Life & Style | Travel
In Dublin's fair city ...
Pleasant weather and sites to match make this Irish city the perfect place to cool off during summer.
- By Sarah Tregoning, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:41 July 25, 2008
Polar opposites literally don't get much more pronounced than summertime in Dubai and the same season in Dublin
Ireland's capital isn't exactly buried under a crust of Arctic snow but while the mercury climbs to dizzying heights in the UAE, the historic low-level streets of Dublin are blessed with golden-yellow sunshine and the occasional downpour.
For people who spend the summer months scurrying between air-conditioned venues in a lather of sweat and stress, the strong, cool air of Ireland is damply refreshing.
It was while trudging along the pavements and parks of Dublin, with an umbrella in one hand as a precaution against alternating cloudy and sunny skies, that I heard some people describe Ireland's summer showers as “vertical sunshine'' — the optimism inherent in that phrase is typical of the Irish.
While Dublin is without doubt a beautiful, traditional city with fascinating history oozing from every nook and cranny, it is the people who truly make the place what it is.
I won't indulge in the cliché that paints Irishmen as twinkling souls with a rogue's grin and a sparkle in the eye but there is no denying that Dublin, a bustling European capital, has a unique laid-back ambience that allows a visitor to truly relax and concentrate on the joys the place provides.
Cultural corners
It's nice to just amble along without feeling the pressure to walk at thousand miles an hour lest some disgruntled commuter, whose day you just delayed by a millisecond, spit venom on you.
Dublin feels very different from other European capitals. Even amid the flurry of international business, solemn dealings of the government and gloomy predictions of a credit crunch, there is a sense of fun.
Tourism-wise Dublin does well out of the Celtic culture, but shamrocks and Celtic knot-emblazoned post cards aside, it's not just a marketing tool.
If the sun comes out, so do the buskers, livening up popular shopping area Grafton Street with folk music. Most of the restaurants have live traditional singing and you can even catch some off-the-cuff dancing if the mood is right — you never know, you may get up yourself.
It was with razor-sharp astuteness that Dublin transformed itself from one of the poorest to one of the richest countries in Europe in just over a decade. But even amid plans for wharf-style developments and out-of-town growth, there is still an ancient story to be told at almost every corner.
Tales aplenty
There's the Liffey, a grey mass of water that starts in the Wicklow mountains and gathers pace as it flows through Kildare into Dublin, finally cutting a wide swath through the bay and merging with the Irish Sea.
The moody water dissects the city from north to south and it was the Vikings, between terrorising the local monks, who established a fort at the river mouth around AD988.
Fast-forward more than a thousand years — through many struggles for control over Dublin and, in the wider scheme, Ireland itself — and what you will get is today's energetic, youthful-feeling city with a healthy respect for where it has come from and a firm vision of where it is going.
It was the Liffey that transported one of Ireland's most famous exports, Guinness, to parched throats around the globe and it is the Liffey that flows through the pages of Dublin-born author James Joyce's famous yet tricky novel,
Finnegans Wake.
Down the central O'Connell Street, past the 120-metre-tall Spire, is Dublin's General Post Office (GPO). The building, with its foundation stone laid in 1814, is one of the city's few remaining examples of Georgian architecture. The main office of An Post today, the GPO served as the headquarters of the Irish Republican Army in 1916, when it played a crucial role in the Easter Rising. The building, along with various statues that line the street, still bears bullet marks from the period.
Another example of fine Georgian architecture is the five-star Merrion Hotel. Located opposite the Taoiseach (government buildings), it stands as a restored composite of three townhouses. It's the kind of place where if you were a lady you might swoon and being manned by excellent, discreet staff, the concierge would know exactly what to do if you did.
You could also take high tea in the gardens or whisper dark secrets in the murky yet smoke-free, cave-like Cellar Bar in the basement.
Around the corner is Trinity College — founded in 1592 on being granted a charter by Queen Elizabeth I — where Dublin's finest minds are educated. Opposite the structure stands the building that today houses the Bank of Ireland but was once the Irish Houses of Parliament.
This grand building is as one would expect apart from the fact that every window has been bricked over as testament to ways that wily Dubliners avoided a window tax levied by William III from 1696.
Dublin possesses the same sense of history that permeates parts of London and Paris. You could almost hope to round a leafy corner and bump into the eccentric Oscar Wilde.
Salute to Wilde
And, indeed, you might — Merrion Square has an incredibly life-like marble statue of the author lounging with unconcerned, mocking grace on a rock, just around the corner from where he was born but a long, long way from Paris, where he died, without a penny to his name.
If you are on the literary trail, Dublin cannot fail to please.
And if you are staying at The Shelbourne, opposite St Stephen's Green, you could easily be staying in the same room as one of Dublin's most august guests — Grace Kelly has the Princess Grace suite named after her, as does John F. Kennedy.
Shield against fighting
But the most interesting thing about The Shelbourne is the role it played in the 1916 Republican Rising. It remained open throughout and on Easter Monday when fighting broke out on the Green opposite, afternoon tea was transferred from the front of the hotel to the back. Then in 1922 Ireland's constitution was signed in room 112, now known as The Constitution Room.
While the UAE definitely has its own luxurious charm, Ireland is great when you want to escape the stifling heat during the summer months.
It offers a riot of colours, culture, luxury and history — all at temperatures below 30oC, and even that's pushing it. What's more, you could even experience a good dose of “vertical sunshine'' if you are lucky.
Go there . . . Dublin . . . From the UAE From the UAE
From Dubai
Return economy on Swiss International Airlines via Zurich. Package includes: 3 nights stay on a twin-sharing basis in a standard room at Conrad International, car transfer, daily breakfast
Fare: Dh6,535
Info courtesy: Dnata Holidays.
Ph: 04-4298576
From Abu Dhabi
Etihad flies direct daily
Fare from: Dh3,650
Info courtesy: Etihad Airways
Where to stay
- The Shelbourne: 27 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland,
Tel: 00353 1 6634500
www.theshelbourne.ie - The Merrion: Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
Tel: 00353 1 603 0600
www.merrionhotel.com - Kildare: The Heritage Golf and Spa Resort, Killenard, County Laois, Ireland
Tel: 00353 57 86 45500
www.theheritage.com
Guidebook
What to do in the city
- City Tour — Hop on, hop off
Dublin Bus offers diverse cultural sightseeing tours in and around the town. It is reasonably priced, comfortable and often runs special offers. The tour takes you to all the main attractions. You can hop off at any place of special interest and catch the next Dublin Bus that comes along. It also offers trips to the pretty seaside towns near Dublin. - The Writers Museum
At the Writers Museum, Dublin's literary celebrities from the past 300 years are brought to life through their books, letters, portraits and personal items. www.writersmuseum.com - Guinness Storehouse
The highest point in Dublin, the Guinness Storehouse rises seven storeys tall. It has been producing the famous brew since 1759 and is today one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland. www.guinness-storehouse.com - Malahide Castle
Eight miles from Dublin, Malahide Castle welcomes visitors to explore the residence of the wealthy Talbot family. It also houses the Fry Model Railway on its grounds. www.visitdublin.com - The National Gallery
The National Gallery of Ireland houses the national collection of Irish art and works of European masters. Admission to view the permanent collection is free. www.nationalgallery.ie
There are many more places of interest in and around Dublin. Click on www.tourismireland.com for more information.
Kildare: Studded with beauty
Travel about 45 minutes southwest of Dublin into the Leinster province and you come to the wide, flat plains of County Kildare.
The Irish have an enduring love affair with horses but nowhere is it more prominent than in County Kildare, where the historic and famous Curragh Racecourse and the Irish
National Stud are situated.
As you drive through the lush green fields and occasional wooded areas, it's easy to believe the saying that there are 40 shades of green in Ireland's countryside.
The hazy, distant sight of the Wicklow mountains hints at the varied terrain that can be found elsewhere on the Emerald Isle.
On the journey to the Curragh, which hosts the famous Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby every summer, I kept a sharp lookout for the light bay coat and distinctive blaze of legendary Derby-winner Shergar, who was kidnapped from nearby Ballymany Stud in 1983 and whose body was never found.
There is a definite thrill in being in such a historic part of the world.
The National Stud, home to nine standing stallions, commanding cover charges ranging from €75,000 to €3,000 (Dh435,999 to Dh17,449), can be visited by the public. In fact, 145,000 people choose to go there every year.
Famous names such as Melbourne Cup winner Vintage Crop and record-breaking sprinter Invincible Spirit pull in race fans while the prospect of cuddling foals pulls in everyone else.
There are beautiful and interesting gardens to walk around.
St Fiachra's is typically Irish while the Japanese Gardens provide a touch of multiculturalism to it all.
In my experience, if horses don't get your adrenalin rushing, shopping will.
And while you could buy a racehorse if the urge were to take you, there is also the option of Kildare Village for shopping.
The unique selling point of the Village, which is part of the Chic Outlet Shopping chain, is that its designer stores stock last season's lines and knock up to 70 per cent off the price tag.
This being Ireland is set amid lush greenery, next to the ruins of an elegant castle and built in the style of a continental town.
Apart from the capital, this is thought to feature the only Starbucks in the country — and if that and high-end brands don't excite the UAE's caffeine-stimulated residents ... I know someone who picked up a set of Armani sheets for €25 (Dh146).
For top-notch accommodation, head for The Heritage Golf and Spa Resort in Killenard.
It boasts a Pevonia Botanica spa, beautiful, spacious rooms overlooking a par-72 golf course endorsed by Seve
Ballesteros and, incongruously, an international bowls venue.
But that is the beauty of Ireland — it has a knack for surprising you.
For more information, visit www.discoverireland.ae
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