Dublin
Dublin is the capital of Ireland, and is known for its many tourist attractions, as well as its vibrant nightlife. It is also the most visited location in all of Ireland for international travellers.
The population of Dublin is well over 1.6million, which is very large for the small size of Ireland as a country, but the city centre is still small enough to travel on foot due to the fact that a large part of the population is found in its suburbs.
Dublin is divided naturally into two halves due to the River Liffey which runs through it. The northern half of the city is known most for O’Connell Street, which is the main road of Dublin, and contains a large majority of the shopping streets including the notable streets of Talbot and Henry.
To the South of the river are many of the tourist attractions such as Christ Church, St. Patrick cathedral, Trinity College, and St. Stephen’s Green.
A helpful hint for navigation in Dublin is its unique postcode system, with all odd numbers found in the Northern part of Dublin while the even numbers are assigned to all areas south of the river. Also helpful to know is that the lower numbers are found close to the city centre while the higher numbers are closer to the suburbs.
Another helpful aide for tourists in the city is the tourist office which is found off Grafton Street in the St. Andrew’s Church. Here you can find plenty of information as well as booking agents for city tours.
Due to the fact that Dublin is found near the Atlantic Ocean the climate is mild most of the year and only changes by about ten degrees between the winter months and the summer months. So there is not a set tourist season, and you can feel free to book a holiday during any time of the year with temperatures that range between 10-20C.
While in Dublin the easiest way to get around is by the Luas rail system, which is reliable and runs through the city centre area. There are two lines that take you around the centre with minimal walking time between stations.
The Dart rail system also provides transportation out into the suburban areas of Dublin, which can be helpful if you want to see some of the historical churches and attractions outside of the city.
The most popular historical sites to see while in Dublin are the National Museum, National Gallery, and the National Library. Here you can find plenty of cultural pieces of history and as a bonus admission to each is free of charge, although during the summer they can get crowded, so you may want to tour these museums early in the day.
Also worth a visit is the Bram Stoker Museum, which is an interactive museum that walks you through the creation of Dracula and the life of its author Bram Stoker. Additionally, you want to plan a trip to Phoenix Park, which is the largest urban park in all of Europe and contains the Dublin Zoo within its borders.
