In Dublin's fair city -- "where the girls are so pretty" went the centuries-old ditty. Today, parts of the city -- particularly the vast, uniform housing projects of the northern suburbs -- may not be fair or pretty. But even if you're not conscious of it while you're in the city center, Dublin is in a beautiful setting: it loops around the edge of Dublin Bay and on a plain at the edge of the gorgeous, green Dublin and Wicklow mountains, rising softly just to the south. From the famous Four Courts building in the heart of town, the sight of the city, the bay, and the mountains may take your breath away.
From north to south, Dublin stretches 16 km (10 mi). From its center, immediately adjacent to the port area and the River Liffey, the city spreads westward for an additional 10 km (6 mi); in total, it covers 28,000 acres. But its heart is far more compact than these numbers indicate. As in Paris, London, Florence, and so many other cities throughout the world, a river runs right through Dublin. The River Liffey divides the capital into the "Northside" and the "Southside," as everyone calls the two principal center-city areas, and almost all the major sights in the area are well within less than an hour's walk of one another.
Coverage is organized into eight sections exploring the main neighborhoods of Dublin city, plus two excursions into County Dublin -- the first to the southern suburbs, the latter to the northern. The first section -- North of the Liffey -- covers numerous major cultural sights, including the James Joyce Centre, Gate Theatre, Dublin Writers Museum, and Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane. The next two sections -- City Center and Dublin's Georgian Heart -- focus on many of the Southside's major sights: Trinity College, St. Stephen's Green, Merrion Square, and Grafton Street. The fourth section -- Temple Bar -- takes you through this revived neighborhood, which is still the hottest, hippest zone in the capital.
The Grand Canal and Ballsbridge, the fifth section, covers noteworthy sights along the canal, beginning in the northeast part of the city and ending in the southwest. It also covers the genteel suburb of Ballsbridge. The next section -- Dublin West -- picks up across Dame Street from Temple Bar and continues west to the Guinness Brewery and Storehouse, the city's most popular attraction. It also includes the rapidly developing Smithfield district, which locals are already hailing as the future "Temple Bar of the Northside." The seventh section -- The Liberties -- takes you on a brief stroll through working-class Dublin, a historic but often overlooked part of the city. Finally, the Phoenix Park and Environs section covers the most western fringe of the Northside and the great public park itself.
Because of its compact size and traffic congestion (brought on in the last few years by an astronomical increase in the number of vehicles), pedestrian traffic -- especially on the city center's busiest streets during rush hour -- is astonishing. Watch where you stop to consult your map or you're liable to be swept away by the ceaseless flow of the bustling crowds.
