How would you like to have a concierge in a major hotel spend time with you to answer your questions about a new city? Sean Lally of the prestigious Merrion Hotel in Dublins is happy to tell you the best local restaurant to give you an introduction to Irish food (The Pig’s Ear on Nassau Street or the Cellar Bar in The Merrion), and is there any etiquette around dining, tipping, and service that you should definitely know before eating out in Dublin? (FYI, Sean says, "there are no hard and fast rules about tipping in restaurants in Ireland. Generally speaking, if you were very happy with your experience 10 - 15% is considered to be an international guideline"). 

If you are wondering which if the old traditional pubs will give you a real sense of Dublin pub life, he suggests strolling the Golden Mile of bars and restaurants on Baggot Street and Merrion Row, which happens to be right on The Merrion’s doorstep. Try O’Donoghue’s and Doheny & Nesbitt for a traditional experience.

For something offbeat, Glasnevin Cemetery offers a fascinating insight into the macabre past of Dublin. It’s true: creep among the heavy tombstones, and you’ll find that Glasnevin reads like a who’s who of Irish political history. There’s Charles Stewart Parnell (the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, who was sent to an early grave by a scandalous adultery case); Michael Collins (Irish revolutionary leader); and even Maud Gonne (rebel leader and muse of poet, WB Yeats).

The cemetery opened in 1832 and the meticulously kept records of its 1.5 million burials are a boon to historians and genealogists – in fact, you could say a visit here will give you an intriguing look into the birth of the nation.

The Guinness Storehouse is the place to come if you love the “Black Stuff”. Now famous the world over, this slow-settling porter started off life in St James’s Gate at the heart of old Dublin. Back in 1759, an enterprising brewer by the name of Arthur Guinness took out a 9,000-year lease on the brewery here for an annual rent of £45. A couple of centuries later, the Storehouse was born. Built in the style of the Chicago School of Architecture 1904, it was originally used as a fermentation house. Today it’s Ireland’s number one visitor attraction – a gleaming, multimedia exhibition on everything from retro advertising to the craft of brewing, topped off with a pint in the 360-degree Gravity Bar. When you get there, don’t forget to raise your glass to Arthur’s wonderful creation!

The Book of Kells has a backstory that includes monks, Vikings and remote Scottish islands that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. This glorious Early Christian illuminated manuscript is quite simply a masterpiece. Located within Trinity College’s Treasury, the tour here includes a visit to the Long Room library, one of Europe’s most magnificent libraries housing over 200,000 of Trinity’s oldest books. 

Afterwards, wander around the charming campus of Trinity, which dates back to 1592 and boasts an impressive list of alumni including Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde and Jonathan Swift. The Front Square and Campanile are a delight, while the college also houses the modern Science Gallery, and the Douglas Hyde Gallery, with changing contemporary art exhibitions. 

St Patrick's and Christ Church Cathedrals. Ancient, dramatic and intriguing, Dublin’s two cathedrals make a striking pair. Built beside a well where Ireland’s patron saint baptised converts, St Patrick’s dates back to 1220 and is filled with monuments, 19th-century stained-glass and a beautiful Lady Chapel. 

Just a 10-minute walk away, Christ Church has attracted pilgrims for almost 1,000 years, and today one of its biggest attractions is its medieval crypt. There are plenty of other reasons to visit, but some may be fascinated by the Chapel of St Laurence O’Toole, where a heart-shaped shrine contains the saint’s embalmed heart.

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