dates from 1191. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, was Dean here from 1713-45 and there are lots of reminders of him.

McDaids , 3 Harry Street , off Grafton Street , is a famous literary pub, where writer Brendan Behan was among regulars. McDaid's has a distinctive Victorian exterior and when you step inside you find an old style bar with a high ceiling and a smattering of chairs and tables. The dimly lit bar has all the atmosphere of a classic Irish boozer, a secretive shrine to the art of convivial conversation and the latest gossip. The place is busy every night of the week being popular with locals and tourists alike.

Neary’s (alternatively known as the Chathnam Lounge), off Grafton Street on Chathnam Street is noteworthy for its comfort and old world charm, dickie bowed-tied staff and excellent Guinness. Like McDaids, there is no music in Nearys, the emphasis firmly on the classic art of conversation. Well worth a visit.

The Brazen Head , 20 Lower Bridge Street , down the hill from Christ Church Cathedral. The oldest pub in Dublin , it has rooms connected by low passages, with live music nightly. This spot can get crowded in tourist season.

The Dawson Lounge, 25 Dawson Street, off St. Stephen’s Green. You could easily walk past its entrance, as this must be the smallest pub in the city, at the bottom of a corkscrew staircase. It opened in the 1940s, and has a great atmosphere.

**If you have time, or have a pub crawl in mind, the following should also be included in your itinerary:

Mulligans, Poolbeg Street behind the Screen cinema. Another institution and home to the best Guinness in Dublin, probably the world!

Grogans, South William Street. Arty types young and old in what feels like the owner’s living room.

The International, Wicklow Street. Decadent old world charm with comedy upstairs and a well-stocked jukebox in the basement.

The Bank, Dame Street. Worth a visit for opulent interior and bank vaults which now serve as the bar’s restrooms.

The Central Hotel, Exchequer Street. Check the upstairs Library Bar for the ultimate in comfort.