9:00: Take a deep breath. A traditional Irish breakfast isn’t for the faint-hearted. Head to Dublin institution Bewley’s Oriental Cafe on Grafton Street and frighten your arteries with staples such as potato farl and white pudding, alongside the usual English fry-up. The cafe opened in 1927 and the six beautiful stained-glass windows made especially for the occasion are still in situ.
10:30: Wander up Grafton Street – past the statue of ‘sweet Molly Malone’ – to leafy Trinity College. This 16th century seat of learning is a quiet oasis in the busy city. Most of the buildings are closed to the public, but it’s nice to wander around the grounds. Many head into the Old Library, home to the famous Book of Kells – a ninth century copy of the Gospels illuminated by monks.
12:00: Head down College Green to Dublin Castle – but don’t expect a drawbridge, turrets, or a moat. This was the British seat of power in 18th-century Dublin, and is really a collection of grand buildings. Head for the Chester Beatty Library.
This intriguing collection of ancient manuscripts and artworks from around the world knocks many of the city’s other museums into a cocked hat. Visitors can pore over detailed Indian miniatures from the time of the Taj Mahal, Egyptian papyrus texts, early copies of the Koran and the Bible or Japanese picture scrolls.
It’s worth it even just to visit the museum’s cafe, The Silk Road, for lunch, which serves delicious, home-cooked Middle Eastern food in plentiful portions.
14:30: Walk off lunch by heading west along the Liffey to the Guinness Storehouse – the reward is a sleekly-designed experience charting the history of Ireland’s favourite pint, including a walk through the brewing process and most fascinatingly of all, a round up of the drink’s best advertising campaigns, from the toucan of the 1930s to the atmospheric ‘surfer’ ad of 2000. Sip a pint in the Gravity sky bar, which has 360-degree views over the city.
17:00: Take an early evening stroll through the leafy tranquillity of St Stephen’s Green, the city’s most famous park. Among the ponds, islands and bridges there are plenty of quiet spots to sit. Don’t forget to lookout for statues of famous Dubliners – WB Yeats, James Joyce and Wolfe Tone.
20:00: Temple Bar may be Dublin’s most famous drinking area, but tourist numbers are overwhelming and prices high. Head a few blocks further south into the maze of
side streets around Grafton Street for a more genuinely Irish night out. Try Peter’s Pub on South William Street for a traditional, friendly pub with a local feel and a cold pint.
Day 2
10:00: Once last night’s hangover has faded, pop into the grand City Hall building to see the soaring rotunda. Those with an interest in history can head into the vaults to see the Story of the Capital exhibition. It tells the tale of how Dublin developed from 1170 to the present day.
11:30: It’s time to cross the River Liffey and explore Dublin’s less-touristy north side. Head up O’Connell Street, past the Monument of Light – a 120-metre-tall slim spike of steel known by some Dubliners as ‘the stiletto in the ghetto’ – to the Dublin Writers’ Museum.
This small but tightly packed exhibition is full of manuscripts, photos and memorabilia from the city’s many famous wordsmiths, including Patrick Swift, Oscar Wilde, WB Yeats, Samuel Beckett and James Joyce.
Suggest lunch in the Chapterhouse Cafe, or for a real treat, in the basement restaurant Chapter One, which has a Michelin star.
Review: Fitzwilliam Hotel
Sitting right on St Stephen’s Green, the Fitzwilliam Hotel has one of the most enviable locations in Dublin. Behind an unassuming façade, this beautiful retreat combines modern style with rococo flourishes such as ornamental mirrors and large paintings.
Our superior room had an expansive roof terrace overlooking the green, and a four-poster with a large purple quilted headboard, giving it a sumptuous air.
There are two restaurants – the fine dining Thorntons has a Michelin star, but even the less formal Citron serves seriously delicious breakfasts and high quality Mediterranean food in the evening.
Customer service is exemplary, from smiling check-in staff and helpful concierges to the unobtrusively attentive maitre d’ in the restaurant. A perfect option for well-heeled clients wanting a base for a weekend break.
Sample product
Shearings Holidays offers a Dublin Mini Hopper break from £99, including two nights’ bed and breakfast at a Dublin hotel such as the Ballsbridge Hotel, return coach travel from the northwest, Yorkshire or the northeast, and ferry crossings from Holyhead to Dublin with Irish Ferries. shearings.com, 0844 824 6350
Irish Ferries Holidays is offering three-nights for the price of two on shopping trips to Dublin from November 1 to December 15. The trips lead in at £199, including return car ferry crossing from Holyhead and B&B accommodation at the four-star Burlington Hotel. irishferries.com/holidays, 08717 300400
Book the Fitzwilliam Hotel from £200 per night with Preferred Hotels. preferredhotels.com, 00800 3237 5001
