Home to greats such as Beckett, Yeats and Wolf Tone, Ireland’s capital and largest city, Dublin, is situated at the mouth of the River Liffey. Dublin has undergone a mini revolution in recent years: it changed from being a city many visitors avoided when traveling in Ireland, to becoming one of the world’s hottest city destinations. ****
For history buffs, a tour of Dublin Castle is a good starting point, perhaps followed by a 1916 Rebellion walking tour. The Rebellion tour is run by enthusiastic local historians, oozing knowledge as much as Dublin oozes Guinness. A great way to experience Irish culture is the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl. Participants are entertained by two actors during the course of the pub crawl and learn some fascinating facts about the authors who lived and drank in the fair city.
Another tourist stop is the Guinness Brewery at St James’ Gate. Visitors can learn how the famous black stout is brewed before getting to the important part of finding out what it tastes like. After having whet your appetite for a pint, either head to the tourist trap Temple Bar area or try mingling with the locals in any number of quaint snug bars in the city. Be careful of the locals who will encourage your consumption of alcohol, reassuring you in true Irish fashion that ‘ah sure you’ll be grand in the morning, so’ – you’ve been warned!
Highlights
Dublin Castle: as the center of British rule in Ireland for over seven centuries, the castle today offers a tour presenting the interesting history of Ireland.
St James’ Gate Guinness Brewery: housed on the fourth floor of the brewery is an impressive audio visual presentation on the history of Guinness – be sure not to miss your free pint at the end of the tour.
Old Jameson Distillery: continue the history of tippling with an informative guide and sampling of Irish whisky – ‘uisce beatha’, meaning ‘water of life’ in Irish.
Dublin Writers Museum: lovers of Irish literature will be enthralled with this small but well-maintained museum covering the works of Behan, Beckett, Joyce, Yeats and others.
Irish Music Hall of Fame: this dedication to Irish music covers artists and bands such as U2, Van Morrison, Christy Moore, the Chieftains, the Dubliners, Thin Lizzy, Bob Geldof, Enya, the Cranberries and even Sinéad O’Connor.
Trinity College: Ireland’s oldest and most prolific university dates back to 1592 and is credited with educating Samuel Beckett and Oscar Wilde, not to mention the many rebels who fought for Irish freedom.
GAA Museum: for a taste of Irish sports, the Gaelic Athletic Association’s museum at Croak Park contains a history of all Gaelic Games in Ireland.