Dublin 1, Dublin City

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Dublin 1 is home to the ever expanding Dublin’s financial district, the IFSC and includes one of the City’s most famous streets, O’Connell Street, on which the notorious spike was built. 

Not only is there excellent shopping to be found off and around O’Connell Street but this part of Dublin offers visitors many attractions, such as the landmark GPO on O’Connell Street, the headquarters of An Post was once the main stronghold of the Irish volunteers in the 1916 rising. 

The Dublin Writers museum (353 1 872 2077) traces Dublin’s literary celebrities from the past 300 year, as exhibits bring to life the times of such writers as Wilde, Beckett and Joyce.  The museum is set in a restored Georgian mansion and includes a bookshop and café. 

Other literary stops to make include the James Joyce Centre (353 1 878 8547), which is set in a fully restored Georgian house and offers visitors an exhibition area with period rooms and items relating to the life and times of Joyce.  

Historical buildings to look out for are St Mary’s Abbey (353 1 647 2461), which is one of the best medieval secrets, once the wealthiest Cistercian abbey in Ireland and now houses an interesting exhibition.  St Mary’s Pro Cathedral (01 874 5441) is also worth a visit which served as the ‘mother church’ for the Dublin archdiocese. 

Dublin has no shortage of art galleries and The Dublin Gallery on Hugh Lane (353 1 222 5550) is definitely one to take note of, it serves as the municipal gallery for Dublin city and includes impressionist pieces by Renoir and Monet, with the largest public collection of 20th Century Irish art. 

A walk along the river Liffey is towards the Point Depot is a must for visitors, along which is moored the Jeanie Johnston, a stunning replica of a 19th Century ship, which house a famine history exhibition.