Dublin: 10 Things You Must See (1-5) By Ronan Menton Dublin is a city like no other. Situated on either side of the River Liffey, Dublin is a city of history in the middle of an economic boom. With stunning Georgian Architecture as the backdrop to every day life in Dublin, visitors to Dublin will enjoy seeing something very unique, a historic city supporting a very modern and high tech population. People who visit Dublin usually only visit Dublin for a weekend, so it can be hard to decide what to see and do. This article is meant to help you decide where your time should be spent. In this particular article I will be looking at the top 5 things to do in Dublin while a second article will deal with the rest of my list of the 10 things you must see in Dublin. 1 - Georgian Architecture Georgian Architecture in Dublin dates from the 18th Century when Dublin enjoyed a rapid growth of population, a growth which meant the city had to develop outside of its medieval walls. Georgian architecture is so called because it was built between 1714 and 1830, during the reigns of George I to George IV. Georgian Architecture shares a sense of proportion and balance and a certain amount of grace which were derived by implementing mathematical rules and ratios to the architecture. Among the finest examples of Georgian Architecture in Dublin are the Custom House, Georgian Houses, The Four Courts and the General Post Office (GPO). 2 - Trinity College Situated in the very heart of Dublin City, Trinity College is a world famous educational institution. The College was founded by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592 and was exclusively for the education of Protestants in Ireland. It was not until 1793 that Roman Catholics were allowed to be educated in Trinity College. Today the College still retains much of its feel of eras gone by with its spacious green areas and cobble stoned courtyards. Combined with being an educational facility, Trinity College also home to the Book of Kells, an illuminated gospel book which dates back to the 8th Century. 3- Temple Bar Situated on the south side of the Liffey, Temple Bar is a trendy area set in a historical location with narrow streets which are still cobble stoned. Today Temple Bar is associated with nights out, a Saturday market, culture, stag and hen parties. For the younger generations visiting Dublin, Temple Bar is usually the first point of call. Historically Temple Bar is very varied as during the last Century the area was very dilapidated. At one stage during the 1980s the area was nearly turned into a bus terminal. In opposition to this proposed development on the behest of residents and traders, the Government set up a non-profit company in 1991 to protect this unique area. 4 - Grafton Street Grafton Street is Dublin’s premier shopping street. The street is a pedestrian only street and stretches from College Green to St Stephen’s Green. Named after the Duke of Grafton who was the owner of the land in this area, the street developed from a country lane into its present state as one of the best streets in Ireland if not all of Europe. Recent economic boom in Ireland has treated Grafton Street well, and the ensuing developments did little to dampen the charm of this street. Whether you plan to shop during your visit to Ireland, or plan to sample the night life, be sure not to miss Grafton Street. 5 - Guinness Storehouse Billed as the place where past and present meet, The Guinness Storehouse is a trendy museum which takes you to the home of Guinness. In this fantastic exhibit you will see, smell and enjoy over 250 years of Guinness being brewed in this part of Dublin. The museum takes you on a historical journey to present day and will hopefully answer all of your questions about the ‘black stuff’ on the way. The gravity bar sits at the top of the Guinness Storehouse and offers fantastic panoramic views over Dublin while the restaurant slowly spins around on its axis. Ronan Menton is the webmaster for a number of travel related websites and has been for some time in Ireland, associated with search engine optimisation in the Irish travel industry. He spends two months a year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and now sees it as his second home. Among the many sites he is currently working on are the following: hotels in Galway and hotels in Cork. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ronan_Menton

Dublin - A Quick Guide By Dara Ward Dublin is the capital city of Ireland. It has a population in excess of 1.25 million people and is a rapidly growing city. Dublin is or has been home to many famous musicians, designers and play writes including U2, Enya, Ciaran Sweeney, James Joyce and Brendan Behan. It is also the home of the famous “black stuff” or Guinness, Trinity College, The Book of Kells and recently the European headquarters for many large multinationals including Google, Microsoft and EBay. Known as a great place for a party, Dublin has become the 4th most popular short break destination in Europe after Rome, Paris and London in recent times. With the advent of cheaper flights to the capital-primarily inspired by Ryanair, Dublin is now a viable destination for people from all over the world looking to experience that little bit of a difference. This may be down to the friendly locals, the lively “craic” that can be sampled in the cities many bars, the plethora of things to do or even the lure of a bit of culture. Visitors to Dublin can now choose some of the finest hotels in Europe form which to base themselves. Self catering apartments have also grown in popularity as a viable alternative especially with business travellers to the city. For the more economically minded Dublin has a huge array of Bed and Breakfast and hostel accommodation which will allow budgets to go a little further. The main area of Dublin for those seeking entertainment is most definitely The Temple Bar. Located tight in the city centre this area has a multitude of pubs, restaurants, galleries and more to explore. Many of the bars have live music during the day. This may be traditional music giving visitors a flavour of Riverdance, the phenomenon that was born in Dublin that has swept the world ever since. For visitors interested in shopping be sure to visit Grafton Street the capitals main shopping precinct. Henry Street also is a very popular shopping area with many designer shops and centres having opened in the past number of years. No visit to Dublin is complete without sampling a real Guinness! Visitors should check out The Guinness Storehouse located only a five minute walk from the city centre. Here you can take the Guinness tour, see how the famous brew is made and even stop for a tipple yourself! The Book of Kells housed at Trinity College is also well worth seeing as are the many museums and galleries that are doted around Dublin. For visitors looking to check out the best selection of accommodation in Dublin to include hotels, apartments, bed and breakfasts, guesthouses and even pubs with accommodation we recommend that you visit the links below for more details. This facility will allow you to instantly book hundreds of properties in Dublin in only a few minutes. Happy travelling! Dara Ward is the Managing Director of Irish Accommodation and operates over 20 Irish Travel and Tourism websites including 3 Dublin Hotels sites. Dara operates from Ireland’s oldest 2 storey thatched cottage in County Wexford, South East Ireland. He is widely recognised as an expert in the promotion of tourism to and within Ireland and has an in-depth knowledge of the travel industry in Dublin and Ireland. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dara_Ward

Dublin: 10 Things You Didn't Know By Dara Ward Ireland’s capital city Dublin has fast become one of the most visited short break city destinations in Europe. It seems these days that anyone and everyone has been there, done it and seen it all in Dublin. Besides being home to Guinness, Trinity College, The Temple Bar and Grafton Street there is far more to Dublin that initially meets the eye. 1. Dublin is called Baile Atha Cliath in Gaelic and dates back to the 9th century. It was originally a Viking settlement. 2. At one stage O’ Connell Street, the city’s main street was regarded as the widest street in Europe. 3. Dublin is also a county as well as a city but is actually one of the smallest of the 32 Irish counties. 4. The head of the Irish government is called An Taoiseach, which translated literally from Gaelic means “leader” 5. The home of the Irish parliament is in Dublin and is called The Dail. The three major political parties based in The Dail are Fianna Fail, Fianna Gael and Labour. 6. Dublin has less pubs per head of the population than any other European capital. Amazing but true! 7. The home of The Dubs, as they are fondly known is Croke Park. The Dubs are the Dublin Gaelic Football team. Croke Park is recognised as being one of the best Stadiums in the entire world due to its size and shape which creates a natural amphitheatre effect. 8. Dublin is home to the second largest outdoor park in the world-The Phoenix Park. This is the largest park in Europe and second only in the world to Central Park in New York. 9. The biggest crowd ever assembled in Ireland gathered in the Phoenix Park in 1819 to a rally led by Daniel O Connell calling for the freedom of Ireland from English oppression and rule. Over 1.5 million impassioned people gathered to hear O Connell proclaim “that the freedom of Ireland is not worth the shedding of one drop of blood”. 10. The freedom of Dublin city has only been bestowed on a small number of people including Nelson Mandela, U2 and Bob Geldof. This honour carries the unusual privilege of allowing its’ recipients to graze sheep free of charge in St Stephens Green, one of Dublin’s best known landmarks. Dara Ward operates Hotels in Dublin He is an expert on all things Irish and has years of experience of the travel industry in Ireland. He also operates Dublin Apartments. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dara_Ward