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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
Gorgeous boutique and quirky country house B&B, close to Newgrange (Ireland's most famous ancient monument just outside Dublin.)
www.rossnaree.ie
Rossnaree, Slane, Co.Meath, Ireland
+353 41 982 0975
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
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
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
Waltons music shop on South Great George's Street features in several key scenes in the film 'Once'. The most important of course is when Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova sit down at one of the pianos and perform 'Falling Slowly' for the first time. Staff at Waltons regularly receive requests to allow fans of the film to recreate the famous scene.
Waltons was founded in the early 1920's and is a music school as well as a musical instrument shop. Although you may not be able to drag a piano all the way home, a tin whistle from Waltons makes for a quirky little musical souvenir.
www.newschool.ie/
69 South Great Georges St, Dublin 2
+353 (0)1 475 0661
Google map: bit.ly/XNX8BL
* 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
One of the most stunning hidden treasures on the west coast of Ireland. I stayed there for a week or so this summer and was blown away by the people, the scenery, the tranquility and the culture. The region is in the Gaeltacht so there is still some Irish spoken among the locals and they will be very accommodating if you show an interest in picking up "An cúpla focail". It is a very spiritual place brimming with history. For example, the Inishkea Islands just off the coast are reputed to be the resting place of the mythological Children of Lir. There is an ancient church and a Holy Well dedicated to Saint Deirbhile. The Heritage Centre in nearby Aughleam contains a wealth of information on local and family history of the area. If you are looking for history, culture or just a bit of peace and quiet this place could not be recommended more highly.
Leim Siar Bed and Breakfast: www.leimsiar.com/
Blacksod, Belmullet, Co Mayo, Ireland
+353 97 85004
To get there by public transport you need to get the 446 Bus Eirann from Ballina and notify the driver.
Google map: bit.ly/Tw5b8v
In previous years, New Year's Eve in Dublin has been a low-key affair. This December 31st however, Dublin is set to kick off its Gathering 2013 tourism initiative in style with a fireworks display and concert in the city centre. This is the first time the historic Georgian area of Dublin has hosted a fireworks display, which will take place at St Stephen's Green at 8pm. The party will continue directly afterwards at College Green when Dublin acts Imelda May and Bell X1 take to the stage between 8.30pm and 1am.
Tickets are priced at €20 and are available at: www.nye.dublin.ie.
* 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
Falon's is a stand out gem in a city overloaded with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to pubs. This tiny bar hunkered in the shadow of St Pat's Cathedral in the centre of the city is the true soul of Dublin. A single room, with too few seats and a plethora of characters is ably served by charismatic bar staff. No music plays to disturb your chat or your drinking and the only television is buried in the corner. If you want a genuine Dublin pub you will not find a better example than this. Rumour has it that it is Shane McGowan's favourite bar too, so you're in good company.
New Row South,Dublin 8,
Google map: bit.ly/SumxRk
The garden at Altamont, Co. Carlow is beautiful in winter. Eerie faded splendour and it's free.
www.altamontgarden.com/
Bunclody road, Tullow, Co.Carlow, Ireland
+353 59 915 9444
Google map: bit.ly/UlQH9d
Google map:
Rocked up here after dinner and what a great night! It was like going into a slightly moth-eaten boozer populated by art students, fashionistas and Dublin's hipsters.
After some fast, efficient service from the front bar my friends and I wandered through dimly-lit rooms with chairs and tables into the huge beer garden at the back. Here you can have a fag, or wait for a pizza from the Big Blue Bus in the corner, while you admire the graffiti. Back inside the DJ was getting things moving with some house, electro, eighties soul and a whole host of excellent music (although the mixing was a bit plonky for my taste). We stayed all night and danced our socks off. The mojitos were two for a tenner (that's euros) but I've tasted better.
What a brilliant place. Next time I'm in Dublin I'll be back in a heartbeat.
www.thebernardshaw.com
11-12 Sth Richmond Street, Portobello, Dublin
+353 (0)1 857128342
Google map: bit.ly/P6WKwC
Opening hours:
Mon - Thu: 11:00 - 23:30
Fri: 11:00 - 0:00
Sat: 9:00 - 0:00
Sun: 9:00 - 23:30
A buzzy, busy spot in Dublin for lunch or dinner. With main courses around €10, and starters at around €4, it's great for those on a careful budget. I had that day's "selection of daily pinchos" (pinchos are a kind of tapas), which turned out to be a plate of black pudding, chorizo and sausage and green leaves. It was scrumptious.
The cocktail list (€9 each) includes a very good mojito crammed with mint leaves.
You can't book before 6pm, so expect to queue because it's a popular place. We left our telephone number with a member of staff and went off to a nearby pub. After twenty minutes she called to say a table was available. Nothing was too much trouble.
www.green19.ie
19 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2, Ireland
+353 (1) 478 9626
Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat 10am-11pm
Sunday Midday-10pm
Google map: bit.ly/RAQYHw
Standing above the Fortyfoot beach in Dún Laoghaire is a Martello tower. Just like its cousins in southern England, it was built in the early nineteenth century as part of Britain's defence system against the promised invasion from Napoleon. In 1904 it was home to James Joyce for a short while and as a result starred in his most famous work, Ulysses.
When I visited the beach at the end of August, entrance to the tower was free, so it seemed churlish to miss such an opportunity to have a look a bit closer at the great man's life. Manuscripts, first editions, drawings, family photos, two death masks and explanations of Joyce's life and works fill the walls and cabinets on the first floor. Half way up the narrow stone staircase of the tower is a single room which has been furnished as it would have been during Joyce's stay. It was sparse and would have been cold in winter, but there was a palpable romanticism about the place.
At the top, where the canon track is still in place, there is a fine view across the bay. I was so inspired by the place that I bought a secondhand copy of Ulysses later that weekend.
James Joyce Tower and Museum, Fortyfoot, Sandycove Point, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin IrelandHarbour, Sandycove
+353 (1) 280 9265
Google map: bit.ly/OCF0bF
Accessible only through Wolohan's Caravan and Camping Park, this sheltered sandy cove is more like a Mediterranean beach. We shared it with only two other families when we visited in late August. There was plenty of room to build sand boats to catch the incoming tide and to spread out as we picnicked under the cliff.
We watched a seal fishing in the breakers all morning, and when the tide started to ebb, we were able to walk round the headland to its home. There were seal tracks in the sand which disappeared into a cave, but we decided it was prudent to leave the animal alone.
The campsite charges a small fee to park and to cross their land to the cove, which varies throughout the year. But it's worth it.
www.silverstrand.ie/
Wolohan's Silver Strand, Dunbur Upper, Co Wicklow, Ireland (5 kms south of Wicklow town)
+ 353 404 69404
Google map: bit.ly/SzuHLs
Situated right in the heart of literary Dublin (within a stone’s throw of Trinity College’s Lincoln Place entrance), Sweny’s Pharmacy is known to James Joyce experts as the chemist where Leopold Bloom from Ulysses goes to have a special lotion made, takes a look around the products displayed on the shelves and buys a bar of lemon soap. The shop welcomed its first customers in 1853 and was still up and running until 2009 when it was forced to face the prospect of closure. Thankfully, a group of volunteers decided to breathe new life into the premises and these days it doubles as a small bookshop, a venue for cultural events – most prominently for readings of Joyce’s works, as well as a place where you can browse and buy vintage jewellery and the famous soap, as mentioned in Ulysses:
“Mr. Bloom raised a cake to his nostrils. Sweet lemony wax. I’ll take this one, he said.”
The lemon soap has a zesty scent and makes for an unusual souvenir.
The book collection includes mainly second-hand books as well as Irish literature, history and politics. The shop has been preserved to look exactly as it did on Bloomsday in 1904 and is open late on Thursdays for readings.
www.sweny.ie/
1 Lincoln Place, Dublin 2
+ 353 (0)86 050 7995
Google map: bit.ly/PUav5q
* 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
The name is not a reference to the gutter press, but refers instead to that uplifting Oscar Wilde quote “we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” The Gutter Bookshop is an independent bookshop situated in the Cow’s Lane area of Dublin’s popular Temple Bar. The owners of The Gutter have set out to offer something a little bit different than you’ll find in the bigger bookshop chains and they even run a book club that promises many lively discussions. Those buying for younger readers will find the childrens’ section is especially well-stocked.
www.gutterbookshop.com
Cow’s Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin
+353 (0) 1 6799206
Google map: bit.ly/RcoMVz
* 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
The Winding Stair may be famous for being one of Dublin’s best restaurants, but the bookshelves downstairs are by no means a novelty feature. Out front, this bookshop sells new titles while the smaller part at the back is home to second-hand books. It takes its name from a collection of poems by William Butler Yeats as well as the slightly crooked staircase that leads to some of Dublin's best cuisine. The bookshop's location is as Dublin as it gets, overlooking the Liffey with picture postcard views of the Ha'penny Bridge. Since the 1970s and 1980s it has been a meeting place for writers, musicians and artists and a backdrop for poetry, films and stories.
It is also home to a wide selection of books and also hard-to-find titles that are not normally stocked in the larger chains.
Tea and coffee are served in the window overlooking the Liffey. If you're in no rush to leave, you can even treat yourself to a glass of wine and enjoy a leisurely read.
www.winding-stair.com/
40 Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin 1, Ireland.
(+ 353) 1 8726576
Google map: bit.ly/OgjxF6
* 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
HQ of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Croke Park is impressive as a venue in its own right. Take the stadium tour, however, for fascinating insight into what this unique sporting organisation means to the people of Ireland, as well as the key role that 'Croker' has played in the nation's complex political history. We - a group of just 10 - were privileged to be guided by the wonderful John Campbell, who fully engaged with everybody, kids and all. Children will also enjoy the interactive elements of the GAA Museum, where they can have a go at hurling and Gaelic football. €12 (€8 for kids), for the 90-minute tour plus museum entrance, very well spent. New for this year is the Skyline Tour, but at €25 a pop, we didn't bother ... this time!
www.crokepark.ie/gaa-museum
Jones's Road, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Ireland
+353 (0)1 819 2300
Google map: bit.ly/PZhOmN
Google map:
South William Street's Clement & Pekoe is a veritable Aladdin's cave of loose leaf tea and coffee. The black tea caddies and art deco chandeliers certainly lend an air of eastern promise and decadence, but it's the carefully selected teas and coffee beans that really elevate Clement and Pekoe above the competition.
The owners are husband and wife team Dairine Keogh and Simon Cummins and they pride themselves on sourcing the finest pickings from around the globe whether it's leaves, blends, herbs, tisanes or freshly roasted single origin beans.
Choose from their selection of Black Tea, Green Tea, White Tea, Fruit Tisane, Herbal, Oolong, Puerh and Rooibos and they'll be only delighted to advise you on the best combinations to suit your taste and brew your chosen tea exactly to your liking. When the sun is shining, grab a seat out front on their picnic bench and enjoy one of their cooling iced teas including: Turkish apple, mango, or finest Ceylon tea, all served with ice, lemon and fresh mint. Oh and don't pass up on their delicious scones.
www.clementandpekoe.com/
50 William St S Dublin 2, Ireland
+353(0)87 637 0123
Google map: bit.ly/KW9XZ4
* 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
Capel Street is having a bit of a moment, and it's places like the recently opened Brother Hubbard that are playing a central role in this new found trendiness. Don't be fooled by the clean lines and utilitarian styling of Brother Hubbard, already this café is becoming as famous for the friendly manner of owners Garrett Fitzgerald
and James Boland as it is for its delicious cakes, coffee and tea.
Tuck into their freshly baked cinnamon and walnut rolls, oven-warm scones and chocolate brownies. Alternatively, you won't feel guilty about trying one of their wheat- and dairy-free seed slices. The coffee is Has Bean, provided by Dublin’s 3FE, while the tea comes from none other than Wall & Keogh.
brotherhubbard.ie/
153 Capel Street, Dublin 1
+353 (0)1 441 1112
Google map: bit.ly/KW9Jku
* 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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