Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ties such as the home of the Irish parliament at Leinster House and, immediately sur-
rounding it, the National Gallery, the main branch of the National Museum of Ireland and
the Natural History Museum.
Many weekend visitors will barely venture beyond the cobbled borders of Dublin's so-
called 'cultural quarter,' such is the nature of the distractions on offer. Temple Bar is all
about fun - mostly in the pubs - and on summer evenings the party spills out onto the
street, lending the whole place something of a carnival atmosphere. There are plenty of
restaurants here too as well as some interesting art galleries and shops that do provide a
change of pace.
Dublin's oldest and most traditional neighbourhoods would scarcely attract any visitors
were it not for the presence of the Guinness Brewery, which dominates the city centre's
western edge and is home to its most visited museum. Dublin's two medieval cathedrals
are here too, while further west are the country's premier modern-art museum and a his-
toric site that is worth every effort to visit.
Grittier than its more genteel southside counterpart, the neighbourhoods immediately
north of the River Liffey offer a fascinating mix of 18th-century grandeur, traditional city
life and the multicultural melting pot that is contemporary Dublin. Beyond its widest,
most elegant boulevard you'll find art museums and whiskey museums, bustling markets
and some of the best ethnic eateries in town. Oh, and Europe's largest enclosed park -
home to the president, the US Ambassador and the zoo.
If it was built in the last 15 years, chances are it's in the docklands (jokingly called
'Canary Dwarf' in reference to London's own dockland development), east of the city
centre towards Dublin Bay. The most interesting area is around Grand Canal Dock, just
