Davenport - Lonely Planet Dublin

Dublin has been in the news since the 9th century, and while traces of its Viking past have been largely washed away, the city is a living museum of its history since then, with medieval castles and cathedrals on display alongside the architectural splendours of its 18th-century heyday, when Dublin was the most handsome Georgian city of the British Empire and a fine reflection of the aspirations of its most privileged burghers. How power was wrested from their hands is another story, and you'll learn that one in its museums and on its walking tours.

Even Dubliners will admit that theirs isnt the most beautiful city in the world, telling you that pretty things are as easy to like as they are to forgetbefore showing you the showstopper Georgian bits to prove that Dublin has a fine line in sophisticated elegance. Their beloved capital, about which they can be brutally unsentimental, has personality, which is much more important and lasts far longer. Garrulous, amiable and witty, Dubliners at their ease are the greatest hosts of all, a charismatic bunch whose soul and sociability are so compelling and infectious that you mightn't ever want to leave.

A Few Scoops

To experience Dubliners at their most comfortable and convivial, youll have to spend some time in a pub. Dublins relationship with alcohol is complex and conflicted, but at its very best, a night out in the pub remains the citys favourite social lubricant and one of the most memorable experiences of a visit to Ireland. Everyone has their favourite pub: for some its a never-changing traditional haunt; for others, its wherever the beautiful people are currently at. Either way, youll have over 1000 to choose from.

All the World is Dublin

Dublin may be a small capital, but its cosmopolitan bone fides have been firmly established. Beyond its impressive collection of museums and galleries, and its choice of food from all four corners of the globe in both restaurant and market form this is a city that conspicuously embraces diversity and has been transformed by two decades of multiculturalism. It used to be said that real Dubs had to be born within the canals like their parents and grandparents before them: these days, youre as likely to meet a Dub whose parents were born in Warsaw, Lagos or Beijing.

Why I Love Dublin

By Fionn Davenport, Writer

More than anything I love Dublins intimacy. Its really just a big capital village, where going for a walk is as much an opportunity for socialising as actually making an arrangement to meet someone. As a travel writer, Ive always played host to visitors from out of town, which means I get the chance to experience the city with an outsiders perspective, exploring those corners I often take for granted and discovering new bits to be enthusiastic about.

Dublin's Top 10

A Dublin Pub

A good puzzle would be to cross Dublin without passing a pub, mused Leopold Bloom in James Joyces Ulysses. A conundrum, given theres at least one on every street, but the answer is simple: go into each one you find. A hundred years later, the alpha and omega of all social life in Dublin remains the bar. There are over 1000, from traditional boozers like to the trendiest watering holes. Its where youll meet Dubliners at their convivial, easy-going best and get a sense of what makes this city tick.

Drinking & Nightlife

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Dublin's Top 10

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