Feel the buzz along streets broad and narrow
Dublin, Ireland’s compact capital, feels more like a collection of cool villages than a bustling metropolis. It’s equally famed for being the unofficial HQ of ‘the craic’ and for the high culture that seems to radiate from every street corner. First timers will likely gravitate towards the cultural attractions of cobblestoned Temple Bar, but there’s also grand Georgian squares and terraces, a revitalised docklands, artisanal whiskey distilleries and the fine coastal sweep of Dublin Bay. Either way you can discover a cosmopolitan city that’s forever busy reinventing itself.
Discover Dublin’s rich literary heritage at MoLI, the Museum of Literature Ireland, where the works of great writers are immortalised in a splendid Georgian townhouse. Tour former prison Kilmainham Gaol, where many prominent political figures were executed, then visit the nearby Irish Museum of Modern Art/IMMA, home to over 3,500 cutting-edge pieces. Meanwhile, the quirky, eclectic Little Museum of Dublin houses exhibits celebrating recent history such as Irish film censors, 20th Century fashion designers and rock legends U2.
Wander Phoenix Park with its meadows, woodland, ponds and deer and the atmospheric Glasnevin Cemetery where the likes of Michael Collins and Roger Casement are buried amid imposing Victorian-era statuary. Catch a bravura performance at the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theatre, which has witnessed some explosive dramas and even audience riots down the decades. Book your flights to Dublin today and start exploring.