Ireland - Discovering Dublin on Foot

Temple Bar, Trinity College, Book of Kells

Nov 11, 2007

Discovering Dublin is easy. It's small enough to walk around and is steeped in history and also loaded with contemporary culture.Temple Bar great for night life an music.

Dublin is a very relaxed city, easy to get around and there's something for everyone.

Walk down Kildare Street from St. Stephen's Green and you'll come to the National Museum of Ireland. Walk through the elegant wrought-iron gates and you'll be transported back to 7000 BC and from there on a journey that brings you right back to the 20th Century and the struggle for independence. This is one of the finest museums in Europe, home to a fantastic bounty of Bronze Age gold, Iron Age Celtic metalwork, Viking artifacts and some ancient Egyptian relics. You will come face to face with Prehistoric Ireland, Viking Age Ireland and a fairly recent exhibition, Medieval Ireland. Kids are impressed by an early Iron Age bog body, its leathery skin gruesomely preserved.

This charming bridge is Dublin's oldest pedestrian bridge crossing the Liffey. Originally named the Wellington Bridge it was nicknamed Ha'penny because of the halfpenny toll required to cross it until 1919. It is an enduring symbol of Dublin and looks especially lovely at dusk when the river is calm and the reflection of the bridge sits quietly on the water. The bridge was built in 1816 and is one of the earliest cast-iron structures of its kind in the city.

Trinity College is in in the heart of Dublin. Founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, it was her attempt to stop the youth of Ireland from being 'infected with popery'. It covers 40 acres and its cobbled squares and gardens are tranquil places to escape the city noise. Many famous Irish figures have studied here and it houses many treasures, the greatest of which is the Book of Kells, one of the oldest books in the world. It is an illuminated manuscript which is believed to have been produced over one thousand years ago by the monks at St. Columba's Monastery on the remote Scottish island of Iona and was taken to Kells in County Meath to escape the Viking raiders. It is considered one of the greatest works of Celtic art in the world.

Phoenix Park, one of the largest city parks in the world, has gardens, lakes, a motor-racing track, nature trails and fine 18th-century residences. The homes of the US ambassador and the Irish president are here and there are free tours of the president's residence on Saturdays between 10:30am and 4:30pm, departing from the Visitor's Centre. It also is home to the Dublin Zoo. The park is situated two miles from the centre of Dublin easily reached by bus.

Some might find it a bit touristy but nobody can say it isn't fun. One of the oldest areas of the city, with Fishamble Street dating from Viking times, it also is the hippest place in town, stuffed with bars and restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries and offbeat shops. Young people flock to Temple Bar in their thousands - the nightlife is great, and should you fancy a Guinness or six there are plenty of pubs, often with traditional music as an added attraction.

Decades ago this is where burnings, hangings and public whippings took place. Today, in complete contrast, it is where city workers come during their lunch break. There's something for almost everyone here: a lake, landscaped gardens, a children's playground, a concert bandstand and a garden for the blind that has Braille signs and plants that can be handled. Surrounding the square are fine Georgian buildings, once inhabited by famous people like W.B.Yeats and James Joyce. A lovely spot to visit on a warm summer day.

The copyright of the article Ireland - Discovering Dublin on Foot in Historical Travel is owned by Cathy Smith. Permission to republish Ireland - Discovering Dublin on Foot in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.