THREE PERFECT DAYS

The Celtic Tiger may have lost its growl, but this auld town is as energized as ever, with bustling pubs, fast-evolving culinary and theater scenes and the warm, wi y hospitality thats given the Irish such a good name
BY JON MARCUS PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRIAN PARK

DUBLIN

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DAY ONE

Studying history and fancying pints

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DAY TWO

Relaxing on St. Stephens Green

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DAY THREE

Heading o to the countryside

GO GREEN Opposite, the harp sculpture outside of the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt; a leafy stretch of St. Stephens Green North

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YOURE VERY WELCOME. That traditional Irish greeting will likely

be the rst thing you hear from every taxi driver, hotel clerk and matre d in Dublin, and its seldom seemed so heartfelt. Since Irelands so-called Celtic Tiger economic boom went bust in the 2000s, this island nation has weathered some harsh economic times. But while that pushed down restaurant prices and hotel ratespropelled not long ago to previously unimaginable heightsit hasnt slowed the condence or entrepreneurship of a generation raised on energy and auence. Talented chefs are launching innovative restaurants, and whole neighborhoods of hotels and theaters that appeared overnight are now thriving. The new Dublin is fashionable, cosmopolitan and condent, yet its also, in a way, returned to basics, with a tempo that has slowed down to the leisurely pace of a pour of Guinness. But for all the changes, theres one thing this city never lost: its Irish hospitality, the warmest anywhere. Youll be very welcome.

FULL IRISH From left, young Dubliners; an Irish breakfast at ONeills Pub; Thorntons Restaurant

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Street, the bustling main pedestrian shopping strip. Bewleys has stayed up to date, with la es cra ed by artistic baristas, but theres one arguably appealing throwback: no Wi-Fi. Dublin is eminently walkable, and the Dublin . t ott S t. ll S derm Tourism Centre (3), in a high-steepled decommisne Mac r ean Pa er S Low sioned Presbyterian church, makes for a good W. starting point. Arrange to meet up with witty Lorcan Collins, who leads the 1916 Easter Rising . .N K ing St walking tour (4) about the event most associated with the long Irish struggle for independence. Its ey Ellis Q uay best to have at least some knowledge of the uprisL i ff 1 er y Riv d Qua Lower Orm on Victoria Quay ing in advance, and prepare to learn much about Collins politically incorrect takes on religion and Welling ton Quay Trinity College Thomas 5 Edward St. the British monarchy, complete with a raft of 3 St. Dublin d 4 Hig Lor h St Irish curse words. Its a good way to circle the city . 2 6 center, including Trinity College and OConnell Street, whose monumentsmost famously, the 7 post oce, which was occupied by the hopelessly 8 Cuff St. eS Cork outgunned insurgentsstill bear the bullet holes 9 t. of the rebellion. Next, stop for fish and chips from Dublins hands-down best chipper, Leo Burdock (5). A single portion is big enough for two, and since DAY ONE the little takeaway joint has no tables, carry (1) The Morrison Lower Ormond Quay; Tel: 353-1-887-2400 your lunch across the street to the park at the (2) Bewleys Caf 78-79 Grafton St.; Tel: 353-1-672-7720 cathedral and enjoy it outdoors. To wash it down, (3) Dublin Tourism Centre Suffolk St.; Tel: 353-1-605-7700 stroll over to the Guinness Storehouse (6) a few (4) 1916 Rising walking tour International Bar, 23 Wicklow St.; blocks farther westbut not just for the tour. Tel: 353-1-868-583-847(5) Leo Burdock 2 Werburgh St.; Enjoy a fresh-brewed pint, included in the cost of Tel: 353-1-454-0306 (6) Guinness Storehouse St. Jamess Gate; Tel: admission, in the Gravity Bar atop the seven-story 353-1-408-4800 (7) Thorntons 128 St. Stephens Green; storehouse, which has the best, most breathtakTel: 353-1-478-7008 (8) ODonoghues Pub 15 Merrion Row; ing views of low-rise Dublin. Most of the Guinness Tel: 353-1-660-7194 (9) Doheny & Nesbitt Pub 45 Lower Baggot St.; for the Irish, European and American markets is Tel: 353-1-676-2945 brewed here, but nowhere does it taste as fresh as it does from a tap in Dublin. For dinnerthe Irish eat around 8:30hit Michelin-starred DAY ONE | Check in at The Morrison (1), a sleek boutique hotel favored by visiting musicians and actors (Beyonc, Thorntons (7) in the Fitzwilliam Hotel on St. Stephens Green. Rihanna, Colin Farrell, Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera, This is one of those new Dublin kinds of places where to name a few) with an eclectic East-meets-West motif Irish-born, French-trained chef Kevin Thornton performs devised by the Hong Kongborn, Dublin-based designer alchemistic twists on Irish standards, such as rabbit, suckling John Rocha. Tapering hallways, high ceilings, dark wood, pig and black sole. The mullet appetizer, for example, arrives at leather furniture and aromatherapeutic toiletries contribute the table in a glass bowl lled with wood smoke thats released to the feng shui of this laidback, comfortable place. Its also with a ourish by the server. centrally located on the River Liey just across from the If Paris has its cafs, the Irish like to say, Dublin has its rowdy Temple Bar nightlife districtbut not so close that pubsclose to 1,000 of them in this city of 1 million, or one youll be disturbed by the nigh ime clamorand near the for about every 1,000 people. Skip the ones in Temple Bar for Henry Street shopping area. now; with some exceptions, theyre for tourists and students. Stroll across the Liey on the Hapenny Bridge (named for Strike out for the real thing on Baggot Street, where you can the one-time toll) and start your visit with a breakfast of tea bar-hop with the locals from ODonoghues Pub (8), which and fresh-baked pastries at Bewleys Caf (2), a Dublin institu- has live music every night, to Doheny & Nesbitt Pub (9), a tion. In warm weather, ask to sit on the second level in the popular hangout for journalists and politicians. ODonoghues, James Joyce Room (it was a favorite haunt of not only Joyce, one patron says admiringly, hasnt been repainted in 50 years, who mentioned Bewleys in Dubliners, but also fellow writ- apparently the sign of an authentic Irish pub. You linger a ers Samuel Becke and Sean OCasey) overlooking Gra on while to discuss this topic further.
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PUB LIFE A live music session at ODonoghues Pub

THREE PERFECT DAYS

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DAY TWO (1) ONeills Bar & Restaurant 2 Suffolk St.; Tel: 353-1-679-3656 (2) Trinity College College Green; Tel: 353-1-896-1000 (3) Temple Bar Pub 47-48 Temple Bar; Tel: 353-1-672-5286 (4) St. Stephens Green (5) Shelbourne Hotel 27 St. Stephens Green; Tel: 353-1-663-4500 (6) Abbey Theatre 26-27 Lower Abbey St.; Tel: 353-1-887-2200 (7) The Odessa Club 13 Dame Court; Tel: 353-1-670-3080

DAY TWO | The best cure for a hangover may be an Irish breakfastthe full Irish, in the native vernacular: a fried egg, sausage, bacon, potatoes, mushrooms, blood pudding and beans. And youll nd the best Irish breakfast in Dublin in a pub, of all places: 300-year-old ONeills Bar & Restaurant (1), across from the visitors center, which begins the traditional fry-up at the civilized hour of 10:30 a.m. and uses all local ingredients, including Guinness in the sausages and brown sauce, all served with sympathetic smiles. Next up, for a needed infusion of high-mindedness and decorum, enjoy a tour of Trinity College (2) , whose courtyard is open to the public and provides a quiet respite from the crowded city streets. There are short, student-led tours from mid-May through late September, but if youre lucky enough to come during exam time youll be shown around by Joe OGorman, a junior dean whose operatic delivery is accented by a mane of gray hair, dark glasses, academic gown and handkerchief billowing from his breast pocket. The tour ends with the famous Book of Kells, the four gospels of the New Testament illustrated around the ninth century by Celtic monks. But the real payo is the 200-foot Long Room of the university library, with 200,000 antique books, busts of scholars and a three-story barreled wooden ceiling that evokes a certain book and movie serial about young wizards and conspiratorial academics. Now go to Temple Bar. Although its worth a wander a er dark, youll nd decent sandwichestry the distinctively Irish chicken and stung on multigrain bread a er a starter of local Galway Bay oystersat the pub straightforwardly named the Temple Bar Pub (3). It oers something else rare in this neighborhoodlive music at lunchand the traditional se ing of dark polished wood and brass with a sunny courtyard beer garden. The weathers nice, so you while away the a ernoon in St. Stephens Green (4), where youll be joined by what seems like all of Dublin. Small by European standards, its a well-used, welcome refuge in this teeming town, with duck ponds, gardens, walking paths and a sea of locals sprawled out on the grass and benches. Then take in the view of the park from the high windows of the Lord Mayors Lounge in the 187-year-old Shelbourne Hotel (5), just across the street, which serves a proper Irish a ernoon tea daily from 2:30 to 5:30 under a high ceiling hung with Waterford chandeliers. Sink into so easy chairs and linger over sweets and nger sandwiches. You cant leave a city of culture without going to the theater, and Dublin has a few new ones of those, too, including the Grand Canal in the Docklands, which runs West End musicals and other popular productions. But the principal stage for works by Irish artists

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BOSS TWEED This page, the wares at Kevin & Howlin; opposite, Sunday afternoon at the Shelbourne Hotel tea room.

CABBAGE BE GONE!
Gray boiled meats and listless starches have for years earned Ireland scorn in culinary circles, but the Celtic Tiger brought with it kitchens full of new talent and creative approaches to the maligned native cuisine. Dublin lies at the center of the renaissance. Dylan McGraths Rustic Stone opened last summer (after the closing of his ambitious and top-rated Mint), supplying its customers with volcanic rocks on which to cook their sh or meat themselves. Stephen Gibsons buzzing Pichet Caf serves a brasserie-style menu in a contemporary setting done up in blue with white piping, as if a symbol of the simple-butgood new Dublin cuisine. And Stephen McAllisters The Pigs Ear offers updated takes on traditional Irish fare, inspiring one Dubliner to note, tellingly: Its Irish without being bad.
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EMERALD JEWELS This page, Temple Bar; opposite, horses at Powerscourt estate; statue of thinker (and alum) Oliver Goldsmith at Trinity College

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THREE PERFECT DAYS

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THE PINT AND THE PEN

Dublin has a world-class literary pedigree entwined with a rich drinking culture. To learn about both rsthand, join the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl, where actors and literary enthusiasts Colm Quilligan and Frank Smith will show you pubs and other landmarks associated with the rich body of Irish literature, reciting from famous books and letters and singing traditional drinking tunes, like the cheerful Waxies Dargle, about two Dubliners in search of funds. Dublin has been newly designated by UNESCO as a city of literature, and, perhaps unshockingly, much of Irish writing originated in these pubs. Playwright and dedicated pub-dweller Brendan Behan, for instance, once dubbed himself a drinker with a writing problem. The crawl begins in the The Duke (shown above) just off Grafton Street, near where, in Ulysses, Leopold Bloom asks a blind man if he wants to cross the road. It ends in a pleasant fog some indeterminate time later, depending, as Quilligan puts it, on how quickly you walk or how slowly you drink.
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DAY THREE (1) Lemon Crepe & Coffee Company 60 Dawson St.; Tel: 353-1-672-8898 (2) Kennedy & McSharry 39 Nassau St.; Tel: 353-1-677-8770 (3) Kevin & Howlin 31 Nassau St.; Tel: 353-1-633-4576 (4) Celtic Note 15 Nassau St.; Tel: 353-1-670-4157 (5) Kilkenny Shop 6-15 Nassau Street; Tel: 353-1-677-7066 (6) Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt Powerscourt Estate, Enniskerry; Tel: 353-1-274-8888
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and writers is the Abbey Theatre (6), founded by one W.B. Yeats, whose auditorium was renovated in 2007, and whose ticket prices are far lower than youll nd in London or New York. After the show, good luck finding somewhere to eat late. The Irish are more interested in liquids than in solids, as one Dubliner puts it, a er 10 p.m., when most kitchens close. So you hunt down The Odessa Club (7), a private restaurant on narrow Dame Court near Great Georges Street, which serves late; youll find it three flights up behind an unmarked door just to the left of the restaurant entrance. Ring the bell to be admi ed for tapas-style plates called vers, such as pork and beef meatballs, and full-size entres like the Irish-Moroccan fusionstyle lamb tagine with couscous. Since most pubs close at 11:30 p.m., or 12:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, a er dinner you call it a night. DAY THREE | Start today with a light breakfast at the Dawson Street location of Lemon Crepe & Coffee Company (1), a creperie popular with locals for its sweet crepes and Belgian waes, hip design and music, friendly service and fun vibe. Then spend the rest of this late morning shopping on Nassau Street, around the corner and across from Trinity, for real Irish goods, from Donegal tweed and scally caps at Kennedy & McSharry (2) to walking sticks and Dubliner hats at Kevin & Howlin (3), to Irish music old and new at Celtic Note (4). Youll also nd the Kilkenny Shop (5), with more contemporary Irish crafts and crystal. Then make your way to Pearse Railway Station for one of the frequent DART trains to Bray and the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt (6) in suburban County Wicklow, a rich agricultural region where much of what you ate in Dublin came from. The 40-minute ride takes you along the scenic coast and through whats known as Irish Hollywood, where celebrities including Enya and U2s Bono and the Edge live. This Ritz is inside the private Powerscourt estate, owned by the Slazenger family of sporting goods fame. Opened at the peak of the Celtic Tiger, its set down in a hilly forest with an uninterrupted view of the 1,644-foot Sugar Loaf Mountain across the green Irish countryside. It has two championship golf courses, a spa and a black marble heated indoor pool inset with Swarovski crystals. Ninety-three of the 200 rooms are suites, impeccably furnished and high-tech with TVs set inside the bathroom mirrors and a bu on by the bed that parts the drapes, rainforest showers, feather beds and walk-in wardrobes. Activities here range from biking, to y-shing, to hiking and even archery, but you decide to unwind with a lavish dinner at the new Gordon Ramsay at Powerscourt ne-dining restaurant, the fiery chefs first in Ireland, with new takes on classics such as lobster ravioli, roast sea scallops with crisp pork belly, and Wicklow venison and lamb. As you dine alfresco on the balcony, taking in the extraordinary mountain view, youve seldom felt so very welcome. A frequent visitor to Ireland and resident of Boston, writer JON MARCUS likes to consider himself Irish by association.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM THOSE IN THE KNOW

ILLUSTRATIONS BY PETER JAMES FIELD

Fiach Mac Conghail

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, THE ABBEY THEATRE

Robbie Devine
CONCIERGE, THE FITZWILLIAM HOTEL

Neasa OReilly,
PROJECT MANAGER, THE O2

Theres a really nice restaurant called Ely Bar & Brasserie thats only ve minutes walk from the theater and close to the river. Its perfect on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Also, a trip to see the Yeats exhibition at the National Library of Ireland is always a pleasure.

As featured in Ulysses, Davey Byrnes Pub on Duke Street is a Dublin institution that serves a great pint of the black stuff (Guinness). Also, its a good option for lunch, with excellent seafood. Or pop into my favorite, McDaids on Harry Street, for a great Irish coffee.

Dun Laoghaire on a Sunday is bliss. Stroll the pier to blow away the cobwebs, and then enjoy a zingy Froberry frozen yogurt on the way to a farmers market full of treats. Its made to chill out even the busiest mind.

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