Dublin is the capital city of the Republic of Ireland, with a population of more than a million people. Plan to stay at least two nights to take advantage of its superb cultural offerings (theatres, museums and bookstores) as well as its lovely parks, friendly pubs, interesting historical sites and vibrant street scenes.
Though the River Liffey is in many ways the artery of the city, pumping with the tides, the riversides are not really exciting. But don’t miss the Four Courts on the north bank of the Liffey designed by the great architect James Gandon, and the Custom House about a mile downstream on the same side of the river.
There is a historical North-South divide in the city, with the River Liffey marking the divide. The North part of the city has been traditionally working-class while the South has been more affluent. The distinction has mellowed conisderably in recent years, mostly due to the favourable economic conditions of recent times often referred to as the Celtic Tiger.
On the southside of the river, you'll find some of the most important sights (museums, churches, castles and public buildings) concentrated in a relatively small area. At College Green there's the Bank of Ireland and Trinity College, Ireland’s oldest university. A little further there's Grafton Street, the centre of a luxurious shopping area. There are craft and food markets in Meeting House Square and Cow Lane at weekends. Other shopping locations include Henry Street in the city centre on the north side of the river. Temple Bar, also south of the Liffey, is home to the biggest concentration of pubs, restaurants, and clubs. A few very exciting bars are Bobs, Buskers, Farringtons, and Fitzsimon's Bar. Farringtons is the most visited by tourists. Temple Bar is not the only place to go to to find pubs considering they are as frequent in Ireland as Waffle Houses are in the Southeast United States.
Blessington Basin - Photographed by Infomatique using a Canon 1Ds Mk III