Travel
in Dublin Ireland
by Ispas Marin
Dublin, the fair city, capital of the Republic of
Ireland is situated on the eastern side of the emerald isle and offers
the many facilities as any large European city while still maintaining
the most traditional of Irish culture and hospitality.
Dublin has attractions to suit everyone’s taste,
from museums to shopping, from castles to sport centres, from churches
to restaurants, and of course a very special and exciting night life
with pubs, cafés and night clubs. Getting bored in Dublin is virtually
impossible.
Dublin has some wonderful parts to explore, like
the River Liffey that slices the city in half, or Grafton Street, the
vibrant shopping heart of the city, and of course the famous O’Connell
Street, the main artery of Dublin's city centre. The home of Oscar
Wilde, this city will prove a great experience for anyone, surrounded
by music and the hospitality of the Dubliners.
Dublin's centre is compact enough to walk across
in half an hour. City buses are plentiful, the new Luas modern trams
run frequently, and the excellent DART urban railway which hugs the
coastline for miles and buzzes you north and south to suburban stations
and on out of the city in minutes.
South of the River Liffey is the beautiful
Georgian quarter and traditionally the trendiest part of Dublin -
especially the revamped riverside area of Temple Bar with its cobbled
streets, arty venues and smart little eateries and shops. Some find it
a bit contrived, but this is still the trendiest part of town.
Capuccinistas practise their pouts at Café en Seine on Dawson Street.
The gloriously illustrated, 140-year-old medieval
manuscript called the Book of Kells at Trinity.
College is probably the most beautiful book in the
world, housed in the great vaulted Long Room - perhaps the finest
interior in Dublin. Trinity College is also a famous seat of learning
and one of the great universities of Europe. The long list of famous
ex-students includes Samuel Beckett, Edmund Burke and Oscar Wilde.
Out west of the city centre, the national monument
of Kilmainham Gaol gives you a fascinating and very moving, if
chilling, insight into modern Irish history. This is where the leaders
of the 1916 rising were executed here, radicalizing the Irish public
and marking the beginning of the end of the British administration in
Dublin.
Dublin's pubs are very famous, especially for the
‘craic’ (general good-time atmosphere), conversation, music and of
course excellent Guinness. For the black stuff experience, try
Mulligan's of Poolbeg Street. Celebrity spotting takes place in Doheny
& Nesbitt's in Lower Baggot Street near St Stephen's Green.
Three good literary pubs in the pedestrianised
streets east of Grafton Street are Davy Byrne's in Duke Street (James
Joyce) and McDaid's in Harry Street (poet Patrick Kavanagh, playwright
Brendan Behan). For musical pubs try the St John Gogarty on Fleet
Street in Temple Bar, O’Donoghue’s in Merrion Row and for session tunes
take your irish drum or ‘bodhrán’ to Lower Bridge Street where O'Shea's
Merchant and the Brazen Head face each other, or north of the Liffey to
the Cobblestone Bar on North King Street.
PoD on Harcourt Street is still one of the
trendiest nightclubs. At the Gaiety on South King Street it's hot salsa
on Fridays and souls and R&B on Saturdays. The Thomas House on
Thomas Street offers techno a-go-go in a friendly club atmosphere. And
try The Kitchen at the Clarence Hotel on Wellington Quay –famous rock
band owners U2 are unlikely to be there, but in Ireland you can never
know what to expect.
In Temple Bar, it's Eden on Meeting House Square
for excellent modern cookery. Poppadom Restaurant on Rathgar Road
offers proper, authentic Indian cookery. Bang Café is a great place
down on Merrion Row. As for seafood - ride the DART out to Sandycove
and taste the flavours fresh out of the sea at Caviston's Seafood
Restaurant.
Other places of worthwhile visit include the
National Gallery, National Museum or Leinster House home of the Irish
Parliament. The Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Whiskey Distillery are
highly recommended, for their regular tours and thirsty visitors can
trace the journey and history of this fascinating world-of much loved
beer and whiskey. The Guinness Store is now Ireland’s number one
tourist attraction, after all 14.3 million pints of Guinness is stored
there.
Travel by Bus Dublin has a large network of buses,
most of which are green double-deckers. The majority of the buses
commence in the city centre. Buses travelling to the north of Dublin
start at Lower Abbey Street / Parnell Street area. Those to the west
begin in Middle Abbey Street and in the Aston Quay area.
Routes to the southern suburbs start at Eden Quay
and in the College Street area. Fares are usually very inexpensive and
this provides a cheap and useful way to travel. There are also many
hops on / off tours and shuttle buses, which operate in and around the
city and are an ideal way to both sightsee and travel.
Travel by Taxi Taxis are around in abundance, but
the best places to find cabs are at taxi stands at either train
stations, bus stations or outside some hotels. Prices are based on
metered mileage and there is a minimum charge. There are a whole range
of taxi companies that operate throughout the city. Hackney cabs, which
also operate in the city, do not have roof signs and are not metered,
so it is important to establish the fare beforehand.
Rules of the Road: The Irish, like the British,
drive on the left-hand side of the road, with their cars having the
steering wheel on the right and gear levers on the left.Seat belts must
be worn by the driver and passengers at all times.
Children under 12 must travel in the back unless
riding in a car seat. Drink-driving laws are strict and Ireland has a
breathalyzer test, which the police can administer if necessary.
Parking can be a problem and signs with the letter ‘P’ indicate that
parking is permitted. Signs with a line through the letter ‘P’
indicates that parking is NOT permitted and parking here may result are
a fine, or even getting towed away.
Travel by Car Hire/Rental Motor traffic in Dublin,
Ireland has dramatically increased in the last few years and as a
result the city has become very congested during commuter hours. A car
provides a very easy and convenient way to travel outside of the city
centre. If you do not bring your own car, there is a multitude of car
rental firms to choose from. Car rental can be quite expensive in the
peak summer season and the best rates can be obtained by booking in
advance or online.
To rent a car you must show a full driver's
licence and a credit card in the driver’s name. Cars are usually rented
to customers between the ages of 23 to 70 years, although some
companies can make exceptions.
For information on car hire or car rentals visit
Every Car Hire at Car Hire
Dublin Ireland
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Ispas Marin may be contacted at or netmarketingli@yahoo.com
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