Dublin's Pubs
Dublin
is the capital of the Emerald Isle, as Ireland is known, and it lies
roughly halfway down the east coast, in the lovely Dublin bay. It is a
compact little city, divided by the River Liffey into the north and south
sides. Public transport is excellent, but the best way of seeing Dublin
is on foot, which is particularly useful if you wish to sample either of
the country's most famous exports - Guinness and Jameson whiskey.
Dublin's pubs
are famous the world over, and since Arthur Guinness founded his brewery
at St James's Gate in 1759, they have been a focal point of the city's
social life, the place to go to talk politics and literature, philosophy
and sport. Music has also played a large part in Dublin's pub life, and
you can still enjoy authentic traditional Irish music in many an old
watering hole.
Dublin has
been, and still is, home to an astonishing array of literary giants,
three of whom, Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw and WB Yeats, received
the Nobel Prize. Many more are world famous, and are known to have spent
a great deal of their time in various pubs and bars around the city.
Today you can join an award-winning literary pub crawl that is both
informative and entertaining, although you might want to drink your first
pint of Guinness in the Gravity Bar on the top floor of the Guinness Hop
Store. This houses the World of Guinness exhibition, which will educate
you in the finer points of Ireland's most famous drink.
