Temple Bar Hotels

Dublin, Ireland - Guide

Dublin - General Information

River Liffey, Dublin

The vibrancy of modern Dublin belies the fact that it has overcome two major upheavals to attain its present position as a trendy, stylish destination. The first and by far the greater was the Catholic Republic of Ireland’s long, bloody relationship with the United Kingdom and the Protestant enclave of Northern Ireland. The second – less immediately obvious – was the huge influx of funding from the EU towards the end of the last century. This earned the nation the nickname “Celtic Tiger.” But when it started to abate, many felt that Dublin would prove to have been propped up artificially, and would slip back into its old reactionary, inward looking ways. Happily, however, it has kept its newly acquired lustre by relying on its own ingenuity and resources – not to mention the considerable charm of its citizens. Though the Irish economy may now be facing its first downturn in almost twenty years, Dublin looks set to remain a desirable destination.

Dublin may not be laid out on the Imperial scale of London or Paris, but a stroll along the boulevards in the heart of the city will leave you in little doubt that it’s a place secure in its reputation as Europe’s westernmost great capital. Grafton Street is an excellent place to begin such a walk. It is presided over by the voluptuous figure of Molly Malone, an 18th century fishmonger (and, reputedly, part-time hussy) who died of fever and is Dublin’s unofficial heroine, commemorated in the ballad and the innumerable pubs that bear her name. Her statue, complete with barrow, is affectionately referred to by locals as the “tart with a cart.”

Molly Malone

Having refueled at Bewley’s, continue along hectic Grafton Street then stop off for a brief interlude of peace and quiet in the green spaces Trinity College, with its lovely neo-Classical and Venetian Gothic architecture. From here, stroll along College Green to Temple Bar. This area has earned a partly justified reputation for being infested on weekend evenings with stag and hen parties from the UK, reeling from pub to pub amongst equally inebriated locals. There are a good many somewhat artificial, “Oirish” pubs, in which Guinness, mahogany fittings and fiddle music figure prominently. But during the day the 18th century cobbled streets are saturated with history rather than alcohol: this is the area in which to find many of the city’s most imposing landmarks, including Dublin Castle, City Hall, Christ Church Cathedral and St Patrick’s Cathedral.

Leaving Temple Bar, cross the smoothly flowing Liffey at O’Connell Street Bridge and continue onto O’Connell Street itself – Dublin’s other great thoroughfare. In doing so you make the transition from the raffish, tourist-orientated side of the city to a more traditional, “official” aspect of it. This fact is attested to by the many statues of historical figures that line it, all of them very different from alluring Molly Malone. The first is of Irish patriot Daniel O’Connell, who lends the street its name.

O’Connell Street is also home to further excellent shops (including the wonderfully grand Clery & Co), as well as the striking, 120 metre tall shard of brushed-stainless-steel called the Millennium Spire. It was designed by British architect Ian Ritchie and has been variously nicknamed "the Spike" and “the stiletto in the ghetto” by local wags. Though striking, it is somewhat out of place with the sense of genteel old Dublin that the rest of O’Connell Street conveys. This culminates perfectly in Parnell Square, with its lovely Georgian townhouses, Garden of Remembrance and fascinating Writers’ Museum.

This itinerary is only one of the many pleasant walks you can take around the city – strolls around St Stephen’s Green and along North Quay are equally attractive. But with its juxtaposition of the old and the new, the louche and the genteel, it captures the many layers of history that lie beneath the shiny, cosmopolitan surface of modern Dublin.