by Aisling Blake
Dubliners are genuine and warm. Get out and chat to the locals and you won’t be disappointed.
There are two squash clubs where people can pay to play: the Carr Golf Centre at Spawell and the De La Salle Sports Centre. I go running on Sandymount beach, biking in Phoenix Park, down by the canals or out to Howth (to the north) or Killing (to the south). Dartmouth Square has open-air yoga classes.
The Farm is a good restaurant for homegrown produce. Fade Street Social is great for steak and they also have a tapas-like floor. 777 is the right spot for Mexican fare and margaritas. My favorite café is Clement and Pekoe on South William Street.
Dublin is famous for its pubs. I like Market Bar, a gastro pub on Fade Street. Grogan’s Pub on South William is a classic. It is a typical Irish bar without tourists. I also like the bar at the Merrion Hotel. I go to the Pygmalion for music as well as Whelan’s, which has good traditional music, stand-up comedy and larger acts.
St. Stephen’s Green and the pedestrianized Grafton Street have all the high-street brands. Cow’s Lane market in Temple Bar has both Irish and international fashion every Saturday. Sandymount—a little away from town to the south—has great brunch places and takes you down to the Strand for a beach walk. I also love to go to Dun Laoighaire. It is a seaside town about seven miles from Dublin that has a marina and sea wall stroll. Another cool place is Ranelagh, a young neighborhood just outside of city.
I love to watch cricket in Trinity College on the green. Then I’ll have coffee and walk through Merrion Square to St. Stephens Green. The most romantic spot in town is under the arch in Front Square at Trinity College.
My favorite museum is the Little Museum of Dublin. On St. Stephen’s Green, it is an old Victorian home that was converted into an interesting museum about the history of Dublin from the ancient past to the founding of the band U2. They host lectures and run a free initiative, A City of a Thousand Welcomes, in which local volunteers are paired up with visitors to share a cup of tea or a pint and offer advice.
My favorite time of the year is September, which is great for the last long days of summer sitting outside in the evenings. Dublin in the winter has a fun atmosphere with the Six Nations rugby going on and June is great for all the festivals. At Christmas the atmosphere around town with emigrants returning to their families is second to none.
