"Trinity College Pass through the iconic arched doorway at College Green and enter the elegant quads, handsome architecture and verdant lawns of Trinity College, one of Ireland 's most prestigious universities. Among its many attributes is the atmospheric 18th-century Old Library, whose most precious tome is the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells, a priceless illuminated manuscript. Also worth a visit are the college's Douglas Hyde Gallery, devoted to contemporary art, and the thought-provoking Science Gallery."

"Sure, you fall in love with Paris through the literature about the city—Hemingway immortalized Paris, F. Scott Fitzgerald spent time there and so did James Joyce. However you can do the same with Ireland . Joyce is still beloved in his native Ireland and you can learn all about him, along with many other Irish writers like Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker, at the Dublin Writers Museum. If you make it to Dublin and you don’t stop by here, you have wasted a trip and should begin planning another."

"Half Penny to Pass The Ha'penny Bridge, officially the Liffey Bridge, was built in 1816 over the River Liffey in Dublin. For over 100 years it had cost between half a penny and a penny and a half to cross the pedestrian bridge but today it is free. I found myself crossing the aerial pathway a couple of times daily during my two-week stay in Dublin. The Temple Bar area, just south of the bridge, is the main tourist area of the city and well worth a visit but when you want true "craic" (bar banter), and a more affordable Guinness, venture further out of the Temple Bar area. By Morgan Paar"

"Stomping Along to Traditional Irish Music O'Donoghue's Bar, which dates back to the eighteenth century, is arguably the most famous pub in Dublin for traditional Irish music. The bar is lively, rammed with a mainly—but by no means exclusively—local crowd, and has a great, welcoming atmosphere. There is a huge beer garden, and on busy nights there will be someone serving the tables outside. The main draw, of course, is the live traditional music, which kicks off mid-evening seven days a week. Unlike many other venues that boast live trad and there is no sense that the music at O'Donoghue's is a performance put on for the tourists. In fact it's quite the opposite: you get the feeling the musicians are playing solely for themselves, and don't care whether you listen or not. Which is lucky, really—the night we were there the bar was so crowded, and the conversation so raucous, that you had to get really close to hear the music. If you're a fan of, or curious about, traditional Irish music, O'Donoghue's is definitely a place to check out. And make sure to keep your eyes open as well as your ears: such local musical luminaries as the Dubliners and Christy Moore have been known to swing by in the past! By AFAR Traveler , AFAR Contributor"

"A Colorful Collision Between Ancient and Modern Dublin Castle has played a key role in Ireland 's history ever since it was founded by the Normans in the twelfth century, on the site of the original Viking harbor known as Black Pool. ("Dubhlinn" in Irish, this is where the city gets its name.) To get past the Upper Courtyard and see inside the castle rooms you have to go on a 50-minute guided tour, which at time of writing (August 2013) cost only 4.50 euros. The tour is rather a polished barrage of dates, facts, and names, but is extremely interesting if you can keep up, and traces the history of the castle (and by extension, of both Dublin and Ireland as well) from inception right the way through to present day. Much of the tour concentrates on the rule of the British viceroys, and it's fascinating to learn of the role the castle played in the Irish rebellion of 1916. Wandering the lavishly decorated rooms (which are sometimes closer to dizzyingly gaudy than merely ornate), you'll learn other golden nuggets of information, such as why the throne no longer has any feet (hint: Queen Victoria was rather short), what the convex mirrors in the dining room were for, and how writers such as Jonathan Swift and Bram Stoker were linked to the castle. The tour ends with a quick trip to the subterranean Undercroft, the only section which looks like a "proper" castle (rather than a palace). It contains the remains of the thirteenth century Norman Powder Tower, the oldest medieval structure in Dublin. By AFAR Traveler , AFAR Contributor"

"Taking a Breather at St Stephen's Green St Stephen's Green is a welcome spot of calm and green set in a Georgian square in the centre of Dublin. At around 20 acres, it's large enough to feel you have escaped the bustle, but not so large that you can't easily return to the fray once you are ready. There are formal manicured lawns and gardens in the middle, a large lake to the north - good for swan-watching - a bandstand and play area, and plenty of benches and other picnic spots. St Stephen's is probably not the sort of place you'd deliberately set out to visit, but chances are good you'll end up there anyway: it's just off Grafton Street (one of the main shopping streets), and near other attractions dotted around what is known as Georgian Dublin, such as Merrion Square and Leinster House (the seat of Irish parliament). By AFAR Traveler , AFAR Contributor"

"Tracing Ireland's history at the National Museum of Archaeology The National Museum of Ireland is free to enter and is spread across four sites in Dublin, covering archaeology, decorative arts and history, country life, and natural history. The archaeology museum is in an imposing building of columns, vaulted ceilings, and marble staircases situated on Kildare Street. It traces Ireland's history from prehistoric times through the Roman, Viking, and medieval periods. The exhibitions are well set out and clearly labelled. The section on Ireland's prehistoric gold, including exquisitely-wrought jewellery from the bronze and iron ages, is particularly interesting. But the most mind-blowing exhibition is called Kingship and Sacrifice, and displays findings related to the ritual killing of presumed royals during the iron age. As part of what are thought to be sovereignty and kingship rituals, people were sacrificed - sometimes brutally - and their bodies tossed into peat bogs (which often marked the boundaries between kingdoms). The anaerobic conditions of the bogs preserved the bodies, some of which are on display. Even after thousands of years you can still make out facial expressions, and in one case, hair! The museum also hosts important religious icons and relics from medieval Christianity, for example the twelfth century Cross of Cong - said once to have contained a fragment of the true cross. If you are at all interested in ancient history, set aside a good couple of hours and explore the museum thoroughly. It's well worth it! By AFAR Traveler , AFAR Contributor"

"St. Patrick's Day in Dublin Arriving in Dublin on the morning of St. Patrick's Day is like experiencing the calm before the storm. The cobblestone streets of Temple Bar are quiet and nearly empty, and bicyclists can cycle through the narrow streets with ease. This is the time to have breakfast while devising a plan: Do you want to find a place near the parade route? Should you claim a table at a pub? We filled up on eggs and coffee at Elephant and Castle in Temple Bar, and then saw the end of the parade. By noon, streets were clogged with people from all over the world -- singing in the streets, painting shamrocks on strangers' faces -- and pubs rang out with traditional Irish songs. Don't be shy if you don't know the lyrics, since there's a good chance you'll hear the songs again. Have a Guinness (or two) and join in!"

"Old Architecture for New Art The Irish Museum of Modern Art is located in Kilmainham, just a short trip out of Dublin's City Center on the Luas. Housed in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the building and its grounds are vast. The grounds are littered with contemporary public sculpture from Lawrence Weiner to Richard Long, and an equally impressive (though still relatively small) collection from Abramović to Gillick. While much of the building remains under construction the museum is a must for any art enthusiasts visiting Dublin! By Caitlin Anne"

"Interesting Exhibits Just down the road from its more popular neighbor, the National Gallery of Ireland , the NLE has interesting shows and fewer crowds. I recently saw an exhibition on Yeats and one on the 1913 Dublin Lockout. Even if you only have a short time, this is an easy and interesting place to check out. Exhibitions are posted online."

"Dublin's oldest building Founded in 1028 and built overlooking a Viking settlement, this incredible cathedral is nearly 1,000 years old and is Dublin's oldest building. The 12th century crypt is one of the largest in Ireland or Britain and here you can check out the treasures of Christ Church exhibition, with its fascinating manuscripts and artefacts. There are also 16th Century costumes from the historical series The Tudors on display here and there are audio tours of the cathedral. Pop over to nearby St Patrick's Cathedral to complete the experience."

"Find Your Perfect Pint in Dublin Gravity Bar has wonderful 360-degree views of Dublin and all the Guinness you can drink. You can even try your hand at pouring the perfect pint. The bartenders know what they're doing, and to prove it, they make shamrocks into the foam with a flourish. Guinness is a serious deal in Ireland . It is fun to start a debate amongst your new local friends as to which pub serves their favorite pint. For me, it was the Gravity Bar. The combination of having my very first non-imported Guinness along with the excitement of our honeymoon and relief of my ankle made it the perfect pint for me. When we arrived at the Gravity Bar in Dublin, I was in pretty bad shape. Not even a week before our much planned honeymoon, I had a cast taken off my leg and my broken ankle had not finished healing. It was our first day in Ireland and we were enjoying the sites using the hop on, hop off bus. We decided to visit the Guinness Storehouse, an interesting museum dedicated to the famous Irish brew. By the time we finished, my leg was very swollen and I could barely walk so we decided to head to the very top floor, home to the Gravity Bar. When I had finished my icy cold drink, I realized my ankle felt much better and I could once again navigate the cobblestone streets of Dublin. I quickly learned that every time I had a Guinness, my ankle would feel better and soon enough, we had the locals of different pubs cheering "Guinness for strength!" when I put my order in. By Lindsay McGowan"

"The Divine Queen of Tarts This cafe offers the most delicious raspberry, apple, and chocolate chip scones you will ever taste. In addition they offer a wide variety of pastries, sandwiches, and teas. Their two Dublin locations are fairly close to each other but each is distinct—the original restaurant is small but so cozy, while the second location is much bigger. If you are in Dublin, be sure to stop by for breakfast or brunch and ask for a scone with clotted cream. You won't be disappointed. By Nichole Pitts"

"Not a Grocer This is the Scotch egg at L Mulligan Grocer—a beer-focused gastro pub specializing in Irish craft beers and food made from local products. This is the best place to eat in Dublin."

"Whether you choose the wine bar in the basement, the gourmet food hall on the ground floor (where you can also buy hot food to eat in the wine bar), or the fine dining restaurant in a big, bright open space on the first floor, you won’t be disappointed with the quality of food in this Exchequer Street emporium, much of which is organic. Main courses on the menu include dishes like grilled Irish lamb rump with broad bean succotash, black garlic and aubergine purée and smoked potato croquette, or aged Irish rib-eye steak with a choice of Béarnaise, brandy peppercorn or truffle butter sauce. There’s also an excellent lunch menu and the pre-theater dinner menu is good value and runs all night Sunday to Tuesday and from 5.30 to 7pm, Wednesday to Saturday."

"Chef Ross Lewis continues to wow by merging carefully sourced Irish ingredients with more exotic flavors at this refined dining room in the basement of the Dublin Writers Museum. The Michelin-starred menu might include a feta cheese mousse with salt-baked beets, or brown crab with pickled dulse, a native seaweed."

"Starched white linen, stellar service and consistently delicious food are what keeps diners returning to this two-Michelin-starred institution in the luxurious Merrion Hotel. The emphasis is on Irish produce paired with classical French cooking—think an artfully presented plate of Clogherhead lobster ravioli. In-the-know locals book for the excellent value lunch."

"Time for Lunch At the Temple Bar Food Markets, you can enjoy roasted pork with potatoes, onions, and red cabbage. It comes in two sizes, well described for the size of your appetite. By AFAR Traveler"

"The Merrion A Georgian grand dame just off St. Stephens Green in downtown Dublin, the Merrion has been around in one form or another since 1760, when it was a set of four stately homes owned by English nobility. Today, it is elegance incarnate. An excellent art collection—by the likes of Dublin-born Cubist artist Mainie Jellett and Irish post-impressionist painter Paul Henry—hangs in fire-warmed, chandelier-lit drawing rooms. Upstairs bedrooms have big sash windows overlooking the city's 1920s-era government buildings. The basement bar is moodily romantic with its arched stone ceilings and cave-like nooks built into the 18th-century wine vaults. Since opening in 1997, the Merrion has hosted Dublin’s most famous visitors: Bill Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, Rihanna, and Bruce Springsteen. The formal, flower-filled courtyard is the perfect place for a sunny afternoon drink. If it’s raining, retreat to the green-walled Bar No. 23 for a snifter of Irish whiskey in a leather club chair."

"Ask someone who’s stayed at Number 31, a downtown Dublin house-hotel, what it’s like and he or she likely won’t get past the breakfast: the pears poached in vanilla syrup, Wexford strawberries, eggs scrambled with smoked salmon from the west coast, and slices of zesty cranberry loaf. Such homey food served in a sunlit dining room is part of what makes Number 31 feel less like a hotel and more like the pied-à-terre you’ve always dreamed of. Comfortable rooms and unobtrusive staff add to the urban townhouse vibe; the hotel owners, Noel and Deirdre Comer, manage to be warm and welcoming while also leaving guests to make themselves at home around the peat fire in the sunken lounge. A wild garden separates the hotel’s two buildings, a Georgian terrace house and the coach house, and the overall modernist-meets-classic design owes to architect Sam Stephenson, who lived in the house as he renovated it in the 1950s. Number 31 is a favorite of Dublin insiders, from artists to architects to the designer John Rocha."