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Dublin is Ireland’s most fashion-conscious, outward-looking city with over a million residents who are intensely proud of their heritage, culture and upwardly mobile outlook.
As magnetic for history lovers as it is for drinkers, shoppers and party animals, Dublin has many different faces to discover – each more fascinating than the last.
Dublin has been the economic centre of Ireland for many centuries and is home to over 25% of its population. Thanks to a period of excessive prosperity in the 18th century, it features many stunning examples of Georgian architecture such as The Four Courts, Leinster House, Dublin Castle and Phoenix Park.
As well as historic architecture, it also boasts lots of lovely, green open spaces, with more parkland per square kilometre than any other capital city in Europe. History and scenery aside, it’s also a buzzing, vibrant place, packed with great places to eat, shop and make merry. You'll never be short of things to do in Dublin.
Destinations and airlines
Dublin Airport is the home of Irish airline Aer Lingus, low budget carrier Ryanair and Ireland’s regional airline Aer Arann. Thanks to its three resident operators and array of other airlines, it provides an excellent range of short, medium and long-haul routes to travellers.For anyone seeking to fly to the UK mainland from Dublin, there are a range of over 70 daily flights to choose from to the five London airports and many other destinations in Northern and Eastern Britain. Thanks to the special preclearance arrangement the Irish have with the US, there are also nine scheduled services to North America.More information on the airport’s 177 routes and 63 airlines, can be found by visiting the route map on Dublin Airport’s website.
Airport facilitiesDublin Airport features two terminals, both of which aim to cater for all the travel needs of their passengers.Current facilities in the terminals include, banking services, mobile phone credit services, e-tolling for Ireland’s motorways, a postal centre, currency exchanges, internet access, pharmacy, baby changing facilities, executive lounges and support for passengers with disabilities.You’ll also find a wide range of shops, restaurants and cafes selling a selection of duty free items, drinks and snacks. Shoppers will love browsing the airport’s duty shop The Loop - the ideal place to pick up skincare, fragrances, confectionery, souvenirs and more. When hunger strikes meanwhile, you should head to one of the many restaurants and coffee shops which offer treats ranging from fresh fruit smoothies to traditional Irish breakfasts.Transport linksIf you’re planning to use one of the Dublin Airport Meet and Greet parking services, you’ll be pleased to know that the airport is easily accessible by car thanks to Ireland’s motorway network. From the north you’ll need to exit the M1 at junction 2 and follow signs for the airport. From the West, you’ll exit the M50 at junction 3 and from the South, you’ll need to take the M50 Dublin circular northbound and join the M1 north of the city. Again, you’ll need to exit the M1 at junction 3.If you don’t plan to take your car, you’ll need to catch one of the 700 or so buses which serve Dublin Airport. There are routes to the airport which connect towns and cities all over the Irish Republic. including services from Heuston and Connolly train stations, central Dublin and further afield. More information can be found by visiting Dublin Airport’s website.There are currently no train services which take you directly to Dublin Airport.
Dublin Airport offers a huge range of affordable 24-hour parking in its 3,600-bay short-stay and 14,400-bay long-stay car parks.
In addition to the self-service parking available on site, there is also a hugely convenient Dublin Airport Parking service which enables passengers to drive right up to the terminal building on their day of departure, leaving their car with a chauffeur who will park it for them.
If you’re looking for the cheapest airport parking option, you might also like to take a look at some of the low cost Airport Parking. These usually involve parking your car in a secure car park a short distance from the airport and taking a shuttle bus to the terminal.
Whether you choose to go for a cheap park and ride deal or Meet and Greet parking at Dublin Airport, make sure you book your airport parking online to save up to 60% on the cost of ‘on the day’ fees.
As well as being physically divided north and south by the river Liffey, Dublin has traditionally been psychologically divided into the working class north and the middle and upper class south. Although the division is now less clearly defined, it’s still very much ingrained in the local consciousness and can be a logical way to tackle the conundrum of where to stay in the city.
Southside hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs
The Southside is where you’ll find many of Dublin’s premier boltholes, including some of the priciest beds in town. If money is no object, go all out at the five star Westbury on Harry Street or splash some cash at the superb Georgian Merrion Hotel on Upper Merrion Street. For something more affordable, try the centrally located Stauntons on the Green, Tavistock House or Ardagh House.
Northside hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs
Luxury-wise, Dublin’s Northside offers hotel accommodation that ranges from the period to the post-modern. For all things traditional, go for The Gresham Hotel which is known throughout Dublin for its tasteful opulence and great afternoon teas. At the other end of the scale is the ultra-modern, minimalist Morrison Hotel dubbed Dublin’s coolest luxury hotel.
If sinking 150 euros in a room sounds like a step too far, why not head for one of the Northside’s more affordable guesthouses and B&Bs? The Clifden Guesthouse on Gardiner Place is always popular, as are the Abbott Lodge Guesthouse and the Marian Guesthouse.
Central Dublin is packed with great places to eat, everything from the famous hearty brunches on offer at the Elephant and Castle on Temple Bar, to fine French dining at the Michelin-starred Patrick Guilbaud on Upper Merrion Street.
For seafood, try the olde worlde, fuss-free Lord Edward Seafood restaurant on Christchurch Place, while for Italian or Thai, head to the café style Dunne & Crescenzi on South Frederick Street or the somewhat pricey Diep le Shaker on Pembroke Lane. And if you’re looking for somewhere veggie, head to the reasonably-priced Juice on South Great George's St.
If you’d like to take in some sights and learn something of the history of Dublin, you might like to start out at the National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street. Here you can learn about Ireland’s fascinating past, from the time of the Vikings until the present day.
Next stop on your history tour should be Dublin Castle and Dublin City Hall where you can experience the last 1000 years of Dublin’s history through a world-class interactive exhibition.
Other historical ‘must-sees’ include Trinity College, The National Gallery, The Chester Beatty Library and Kilmainham Gaol.
If you’d like to soak up a little culture while in the Irish capital, there are a wealth of theatres and cinemas to choose from. Some of the highlights include The Irish Film Institute on Eustace Street, avant-garde theatre Project Arts Centre, and the historic Gate Theatre.
Shopping, we all love it! And it's just one of the many things to do in Dublin. Grafton Street and St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin’s Southside and Henry Street in its Northside provide the city’s main opportunities for shopping. Both areas are pedestrianised and provide a huge range of high street and more unusual retailers.
The shopping streets around Grafton Street and St. Stephen’s Green tend to offer smarter, more unusual shops, including the flagship Brown Thomas department store and exclusive jewellers like Weirs. The Northside streets, meanwhile, offer further household names and the famous Moore Street food market.
For more unusual local ware or gifts, try Cleo on Kildare Street, Kilkenny on Nassau Street or Louis Mulcahy on Dawson Street.
Dubliners are famous for knowing how to enjoy themselves, so it won’t come as much of a surprise that the city is chock full of bars, pubs, clubs and live music venues.
If you’re looking for an old-fashioned Dublin pub with plenty of whiskey and character, head to The Stag’s Head on Dame Court. The International Bar on Wicklow Street and Patrick Conway’s on Parnell Street also offer up bags of local charm in cosy, traditional settings.
Once you’ve had your fill of old-school boozers, you might want to try some of the newer, more cosmopolitan drinking haunts in Dublin. If so, try Anseo on Camden Street which is known for its laid-back attitude and live music nights. Equally good are the hip, New York-style Dice Bar on Queen Street and trendy Sin E on Upper Ormond Quay.
Club-wise, Dame Lane on Dame Lane is worth a visit for its stylish interior and eclectic range of music - as are The Odeon on Harcourt Street and The Front Lounge on Parliament Street.
While you’re in Dublin, it’s also worth checking out the traditional live music scene as there’s nearly always something interesting going on. O’Shea’s Merchant and The Brazen Head on Lower Bridge Street nearly always have live Irish music, as does The Cobblestone on King Street North.