Dublin - City Guide

WITH friendly locals and a compact city centre it is easy to see just why Dublin has become such a desirable weekend break destination for Brits.

With bubbling enthusiasm my girlfriend and I rose at the crack of dawn for what was our first overseas trip together and we were soon in the car on our way to Exeter Airport.

Within hours we had landed, found our way out of the airport and boarded a bus in the general direction of the city centre, hastily disembarking when the driver announced the name of Parnell Square.

“One moment sir, I’ll just check for you,” said a friendly convenience store cashier as he halted a queue of people picking up their groceries to respond to my request for directions.

Despite the frustration of the local shoppers, he consulted Google Maps on his iPhone and sent me off up the road to the doorstep of our hotel.

As it was too early to check in, we threw our bags behind the front desk and immediately went out and purchased tickets for one of the city’s sightseeing tours.

I often hear people say that the buses are tourist gimmicks, but in my experience they allow for you to suss out the city and pinpoint landmarks that you wish to visit for a relatively reasonable price (19euros for 24 hours).

As the bus made its way down the shopping haven of O’Connell Street we passed a remarkably large pointed building, one which although I cannot remember how or why it was constructed, was an awe-inspiring sight.

On the other side of the street our pre-recorded tour guide pointed out the General Post Office, a building still scarred with bullet holes from the 1916 uprising.

The General Post Office is one of the many buildings in the city that feature prominently in tales of the Irish struggle under British rule prior to nation’s independence.

Geographically Dublin is compact, easy to navigate once you get a general idea of how it is laid out. The cityfolk welcome you to their city with open arms and are fiercely proud of where they are from.

We checked out the former houses of Oscar Wilde and Jonathan Swift before arriving at Kilmainham Gaol. For just four euros we were treated to a guided tour, the knowledgeable guide telling us all about how the prison housed a number of key figures in the various Irish uprising and at one point was bursting at the scenes holding five times its official capacity of prisoners, all forced to live in terrible conditions.

The gaol is one of a score of landmarks worth visiting by day. Along with the impressive and historic Trinity College and St Paul’s Cathedral, there are lists of attractions all within walking distance either side of the River Liffey that divides the city.

In terms of evening outings, much of the city’s vibrant nightlife is centred in the bustling Temple Bar area.

 

Temple Bar consists of a plethora of restaurants and bars where locals and tourists rub shoulders as they sink pints of Guinness to the tune of traditional Irish songs.

Despite a high presence of British stag and hen dos, the city has managed to retain its character and avoids that knife-edge night-time atmopshere associated with the likes of Benidorm, Malia and Magaluf.

In three days in the Irish capital I never once felt threatened and this despite inadvertently stumbling into a colourful protest by angry protestors against the water rates.

The restaurant and bar staff was all cheerful and welcoming, presumably because they get to live in such a beautiful and charismatic city.

Although  a pint will set you back around five euros, I found the city reasonably priced and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to couples, families or groups of lads looking for a good piss up.