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GO TO GAOL
Dating from 1796, Kilmainham
Gaol was famous as “a machine
for grinding rogues honest”. Or
perhaps infamous is a better
word…the building stands
empty today, but its thick walls,
grim graffiti and foreboding
atmosphere still evoke a shiver.
Watch out for the striking
Victorian wing, where scenes
from Michael Collins and the
Name of the Father were
filmed; an AV presentation and
guided tour further tease out
the jail’s place in Irish political
and penal history.
BROWSE THE CITY OF
WORDS
Dublin is one of just five
UNESCO Cities of Literature.
The words of Nobel laureates
like Yeats, Shaw, Beckett and
Heaney echo in its streets.
Statues of writers stand in
parks; their names have been
given to bridges. Visitors can
celebrate Joyce’s Bloomsday
and see the Book of Kells at
Trinity College.
POP INTO A PUB
These trusty little tabernacles
are famous for their creamy
pints, cosy snugs and quick-
witted craic. Think of Mulligan’s,
Kehoe’s, Toner’s or McDaid’s,
all dripping with character all
dotted about the city like time
machines. “In Dublin, you’re
never more than 20 paces from
a pint,” author JP Dunleavy
once said. But yesterday’s pints
of plain are today deliciously
diverse. Gastropubs do great
grub; hotel bars are shaking up
the cocktail scene; quality music,
wine and coffee are mixing it up
with flip-out fun in Temple Bar.
Whatever your taste, there’s a
Dublin pub for you.
CONQUER THE COAST
With so much to do in the City
Centre, it’s easy to forget that
Dublin is a city by the sea and
Dublin Bay is an adventurer’s
paradise! Get pumped up
before a night on town – or
head there the morning after
to help in your recovery! Roll
with the waves in a kayak in
Dalkey with Kayaking, ie and if
you are feeling brave, why not
take a dip in the famous Forty
Foot in nearby Sandycove. Try
out kitesurfing in Clontarf with
Pure Magic who will allow you
experience the heart-stopping
thrills of being pulled along the
water by nothing more than a
kite! Take a hike around the Hill
of Howth and soak up amazing
views of Bull Island and Dublin’s
coastline before descending
back down to the village where
you’ll find some of the freshest
seafood in Dublin in any one of
the lively restaurants that line
Howth quayside.
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