Dublin City Guide

Dublin is the capital and the largest city in Ireland. The city has produced great writers like James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett and George Bernard Shaw and was originally founded as a Viking settlement which then went on to evolve into the Kingdom of Dublin. The city became the island’s premier city after the Norman Invasion in the 12th century.

Dublin remained a part of the British Empire until the early 20th century and became the capital of Ireland after the partition of Ireland in 1922. Today the city of Dublin is located along the River Liffey and is a vibrant city and a choice vacation destination that offers an array of charming Victorian sights along with great shopping, dining and entertainment options. The city is also famously associated with Guinness Stout, which was invented in the city in the early 18th century at Arthur Guinness’s brewery in Dublin.

Temple Bar doesn’t refer to any particular public house or bar but is the old Viking name for a lively street located in central Dublin. This area, which is located just south of the River Liffey, is one of the most animated areas of the city that offers a plethora of sight-seeing and nightlife options like the Christ Church Cathedral, Trinity College and Dublin castle.

The Stephen’s Green area is located just 10 minutes away from the Temple Bar and Trinity college area and it is a lush green area, which is definitely quieter and calmer than the popular nightlife area of Dublin.

To the west of St Stephen’s Green is the Merrion Square and Fitzwilliam Square area, known for its Georgian town houses and small parks. The hotels located here are rather delightful and definitely less expensive than those located in the heart of the city.

O’Connell Street is located on the northern bank of the Liffey River and has in recent years become a popular accommodation option in Dublin. This City center North area is a convenient option as it affords easy access to major sights and stores and also offers good multicultural restaurants and bars in the area around Parnell Street. Hotel rooms in the area are definitely priced lower than those on the south side of the river.

Upscale Ballsbridge is one of the most prestigious suburbs in Dublin and is known for its tree-lined streets, historic buildings and high-end restaurants and hotels. If you choose to stay here you should be prepared to undertake a 20-30 minute walk or use public transport to access most of the sights and shops of Dublin.

The eastern end of River Liffey’s north bank near the renovated Docklands area hosts Dublin’s famous IFSC centre that is home to more than 400 financial firms including some of the biggest banks in the world. The area today has developed a lot and hosts many offices, residential buildings, restaurants and shopping centers along with business-oriented hotels. This area is a favored accommodation option for business travelers.

The Trinity College and Library is undoubtedly Dublin’s star attraction. This institution was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I and hosts a vast number of books and priceless manuscripts including the famous ‘Book of Kells’ which dates back to 800 AD and is considered to be the most beautifully illustrated book ever. Yet another attraction at the college is the Long Room that hosts 200,000 ancient books and the marble busts of the world’s greatest thinkers.

The Dublin Castle is an original Viking Fortress, which has been renovated and remodeled down the ages so much so that it today displays a mish-mash of styles. In spite of this, the castle is a popular attraction in Dublin that hosts state functions. Additionally the opulent State Apartments at the castle are open for public viewing.

The Christ Church Cathedral was founded in the 11th century by Dúnán, the first bishop of Dublin, and Sitriuc a Viking king of Dublin. It was rebuilt in the 12th century by the Norman ruler Strongbow, today however only parts of the Cathedral remain. The interior of the Cathedral offers sights like medieval stone carvings, Romanesque arches, a 15th century brass medieval lectern and more. The Cathedral also hosts an exhibit called Dublinia, which offers an insight into medieval Dublin by way of a scale model that shows the development of the city from Viking times until now.

Dublin’s St Patrick’s Cathedral is one of the world’s most famous and majestic cathedrals. The site that hosts the church has much historic significance for it is believed that it is here that St Patrick baptized Christians in the fifth century. The famous writer Jonathon Swift served as the dean of the church from 1713 to 1745 and is buried here as well. The church hosts some of Ireland’s largest church bells and its largest organ. The St Patrick’s choir was the first to perform Handel’s "Messiah" in 1742. You should try and take in a service at the church on your vacation in Dublin in order to experience the beauty of the proceedings for yourself.

If you are a beer aficionado on a visit to Dublin, then a visit to the home of Ireland’s famous export, the brewery that produces the Guinness Stout is highly recommended. The museum at brewery offers interactive exhibits that illustrate how the beer is made and how it became famous throughout the world. The brewery also hosts a bar where visitors can partake of a free pint.

If you are vacationing in Dublin with your children in tow, you may want to include a visit to the Dublin zoo in your plans. The Dublin zoo extends over 30 acres and hosts 235 species of birds and animals. The Dublin zoo is believed to be the third largest zoo in the world and is housed in the midst of the city’s Phoenix Park. The zoo offers several interactive experiences including talks by the keepers and interactive animal feeding sessions.

Dublin experiences a maritime climate that is characterized by cool summers and mild winters. The city experiences average summer temperatures of 67 °F(19.6C) while winter maximums are around 47 °F(8C). Additionally, the city also receives much rainfall throughout the year. These pleasant climes indicate that Dublin is an all-weather destination that can be visited at anytime of the year.

In fact Fare Buzz periodically announces attractive flight deals for Dublin and if you are connected with Fare Buzz on Facebook and Twitter, chances are that you will receive advance information of these cheap air tickets to Dublin, which will then perhaps help you plan your vacation more effectively.

Dublin is served by its Dublin international airport, located 11 km north of the center of the city. The airport welcomes a whole host of low cost and full service carriers that make getting to Dublin from various points around the globe very easy.

Dublin is quite a compact city that can be easily explored on foot though the city has a well developed public transport system which is made up of buses, taxis, the DART(an electric rapid-transit train service) and trams. Most visitors who plan to spend most of their vacation within Dublin don’t usually choose to hire a car for their stay in the city. If you do wish to hire a car for the duration of your stay in Dublin, you should probably do so before you arrive in the city. Fare Buzz can be of help in this instance for it offers a good selection of affordable car rentals for Dublin that can be booked via its regular booking platforms.

However before you hit the road in Dublin, you should know that driving rules expect you to keep to the left side of the road. Further you should avoid driving in bus lanes at all costs and not stop at spots which are marked with double yellow lines. Street parking in Dublin during business hours is not free and has to be paid for at parking meters installed curbside.

Dublin offers a wide array of shopping opportunities at its department stores ( Brown Thomas, Arnots, Clerys), multi-storey malls ( ILAC centre, Jervis Shopping Centre, Stephen’s Green Centre, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre ) and weekend markets like the Blackberry Fair, the Temple Bar Book Market and the Cows Lane Market. The main shopping district in Dublin is found along the city’s Grafton Street though other streets like Cow’s Lane, Drury Street and Castle Street Market also offer ample shopping opportunities for a wide variety of goods like stylish apparel and Waterford crystal.

Dublin offers a wide array of restaurants that offer a variety of cuisines as they attempt to cater to all budgets. Fine dining restaurants in Dublin are however quite pricey and some estimates state that they are even more expensive than similar restaurants in cities like New York, Paris and London.

Some of the popular and well regarded restaurants in Dublin according to recent surveys include eateries like Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Chapter One, Les Freres Jacques ( all fine dining establishments ) and Gallagher’s Boxty House, Tante Zoe’s, Steps of Rome, Pasta Fresca, Mermaid café and Good World Restaurant( all casual dining outlets ).

Dublin offers a lively nightlife scene, which features bars, pubs, dance clubs and more. Popular nightlife haunts in the city include establishments like Zanzibar, Ri Ra, Lillie’s Bordello, PoD,( all dance clubs), bars like Bruxelles, the Porterhouse Temple Bar, Pravda, Café en Seine and pubs like Oliver St John Gogorty, The Brazen Head, International Bar, The Duke, David Bryne’s and the Long Haul.