With over 4,000 shops and 10 department stores and shopping centres, Dublin city centre has the largest concentration of shops, choice and value for money than anywhere else in the country.

Christchurch Cathedral is the oldest existing structure in the city of Dublin having started out in 1038 as a wooden church built by the then Viking King of Dublin, Sitric. On New Year’s Eve this is where Dubliners come to fall around to the sound of bells pealing.

Located at the top of Grafton Street, St. Stephen’s Green has long held an esteemed place in the hearts of Dubliners as an escape from the shopping masses. An open common until 1663, the gardens we see know were laid out to create a public park with funding from the brewer Sir Arthur Edward Guinness in 1880.

So you’ve sipped cappuccinos, taken in theatre, perused museums, and sampled ultra fresh Guinness. So what next? Go West, my friend, with great hast! You’ve several options for a timely sojourn into the Irish countryside.

Dublin is a Viking City and some people still believe that Vikings still exist in Dublin but now drive cars, as gridlock has now become a near-perpetual state of existence.

Poolbeg Walk takes in a seaside route along the sea in South Dublin. The walk, following the Great South Wall, serves up fresh sea breezes and poignant lessons in Irish history.

In the Irish language Phoenix Park is called "Fionn Uisce" meaning clear water. Unfortunately the British authorities of the time had not got the benefit of the language and thought the Irish sounded like Phoenix, and so a Phoenix rose from the ashes..ok, no more.

The most important street in all of Ireland, Dublin’s main thoroughfare, O’Connell Street, has recently undergone extensive renovation, in an effort to restore its social prominence as the fair city’s grand boulevard.

Built in the 1880s to the design of Thomas Deane, the National Museum is a housed in splendid domed rotunda features marble pillars and a zodiac mosaic floor. Also referred to as the National Museum- Archeology & History- this museum is the repository for all archaeological objects found in Ireland.

Situated on the West side of Merrion Square, the National Gallery of Ireland is a purpose-built gallery that opened to the public in 1864.

A visit to Ireland’s most infamous prison, Kilmainham Gaol, is a potted history of Ireland’s struggle for independence since the opening of the prison in 1796.

The Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery was set up in 1908 with funds donated by Sir Hugh Lane (nephew of Lady Gregory of Abbey Theatre fame), who died when the Lusitania was torpedoed in 1915, in so doing accelerating the involvement of the U.S in World War One.

Two doors down from the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery on the north side of the Liffey housed in a pair of Georgian houses, the Dublin Writers Museum contains displays relating to Irish literature over the last thousand years.

Punctuating Dublin’s famed Georgian Streets are a constellation of stately, green spaces. By far the most famous of which is St Steven’s Green. And indeed, given its proximity to Grafton Street, it is certainly worthy of a fine fresh walk, if not an outright picnic.

Though not much of a castle in shape or usage, Dublin Castle has a rich and varied history well worth exploring. Its history dates back to King John’s first Dublin court of 1207.

Half a mile east of Mountjoy Square, just outside the boundary formed by the Royal Canal, is Ireland’s premier sports stadium, Croke Park. Croke Park is home of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and its impressive museum.

Just beyond the Lower Yard of Dublin Castle, The Chester Beatty Library preserves a dazzling collection of books, manuscripts, prints and objects d’art from around the world.

Dublin’s fair city was properly established by the arrival of the Vikings in the 9th century. In fact the name Dublin comes from the Irish for black pool, denoting the spot of water where the Vikings first over-wintered with their boats.

For the finest views and finest Guinness in Dublin a visit to the Guinness Storehouse is essential. This is undoubtedly Dublin’s most popular attraction and although the history of this company started in 1759 with the establishment of a brewery on this site, it is generally agreed that the Irish people are the spiritual owners of this renowned company.

Dublin is the capital city and home to almost one-third of the population of the Republic of Ireland. It is by far the largest city on the island and is growing apace with some estimates suggesting that the current population of 1.3 million could grow to 2 million over the next 20 years!