Dublin Accommodation & Cheap Lodging

The Irish have a reputation as the friendliest people in Europe. In recent years, Dublin has been transformed into a trendy city, and possibly the party capital of Europe. It is also a young city, 50% of its population is under the age of 27.

Most of what's fun in Dublin is south of the River Liffey. The Temple Bar area right by the river, the shopping around Grafton Street, and Saint Stephen's Green. This is also where you will find the Parliament and Ireland's premier seat of education – Trinity College. Dublin also has some of the finest examples of Georgian and Victorian architecture in the British Isles. North of the Liffey is O'Connell Street with a charming mix of department stores, busy markets, reminiscent of 19th century Dublin, pubs and the General Post Office – scene of the 1916 Easter uprising. Close by is George Bernard Shaw's Abbey Theatre, founded in 1904. The best thing about Dublin is that everything is within walking distance. For example, it only takes twenty minutes to get from O'Connell Street to Saint Stephen's Green.

Irish Museum of Modern Art The light and airy exhibition spaces do the modern art justice. Situated in a 17th century hospital. Entry is free.

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl Walk in the footsteps of Wilde, Shaw, and Joyce while the guide reads excerpts from these authors' works.

Guinness Storehouse Dublin's number one tourist attraction doesn't need an introduction.

Trinity College Trinity College dates back to 1592, and most of the country's historical figures studied here at one time.

National Museum of Ireland Exhibitions here chronicle a wide range of topics including life in Egypt, the Ireland of the Vikings, and the country's fight for independence.

Malahide Castle Set on 250 acres of park land in the pretty seaside town of Malahide, was both a fortress and a private home for nearly 800 years and is an interesting mix of architectural styles.

Dublin Restaurants Dublin's dining scene is reminiscent of London's. The options range from gastro pubs to tapas bars, American steakhouses and Lebanese meze eateries, to Thornton's and Gilbaud's - both with two stars in Guide Rouge. The most satisfying dining experience is to be had sampling modern Irish cuisine - traditional fare with a modern twist.

Dublin Bars & Nightlife Dublin seems to have an unlimited number of pubs, many of them described as classics. Either because James Joyce was thrown out of them, or because Bono and the rest of U2 would frequent them. Since the late 1990s, Dublin has seen a rise in elegant contemporary bars. Dublin's nightlife is in a constant stage of change. Ask in fashion and record stores or people you think might be in the know.

Dublin Stores and shopping streets
Shopping in Dublin is equally satisfying both north and south of the river. Luxury boutiques and street fashion stores are centred around Grafton Street. North of the Liffey, the shopping and the street scene is more available. This is also where the Jervis Centre and Ilac Centre shopping malls are located. Brown Thomas The best and most exclusive department store in Dublin with four floors of exclusive brands.

Design Centre The latest offerings from Ireland's young designers including Louise Kennedy, Sham Hoey and Karen Millen.

Avoca Interiors, cookbooks, toys.. Irish Avoca has something special for every part of the home. They also have a nice cafe.

Cleo Cleo stocks handmade shawls, blankets, sweaters, socks, and linen and tweed fabrics, from all around Ireland.

Vivien Walsh Vivian Walsh's jewellery manages to combine post-punk roughness with elegance.

Hodges Figgis, Waterstones This is heaven for book lovers, and not only because it was mentioned in Joyce's Ulysses. It has evolved from a small shop to a large and well-stocked bookstore.

Sheridan's Cheesemongers Ireland has many small dairies that produce excellent cheeses. Among them are Cashel Blue, Coleenely and Durrus. They can all be bought here together with bread and other deli products.