This is Dublin

THIS IS DUBLIN

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Dublin’s No.1 Bus Tour

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a foodie’s

with a host of fantastic restaurants, cafés and pubs – so make sure you bring a healthy appetite.

make

This

wonderful city draws visitors back like a magnet year after year

Welcome, visitor!

Whether you’re looking for a weekend break among the elegant Georgian buildings, a day out trawling museums with the kids, a taste sensation at one of the city’s splendid restaurants or a trip to the famous Guinness Storehouse, Dublin has got it all.

Shopaholics can flex the magic plastic with a trip down Grafton Street at the heart of the city’s main shopping district – just make sure to explore the smaller streets west of it too.

Dublin is a city of mouthwatering culinary delights, with a wide array of restaurants, cafés and gastropubs where fresh Irish produce takes centre stage. If fine dining’s your thing, the city has more than its fair share of Michelin-starred restaurants too.

If it’s culture you’re in the market for, then

look no further than the historic National Gallery of Ireland – the jewel in Dublin’s cultural crown. It’s located just off Merrion Square, at the heart of the city’s government and museum district.

Dublin is packed full of historical interest with castles and cathedrals galore – but it’s also a thriving modern city and a gateway to some stunningly rich countryside. So get those walking boots on and take in the spectacular sights.

Whether you’re visiting for business or pleasure, you can always be assured of finding something exciting to do, tasty to eat or interesting to explore. So however you choose to spend your time in this great European city, be sure to enjoy it – and come back soon! ■

The River Liffey flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay

Dublin offers an abundance of things to do with days out and top attractions for the whole family to enjoy

Great days out

Dublin is synonymous with the black stuff – and we don’t mean the dark waters that gave the city its name (Dublin literally means “black pool”). We’re talking about porter. Invented in London in 1721, since 1776 porter has become a speciality of Irish brewers based at St James’s Gate in Dublin. You may know it as stout – Guinness stout, to be exact.

Today, the Guinness Storehouse is the country’s most popular tourist attraction, including a tasting experience and a lesson in how to pour the perfect pint. Tours end with a sup at the iconic Gravity Bar, affording farreaching views across this booming city.

From there, you can see the green expanse of Phoenix Park, the largest enclosed urban

The Guinness Gravity Bar affords far-reaching views across the city

park in any capital city in Europe. It’s home to a range of public buildings, including Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of the President of Ireland; Farmleigh House, the State Guest House; and Dublin Zoo – one of the oldest in the world.

The park is also home to roaming herds of wild fallow deer and a succession of beautiful tree-lined avenues. There are also two monuments – the Papal Cross to commemorate the Pope’s visit in 1979; and the Wellington Monument, an obelisk built to mark the victories of the famous Dublinborn Duke, who beat Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Ireland has been producing whiskey since

The Guinness Storehouse is the country’s most popular tourist attraction

Pearse Lyons Distillery offers visitors a blend of Irish history, culture and whiskey in a working distillery

around 1400, nearly one hundred years before it was first recorded in Scotland, and any self-respecting spirit connoisseur will enjoy a deep dive into Dublin’s whiskey heritage.

A great place to start is The Dublin Liberties Distillery, a stunning state-of-the-art working distillery housed in a 400-year-old building in the heart of the city.

Visitors can take a guided tour of the distillery to see first-hand how whiskey is made, get up close and personal with the beautiful copper pot stills, and hear the stories from the vibrant Liberties neighbourhood that inspire the whiskeys. The tour ends with a tasting in the impressive distillery bar or the blenders’ room, where guests are welcome to stay on and enjoy some perfectly crafted cocktails. The ground floor is also home to a café and a shop selling merchandise, glassware – and of course whiskey.

Discover over 800 years of history and awaken your senses at Dublin’s only independent, family-owned distillery.

Nominated for World’s Leading Distillery Tour at the World Travel Awards 2024, Pearse Lyons Distillery offers visitors a unique blend of Irish history, culture and whiskey in a working distillery in Dublin’s historic Liberties area. Meet the team, and taste some of the finest whiskey Ireland has to offer.

The city of Dublin is surrounded by nature. Hop on a bike – or the DART commuter rail system – and take the short trip out to Sandymount Strand, the most famous beach in fiction. The strand’s vast size at ebb tide is immortalised in Ulysses, where Stephen Dedalus wanders “into eternity”. It’s also the location for an infamous passage that led to the book being banned in several countries.

There’s birdlife galore around the beach and in the nearby Irishtown Nature Park, which leads on to the gloriously remote Poolbeg Lighthouse. Walk the sea wall, take in the seals and cormorants, and savour the solitude of being so central to Dublin, and yet so far away from the bustle of the city.

There are two other attractions with a maritime connection worth visiting. EPIC –The Irish Emigration Museum – was named Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction in 2019, 2020 and 2021. It charts the struggles and achievements of the Irish diaspora, from the scientists, statesmen and scribes Ireland bequeathed to other nations, to the generals, outlaws and priests who made the rest of the world their home.

A modern museum experience offering a particular thrill to the young and inquisitive, EPIC is set in the beautiful CHQ Building on Custom House Quay, just down the l

road from the magnificent Custom House. Alternatively, for an overview of the city, try the quirky The Little Museum of Dublin, where you can get a 30-minute awardwinning trip through the story of Dublin.

Dublin Castle, meanwhile, was long the bastion of British rule in Ireland, and describes itself as the “nerve centre” of historical power in Ireland. Built in the 13th century on the site of Viking ruins, it has engaging displays of artworks, stories and archives – not least concerning the ‘first’ Bloody Sunday in 1920. If you’re interested in more ancient history, from prehistoric bog bodies to Viking swords, then you’ll want to visit the National Museum of Ireland –Archaeology, housed in a majestic Palladianstyle building on Kildare Street.

For day trips outside Dublin, make your first stop Glendalough. An hour’s drive or bus ride away from the city centre, the Valley of The Two Lakes has an old monastery, varied woodland and some excellent hiking. If you’re driving, take the scenic route home via the Sally Gap, and gaze out at the vast emptiness of the Wicklow Mountain blanket bogs stretching out to the horizon.

If coastal adventures are on your wishlist, hop on the DART railway line to visit the coastal village of Blackrock, the port town of

Dún Laoghaire (pronounced “Doon Leera”), or the beautifully quiet coastal village of Dalkey, home to Bono’s local pub. From Dalkey, the DART swoops onward past Sorrento Point, before emerging on cliffs to startling views of Killiney Bay – which has got to be one of the finest public-transport views in Europe. The most accessible beach by train is Killiney Strand, which offers a great walk all the way to Ballybrack – though unfortunately it’s not quite as sandy as Whitrock.

Next, you come to Bray, a classic seaside town that’s a bit like a miniature Brighton, with a lovely seafront park and plenty of pubs and restaurants. Get the blood pumping with a short, steep stroll to the top of Bray Head and you’ll be rewarded with stunning views over South Dublin and North Wicklow, including neighbouring mountains like the Great Sugar Loaf. From Bray, the 4km Slí de Buitléar (or the De Buitléar Way) is a lovely circular walking route which will bring you back to Crab Rock at the start of Bray beach.

If you fancy venturing out into County Wicklow, make sure a trip to Russborough House and Park is on your itinerary. Filled with hidden treasures from the Renaissance to the 20th century, Russborough is one of Ireland’s most beautiful Georgian houses. Admire its richly decorated interiors and l

Dublin Castle was built in the 13th century on the site of Viking ruins

Heritage for Life

Estate, Museum & Gardens

The National Famine Museum | Strokestown Park, Roscommon

Johnstown Castle, Estate Museum & Gardens, Wexford

Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens, Cork

Step back in time and explore Rothe House & Garden — Kilkenny’s magnificent 16th-century Merchant townhouse

Rothe House, once the home of wealthy merchant John Rothe, is a testament to Kilkenny’s most prosperous era. Built between 1594 and 1610, delve into the rich history of Kilkenny while exploring the three inter-connected houses and cobbled courtyards. The crowning glory is the restored walled garden, an oasis of calm nestled away from the busy city streets.

Browse in the Merchant Shop, each item a celebration of Irish craft and design.

Guided

Tours  I  Genealogy  I  Exhibitions  I  Events

Opening Hours

April – October November – March

Monday – Sunday Tuesday to Sunday

10.00 –18.00 10.00 –17.00 (last admission 17.00) (last admission 16.00)

Rothe House & Garden 16 Parliament Street, Kilkenny, Ireland

R95 P89C

+353 (0)56 772 2893 www.rothehouse.com

enjoy its world-class collection of fine and decorative arts. There’s also a 200-acre park to roam around, which offers spectacular views to the Blessington Lakes and the Wicklow Mountains beyond.

For a decent leg-stretch with breathtaking sea views, lace up your boots and follow the 7.5km remote coastal path between Bray and Greystones. You can walk it either way – and there are plenty of refreshment options at both ends – but Greystones has a growing reputation as a gastronomic hub, so the Bray–Greystones route tends to be more popular. Church Road in Greystones has several eateries just a few minutes’ walk from the DART station.

On the other side of Dublin – Dublin Bay North – lies Howth Head. Take the H3 bus to Howth Summit, and gently descend to the lovely fishing village of Howth, which has a great range of seafood – and some incredibly bold grey seals.

From there, you can take a ferry to the tiny island of Ireland’s Eye. The birdlife here is something to behold, and you might see gannets (reintroduced here in the 1980s), guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and – a rarity in these parts – puffins. Once known as Eria’s Island, or Inis Faithlenn, Ireland’s Eye is also home to a Martello Tower – a distinctive defensive fortification built to repel Napoleon.

The northern part of Dublin city also has rich pickings for days out, not least The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland in Glasnevin, on the banks of the River Tolka. There are 20,000 living plants and millions of specimens. The Gardens themselves are a sylvan haven, and the excellent restaurant makes it well worth a day out – not least for its proximity to Ireland’s national cemetery.

Ireland’s most famous necropolis, Glasnevin Cemetery has been the resting place for 1.5 million Dubliners since it was established in 1832 – and the crosses erected during the Celtic Revival (1860-1960) are particularly distinctive. James Joyce fans will find yet another connection here – the cemetery forms the setting for the “Hades” episode in Ulysses. From the outside, it looks a little like a fort, with high walls and watchtowers that were originally built to deter body snatchers in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Many heroes of Ireland’s struggle for independence are buried here, although the grave of Michael Collins – “the man who won the war” – is surprisingly modest, due to postCivil War politics. His great rival, Éamon De Valera, is buried at Glasnevin too.

Glasnevin is also the final resting place of writer Christy Brown, balladeer Luke Kelly of the Dubliners, and Daniel O’Connell – l

Glasnevin Cemetery has been the resting place for 1.5 million Dubliners since it was built in 1832

Croke Park has been described as a “bastion of humility”

whose struggle for the rights of downtrodden Irish Catholics under British rule helped to establish the cemetery following the repeal of the sectarian Penal Laws at Westminster. Today, O’Connell’s grave is marked by a traditional Round Tower, partly damaged by a bomb in the 1970s.

Nearby, you’ll find the grave of another great 19th-century Irish political figure, Charles Stewart Parnell – the Uncrowned King of Ireland. Unlike O’Connell, however, Parnell’s grave is a simple monument, built on top of a former cholera pit. This understated memorial is telling – Parnell’s political career (and, soon after, his life) ended after he got on the wrong side of religious intolerance by falling in love with a married woman.

Across the Northside lies another of Dublin’s most revered cultural sites –the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) at Croke Park. Hurling has been played for 3,000 years, and remains the fastest field sport in the world, while Gaelic football has been dated back to 1308 AD. What’s especially remarkable about a big match in either sport at Croke Park is that none of the 30 players on the pitch are paid. All have second jobs, and yet they’re frequently cheered on by more than 80,000 fans.

Croke Park has been described as a

Hurling has been played for 3,000 years, and remains the fastest field sport in the world

“bastion of humility”, and it’s a world away from the money and celebrity culture that so often characterises popular sport. Not only that, but matches are incredibly exciting. In fact, CNN once listed the final of the AllIreland Senior Hurling Championship as number two in the “10 sporting events you have to see live”. Hurling and Gaelic football (men’s and women’s) are played throughout the year, with the biggest games happening from May to October. Dublin fans – the Dubs – are known for their full-on fandom, but there’s no hooliganism, and supporters intermingle happily.

If it’s not matchday, take the Skyline Tour over Croke Park – which offers great views of the city’s changing skyline from 17 storeys up –or visit the GAA Museum Hall of Fame.

Elsewhere, there are great days out to be had at St Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ l

Take inspiration from Ireland’s earliest visitors and explore the ancient Cooley Peninsula and mystical mountains of Mourne by ferry. Carlingford Lough is the perfect destination for a scenic day trip, for nature lovers, adventure seekers, and hikers and bikers.

UP TO 30 sailings per day during summer months Visit carlingfordferry.com for up to date sailing times

L Parnell Square

I Saint Patrick’s Cathedral was founded in 1191, and is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland

There are great days out to be had at both St Patrick’s Cathedral & Christ Church Cathedral

Church Cathedral, or walking tours across the city run by the James Joyce Centre. You can also take yourself on a tour of north innercity architecture, stringing together sights including the Casino at Marino, The Hugh Lane Gallery, the Gate Theatre (alma mater of Orson Welles), the macabre St. Michan’s Church, and the National Museum of Ireland (Collins Barracks) near Heuston Station.

In the north inner city lie two other buildings worth visiting, both famous as battlegrounds of the Irish Revolution. The first is the GPO (General Post Office), where an on-site museum now commemorates the building’s seminal role in the 1916 Easter Rising. The Four Courts, meanwhile, was badly damaged in 1922, when the ammunition of anti-Treaty IRA forces ignited – destroying a thousand years of archives. Today, the James Gandon-built complex –which offers free admission to the public – is known colloquially as the Four Goldmines. It’s a dig at the way the legal profession is still protected by archaic monopolies, and how modern Ireland has gone from war and strife to rampant capitalism.

Teeming with history, arts and literary associations, home to Ireland’s ancient national sports, and surrounded by mountains and sea, Dublin has a variety of days out for everyone. ■

DON’T MISS

Our top things to see and do when visiting this picturesque city

1

Dublin village on foot I

Dublin is a city with a population of around 550,000 – 1.8 million if you include the surrounding area – but the city centre is like a large village. You can walk or cycle pretty much everywhere apart from a few destinations that are a bit further out (like the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, Glasnevin Cemetery and Phoenix Park).

2

Travel back in time at Dublin Castle

Built in the 13th century on the site of Viking ruins, the magnificent Dublin Castle has engaging displays of artworks, stories and archives. In the castle gardens you’ll also find the Chester Beatty museum, which houses some of Europe’s foremost religious artefacts.

3

Tour the Guinness Storehouse

Ireland’s most visited attraction is located in the heart of the legendary St James’s Gate Brewery – the home of the black stuff since 1759. The Guinness Storehouse building dates back to 1904 and is built in the style of the Chicago School of Architecture. It was once the brewery’s fermentation plant and is now a seven-storey visitor experience dedicated to the

history and production of this world-famous beer.

4

Immerse yourself in history

Reminders of Dublin’s rich past are absolutely everywhere, from museums and exhibitions to buildings and statues. Even low-key houses often feature wall plaques denoting famous previous occupants.

5

Celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day

The original day-long parade has expanded into a threeday celebration of all things Irish, with a plethora of events to suit all tastes. Celebrated since the ninth century, in the last 100 years Ireland’s national day has mushroomed to become a unifying international celebration. Half a million people flood the streets of Dublin alone for the parade. Just whatever you do, don’t call it “St Patty’s”…

6

Watch some hurling

More a way of life than a sport, there’s no sight in the world quite so exhilarating as the “clash of the ash” in front of 80,000 GAA fans. It’s almost impossible to emphasise how important the GAA is as a social and cultural force in everyday Irish life, for fans and players alike.

7

Mooch around the cathedrals & churches l Jonathan Swift – of Gulliver’s Travels fame – was Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral for more than thirty years, and these days it remains the only cathedral in Ireland with daily sung services. Christ Church Cathedral, meanwhile, is home to the tomb of the Norman Lord Strongbow, who began 800 years of British domination of Ireland in 1170. In the 1850s, one of the organ pipes accidentally became a tomb too – in this case to a cat and a rat that got stuck in there during a chase. You can see their mummified bodies in the crypt.

Enjoy spectacular views as you descend to the lovely fishing village of Howth

8

Cycle through Phoenix Park Europe’s largest enclosed urban park is the perfect place for an afternoon cycle. Walk your bike down the furry glen, stalk the herds of fallow deer in the long grass (feed them apples, if you’re discreet enough), or sit with a picnic in the shadow of the oak groves and gaze at the shadow of Áras An Uachtaráin.

8

Get into some whiskey business

Irish whiskey has legions of fans scattered across the globe. But visitors may be surprised to discover that Ireland has actually been producing whiskey since around 1400, nearly one hundred years before it was first recorded in Scotland. Any self-respecting sipper of spirits will thoroughly enjoy Dublin’s fascinating whiskey

heritage, and both The Dublin Liberties Distillery and the Pearse Lyons Distillery are well worth a visit.

9

Hike the headland at Howth I

Head just north of Dublin and you’ll find Howth Head. Take the bus to Howth Summit and enjoy spectacular views as you gently descend into the lovely fishing village of Howth. Here you can reward yourself with a sumptuous meal at one of the village’s many excellent seafood restaurants. ■

SHOPPING

Shopaholics will love Dublin for its eclectic mix of boho-chic boutiques, high-street staples and quirky independents

Dublin is a plum shopping destination to please the most discerning consumers in fashion, homeware and design. You’ve got glamorous department stores, the usual array of high-street brands, and an increasing coterie of independent boutiques catering to the smart set.

While Grafton Street is at the centre of the main Dublin shopping district, the prevalence of chain stores means many shoppers flock to the smaller streets just west of it – namely Drury Street, Clarendon Street and South William Street. The Temple Bar tourist

Temple Bar is popular for its mix of originality and tackiness

district is also popular for its combination of originality and glorious tackiness.

Walking down Grafton Street from the famous Fusiliers Arch – with the elegant Victorian façade of Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre to your left – you’ll find childhood favourites at the Disney Store, menswear and womenswear staples at Benetton, and classic denim at Levi’s. Mainly, though, you’ll find enough jewellers to bling up half of Hollywood. On Grafton Street alone, you’ve got R&C McCormack Celtic Jewellers, Boodles, John Brereton, Weir & Sons, Tiffany & Co, Rocks

Jewellers, and Fields – and the streets off Grafton Street are teeming with them too, including Paul Sheeran, Gray’s, Loulerie and ESL Jewellery. The Westbury Mall also has some high-end boutiques, and if all that spending gets a bit too exhausting, you can recharge with high tea at the Westbury Hotel.

Over 160 years since first opening in the last year of the Great Famine as a haberdashers and drapers, Brown Thomas department store remains the epitome of high chic. Famous for its Christmas window displays, it’s synonymous with luxury and beauty in clothing and cosmetics.

Here, you’ll find Bobbi Brown and Chanel side by side with Tiffany & Co and Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Celine. The store is split over four levels, and specialises in prêt-à-porter and haute couture clothing and accessories.

Known as “BTS” to Dubliners, the Irish chain also operated a BT2 outlet on the other side of Grafton Street, which has since changed to a Victoria’s Secret store (for similar offerings, see Peaches & Cream Lingerie, on King Street South). However, if you don’t fancy braving central Dublin, there’s still a BT2 outlet on the city’s western outskirts at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre.

Elsewhere on Grafton Street, you’ll find high-street staples like River Island and Marks and Spencer – the latter of which has a great top-floor café with rooftop views of the city. For views of Grafton Street itself, nab a window table at the famous Bewley’s Café.

Shop-wise, it’s in the alleys and side-streets around Grafton Street that you tend to get a bit more variety. For homeware, go to Muji on Chatham Street or Stock Design on South King Street.

Around the corner on Drury Street lies the innovative lifestyle store Industry & Co, which has become the go-to spot for homeware products and cutting-edge design. Partly based on the New Nordic style, it’s run by the sibling team of Marcus and Vanessa Mac Innes, and has a great in-store café.

A couple of doors down, you’ll find the small but lovely Irish Design Shop, and from there you could always pop along to smell the flowers at The Garden – a floral design shop that sits at the entrance to the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre.

This thoroughly opulent shopping centre in a Georgian building features some 40 shops and restaurants, and also hosts exhibitions, design nights and concerts. Formerly home to Richard Wingfield, 3rd Viscount Powerscourt (1730-1788), it was designed to entertain guests during Parliament season, and was once among the most splendid mansions in Dublin.

What a backdrop for a spot of shopping! Today, it styles itself as a modern commune for the style-conscious, featuring fancier high-street brands as well as independent shops.

Up on the top floor, the Design Centre is the place to head for pieces by both new and established Irish designers, while the statement coats and dresses at Marion Cuddy place a similar emphasis on homegrown couture. Elsewhere in Powerscourt, gentlemen’s outfitters Kennedy & McSharry have been kitting out Dublin’s men-abouttown since 1890.

In general, Dublin’s shopping scene is great for showcasing Irish products. For example, check out Avoca – a chain of homeware, fashion and food shops that have become a bit of an institution among Dubliners. There are 13 branches, including one on Suffolk Street in the city centre and several just outside the city in Ballsbridge, Monkstown, Malahide, Rathcoole and Dunboyne. Also on Suffolk Street is the newly opened Aran Store, with an array of luxurious traditional Irish knitwear, l

L Stephen’s Green

j Temple Bar

I The Disney store, Grafton Street

homeware and Solvar Celtic jewellery. Carrolls Irish Gifts shops are an easy source of tourist souvenirs, but for the proper full Irish, Nassau Street is the best bet. There, you’ll find The Sweater Shop – an independent family-owned business specialising in Aran sweaters, run by some of the nicest people in Dublin. The Donegal Shop at Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre is also worth checking out.

If you’re looking for a quieter shopping experience, look no further than the Royal Hibernian Way, a small pedestrian arcade tucked away between Grafton and Dawson Streets. Enjoy the timeless quality of Monaghan’s Cashmere fashion outlet, an old-style haberdashery with modern luxury, selling top-quality cashmere sweaters and fine-quality pyjamas.

Dublin really comes into its own with the small independent shops. For homeware, interiors and furniture with an eclectic twist, visit April and the Bear, which you’ll find in Rathmines. Eco-friendly clothing outlet Fresh Cuts Clothing, on Castle Market, meanwhile, is a pop-up store that has stood the test of time. Nearby clothing boutique, Costume, also on Castle Market, has offerings from brands including Isabel Marant and French brand Soeur.

And what about the gents? Indigo & Cloth,

in Temple Bar, is a great place for clothing and accessories. For something a bit more oldschool, meanwhile, go to Louis Copeland & Sons, a sort of Dublin version of Saville Row that’s been suiting and booting since 1933. It sits on Capel Street, just north of the Liffey, but it also has branches on Wicklow Street, Pembroke Street and in Dundrum.

Capel Street marks the start of the Northside’s own shopping area, stretching from Capel Street, on to Mary Street, Henry Street and down across O’Connell Street. This area is known for everyday, affordable fashion found in the ILAC and Jervis shopping centres. Diesel has a branch in the Jervis Shopping Centre, as do New Look, Timberland and Bershka.

But there are some more upmarket offerings too – not least at Arnotts department store. A sister shop to Brown Thomas, it’s Ireland’s oldest and largest department store. Nearby Clerys department store sadly closed in 2015, but has undergone massive redevelopment as part of a new Clerys Quarter scheme. The project has taken a long time and overrun hugely, but it now hosts branches of H&M and Decathlon, plus various food outlets due to open soon – including a glamorous rooftop bar and restaurant.

Fashion is the name of the game in l

Carrolls Irish Gifts shop

Dublin, particularly if you’re in the market for rarer pieces. In Skerries, North Dublin, there is the wildly popular Venezuela Boutique, selling specially selected international clothing brands, from Derhy to Yaya. Making its mark in Temple Bar is Scout. Described as all killer and no filler, it’s the must-visit store for vintage fashion and homeware. Then around the corner on Exchequer Street, there’s a hot favourite – Designer Exchange, described as the only preloved designer handbag and accessories store in Ireland

Temple Bar, the city’s most tourist-minded area, has a mind-boggling array of shops selling the weird and wonderful. As well as hosting enthralling vintage shops like Nine Crows, it’s also the epicentre of Dublin’s ever-increasing collection of markets. These days, you can’t turn a corner without seeing a Continental-style market, and the city centre is all the more vibrant for it.

Among those you’ll find in Temple Bar are the Temple Bar Book Market, the Temple Bar Food Market on Saturdays, and – near Henry Street – the traditional Moore Street Market, site of some of the last fighting in the 1916 Rising. For more old-school market action, head just outside Dublin to the quaint fishing village of Howth, where the Howth Market sells everything from organic food to antiques

For markets head outside town to the quaint fishing village of Howth

to clothing, pulling in both tourists and locals every Saturday and Sunday to browse and soak up the lively atmosphere.

Near the Powerscourt Centre lies the Victorian-era George’s Street Arcade, with its quaint collection of bookshops, accessory stalls, independent record stores and vintage shops. It once shared Newmarket Square with The Green Door Market, but, since the redevelopment of that site, The Green Door has relocated to Old Naas Road – well worth a little trip into the suburbs for some fine food from local producers.

And so we move on to one of Dublin’s most intriguing areas – Meath Street and Thomas Street, the shopping district of the historic Liberties area. With on-street markets, bazaars, traditional greengrocers, fishmongers, chicken shops, and enough family butchers to feed a zoo, Meath Street is a last remnant of a disappearing Dublin. l

Boodles on Grafton Street

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While you won’t get high fashion or the latest design trends, it’s a glimpse into the sort of area that used to serve working-class communities all over Dublin until the advent of suburbs, shopping centres and the Internet.

Take a stroll up through Brabazon Place for an afternoon’s mini-adventure – you can return to the city centre via Dublinia, an excellent Viking and Medieval museum – and catch a glimpse of the many cathedrals and ancient churches on the two streets, as well as the National College of Art and Design, which draws many artists to the area.

For a great selection of books – and for a sneak peek into the world of Sally Rooney and the rest of the Dublin literary galaxy – visit Books Upstairs, on D’Olier Street. Or you could stroll a few minutes down the road to the Secret Book and Record Store, for new and second-hand books as well as vinyl. Meanwhile, in Dublin 8, there’s a community favourite – Marrowbone Books.

Dublin is also an antiques hub, centred on the stately Francis Street where you’ll find the largest collection of antique, rug and art shops in Ireland, as well as photographers and galleries. Cross the junction to explore Bohemia Vintage shop, followed by a stop at the Cathedral Café.

Some of the most exciting design and

fashion shops are popping up in Dublin 8. Independent concept store Seven Wood is now located in the Millennium Centre, in Dolphin’s Barn, after a lengthy run as a popup store on Dawson Street and in Portobello.

If trawling charity shops is your thing, there’s a bonanza in store for you. Cross the junction of Kevin and Clanbrassil Street (once known as the Four Corners of Hell), and walk to the bottom of Wexford Street, turning right. Keep walking for 20 minutes until you reach Rathmines crossroads and you’ll pass enough charity shops to keep you in second-hand books, clothes and music for a decade.

You’ll also walk along one of Dublin’s old tram lines and past some notable architecture, not least the dome of Rathmines church, the civic buildings of Rathmines college and library, and the dubious modernist Kodak building.

Rathmines has the bustling feel of an English town centre, with a beautifully restored, old-fashioned cinema, Stella Cinema. And don’t miss the revamped Swan Shopping Centre, which has a Carraig Donn shop for homeware as well as a modern Omniplex cinema.

From there, you can catch the 44 bus and rock up in Dundrum town centre, the suburban mecca of Dublin retail therapy. This huge suburban shopping site – just down the Luas Green Line from Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre and Ranelagh – is bright, airy and absolutely massive. Dundrum has become the country’s foremost shopping destination. You’ll find 120 stores including Brown Thomas and Harvey Nichols, covering 140,000m² of retail space. Pop in on Sunday morning, and bask in quiet hour, from 10am to 11am.

From vintage fashion to shopping centre glamour and everything in between – Dublin’s got it all. ■

Brown Thomas, Dundrum

EATING OUT

Dublin is a foodie’s paradise with a host of fantastic restaurants, cafés and pubs –so make sure you bring a healthy appetit

As befits a city where one in every five citizens is an immigrant, Dublin is chock full of culinary delights, with a wide array of restaurants, cafés and gastropubs enlivened with fresh Irish produce.

Cork and Kinsale might reckon they’re in the running for the title of culinary capital of Ireland, but the facts speak for themselves. At time of writing, Dublin has six restaurants with Michelin stars –

Variety Jones, Patrick Guilbaud, Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen, Bastible, Glovers Alley and Liath – with several more awarded Michelin’s coveted Bib Gourmand.

For years, the best dining in Dublin has been French/Irish fusion. With two Michelin stars, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud is the crème de la crème, and steeped in culinary expression, if occasionally a bit fussy. Set in Dublin’s Fitzwilliam

Hotel, Michelin-starred Glovers Alley serves up seasonal dishes with a French twist, created by superstar chef Andy McFadden. Meanwhile, in Dublin 8, stylish and modern Bastible specialises in pared-back, beautifully presented set menus using the best Irish ingredients. The tiny, Michelin-starred Variety Jones in the Liberties, features original dishes often cooked over an open fire. Arguably at the top of the tower

For light bites, try the three-storey Fallon & Byrne food emporium, with a wine bar, deli and excellent restaurant

is Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen – a French-inspired expression of absolute culinary brilliance. It currently has two Michelin stars, but there’s been heady speculation for years that it might one day become Ireland’s first three-starred restaurant.

In Coombe, Spitalfields has been given a Bib Gourmand for its traditional offering, joining the likes of Richmond Restaurant in Dublin 2; Pichet on Trinity Street and Mediterranean restaurant Uno Mas in the city.

Back in the George’s Street–Grafton Street belt, you’ll find yourself spoiled for choice when it comes to fine dining. L’Gueuleton offers reliably excellent French fusion, although there are a raft of other great picks too, including Irish-European fusion joint Trocadero on Andrew Street (where you’ll be met by the best maître d’ in Dublin). For more fine dining, why not try Mae Restaurant in Ballsbridge, which prides itself on its seasonal modern Irish dishes with superb wine pairings to match?

Pre-concert meals

For a spot of dinner before an evening at the National Concert Hall, you can’t go wrong with the elegant Dax Restaurant – or Pearl Brasserie on nearby Merrion Street Upper. Forest Avenue on Sussex Terrace, meanwhile, is a simple neighbourhood dining room serving inventive modern menus with an emphasis on seasonality.

Looking for Michelin-star standard at non-Michelin prices? Well, two restaurants near the Grand Canal are worth a go – Locks Restaurant in Portobello, and Craft Restaurant in Harold’s Cross, a champion of modern Irish cuisine.

For the younger set, the hottest name in the city centre at the minute is Roberta’s, in Temple Bar. From the outside, it looks like it might be some sort of 80s disco. Inside, however, the ambience is much more stylish, like something out of the 1920s with an industrial twist. Roofed with a glass ceiling, it’s a spacious bistro offering reasonably priced dining – including an excellent brunch.

Also located in Temple Bar, the Shack Restaurant offers punters a wholesome and nourishing feed in the Irish tradition.

Along popular Camden Street, Delahunt combines a modern Irish restaurant with a cocktail lounge serving tasty finger food and signature concoctions. Fusing Victorian decadence and top-notch food from local producers, it’s got a fantastic vibe.

Like so many places, Dublin remains in the grip of a burger boom, and you’ll find the finest specimens at Bunsen in Temple Bar. Part of a small Dublin chain, they’ve also got branches at South Anne Street, Wexford Street, Dame Street and Baggot Street, plus further out in Ranelagh, Blanchardstown and Phibsborough. Running a close second in the burger stakes (steaks?) is Wowburger – a burger bar with a 50s feel that’s perfect for a pre-cinema dinner. It has a number of branches in Dublin, including on Wexford Street and Wicklow Street. Bóbó’s has a couple of locations on Dame Street and Abbey Street, and offers pork and lamb burgers as well as veggie and vegan options. For those wanting a classic neighbourhood burger place, you could do worse than to check out BuJo on Sandymount Green, near Seamus Heaney’s old home.

If you’re not on board the burger bus, then how about Italian? Rosa Madre in Temple Bar is a favourite, with plenty of flair about the seafood-heavy menu. For Neapolitan-style pizza, check out Paulie’s Pizza, or try a French twist on that bread-based Italian classic at Gaillot et Gray. For wider Italian options, see classy Irish chain Dunne and Crescenzi, who have a city-centre branch on South Frederick Street and one in Dundrum. For cuisine from across the Mediterranean basin, head down Leeson Street and visit House Dublin, a bar and eatery with a great selection of dishes and a particularly enticing brunch menu.

Tapas is everywhere now, and reflects modern Dubliners’ tastes much more accurately than coddle – that traditional native Dublin stew

of assorted leftovers. In Temple Bar, Port House Pinxto dishes up plenty of tapas classics alongside excellent Spanish wines, while the cavernous Market Bar on Fade Street offers more casual dining, perfect for groups. For other tapas options, try Las Tapas de Lola or the French Paradox.

For other lighter food options, check out the three-storey Fallon & Byrne food emporium, with a basement wine bar, a ground-floor deli and an excellent restaurant on the first floor. On Merrion Row, you’ll also find Etto, serving up light European fare in a casual setting.

For more modern Irish fine dining, visit Richmond Restaurant – between Wexford Street and Rathmines. It’s another place with a Michelin Bib Gourmand award, and you’ll be blown away both by the presentation, and the transformation of the old Gigs Place – a traditional post-clubbing haunt that closed in 2012. The mix of French and Irish dining in One Pico, meanwhile, will have you staying for afters. Try the passion fruit and yuzu soufflé – a dessert from heaven.

If One Pico is fully booked, pop into the Ivy, on Dawson Street, for classic British and European cooking in elegant surroundings; or Ely Wine Bar, just off St. Stephen’s Green on Ely Place. North of the Liffey, there’s the Winding Stair, a charming, classy restaurant serving up old-fashioned Irish food with all the class and none of the fuss of some more expensive eateries. It’s based on the upper floor of a famous old bookshop, and looks out onto the iconic Ha’penny Bridge.

Also based in the popular Dawson Street and St. Stephen’s Green vicinity, FIRE Steakhouse & Bar prides itself on creating menus that focus on utilising fresh, in-season produce to create dishes bursting with a multitude of flavours. The restaurant is firmly committed to supporting sustainable local Irish produce and only serves the finest selection of award-winning meats and produce that Ireland has to offer.

Alongside burgers and tapas, the other big trend in Dublin remains coffee and light dining. l

Fumbally is the stylish warehouse that sparked a food revolution

The city floats on a tide of caffeine, and brunch spots are everywhere. There’s nowhere better for this than the Fumbally – the stylish warehouse that sparked a food revolution. Around the corner is The Cheeky Piglet – a tapas and coffee bar. Elsewhere, there is the idiosyncratic Press Café, wonderfully located in a greenhouse at the National Print Museum, on Haddington Road.

On the other side of the Liffey, meanwhile, Capel Street has plenty of interesting and ever-changing offerings. Brother Hubbard serves excellent coffee, cakes and breakfast (with more branches in Portobello and Arnotts department store), while snacks and cakes are on offer at artsy Mish.Mash, including plenty of vegan options and wines by the glass.

At Café Lisboa – just off the main drag on Mary Street Little – you can find pasteis de nata to rival those found in Lisbon. Little Bird, on South Circular Road, also runs yoga classes and is great for a postpranayama pastry, while Wall and Keogh specialise in loose-leaf teas and even roast their own coffee.

Closer to town, you’ll find Simon’s Place, and Camden Kitchen, a welcoming neighbourhood bistro. Avoca Café, on Suffolk Street, is set under one of the famous design shops and is great for a natter with friends.

Although it might still be catching up with London, Dublin’s ethnic food offering is a world away from where it was 20 years ago. A fabulous option is Gursha, an Ethiopian restaurant on Poolbeg Street. Their vegan truck trio l

L The Fumbally I Mae Restaurant, Ballsbridge

The Shack Restaurant opened its doors in 1996 in the heart of Temple Bar when the area was young and undeveloped. Now, more than 25 years later, the Shack Restaurant continues to welcome guests from around the world, offering the best of Irish cuisine.

Situated across the road from the famous Temple Bar Pub, in the heart of the bustling Temple Bar area, which has a well-deserved reputation as the cultural heart of Dublin. Covering just a few blocks on the south bank of the River Liffey, the area comprises the best that the Irish capital has to offer –from top class restaurants, lively bars to theatres and world-renowned art galleries. With its cobbled alleyways, quirky boutiques and street performers, the atmosphere is homely and nostalgic.

The restaurant seats 55 guests, with a small outdoor terrace for those who like to dine “taobh amuigh”. The Shack Restaurant offers a modern twist on something that is quintessentially Irish. The menu is wholesome and nourishing, while its roots are still firmly grounded in its Irish heritage. Some of the dishes are old favourites with a twist, while others are our own creations.

There are plenty of options for a pub meal and a drink on Temple Bar

comes heartily recommended. For Korean and Japanese fusion, Dubliners of all ages flock across the river to Parnell Street for the formidable offerings at Kimchi Hophouse. Try the excellent bulgogi, served on a sizzling pan, followed by some Korean beer.

Yamamori South City, on the Southside, near George’s Street, offers cool, casual Japanese dining, while Banyi Japanese Dining offers a traditional menu (and traditional surrounds) with excellent sushi.

The availability of South East Asian street food has improved dramatically over the last decade, partly in response to the thousands of Irish people who have toured South East Asia, and now want the taste of massaman or pad Thai back in the auld sod. Neon, on Camden Street – or one of the Saba branches – are favourites among young creatives, while for a slightly more formal atmosphere, try Thai Spice, tucked away between BusÁras and Talbot Street.

There are high-quality Indian and South Asian restaurants everywhere, but one particular favourite is Kinara Kitchen in Ranelagh – serving mainly Pakistani cuisine. For fantastic, fresh Indian street food in buzzing surroundings, try Kerala Kitchen, on Baggot Street. Their weekend brunch is particularly good, and there’s a second branch in Stoneybatter.

The expansion of Dublin’s small Muslim community has brought diverse dining. For top-quality Moroccan food with an unexpected side-order of karaoke, try Marrakesh by Mindo on Capel Street. Dada, on South William Street is another Moroccan joint that’s popular with the pre-clubbing crowd. There are a growing number of Middle Eastern offerings around Camden Street, too.

Also on South William Street is Pink – a restaurant specialising in afternoon tea and colourful offerings, including prawn cocktail and wagyu burgers.

As befitting the capital of a

country supplying the purest, healthiest beef in the world, Dublin does a great grill. The Cow (formerly the Chophouse) in Beggars Bush, is a firm favourite – and is handy for a rugby or soccer match at the nearby Lansdowne Road. Cleaver East, Butcher Grill, Bison Bar & BBQ and the Pig’s Ear all offer excellent steaks too.

On St. Stephen’s Green, you’re spoiled for choice. A particular favourite is Shanahan’s on the Green, an authentic, Americanstyle steakhouse and seafood restaurant. If you’re seeking a more straightforward taste of American barbecue, visit Pitt Bros BBQ, on George’s Street. Nearby is the effortlessly hip 777, specialising in Mexican dishes. On the subject of Mexican, you’ll find burrito bars everywhere, while for more serious Mexican dining, you could try the fiesta cavern that is Xico on Baggot Street.

If you’ve had the turf, it’s time to try the surf – and Dublin is l

seafood city. In the inner city, Fish Shop, on Benburb Street – an area increasingly abuzz with new eateries – brings a modern twist to the ancient staple of fish and chips. Downriver, in Temple Bar, try the Seafood Café for platters of oysters, lobster and prawns. Leo Burdock’s, meanwhile, is a safe bet for great traditional chips (chunky fries to American visitors) to go.

SOLE Seafood & Grill is another unmissable Dublin restaurant. Each day its culinary team prepare the very best of products with great passion and care to enhance their pure flavours; among them are fresh oysters from Ireland’s coastal waters, top-quality Irish beef that is carefully dry-aged in-house by SOLE’s own chefs, delicately smoked salmon from Howth and the finest Irish lobsters.

But the seafood centre of excellence remains, undisputedly, Howth. Pop into Aqua Restaurant for a glorious Sunday lunch, where you’ll be torn over whether to focus

on the large helpings of steak lobster or the superb views of Lambay Island via the floor-to-ceiling windows. The whole of Howth’s West Quay is brimming with seafood wonders, and the Oar House offers huge variety, and al-fresco dining in summer. On West Pier, the Brass Monkey is famed for its sharing seafood platters and seafood chowder.

Even in the context of Howth, Mamó has built an impressive reputation since it opened its doors in 2019. It offers fine dining in an intimate setting right by the sea. Their menu is seasonal so changes regularly, but you’ll find gems such as grilled razor clams with garlic and herb butter and dry-aged Thornhill duck pie with girolles. They source all their lobster, meat and veg from the surrounding North Dublin countryside – and even list their suppliers on their website.

A popular haunt for seafood fans is Cavistons Seafood Restaurant, which showcases the freshest fish and shellfish in Dublin, and sits

beside their impressive food hall. Menus, selected by head chef Noel Cusack, change daily depending on the fresh catch from the Irish fishing fleets. Inside the award-winning restaurant, the décor is intimate and chic, with wooden tables and seathemed art.

Then, there’s vegan and vegetarian Dublin, a rapidly growing sector. The very reasonably priced Cornucopia, on Wicklow Street, is among the city’s most beloved veggie restaurants, combining contemporary and art nouveau styles over two floors. For cheaper animal-friendly plates, head to Govinda’s, on Middle Abbey Street.

Strangely, vegan and vegetarian cafes seem to have been particularly hard-hit since the pandemic, with a number of much-loved establishments shutting up shop. However, many of the city’s slightly more omnivorous cafes have found success expanding their vegan options, including popular POG café. With five outlets spread across

Cavistons Seafood Restaurant showcases the freshest fish and shellfish in Dublin

the city and its surrounds, these hip cafés have venues on Tara Street and Bachelors Walk in the city centre, as well as in Malahide, Clontarf and a full restaurant out in Howth. They’re particularly well known for their excellent vegan afternoon tea, and offer a beautiful superfood salad. In Stoneybatter, the much-missed V-Face meatless burger joint has been replaced by a superb and ultrasustainable café called Vada, with great vegan and veggie options.

Salad is a growing trend. Sprout & Co – an Irish chain – is the best of the bunch, and has several branches across the city. Blazing Salads, off Drury Street, provides stiff competition, and deserves a visit just on account of the name.

The Dublin Food Co-op now operates in Kilmainham, due to the ongoing intense development of the Liberties area. Kilmainham is up there with Phibsborough for Dublin’s most up-and-coming district, and three minutes from Kilmainham Gaol is Cool Hand

Coffee Roasters – with other branches spread around the city, including one in Temple Bar. There’s also a collection of mostly vegetarian or veggie-friendly places, like Two Pups or Umi Falafel. The latter in particular has become a bit of a Dublin institution, with four outlets in the city.

Given that many visitors come to taste the city’s most famous export, Guinness, the city is thankfully overflowing with amazing breakfast places to ease into the morning after the night before. For an oldfashioned greasy spoon – more of a British than an Irish tradition, to be fair – visit Beanhive Coffee on Dawson Street. There’s also Café Sofia on Wexford Street; Brendan’s Café on Mary’s Lane, on the Northside; and Keoghs Café, bang in the middle on Trinity Street, just off Grafton Street. For a fry-up with tasty home-made bread, go for the café at Catherine’s Bakery on Meath Street. Or try Sophie’s at the Dean hotel, which offers panoramic views

across South Dublin city.

The list of brunch spots is endless. For those in the centre, try Angelina’s Restaurant on Percy Place, or Cleaver East in the Clarence Hotel, Temple Bar. If you’re staying slightly further out, you could get your morning cup at Two Boys Brew in Phibsborough or get stuck into a bottomless brunch at the Revolution in Rathgar. For comfortable dining in the quiet part of Temple Bar, meanwhile, try Il Valentino (formerly the excellently named Queen of Tarts), on Cow’s Lane.

For a city that’s so famous for its beer, you might be surprised to learn that many Dubliners are more about the cafés than the pubs, and you’ll see digital nomads hanging out at Cloud Picker Café on Pearse Street or the pet-friendly Soren & Son on Dean Street.

From Michelin stars to vegan hangouts to bottomless brunches and caffeine paradise… as the locals in Phibsborough might say – “sure where would you get it?” ■

On Merrion Row you’ll find several restaurants, including Etto, serving up light European fare in a casual setting

Only here for the weekend? Fear not! Here are some ideas for a memorable short break to Dublin

WEEKENDER

DAY ONE

Start with a wander through Stephen’s Green, before ambling past the buskers and performers of Grafton Street to Trinity College, where – depending on queues – a visit to the Long Room and the Book of Kells is a must.

From Trinity, walk through Suffolk Street to Andrew’s Street, and explore the shops on Exchequer, Wicklow and South William Streets – including the stylish Powerscourt Centre – before walking past St Patrick’s Cathedral for a spot of organic lunch at the Fumbally café.

Taking a couple of flapjacks to go, visiting Dublin Castle and the wonderful Chester Beatty library and museum is but the work of a moment – or rather 10 minutes, via Dame Street. From there, walk back to Temple Bar for a Dublinstyle Irish beef burger at Bunsen or Wowburger. Or for veggies, head to Cornucopia on Wicklow Street.

After a quick post-dinner pint at Hogan’s, round off the night with some traditional music at the Temple Bar – or craft beers at Porterhouse – before moving on to Copper Face Jacks on Harcourt Street.

DAY TWO

If you’re like most visitors to Dublin, a lively first night might mean you might need a gentle second day. Pop in for tea at Il Valentino on Gallery Quay, or tuck into an upmarket brekkie at Dublin institution Bewley’s on Grafton Street. Thus fortified, it’s time for a

gentle stroll around one of Dublin’s many galleries, starting with the National Gallery near Merrion Square, or the nearby National Museum and National Library. On the western side of the city centre, nestling in leafy Kilmainham, lies the Irish Museum of Modern Art – an amazing mix of landscaped gardens, cutting-edge art and a getaway from the noise of the city. After all this culture, it’s time to get a bird’s eye view of the city – and some stout, at the Guinness Storehouse, where the

last admission is 5pm (or 6pm on Friday and Saturday).

If the weather is fine, you might prefer to get a lungful of fresh air in one of Dublin’s many parks. Merrion Square or Fitzwilliam Square are both near the National Gallery, but if you’re up for a quick trip across the city, there’s Phoenix Park – the largest enclosed urban park in Europe. This vast space contains herds of fallow deer, wellmanaged natural forest, Dublin Zoo, the impressive Farmleigh House, and Áras an Uachtaráin, the

Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed urban park in Europe

official residence of the Irish President.

For dinner, depending on location, try Kimchi Hophouse on Parnell Street, Fade Street Social on Fade Street, or enjoy sublime Thai food from Neon. For the evening, explore north of the Liffey and have a pint at the Cobblestone before ending at the Workman’s Club on the quays ■

The National Gallery can be found near Fitzwilliam and Merrion Squares

Culture vultures assemble! This city offers the perfect mix of galleries, museums, exhibitions and festivals

Culture Club

Pound-for-pound (or rather, word-per-person), it’s doubtful whether any city can match Dublin for literary output over the years. From Jonathan Swift to Oscar Wilde, WB Yeats to James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw to Samuel Beckett, Flann O’Brien to Patrick Kavanagh, Brendan Behan and Frank O’Connor to Seamus Heaney, the city has bred or housed some absolute titans of literature.

Just to walk the city is to retrace the steps of Leopold Bloom, the Jewish anti-hero of Joyce’s epic, Ulysses. Each year, Joyceans

celebrate Bloomsday in his honour, revisiting the city as it was when the modern Odysseus strolled around Dublin. The city’s literary heritage drips from its every pore, and Irish literature remains as vital as ever.

On the northern side of Parnell Square, you’ll find Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane. Although not everyone is a fan of the emphasis placed on Francis Bacon’s studio, the rest of the gallery – named after a Corkman who returned to Dublin after striking it rich in London – is stupendous. Here, you’ll find Renoir, Manet, Morisot and Pissarro – and,

a highlight, the Stained Glass Room. There’s also a small newer section devoted to the controversial Irish abstract painter Sean Scully, who draws heavily from Rothko.

Further east, along the north side at Spencer Dock, lies the Green On Red Gallery, on Park Lane, representing some of the finest new and contemporary art on the market. Look out for their thoughtprovoking thematic exhibitions.

If that’s not enough, pop over to the jewel in the city’s artistic crown – the National Gallery of Ireland, off Merrion Square, at the

The National Gallery of Ireland is the jewel in Dublin’s artistic crown. Opposite page: the Green On Red Gallery

heart of the city’s government and museum district. The gallery is home to a celebrated Caravaggio, The Taking of Christ. It’s a perfect example of the artist’s use of the sfumato and chiaroscuro modes, which partly came about due to Caravaggio’s habit of spending his money on alcohol rather than on brighter, more expensive colours. The artist even sends himself up in the painting, with a self-portrait, holding a lantern to the right of the main subject.

Also at the National Gallery you’ll find Van Gogh, Van Dyck, Titian, Tintoretto, Fra Angelico and a supremely naturalistic Vermeer, A Lady Writing a Letter, which has been stolen twice – once in 1974 and once in 1986 – before being recovered in 1993.

Despite all these supreme examples of European art from the 14th to the 20th centuries, the real focus of the museum is Irish works. Here, you’ll find a whole room dedicated to the most famous Irish painter, Jack B Yeats. An Olympic medallist and the brother

The Green On Red Gallery represents some of the finest art on the market

of William Butler, the lesser-known Yeats painted in an impressionist style, which finds full expression in The Liffey Swim, The Singing Horseman and Men of Destiny.

The gallery also houses paintings by Picasso, Monet, Degas and Delacroix, as well as paintings from Goya, El Greco and the British artists Gainsborough and Hogarth. There are 13,000 artworks all told, including some outstanding prints and drawings, featuring Irish and British artists like Hugh Douglas Hamilton, John Robert Cozens, William Orpen and Paul Henry, as well as continental European names like Paul Cézanne and Emil Nolde. Look out for exciting temporary exhibitions in 2025, including Maurice Marinot and Picasso.

The Chester Beatty library is a treasure of a museum often overlooked by visitors and Dubliners alike. It houses some of Europe’s foremost religious artefacts in a splendid setting in the Clock Tower in Dublin Castle’s gardens. Founded by a New York industrialist, the library houses l

displays from Western, Islamic and East Asian civilisations. All those tourists queueing up for hours to see the Book of Kells (housed at the Library of Trinity College) are missing out – the calligraphy on display at the Chester Beatty is spellbinding, as are the Qur’an collections and New Testament scrolls made from papyrus. Don’t miss the magnificent Zen rooftop terrace, a counterpart to the landscaped gardens at ground level.

For a broader look at the natural and crafted treasures of Ireland’s varied history, see the National Museum of Ireland’s four branches – Archaeology, Decorative Arts and History, Natural History and Country Life – which are all free of charge. Visitors can enjoy collections that span Irish history from prehistoric times to the present day, and discover more about the country’s heritage, culture and traditions. There are also displays from other ancient cultures of the world, providing a unique insight into how these people lived and died.

For an exposition of more modern

The Natural History Museum’s collection spans Irish history from prehistoric times to the present

Irish artistry, look no further than Irish film, a growing source of cultural pride for Dubliners. It’s been a heady few years for Irish film, including sundry Academy Award nominations, multiple Golden Globe nods, and Academy Award and Golden Globe wins. Not to mention box-office hits for films such as Brooklyn, Room, Sing Street, Young Offenders and The Banshees of Inisherin. Animation is a particular growth area, with an Oscar nomination for Wolfwalkers, an Apple streaming production made in Kilkenny.

The spiritual home of Irish arthouse cinema remains the Irish Film Institute (IFI), in Temple Bar, which doubles as a cinema and restaurant. The Lighthouse Cinema, across the Liffey, in Smithfield –quirky and bigger – is also making a name for itself, with curated “event cinema” and the annual Dublin International Film Festival in late February and early March.

Dublin is a big theatre city too. Over a century ago, WB Yeats, Lady Gregory and the other leading l

The National Museum of Ireland’s four branches – Archaeology, Decorative Arts and History, Natural History and Country Life all free of charge

lights of the Celtic Revival founded the Abbey Theatre – the cinema of its day. Though no longer the main pastime of the average Dubliner compared to a century ago, the Abbey still remains vibrant, and together with the Gate Theatre, the 3Olympia Theatre, the Mill Theatre in Dundrum and the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, it means there’s always a good selection of live shows on offer.

The Dublin Theatre Festival –Europe’s longest-running specialist theatre festival – takes place from late September to the middle of October. September also sees Dublin Fringe Festival, a curated arts shindig showing off the cuttingedge and emerging artists in theatre, music, live arts, dance and spectacle.

The Project Arts Centre, in Temple Bar, is a hub for this kind of more modern theatre throughout the year.

And of course, for a lot of locals and tourists alike, the Irish pub will be at the centre of their cultural diet. As befits a nation that has music running through its veins, Dublin specialises in live music seven nights a week. Whelan’s remains the spiritual home of independent music, although the Grand Social and the Workman’s Club will often have more up-to-date acts, especially up-and-coming bands. The Academy, on nearby Middle Abbey Street, has a strong line-up of visiting live acts, and specialises in indie and urban acts.

Just by the Ha’penny Bridge, there are two more good live venues for bigger music and theatre shows. The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre is a fine venue in a newly elegant location, overlooking Silicon Docks. The Ha’penny Bridge Inn also has a wide variety of blues, comedy and traditional music.

Dublin is the city of the musical open mic, with notable nights at Sin É and Whelan’s. Although modernday folk musicians in Dublin seem more intent on recreating the sound of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie than of Dubliners singer Luke Kelly, traditional Irish-style folk music remains a big draw in Temple Bar, where you’ll find establishments like Oliver St. John Gogarty’s, the Temple Bar, Merchant’s Arch and the Old

Storehouse knocking out rousing rebel tunes and soulful ballads.

Temple Bar TradFest sees the best traditional instrumental musicians come together as January draws to a close, but throughout the year there are fine traditional musicians on show throughout the city, including the famous O’Donoghue’s Bar on Merrion Row, the Cobblestone in Smithfield, Pipers Corner on Marlborough Street, Devitt’s on Camden Street, and Peadar Kearney’s on Dame Street.

For a more mindful musical experience, try the National Concert Hall for classical and operatic music. For decades after independence, classical music was tainted by not being obviously Irish in origin, playing second fiddle (or violin) to ballads, then to the traditional boom in the 1960s, then the rock showband era, and then to the pop/rock bands like Thin Lizzy and U2. Yet, despite limited demand and a lack of an operatic or classical tradition (bar Count John McCormack), Ireland’s Dublin-based national broadcaster RTÉ still manages to support two orchestras, a string quartet and two choirs. There is also the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra.

The best venue to listen to orchestral, classical and world music remains the National Concert Hall, on Earlsfort Terrace, near St Stephen’s Green – the site of the historic Treaty debates which

decided Ireland’s independence (and led to the Civil War, 1921-23). As well as a full programme of events there, each August Dublin City Council also holds Opera in the Open in the city’s parks. There are also operas at the Gaiety and Bord Gáis Energy Theatres throughout the year. The latter – due to the presence of Google, Facebook et al – is also the usual spot for the best touring West End musicals.

The biggest touring bands, meanwhile, normally play at 3Arena and Aviva Stadium, with the occasional super gig at Croke Park.

Contrary to the cliché, not all Irish people spend their free time guzzling Guinness, and with nightclubs on the way out due to strict licensing laws, there’s an increasing movement towards enjoying leisure time without alcohol. Leading this new wave are by mental health-conscious festivals like First Fortnight (which takes place each January), alcoholfree drinking den the Virgin Mary on Capel Street, or the bingo raves of Bingo Loco – where you don’t need a drink in your hand to have a laugh.

In September, meanwhile, Culture Night brings the city alive, with events happening at locations as diverse as the Goethe-Institut and the Dublin Buddhist Centre on James Joyce Street. It’s all a far cry from the Dublin of Leopold Bloom, but the city’s mix of tradition and innovation is what makes it so special. ■

The chandelier in the John Field Room of the National Concert Hall

The night-time economy in Dublin is thriving, packed with clubs, pubs, bars and live music venues

After dark

find

Dublin is a city of over 1,000 pubs. There are “old man” pubs of the silent variety; loud, brash “superpubs”; hipster hangouts; music pubs (to be honest, in Dublin most of them are music pubs); wine bars; cocktail bars; gastropubs; café bars; sports bars; poser hangouts; hook-up clubs; upmarket members’ clubs and – of course – tourist traps cheerfully selling paddywhackery by the 568ml glass.

Although the days of elderly punters whiling away their days in the local boozer appear to be dying off now that supermarkets

sell a four-pack for the price of a pint, you’ll still find pubs and clubs busy every night of the week. Unlike other European countries, where alcohol is served in a “demi” (250ml) or “grande” (500ml), most Dubliners will have a pint (568ml) or a 330ml bottle of beer or stout –with some still going for a half-pint.

Although Temple Bar is known far and wide, most Dubliners are happy to leave the streets between Dame Street and the river to the tourists, and congregate instead in the streets around George’s Street, Grafton Street and out to Baggot Street and

Rathmines. There’s no shortage of variety here, and you could spend a whole evening going from pub to pub on the tiny Fade Street alone.

The Market Bar usually has room for groups and families, while Hogans is popular with the afterwork crowd. A few doors down is the Bar With No Name, on Fade Street, with a low-key entrance opening onto three spacious Victorian townhouse rooms and a large patio area. Across George’s Street, the Long Hall is lavishly decorated, and tends to have few tourists, but can get extremely crowded after work.

You’ll

excellent balladeers at the the Temple Bar and the Auld Dubliner. Opposite page: The George

On the same street, you’ll find the George – a delightfully decorated nightclub and a mainstay of the Dublin LGBTQ+ scene. Across the street, plush J.T Pim’s offers cocktails, craft beer and a basement gin and rum bar. You’ve also got a range of nightclubs all around the George’s Street/Temple Bar area, from speakeasy-style Vintage Cocktail Club to Izakaya, set in the basement of Yamamori Japanese restaurant.

On nearby Lower Stephen Street, pop into the Hairy Lemon – an eclectic bright yellow boozer with chaotic décor that served as a filming location for classic 90s film, the Commitments – while one block over lies South William Street, with a variety of pubs and nightclubs of varying degrees of quality and trendiness.

As evening draws in, the area becomes crowded with revellers –but remains curiously open to cars, due to the demands of the Brown Thomas multi-storey carpark. Here, you’ll find the famous and gloriously down-to-earth Grogan’s. Get your

The delightfully decorated George is a mainstay of the Dublin gay scene

drink, take a seat outside, and watch the well-heeled saunter into the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre across the way. Nearby, teenagers and 20-somethings will congregate outside the busy Pygmalion nightclub, while across the street, Dakota goes for the more classic American-style cocktail bar.

For drinks and dancing in opulent Art Deco surrounds, head to Farrier and Draper, which has a mixture of elegant spaces spread over three floors, serving cocktails, pints and food. On the corner, at the junction of South William, Exchequer, Wicklow and St Andrew’s Streets, sits a Dublin institution – the International Bar, a hub for comedy, live music and a huge variety of other performances. Depending on the night, you could find blues bands upstairs, traditional music sessions in the main bar, excellent live cover bands, or spoken-word poetry.

On summer nights, nearby Dame Court and Dame Lane provide a natural amphitheatre for people socialising inside and outside of l

7 NIGHTS A WEEK: 20:00 -22:00 Dining Times: 18:30, 19:00, 19:30 and 20:00

a whole host of excellent pubs –notably the Stag’s Head, an oldschool public house popular with young poets; and the Dame Tavern, a brilliant Jekyll and Hyde of a pub that’s quiet and relaxing during the week, but full to bursting otherwise. You’ll also find the more clubbish 4 Dame Lane and the musical Mercantile Hotel & Bar (closed for renovations at time of writing but due to reopen soon).

For old-fashioned entertainment, it’s worth popping into the Bankers Bar, at the end of Dame Lane – they regularly have open mics for music and comedy downstairs. Another nightlife area beloved of Dublin locals comprises the streets to either side of Grafton Street. Here, Kehoe’s stands apart from the crowd. Kehoe’s is run the way almost all bars in Dublin used to be run – no trouble, no trendiness, a grand carpet, and a good pint. You can watch the afterwork crowd, catch some sport, play some piano, or – when the weather allows of an evening – pour onto South Anne Street, sit on the kerb, and enjoy the genial atmosphere.

Further down, on Duke Street, the Duke provides a similarly unpretentious atmosphere, and is the start point for the awardwinning (and long-running) Dublin Literary Pub Crawl – where professional actors shepherd you between watering holes while they tell you tall tales and quote liberally from Joyce and Beckett.

On the other side of Grafton Street sit two twin pubs – Bruxelles and McDaids. They’re polar opposites in many ways. McDaids is typical of the “old man” pub type, and that’s meant as a great compliment. Like most good pubs of its kind, it keeps the noise down, with no blaring music or big-screen sport to distract the clientele from the important business of social interaction. It’s a pub to be present in, to respect the atmosphere – and, of course, to laugh along with the locals.

On the same street stands a statue of Phil Lynnot, the late Crumlin bassist behind Thin Lizzy’s hits. Beside him is Bruxelles (pronounced with a hard ‘x’), a multi-faceted music hub. Unlike McDaids, it’s

Another nightlife area beloved of Dublin locals comprises the streets to either side of Grafton Street

loud, it’s hopping – and it’s often great craic, a sort of living room and disco rolled into one.

Around the corner, meanwhile, lies Neary’s Bar & Lounge – an Edwardian-style pub popular for discreet dates due to its nooks and crannies. Neary’s is also popular among the acting crowd, and its links with famous patrons like Flann O’Brien and Ronnie Drew of the Dubliners have earned it the coveted status of a UNESCO City of Literature Bar.

Venerable institutions

For more upmarket pints near Stephen’s Green, the Horseshoe Bar in the Shelbourne Hotel is a venerable institution, once beloved of the old rogues of official and unofficial Ireland. For a bit of cloakand-dagger excitement, try a secret bar, like the Blind Pig Speakeasy or – the most difficult to enter – the Hacienda Bar in Smithfield.

Around the corner from the Shelbourne is Café en Seine, characterised by a elegantly faded grandeur which tends to draw customers of a certain age. With its palm trees and slightly gaudy décor, it’s often best experienced during the day, when they do a fine food menu.

For late-night high jinks in the city, Copper Face Jacks is a Dublin institution – in every sense of the word. This Georgian building is, from 10.30pm or so, the haunt of young nurses and Guards (police) from every corner of rural Ireland. Serving until some unspecified hour between 1am and 3.30am, “Coppers” is a great introduction to how clubbing works in the rest of Ireland outside the cities of Cork and Dublin. There are cheesy tunes, and lots of drink taken.

The Coppers crowd will often turn up earlier in the evening at Flannery’s Bar, on Camden Street, a GAA hotspot. A few doors down, Against the Grain, on Wexford Street, serves excellent craft beers, while across the street, Whelan’s is great for live music and late-evening carousing.

The Bleeding Horse, meanwhile, is an excellent pub, if a bit of a labyrinth. Legend has it that it was so named due to the dishevelled condition of passing horses by l

Dublin offers an evening choice to suit every pocket and inclination

the time they reached that part of Dublin’s suburbs.

The best bar on Camden Street, however, is Anseo, with its excellent music, wonderfully laconic bar staff and decidedly unpretentious air. As their website says, you either agree that it’s the best pub in Dublin, or you haven’t been there.

Dublin’s drinkers are getting more self-consciously fashionable, a phenomenon you can experience at hipster hangout the Bernard Shaw (located in Drumcondra) and its long-lost cousin, Blackbird, in Rathmines. Head down to Rathmines crossroads and you’ll find Slattery’s – a fine bar with a nice snug and great staff.

Outside the Grafton-Rathmines nexus, there is, of course, Temple Bar, with excellent balladeers at the Auld Dubliner, the Temple Bar and Oliver St. John Gogarty’s. Locals will prefer the Palace Bar (a fine whiskey bar beloved of novelist Patrick Kavanagh) or the Porterhouse, or they might head across the river to Sin É or the Grand Social, a lively music and events venue. One interesting and relatively recent addition is the Wild Duck theatre bar on Sycamore Street in Temple Bar, around the corner from 3Olympia Theatre.

There are also plenty of upmarket pubs for those with deep pockets, not least 9 Below, on St Stephen’s Green, or the Curious Mister in the Clarence Hotel – which is owned by U2. Whiskey enthusiasts can indulge their passion at city favourite the Dublin Liberties Distillery, on Mill Street.

In truth, though, Dubliners of all stripes prefer a down-to-earth pub to a swanky bar. Far from the madding crowd – and slightly off the beaten track, down Poolbeg Street – lies a pub called Mulligan’s, famous for its characters. Down the red Luas line, meanwhile, the Cobblestone vies with laidback gastropub Bonobo for the honour of the best pub in Smithfield.

Dublin also has a roaring alcoholfree nightlife, with new spaces proliferating and established cafés extending their opening hours. Pop in to Le Petit Perroquet on Wicklow Street or Lemon Jelly Café in the Italian Quarter, on the Millennium Walkway. The suburbs are where some of the best late-opening cafés are, really – including Bread and Butter in Drumcondra and Nick’s Coffee in Ranelagh. For daytime lounging, try The Fumbally café in the Liberties or Two Boys Brew in Phibsborough, where you can have hearty lunches and breakfasts alongside your coffee.

The Music Café, on Wellington Quay, meanwhile, stays open until 10.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays (8pm the rest of the time), and this chilled music venue turns into a nice wine bar in the evening. There’s also an increasing supply of more mindful nights out, from booze free drinking and wellbeing at the Virgin Mary Bar on Capel Street –Ireland’s first alcohol-free pub – to the Dublin Buddhist Centre’s dropin meditation, film screenings and writing workshops, to sound baths, dark moon circles and breathwork at the Space Between, on Fenian Street. There are also a variety of offerings centred around the Dublin City Council’s arts space, the LAB Gallery. Essentially, wherever you are in Dublin, you’re never far from a new gallery or funky installation.

You might be pleased to hear that Dublin’s bought into the escape room craze in a big way too. One of the best known is Escape Dublin, with several themed games where you and up to five friends can work out how to solve puzzles and get out of jail within a 60-minute time frame. Elsewhere, the Escape Boats, at Grand Canal Dock were early pioneers of this worldwide phenomenon, and offer an unusual slant on the format.

“A Pint Of Plain Is Your Only Man” wrote Myles na gCopaleen, and for most people, visiting a Dublin pub is part of the Irish experience. Yet, at the risk of out-parodying Alan Partridge, there’s more to Ireland than that these days, with coffee, arts and even meditation to explore. See you out there! ■

Although Dublin has more than enough to keep you busy, a journey further afield can make for an exciting new adventure

Time to explore

With the Irish Sea coast stretching in either direction, mountains merging with the city’s southern suburbs, and historic centres just a short train or motorway trip away, Dublin makes the perfect base for exploring Ireland’s Ancient East.

Aside from Glendalough, Wicklow also has Powerscourt Gardens and waterfall, and excellent climbing in the Wicklow Mountains National Park. The historic centre of Kilkenny city, with its magnificent Norman castle, city walls and cathedrals, is a historic treasure trove. Don’t miss a trip to Rothe House and Garden where you are invited to wander and explore at your leisure; view the magnificent architecture, step through cobbled courtyards and take in the relaxed atmosphere of the restored walled garden.

Of course, to get the full taste of Ireland outside Dublin, make a beeline for Cork. The capital of the rebel county is the starting point for those wishing to explore West Cork and Kerry – and is a gateway to some of Ireland’s most breathtaking scenery.

To the northwest of Dublin stands a marvel: Newgrange. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Neothilic monument comprises a large cairn of earth and stone, topped with grass and walled with large cobbles and flat white quartz stone. At 5,000 years old, it’s older the Great Pyramid of Giza. The exterior restoration work has not pleased all archaeologists, however, with one commentator describing it as “kind of like Stalin does the Stone Age”. The interior is nevertheless worth the visit.

Newgrange inner chamber is designed to light up via natural light only on the dawn of the winter

solstice (December 21). Tickets on this date are like gold dust. On busy summer days, get there early – if you drive yourself, you will need to join an official guided tour in order to gain entry to the passage tomb.

Newgrange is just one part of the Brú na Boinne complex of Boyne Valley tombs, with over 90 monuments littering the landscape in an archaeological ensemble. Knowth and Dowth, the next two most famous, are well worth a visit.

The area’s prehistoric significance is palpable. Just 25km from Newgrange lies the Hill of Tara, ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland – and possibly a seat of power for the pre-Milesian Tuatha Dé Danann. It’s more accessible than Newgrange and contains the magical Stone of Destiny.

The Mound of Hostages has a short passage aligned with sunrise on these cross-quarter days (solstices and equinoxes), marked by ancient annual festivals in olden times.

To complete the history tour of Meath, visit Trim Castle, site of many a Braveheart scene, and, for something different, Emerald Park – amusements and wildlife in one place. Slightly south lies the horse country of Kildare, home of the K Club hotel, Newbridge Silverware Visitor Centre, Kildare Village designer shopping outlet and Donadea Forest Park.

If you want to experience wild Ireland, meanwhile, board a bus for the Cliffs of Moher, far on Ireland’s western Atlantic shoreline. Many tourists return on the same day, much to the bemusement of Dubliners. Clare is beautiful, and worth thorough exploration, not least of all the Burren, including its limestone moonscape and the many surfing beaches along its edge. ■

To the northwest of Dublin stands a marvel: Newgrange. A UNESCO World Heritage Site

The 18th-century Old Library building in Trinity College is the largest library in Ireland, and is the permanent home to the

PHOTO-FINISH

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