Ireland’s thriving capital on the east coast is packed with historic sights, traditional music, cobbled streets and the thundering River Liffey slicing north from south.
River Liffey
Carving through the very heart of the city, the River Liffey cuts the traditionally working-class northside from the more uppity southside.
The length of the river is peppered with numerous bridges including the Sean Heuston Bridge, James Joyce Bridge and famous O’Connell Bridge.
Artwork along the riverside includes the Famine Memorial Sculpture – commemorating the Great Famine of the mid-19th century, during which approximately one million people died and a million more emigrated from Ireland – and the World Hunger Stone. It’s the bustling spine of Ireland’s capital.
Temple Bar Area
Now a favourite with hen and stag groups, this area is Dublin’s answer to New York’s SoHo.
More than any other neighbourhood, it represents the dramatic changes the city has faced in the last few decades.
Taking its name from one of the streets of its central axis, the area was targeted for redevelopment in the early Nineties after a long period of neglect and its cobblestone streets now house traditional pubs, upmarket bars, vintage stores and quaint eateries.
Grafton Street
Dating back to 1708, this street started off as an inauspicious laneway in the then unfashionable — southside of Dublin but is now the busiest thoroughfare in the city and the most popular shopping street with Dubliners.
Home of the original Irish department store Brown Thomas and filled with music buskers and street performers, dine in any of the countless bars and restaurants in this bustling strip that’s right next to the picturesque Stephen’s Green.
