Dublin

Dublin is a sprawling city of seemingly endless suburbs. Luckily however most of the sights are within a relatively small area in the centre so the visitor should not need to do much travelling around.

City Centre
The city is bisected by the River Liffey and the centre of the city is generally agreed to be O’Conneil Bridge. The area within a radius of about 2 km (1.5 miles) of O’Conneil Bridge contains most of the historical sights, cultural attractions, nightlife and shops. This area is generally simply referred to as the "City Centre", or "town" for locals. Typically if further detail is required to describe a place in the city centre, people will refer to a well-known street or landmark, e.g. "the Grafton Street area", synonomous with shops and cafes.


Temple Bar
Probably the best know example of this naming system is the Temple Bar area which is the rectangle immediately south-west of O’Connell Bridge and bounded by the Liffey to the north, Dame Street to the south, Westmoreland Street to the east and Fishamble Street to the west. Officially dubbed "Dublins’ Cultural Quarter" it is better known as home to a large number of pubs and restaurants. The cobbled streets and old street pattern contrast with the more modern and ordered street layout in the rest of the city centre. On Saturdays a popular food market is held in Meeting House Square while jewellery and clothing stalls line Cows Lane off Lord Edward Street.


Georgian Dublin
Most of the streets in the centre of Dublin were laid out in the Georgian era of the 18th and early 19th centuries but in most cases the original buildings have been replaced at some stage. However in the southeast section of the city centre, around Baggot Street, Merrion Square and Fitzwiliam Square, most of the original townhouses remain. The elegant streets with their colourful doors are still popular with the city’s lawyers and estate agents as offices and the area is well worth a wander.


The Liberties
Immediately southwest of the city centre lies the residential district called "the Liberties". Its name derives from the fact that it was the part of Dublin granted a certain amount of autonomy by the British monarch in the Middle Ages. The Guinness brewery complex lies in the Liberties along James’s Street. Their visitor centre, called the Guinness Storehouse, is one of Dublin’s most popular visitor attractions. Traditionally a poor part of Dublin it has become popular as a residential location due to its centrality and a large amount of new building and regeneration has taken place.




The currency used in the Republic of Ireland is the Euro, although English, Scottish and Northern Ireland Notes are accepted in some places. There are also many banks and bureau de change's around the city, including in travel agents.

Banks in Dublin ussually open from 10am to 4pm, Mon to Fri, although most open until 5pm on Thursdays. Post Offices are usually open from 9am to 5pm. Most shops in the city open every day from 9am to 6pm, except on Thursday, which is late night shopping and open until 8pm, and on Sunday when they only open from 12pm to 6pm. It must be noted though, that not all shops open on Sunday.

The best methods of transport in the city are buses, which service most of the city. Trains don't service as much of the city but are good (especially the DART) if they go to your destination. Taxi's are also very easy to get in the city, though can be much more expensive

For ringing any of the phone numbers listed on this website, and you are outside Ireland, you have to include the country code, which is +353 for Ireland, and then a 1 for Dublin, making it 003531 + the number



Emergency
Fire / Ambulance / Police : 999/112
Customs : 8746571
Harbour Master : 8322252
Lifeboat : 8323524
Beaumont Hospital : 8377755


Tourist Information
Dublin Tourism (24hr) : 1550 112233

Air Travel
Aer Lingus : 7053333
British Midland : 2838833
Ryan Air Flight Information : 1550 200200
City Jet : 8445566

Car Ferries
Stena Line : 2047777
Irish Ferries : 6610511

Rail Transport
Iarnrod Eireann (Irish Rail) : 8366222