Dublin Overview
By Rachel Newcombe
Founded in the ninth century, Dublin is a vibrant cultural city in Ireland. Located on the banks of the River Liffey, it has a rich heritage, interesting history and numerous famous literary names associated with it.
To get an idea of what life was like here in the Georgian Era, take a walk through the streets of Merrion and Fitzwilliam Squares or join an organised tour. As well as the Georgian period, in other parts of the city you’ll find fine examples of medieval buildings, as well as some up-to-date modern architecture. In fact, even the castle is made up of architecture from a varied mix of periods.
Trinity College Library holds the ancient Book of Kells, which was written in about 800AD. It’s highly regarded as ‘one of the most beautifully illuminated manuscripts in the world’ and you can discover more about its famous background here. The National Museum of Archaeology and History provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of Ireland and the cathedrals of Christ Church and St Patrick’s need to be seen.
Dublin is well known for its bars and lively nightlife and, with 1,000 pubs in the city, you can be sure of finding a pint of its favoured tipple, Guinness, within easy reach. There are umpteen literary names associated with the city, including James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett. It even has its own Literary Pub Crawl!
If you plan to visit numerous places, it’s worth investing in a Dublin Pass for the duration of your stay, as it will be sure to save you money. For a lively mix of ancient and modern, ensure Dublin is firmly marked on your itinerary. Go!
Dublin Traveler Reviews
Friendly Pubs
In the Dublin City Centre, pubs are a higher percentage of the businesses than most cities. And, most of them aren't dive bars, they're great pubs. Very inviting with great facades and beautiful interior woodwork. Some have roaring fireplaces to woo you inside from from the street. The occasional live, acoustic, traditional Irish band playing in the back corner doesn't hurt. And, many of the Dublin bartenders are masters in the art of beer pouring. The Guiness, of course, was great, but I fell in love with a beer called, Kilkenny. And you can't beat the Irish sense of humor, we asked one bartender where we could find some stand-up comedy and he pointed around the room and responded, "You're looking at it, lad. It's all about going out and getting demented...no need to watch some jackass up on a stage!" Classic.
By Isaig
Viva la Irlanda
So where does one begin to describe James Joyce's living room? The teeming streets, the overflowing pubs or the hooligans getting mental at Croke Park? Every three minutes I found myself wanting to step into the nearest pub for a pint with my lads. I flew back on Beer Dringus a certified alcoholic. Cirrhosis aside, the most surprising revelation was that the Irish really do shopping on another level. Grafton Street is the high street with a Brown Thomas for that 1500 euro leather jacket you've always wanted. The River Liffey and the surrounding infrastructure add another layer to the city to be explored like that yellow tube bridge connecting the two sections of your hamster cage. Don't forget to hit up the Docklands area, which is presently transmutating into a glass and steel pavilion. In the middle of the renovation is U2's modest little studio sitting right on Hanover Quay. You might catch them having a smoke outside or recording their next mega-hit.
By Boraughm the Sinister
Go Ireland!
Dublin is a very classy place. The streets are clean, the people well-mannered and all very well-spoken as well. The tour of the Dublin Castle was inspiring--it was built literally on top of an 800 year old Viking ruins. One corner of the tower exposed both layers of different masonry.
The other highlight was Trinity College. The old library was a cavern of row after row of 20-foot high bookshelves all filled with dark leather-bound, centuries old books, right out of a Harry Potter movie. It actually is open to students, but the books are only accessible through special library personnel to be read on premises. Ireland's oldest harp was on display there (If I remember, from Limerick) and the Book of Kells with hand-painted decorations.
I highly recommend it as entertaining and accessible as well. Very easy to navigate too, since the city center has a spire visible from miles away.
By Anrai
Catch a match at Dublin's Croke Park
Croke Park, is the football epicenter of this football mad country. When over 80,000 raving fans gather there for a football or a hurling match, it's wild. And, they stay wild after the games as well, marching through the streets with banners and singing songs. The fans can be just as entertaining as the players. For the uninitiated, hurling is not getting sick after slamming too many Jameson's.
By GlobalHighStepper
