48 hours in dublin
Dublin’s Fair City is an ideal weekend break destination and a mere hop away from our shores
So much more than pubs and storytelling, this UNESCO city of Literature is brimful of historic buildings, Georgian squares, has an impressive foodie scene and quite possibly the friendliest people you’ll find anywhere
So much more than pubs and storytelling, this UNESCO city of Literature is brimful of historic buildings, Georgian squares, has an impressive foodie scene and quite possibly the friendliest people you’ll find anywhere
STAY
There are plenty of fine and fancy hotels in Dublin but 5* boutique hotel The Dylan is one of my favourites. This Victorian building, a former nurses home for the Royal City of Dublin Hospital, is tucked away in a residential corner of the city. In public areas the hotel offers opulence with a twist, leather padded walls and flocked wallpaper sit alongside Murano glass chandeliers and deep crimson carpets. Bedrooms are restful on the eye with calm décor, king size beds, Bose IPod stations and state-of-the-art bathrooms, some have an additional tv above the bath, in case you can’t bear to miss any of your favourite programmes, even while you soak.
There are plenty of fine and fancy hotels in Dublin but 5* boutique hotel The Dylan is one of my favourites. This Victorian building, a former nurses home for the Royal City of Dublin Hospital, is tucked away in a residential corner of the city. In public areas the hotel offers opulence with a twist, leather padded walls and flocked wallpaper sit alongside Murano glass chandeliers and deep crimson carpets. Bedrooms are restful on the eye with calm décor, king size beds, Bose IPod stations and state-of-the-art bathrooms, some have an additional tv above the bath, in case you can’t bear to miss any of your favourite programmes, even while you soak.
VISIT
The National Gallery of Ireland highlights collections of every major European school of painting with works by Rembrandt, El Greco, Goya and Picasso to please the eye, while the Yeats Collection displays more than 30 works by the Irish Impressionist. The Gallery is child friendly, with regular events and drawing workshops held in the atrium where there is also a bright and friendly café.
The Little Museum of Dublin – something of a misnomer, because it’s not really little - is located in a Georgian townhouse and crammed to the gills with stories, photos, artefacts and exhibits donated by the general public. The collection includes a lectern used by JFK on his visit to Ireland in 1963 while an entire room on the second floor is devoted to the history of local boys, U2.
EPIC is an interactive museum in the Docklands area telling the story of the millions of Irish who emigrated, driven out of their country by starvation, religious intolerance and more. If you're one of the world's 70 million people claiming Irish ancestry, the hands-on exhibits could connect you with your roots. Outside the exhibition centre poignant statues of people head for the ships that they hoped would take them to a better life.
Click here for more on what to see and where to eat in Dublin
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What's Londonderry like? Click here and a fabulous place to eat here images (c) Gilly Pickup
The National Gallery of Ireland highlights collections of every major European school of painting with works by Rembrandt, El Greco, Goya and Picasso to please the eye, while the Yeats Collection displays more than 30 works by the Irish Impressionist. The Gallery is child friendly, with regular events and drawing workshops held in the atrium where there is also a bright and friendly café.
The Little Museum of Dublin – something of a misnomer, because it’s not really little - is located in a Georgian townhouse and crammed to the gills with stories, photos, artefacts and exhibits donated by the general public. The collection includes a lectern used by JFK on his visit to Ireland in 1963 while an entire room on the second floor is devoted to the history of local boys, U2.
EPIC is an interactive museum in the Docklands area telling the story of the millions of Irish who emigrated, driven out of their country by starvation, religious intolerance and more. If you're one of the world's 70 million people claiming Irish ancestry, the hands-on exhibits could connect you with your roots. Outside the exhibition centre poignant statues of people head for the ships that they hoped would take them to a better life.
Click here for more on what to see and where to eat in Dublin
Return to features index here
What's Londonderry like? Click here and a fabulous place to eat here images (c) Gilly Pickup