Getting around

Dublin's centre is compact enough to walk across in half an hour. City buses are plentiful, the new Luas modern trams run from Sandyford to St Stephen's Green and Tallaght to Abbey Street, and the excellent DART urban railway buzzes you north and south to suburban stations and on out of the city in minutes. There's a Park and Ride beside Dublin airport.

See and be seen

South of the River Liffey is the beautiful Georgian quarter and traditionally the hippest part of Dublin - especially the revamped riverside area of Temple Bar with its cobbled streets, arty venues and smart little eateries and shops. Some find it a bit contrived, but this is still the trendiest part of town. Capuccinistas practise their pouts at Café en Seine on Dawson Street.

Three Unmissables

The gloriously illustrated, 140-year-old Book of Kells at Trinity College Library is a must-see - probably the most beautiful book in the world. If you want a lot of Dublin backchat and nonsense (of a nice sort), there's no better place than the street markets in Moore Street and the Victorian market hall in St Mary's Lane (both of these north of the river). Out west of the city centre the national monument of Kilmainham Gaol gives you a fascinating and very moving, if chilling, insight into modern Irish history.

Pubbing

Dublin's pubs are famous for craic (general good-time atmosphere), conversation, music and excellent Guinness - for the last-named, try Mulligan's of Poolbeg Street. Serious famous-face spotting takes place in Doheny & Nesbitt's in Lower Baggot Street near St Stephen's Green. Three good literary pubs in the pedestrianised streets east of Grafton Street are Davy Byrne's in Duke Street (James Joyce) and McDaid's in Harry Street (poet Patrick Kavanagh, playwright Brendan Behan). For music try the St John Gogarty on Fleet Street in Temple Bar (trad-lite), O'Donoghue's in Merrion Row (jolly songs); for session tunes take your bodhrán to Lower Bridge Street where O'Shea's Merchant and the Brazen Head face each other, or north of the Liffey to the Cobblestone Bar on North King Street.

Clubbing

PoD on Harcourt Street is till one of the trendiest clubs. At the Gaiety on South King Street it's hot salsa on Fridays and souls and R&B on Saturdays. The Thomas House on Thomas Street offers techno a-go-go in a friendly club atmosphere. And try The Kitchen at the Clarence Hotel on Wellington Quay - owners U2 are unlikely to be there, but in Ireland you never know …

Eating

In Temple Bar, it's Eden on Meeting House Square for excellent modern cookery. Poppadom Restaurant at 11a Rathgar Road offers proper, authentic Indian cookery. Bang Café is a great place down on Merrion Row. As for seafood - ride the DART out to Sandycove and taste the flavours fresh out of the sea at Caviston's Seafood Restaurant.

Tourist information

www.visitdublin.com

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