We’re halfway through our tour of The Little Museum of Dublin and curator Simon O’ Connor stops to acknowledge a vintage Gold Flake advertisement glowing above the fireplace. The outdoor sign takes pride of place on the 1960s wall of nostalgic posters and photographs on display at 15 St Stephen’s Green. Considering Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce an outright smoking ban in workplaces in 2004, today it looks almost brazen, hanging there, indoors and lit up.
But before there is time to be distracted by the rest of the memorabilia on the wall, over on the other side of the room, museum director Trevor White is drawing our attention to a black and white photograph of a rather grand looking house. Seamlessly, he weaves in a story about how the electrician who had shown up to fix the wiring in the cigarette sign had boasted about having something very interesting to offer the museum.
It turns out to be one of the museum’s most remarkable exhibits…
Heads swivel from the Gold Flake sign to Trevor, who begins reciting the letter beside the photograph of the house. It is addressed to one Samuel Beckett. A few oohs and aahs erupt among the group. It turns out the letter had been written as part of a school history project. A teacher had asked her class to find out who used to live in their families’ houses and to write to the former occupants to ask about their memories of the houses. As a young boy, the electrician discovered that none other than Samuel Beckett had once lived in his house and posted off a letter as part of the project. To his delight (and no doubt his teacher’s amazement too), the writer and playwright responded with a lovely letter, even joking at the end about how his ghost would come back to haunt the house one day.
This is just one of many charming back stories behind the pieces that make up the collection at the Little Museum of Dublin.
Every item on display in The Little Museum of Dublin has been donated by a member of the public and in most cases, ordinary Dubliners.
The museum sets out to celebrate 100 years of Dublin history, from 1900 – 2000 and is the perfect place to get a quick overview of Dublin’s social history, especially if you’re short on time. The collection is as eclectic as it gets. You’ll find a lectern from JFK’s visit to Dublin sharing the same space as early newspaper cuttings about a young U2 and a first edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses.
Guided tours take place every hour. The museum opens until 8pm on Thursdays when there is a guided tour by curator Simon O’ Connor at 7pm.

www.littlemuseum.ie
15 St Stephen's Green, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Ireland
+353 1 661 1000
Google map: bit.ly/ZrBdlN

* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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Awesome vegetarian restaurant with brilliant delicious food and a great atmosphere. Very good value and friendly staff. They are a Dublin institution.

www.cornucopia.ie
19-20 Wicklow St, Dublin 2, Ireland
+353 1 677 7583
Google map: bit.ly/Z5DJyn

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In one of the early scenes in the film 'Once', Glen and Marketa are seen chatting over a cup of tea in the window of Simon's Place Coffee Shop on George's Street. Later they cross the street to Waltons music shop. The café is located within George's Street Arcade, one of Dublin's oldest indoor markets, dating back to 1894. Simon's Place attracts a bohemian mix of artists, students and musicians and is always at its busiest during lunchtime hours - it's not unusual for queues to spill out the door. The café prides itself on its freshly made soups and thickly cut ‘doorstep’ salad sandwiches - get here early if you plan to dine-in for a bite.

22, South Great George's Street, Dublin 2
+353 1 679 7821
Google map: bit.ly/XqR1Eb

* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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No Dublin-based film would be complete without a shot of the capital's cultural quarter, Temple Bar. In the final few moments of the movie 'Once', Glen and Marketa take a walk through the sun-dappled cobbles. It's a bittersweet scene. On the one hand, they're celebrating the completion of their album but ultimately they know they will soon be going their separate ways. If you choose to stick around, you’ll easily while away an hour or so checking out the latest exhibition in the Gallery of Photography on Meeting House Square.

The Gallery, Booshop and Darkrooms are open Tuesday to Saturday 11am-6pm, Sundays 1-6pm.
Gallery of Photography, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar,
Dublin 2
+353 1 671 4654
Google map: bit.ly/YCR0hQ

* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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