Ballsbridge - Sandymount
Leafy Ballsbridge is a quiet and exclusive residential area, a 20-30 minute walk into town (served by frequent buses). The Grand Canal flows through it, and while much of this waterway is less than grand, there is a pleasant stretch near the Richmond Street bridge with canal-side pubs. George Bernard Shaw’s birthplace is a popular neighbouring attraction.
City Center North
The heart of this area is broad bustling O’Connell Street with its many monuments and grand buildings. Most famous is the General Post Office, the Republicans’ headquarters during the 1916 Easter Rising. The surrounding streets have a more local feel than south of the river but still include some fine Georgian buildings and important attractions, including The Hugh Lane (Dublin City) Gallery, the Dublin Writers’ Museum and the James Joyce Centre.
Dublin Airport (DUB)
Dublin Airport is 10 kilometres north of the city centre. It is a relatively small but busy and expanding gateway, and is undergoing major redevelopment, with a new terminal to be added in 2010. An Airlink bus service provides a direct connection with Dublin city centre in around 30 minutes.
Dun Laoghaire
Dublin’s ferry port to Britain, Dun Laoghaire, or Laoire (pronounced ‘Leary’) is 12 kilometres south of the city centre and accessible via the DART light railway. In summer its long East Pier bustles with day-trippers. Boat trips are also popular. Take the DART one kilometre south to Sandycove to see the James Joyce Museum. Two stops further on, Dalkey is Dublin Bay’s most prestigious address, home to the likes of U2.
International Financial Services Centre - The O2
On the north bank of the Liffey, the IFSC area is marked not only by the IFSC building but the imposing Custom House Quay. With its long riverside façade and classical tower and dome, this is one of the city’s architectural showpieces. From here it’s a short walk to the lively North Central area with its shops, bars, museums and galleries.
St. Stephen's Green
The city’s green lung, St Stephen’s Green covers 22 acres, includes a lake, wildfowl, and statuary, and is lined with grand Georgian houses. Nearby, important national collections include the National Museum, the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum. They face onto Merrion Square, Georgian Dublin at its finest. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre and Grafton Street provide shops and the original Bewley’s Oriental Café.
Temple Bar - Dublin Castle
This small enclave by the river was developed into Dublin’s Cultural Quarter in the 1980s, and soon became the city’s nightlife centre. Temple Bar is still devoted to eating, drinking, entertainment, and shopping. By day, it’s an arty alternative hangout; by night, groups of partying tourists make it a rowdier haunt. Near the famous Ha’penny Bridge, Merchants’ Arch retains some of the area’s atmosphere from a century or so ago.
Trinity College
Ireland’s oldest university, Trinity College is an Oxbridge oasis in the heart of Dublin. Visitors flock here to view the Book of Kells, just one of the treasures of the magnificent library, and visit the Dublin Experience for a multi-media history of the city. Adjacent, the Bank of Ireland, once the Irish Parliament, is open for tours. Grafton Street, the city’s principal shopping thoroughfare, leads from the College to St Stephen’s Green.
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