Ireland
Huge bookshop with a vast, if slightly populist, selection and decent discounts. Certainly one of the best in town for scale and economy, there's a decent if slightly overpriced second hand section as well.
Parnell Street, North of the river
This is a lovely place to wander around. Here’s a few places to look out for:
Castle Market: La Maison des Gourmets for cakes and Costume for posh frocks. On Drury Street: Jenny Vander for vintage clothes and a few other small fashion shops. More small shops and stalls (food, clothes, secondhand books) in George's Street Arcade, as well as the grubby but charming cafe, Simon's Place. On South William Street, sit outside Ba Mizu on a (rare) sunny day, or try Dakota (sometimes cool, sometimes tries too hard).
Between Grafton Street and George's Street, Dublin 2
Maybe it's all too, erm, "literary," but the trip down to Sandycove on the DART is a must. You can dive into the water at the legendary Forty Foot though, since women are now allowed at this gentlemen's bathing spot you need to keep those togs on. And right above you is the Martello Tower where Ulysses begins, preserved as a slightly overpriced but totally entertaining little museum. The ability to stand atop that stone tower, as Stephen did that long ago Dublin morning and look out on the bay is a wonderful thing for those who love Joyce's work.
Take the DART south from Dublin to Sandycove, walk down Adelaide Road to the water, turn right (east) and follow the shore to the Forty Foot (at Sandycove Point)
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