Dublin Holidays
by Bob Brooke
Dublin is the stage of Ireland. On its streets the drama of Irish history has been played and written down since at least 140 A.D. when it was a primitive settlement formed around a ford of the River Liffey. The city's Irish name Baile Atha Cliath, meaning Town of the Hurdle Ford, recalls its origins.
Standing on the banks of the River Liffey, Dublin has been one of Europe's capitals for thousands of years. It's a literary city set in a literary country. The Irish love their language and write or speak it whenever they can. Most city residents will come right up to you and have a conversation, give directions — even if they're wrong — or spin a yarn just for the pleasure of talking to someone else.
Founded by the Danes, Dublin has a complex history, embodied in its buildings and streets, a combination of stately Georgian grandeur, bohemian scruffiness and ramshackle modernization. The resplendent Customs House symbolizes the city's role as administrative center just as the fan-lit 18th century doorways, flanked by white columns, attest to the civic pride of it's inhabitants. The Abbey Theater commemorates the great creative surge among turn-of-the-century Dublin literati. Even St. Stephen's Green, an island of peace in the middle of what often seems an incredibly noisy and grimy city for its size, is full of monuments and sculptures recalling great moments or men.
Dublin, Ireland's capital city, is its concentrated essence. It's awesome squares lined with 18th-century Georgian townhouses, its unpretentious attitude, and its multitude of sights make it a city to be enjoyed to the fullest.
No single sight dominates this city. Instead, you'll find about a dozen landmark buildings, museums, and attractions that blend together to produce unforgettable memories of the Irish spirit. Topping the list is the Trinity College Old Library, filled with first editions of all the books of famous Irish writers, including the Book of Kells, a richly illustrated manuscript of the Gospels prepared by monks in the 9th century.
Other major attractions that you'll want to see include Dublin Castle and the Guinness Brewery. You'll find some great museums here, too, including the National Museum, the National Gallery, and the Natural History Museum. And don't forget to stop by St. Patrick's Cathedral, an edifice dating from the Middle Ages.
Despite the curious and unsuitable romance in which it has been draped there's still something very special about this city. It's special qualities have been imposed on it by its history. It's Georgian squares have a stage-set-like aura about them as if they were the setting for an artificial civilization, one more British than Irish. And no other city has as a national shrine it's main post office, where the insurgents of the Easter Rising of 1916 proclaimed the Republic and made their last stand.
Dublin is endlessly entertaining, as well as a bit old fashioned and civilized. You'll find many pubs where you can sit and talk or read and others where you can clap along to Irish folk music. You'll also discover theaters, for Ireland is known for its playwrights.
After a tour around the countryside, you can relax in Dublin as if among friends. It's probably the least lonely of all European cities.
Dublin - Where's the Craic?
Every Saturday night in Dublin, hundreds of young locals and tourists from Dublin's myriad hotels go looking for the craic. What's craic, you ask, and where can you find it? It seems like so many other answers to questions posed to Dubliners, no one can fully define it. To some it's having fun. To others it's music. To still others it's both. But whatever it is, it's a time-honored Irish tradition.
Read MoreDiscover Dublin
Join the team from Discover Ireland as they take you on a tour of Dublin's highlights.A Little Dublin Luxury
Hotel Dylan
€200.00 per night
Fitzwilliam Hotel
€292.33 per night
Hampton Hotel
€122.33 per night
The Croke Park Hotel
€87.20 per night
*rates above are daily double room rates based on dates: 03-07-2013 to 06-07-2013.
Lonely Planet Dublin iPhone App
Lonely Planet's Dublin city guide app is the perfect on-the-go guide to get you to the heart of Dublin. Featuring all the top sights plus where to eat, sleep, shop and go out, researched and road-tested by their team of expert authors. And with their location-aware maps, you'll know exactly where you are, what's nearby, and how to get there - all without requiring an internet connection or incurring any data fees.
Download the Dublin Lonely Planet iPhone App from iTunes.
Dublin Resources
Dublin Festivals - From St. Patrick's Day to the Dublin Writer's Festival, 2camels has dozens of Dublin festivals coveredGuiness Storehouse - Online home of the famous Guiness from Dublin
Lonely Planet Dublin - the leading guidebook's take on the Irish capital
Time Out Dublin - your critical guide to hotels, restaurants and going out in Dublin
Visit Dublin - the official Dublin Tourist Office's online offering
