Ireland Travel Search: Leinster: County Dublin & Dublin City Visitor Information Tourism Directory


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Ireland > Leinster > County Dublin & Dublin City (Page 2)

Dublin is a county as well as a city. County Dublin runs from Dun Laoghare (pronounced Dunleary) about 8 miles (13km) south of the city of Dublin, to Howth in the north. Dun Laoghare is a popular resort in its own right and a busy ferry port. If you catch a ferry to Ireland from Wales, you'll most likely arrive here. - Dublin was called "Eblana" in AD140 by the Greek philosopher Ptolemy, and today it is the Republic of Ireland's capital city, now sprawling over a large part of this area, and still growing fast. However, like the Dubliners themselves you have an amazing choice of things to do in and around the Dublin city area, from the superb nightlife to the modern museums and art galleries, great little sea-side resorts along the coast, the lavish gardens of Howth Castle, or the unique and wonderful collection of wonderful Irish furniture and paintings at Malahide Castle - its all here in a city not to be missed.

Click on the headings to find out more:

Malahide Castle, set on 250 acres (101 hectares) of parkland in the little seaside town of Malahide, served as both a fortress and a private home for 800 years. One of its more poignant legends concerns the Battle of the Boyne, fought in 1690. On the morning of that battle, 14 members of the Talbot family (lords of the castle) breakfasted together in the Great Hall. They never met again, for all were dead by nightfall.

The National Gallery of Ireland, established by Act of Parliament in 1854, owns about 2,500 paintings and displays no end of notable Irish works.

The National Museum of Ireland is another great place to browse, and is probably one of the best museums in the world for ancient Celtic history detailing Ireland's pre-eminence as the Europe's leading civilization for over 300 years between 600-900AD. Opened in 1890 with the merging of several Irish collections, it contains magnificent artefacts and masterpieces dating from 2000BC. The National Library in Kildare Street adjoins the museum, and has a superb collection of over half a million rare books - an amazing source for family research. Nearby is the Heraldic Museum, the Office of the Chief Herald and the Manuscripts Department.

The Genealogical Office is the successor to the office of Ulster King of Arms, created in 1552. The main function of the Genealogical Office is heraldic. It contains a wealth of information for family history researchers, however, a special pass is required and access is through the manuscript reading room of the National Library. A Readers Ticket is required before using the library for research, (you will need to take your passport and complete application forms).

The Public Record Office of Ireland and the State Paper Office were amalgamated in June 1988 to form the National Archives, (located on Bishop Street), which is an important resource for genealogy researchers The original Public Records Office was situated at the Four Courts near Ormond Quay. The Four Courts were severely damaged in the 1921Civil War but have been completely restored; however, the Dublin Public Records Office was completely trashed and burnt to the ground at the same time. Only in the last decade with the growth of genealogy/family history research has this incredible loss of the historical and legal history of Ireland and its people been fully realised.

(*For any genealogy research assistance in either Northern or Southern Ireland, we recommend you contact Ancestor Travel (www.ancestortravel.com) whose staff have readers tickets and first hand knowledge of libraries and historical research facilities in both Dublin and Belfast.)

Kilmainham Gaol is an eye-opener, even if it brings tears or a lump to the throat. After the British crushed the Easter Rising of 1916, they took 14 idealistic leaders of the rebellion back to this prison and executed them. Tours start in the chapel, where the poet Joseph Plunkett married his sweetheart Grace Gifford a few hours before being shot for his part in the Rising, along with fellow poets Patrick Henry Pearse and Thomas MacDonagh. Tours end in the yard, where Plunkett's valiant comrade James Connolly faced a firing squad strapped in a chair, too badly wounded to stand. The jail opened in 1796 and closed in 1924. Tours include the punishment cells and hanging room.

Contemporary Dublin reflects Ireland's new prosperity, stemming partly from the country's membership of the European Union. Fashionable streets offer top shopping, boutiques and world-class dining.

Pubs and nightspots echo to all sorts of European influences. Jazz, rock and rhythm and blues vie with traditional Irish flutes and fiddles. Patrons are as likely to be drinking cappuccino or vermouth as a pint of stout. It's a far cry from the old "five pints of Guinness and a whiskey here please, Paddy" stereotype.

A city of enormous personality and contrasts, Dublin celebrated its millennium in 1988. The area was settled long before 988AD, but the settlement took off only after the warlike Vikings invaded from Scandinavia and decided to stay.

While Dublin may be old, the average age of its citizens is young compared to other European cities. Dublin's taxi drivers report surprisingly little after-pub violence. One cabbie explained that today's young Dubliners consider it "cool" to deal with a dispute using cutting words rather than fists. They look upon punch-ups as "pretty Neanderthal" - a diversion from what could otherwise prove a lively and enjoyable debate.

The days when Dubliners lived on boiled cabbage and potatoes (with mussels or bacon in the good times) are long gone. The Unicorn in Merrion Court (a lunchtime hangout for Dublin's television producers and agents) serves Italian and Mediterranean fare, including Pollo Dublin - poached chicken stuffed with leeks and smoked salmon. Fitzers in Dawson Street specialises in Californian and Italian food. In the city's justly renowned pubs, jazz, rhythm 'n' blues and rock vie with traditional Irish flutes and fiddles. New bands strive to follow in the footsteps of U2, Hothouse Flowers, Sinead O'Connor and the Cranberries.

The Liffey River flows through Dublin and through much of its literature. A persistent urban myth decrees that the water used for making Guinness is drawn from the Liffey - a bit off-putting, as the river is rather murky, with the occasional rusty bicycle protruding above the ripples. In fact, water for Guinness is taken from sparkling streams in the Wicklow Mountains.

A large sign reading "Royal Liver Assurance" is visible across the river. The sign greets visitors as they emerge from the city's celebrated pubs. Don't be fooled - the wording has nothing to do with insuring your vital organs against damage by life's excesses. "Liver" (pronounced to rhyme with "diver") is an archaic use of an old word.

Dublin is justly famed for its literature. Ireland's long line of literary talent includes Swift, Sheridan, Shaw, Wilde, Yeats, Joyce and Beckett, and Dublin uses its links with these writers to attract visitors. A popular tourist attraction, the Dublin Writers Museum, set in a grand 18th-century mansion, presents Ireland's greatest writers through their books, letters, portraits and literature.

For those interested in James Joyce, Dublin's James Joyce Centre is located in a restored Georgian townhouse. Daily walks are conducted through the house and through the heartland of Joyce's north inner city. The Shaw Birthplace in Synge Street is dedicated to Ireland's great playwright, George Bernard Shaw.

To catch the spirit of these writers, perhaps sample a literary pub crawl. Apart from Shaw (who was a teetotaller), most writers visited pubs for inspiration. And why not? As Leopold Bloom mused in Joyce's famed novel Ulysses, "good puzzle would be cross Dublin without passing a pub." When asking directions in Ireland you will tell if you're talking to a person who follows religion or drink. The former will give directions by where the churches are, the latter by way of the pubs.

To get the feel of Dublin in a limited time, visitors can do worse than to visit Dublinia, an exhibition at Synod Hall in Christchurch designed to give first-time visitors an overview of the city's history in less than an hour.

"Children must not play on the pillory unsupervised," warns a sign at the entrance. Stocks and a pillory are among articles of medieval punishment on display outside Dublinia's main gates. Inside, a collection of artefacts on loan from the National Museum of Ireland gives an impression of life in earlier centuries. Tableaux on display include a gripping reconstruction of the Black Plague, which struck Dublin in the 14th century.

An eyewitness account by one Friar Glyn, a monk living in the city, conjures up a vivid plague scene:

"For many died from boils and ulcers and running sores which grew on the legs and beneath the armpits, whilst others suffered pains in the head and went almost into a frenzy, whilst others spat blood..." (That's quite enough plague for today - you'll have to visit it to learn the rest.) Admission to Christ Church Cathedral - itself a must on any sightseeing tour of Dublin - is included in the Dublinia admission price.

Shopping:

Dublin's best shopping is south of the Liffey. The main shopping precinct is around O'Connell Street (Dublin's great boulevard built in the fashion of the Parisian Champs-Elysées) and Grafton Street, and north of the Liffey, Henry Street. - Grafton Street is a pedestrian mall lined with big department stores like Brown Thomas/Switzers and the UK-based Marks and Spencer. On O'Connell Street, Clery's is the venerable old flagship store for Dublin, well worth a visit to see how department stores used to look 50 years ago, but it has great shopping, especially with linens, clothes and manchester items. The millinery department in Brown Thomas is also most impressive. Overall, Irish linen, cotton, towels and sheets are extremely good value. - Don't forget that prices here are in Euros, which is about 35% cheaper than UK pounds, and with sticker prices (especially clothes and manchester) about the same as in England, (i.e. what the cost is in pounds in the UK is approximately the same in Euros in Southern Ireland/Dublin), so in effect if you are a good shopper, you are buying at about 35% less than the item would cost you in the UK.

Sweaters and jewellery with a Celtic influence are both good buys; so are Donegal tweed caps and Claddagh rings with two hands clasping a heart. For merchandise linked to the Book of Kells, try The Colonnades Shop in Trinity College. Not far away, Nassau Street has several stores selling Irish Aran sweaters. Not cheap at about 150 Euro, but incredibly comfortable - and they last forever.

Nightlife:

"I love acting. It is so much more real than life."
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

To sample Dublin's theatre scene, try the venerable Abbey Theatre in Abbey Street Lower. If you'd rather just relax and enjoy the city, Temple Bar sparkles after dark, particularly on summer nights when young people congregate and the whole district turns into a sort of impromptu street party.

"Make mine a double, if you'd be so kind."

Dublin pubs are brilliant - that's why imitations spring up all over world. Somehow, overseas versions never work as well as in Dublin. There's more to an Irish pub than naming it Seamus O'Flaherty's and covering the walls with Irish posters. If you enjoy the craic (pronounced crack and meaning good, rollicking conversation with a witty touch), you'll be in your element in an Irish pub.

Drink is the enemy of mankind. And any man who turns his back on the enemy is a damned coward.
- Sign behind the bar of a Dublin pub.

Public transport is regular, cheap and good value, with regular bus services operating until 12 midnight. A 1-day Rover rail and bus pass costs about 4.50 Euro for bus only and 7.50 Euro if you intend to use the train system. DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) is the local train service with a day ticket costing around 6 Euro, however you probably wont need to use it unless you intend visiting the burbs. Taxis are cheap and plentiful, but hard to hail in peak hour. Cost from the city to the airport is around 14Euro. The main Dublin train station is situated right in the city centre and within easy walking distance of hotels. An airport shuttle bus operates every 15 minutes from the station and along O'Connell Street; cost is 6 Euro per person, but it is a local bus and stops frequently, so leave plenty of time. If you are driving a rental car, parking in the city centre is at a premium. It's a very wise idea if you are on a se lf drive tour to make sure your Dublin hotel has adequate off street secure car parking where you should leave it until you leave Dublin.

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