Midwest Adventures: Long Grove Full Of Special Events
Charming Dublin
Irish Hub Home To Pubs, Lively Young Crowd, Growth & Heritage
Train rolls along the shores of Ireland's Dublin Bay. (Photo courtesy Dublin Tourism)
By RANDY MINK Special To The Journal & Topics Newspapers
Ireland's capital today is not the city many of us remember from the 1970s or '80s. The "tattered lady on the Liffey" has undergone a major facelift in the past decade or so, thanks to an economic rebirth sparked by an influx of international businesses.
Dublin certainly has a more youthful vibe these days. Nearly 50 percent of its population is under the age of 25.
High-rises are more common than 15 years ago, and construction cranes punctuate the skyline as building continues. There are new bridges, pricy restaurants, designer boutiques and a light rail system. Yet visitors need not fear that the old lass will soon look like everywhere else. The charm is still there, I discovered on a recent weekend hop from Chicago on American Airlines.
The River Liffey neatly divides the north and south sides of central Dublin. Visitors with limited time favor the south bank, the city's cultural and historical heart. Most major attractions are within walking distance of each other.
The Guinness Storehouse, a visitor experience inside the brewery's former fermentation plant, merits utmost priority even if you're not a beer drinker or don't care for the distinctive dark stout that has become almost synonymous with Ireland. You see Guinness' familiar harp logo everywhere on the Emerald Isle, and during the company's 250th anniversary this year, the brand is more visible than ever.
The massive seven-story industrial building has been remodeled into a giant pint of Guinness, with elevators and escalators connecting the atrium's exhibit areas. At Ireland's No. 1 attraction you can taste and smell the rich aroma of barley, learn to savor the "black stuff" like a connoisseur, practice the art of pouring a pint with the help of an experienced bartender, and view TV commercials and other classic advertising memorabilia. The gift shop sells Guinness souvenirs, from mugs, magnets and bottle openers to chocolate bars "enhanced with the flavor of Guinness beer" and the 2009 Guinness Book of World Records.
Capping the self-guided Storehouse tour is a 360-degree view of Dublin and the Wicklow Mountains from the observation lounge, where guests sample the brew. Directly below, steam billows up from St. James's Gate Brewery, maker of the full-bodied stout since Sir Arthur Guinness set up shop in 1759.
Bell towers of two Protestant churches, a stone's throw from each other in the medieval heart of the city, dominate the skyline of Dublin's south side. Gothic-style St. Patrick's Cathedral, named after Ireland's patron saint, is the country's largest and most famous church, dating back to 1191. See the medieval banners festooning the choir, admire Ireland's largest and most exquisite organ, study the statues and monuments, and find the tomb of writer/satirist Jonathan Swift (author of "Gulliver's Travels"), who served as the dean of St. Patrick's from 1713-1747.
Christ Church Cathedral, built by Anglo-Norman conquerors and viewed as the British establishment church for much of Dublin's history, is worth a visit if only for its crypt, the city's oldest structure. Besides gold, silver and other ecclesiastical treasures in vaults dating from 1030, you'll see mummified remains of a cat and rat that became trapped in an organ pipe in the 1800s, seemingly frozen in mid-chase. Most of the church's interior was renovated in Victorian times.
While exploring Old Dublin, drop by Dublin Castle for a look around the vast cobbled courtyard and perhaps a guided tour of the splendid State Apartments. More akin to Buckingham Palace than the many walled fortresses that dot Ireland, this is a working government building where state functions take place. The presidents of Ireland are inaugurated in St. Patrick's Hall, with its gilt pillars and painted ceiling. Historically, Dublin Castle was the official residence of English viceroys who represented the king during the seven centuries of British rule. Artifacts on display include the monarch's throne, last used by George V in 1911.
A stop at one of Dublin's 1,000 pubs is a must for anyone who wants to feel the pulse of the city and soak in the spirit of Ireland while chatting up the locals and lingering over a drink. For generations, the pub, short for "publick house," has been the true social center of the Irish people, and despite Dublin's 21st century ways, the institution hasn't changed much.
Most pubs are mellow places, often a bit plain but abuzz with convivial charm. Try a shot of Irish whiskey, an Irish coffee (with whiskey, double cream and sugar) or a pint of draught Guinness, perfectly poured with a rich, creamy head.
The best-known saloons date from the 1800s and typically sport eye-catching facades, high ceilings, long wooden bars, brass fixtures and huge mirrors. The Stag's Head, a Victorian-era mahogany masterpiece, is considered Dublin's most beautiful pub.
Temple Bar, a down-at-the-heels commercial district until a few decades ago, offers a wide choice of trendy watering holes where beer and conversation flow and traditional music fills the smokeless air. (Ireland banned smoking in indoor public places in 2004.) Humming with a Left Bank vibe, the ancient lanes and alleyways in this car-free bohemian quarter, just steps south of the Liffey, abound with funky stores, art galleries, restaurants and cafes.
Temple Bar is conveniently close for students of Trinity College, the oldest (1592) and most prestigious university in Ireland. Tourists enjoy poking around the idyllic campus, an oasis of lawns and cobbled quads in the midst of urban frenzy. Obeying their travel guidebooks, they patiently wait in line at the Old Library to view two pages from the Book of Kells, a masterpiece of early Christian art. Exhibits provide background on how ninth century monks created the lavishly illuminated Latin manuscript of the four Gospels, one of the oldest books in the world.
The Book of Kells may not be everybody's cup of tea, but the pace picks up outside the college gates on stylish Grafton Street, Dublin's premier shopping promenade. Musicians, sidewalk artists and flower sellers add to the ambience of this pedestrian paradise. Tourists pose with the statue of a buxom Molly Malone, the heroine of a traditional ballad about a girl who sold cockles and mussels.
Grafton Street offers the most direct route from Trinity College to St. Stephens' Green, one of Dublin's best-loved parks, laid out in Victorian times with lawns, flowerbeds, ponds and statues. Commanding a prime spot on the green's north side is the Shelbourne, Dublin's grand hotel, a perfect spot for afternoon tea.
This area and nearby Merrion Square boast stunning examples of 18th century Georgian architecture, exemplified by restored red-brick townhouses with wrought-iron balconies, ornate brass doorknockers and brightly painted doors crowned by intricate fanlight windows. Plaques identify distinguished former residents, such as W.B. Yeats; most houses are now used for offices. Facing the west side of Merrion Square are the National Gallery of Ireland, National Museum of Natural History and Leinster House, the seat of the Irish Parliament.
Dublin north of the Liffey also has its highlights. From Temple Bar, you can walk across the river on the much-photographed Ha'penny Bridge, a cast-iron pedestrian span built in 1816.
Sightseeing tours cruise O'Connell Street, a wide thoroughfare with stately buildings and a great central mall studded with monuments and statues of famous Irish citizens. The General Post Office, resembling a Greek temple, has been a symbol of Irish independence since freedom fighters barricaded themselves inside during the 1916 Easter Uprising against British forces. You can put your fingers in the bullet holes that riddle its columns. Lined with department stores and specialty shops, O'Connell Street has seen a renaissance in recent years.
A must for those with literary interests is the Dublin Writers Museum, which occupies a mansion on Parnell Square, north of O'Connell Street. Artwork, manuscripts and mementos commemorate world-renowned Irish authors like James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett and Yeats. Also on the north side is Old Jameson Distillery, where a tour explains whiskey making and ends with sampling the product.
For more information, contact Tourism Ireland, (800) 223-6470; www.discoverireland.com. Also visit www.visitdublin.com.