Page 37 - StudyTravel Magazine December 2016 Issue

city FOcuS dublin

Food and culture guide
5 things to do Food markets are a staple of local living. Sundays in the People’s Park in
dun laoghaire “offers many choices of food from around the country at a
reasonable price,” says damien Farrell at american college dublin www.
1. Trinity College’s Long Room iamu.edu. “Howth Market is also in a small village to the north of dublin.
considered one of the most beautiful librar- Here you can buy various types of fresh fi sh, enjoy a farmers market every
ies in the world, the long room was built in Saturday or eat in some amazing seafood restaurants, including Octopussy.
the early 1700’s. it is the permanent home While you’re there don’t forget to visit the seals,”
of the famous book of Kells, which contains PHOtO: vanderWOlF iMageS recommends Malvern Houses’s Will dowling
the latin text of the four gospels accom- www.malvernhouse.ie.
panied by magnifi cent full-paged intricate the city itself also serves up a
decoration. the book is on permanent dis- vibrant restaurant scene, cultural
play with pages turned regularly. the long cafés, craft breweries and creative
room also holds one of the last remaining copies of the 1916 Proclama- start-ups. For the best burger in
tion of the irish republic and visitors can view the trinity college Harp. town, head to bunsen on Wexford
Made out of oak and willow with 29 brass strings, the harp is the oldest Street. “they only do burgers,
of its kind in ireland dating back to the 15th century. chips and soft drinks but boy do
they do them well,” exclaims
2. Horse and cart around the city damien. nearby on lower Ormond
avoid the offi cial city sightseeing bus tour Quay, the Winding Stair serves
and go where the buses can’t in this authen- good, old-fashioned home cooking,
tic and comprehensive day or night tour of with produce sourced from artisans
dublin’s fair city. Saddle up at the carriage within the island.
rank outside St Stephen’s green and clip For a little bit of everything, ian O’Malley at
clop through the interesting and pretty dublin cultural institute www.dubilnci.com says camden Street is the place
nearby georgian district of dublin, which to go. “it’s a good area with lots of small restaurants, different cuisines from
was at one time the second city of the brit- different cultures and a nice area with lots of bars that also show live music,”
ish empire after london, and the fi fth largest european city. he says.
the city is also full of year-round festivals including electric Picnic,
3. Dublin Bay longitude and castlepalooza as well as battle for the bay, a kite surfi ng
recognised as a biosphere reserve by festival, and the bram Stoker Festival which celebrates the ‘dracula’ author
unesco, the scenic bay is a c-shaped inlet over Hallowe’en.
of the irish Sea. Students have plenty of
choice both north and south of the city to
enjoy coastal views and even the sight of PHOtO: OWen J FitzPatricK
Wales on a very clear day! alternatively,
catch a boat ride on dublin bay cruises,
which takes passengers from the southern
seaside town of dun laoghaire up to the northern peninsula of Howth 10 million pints
during the summer. views of the Poolbeg chimneys, Killiney Hill, ire- of Guinness are
land’s eye and the baily lighthouse can be enjoyed along the way. produced in Dublin
every day and you
4. The Doors of Dublin can smell the hops
an unusual visual attraction, the now glob- from many places
ally famous portals, in vibrant colours with in the city
ornate knockers, are a signifi er of dublin’s
colonial past under british rule. built in the
georgian style with exteriors that had to
adhere to strict 18th century architectural
guidelines, residents began to modify their
doors to set themselves apart and the tradi-
tion has lived on. these houses and the doors are all found in and around
dublin’s Fitzwilliam Square, Merrion Square and baggot Street.

5. venture further afi eld
visit county Meath to see newgrange and
the Hill of tara, ancient irish celtic monu-
ments an hour north of dublin. “newgrange
was built around 3,200 bc, making it
older than Stonehenge and the egyptian
Pyramids,” says declan. “On the Winter
PHOtO: MilOSz MaSlanKa
Solstice, the rising sun fl oods the inner
chamber making it a remarkable engineering
feat for any age.” the lia Fáil (Stone of destiny) sits atop the Hill of tara
and served as the coronation stone for the High Kings of ireland.

34 | Studytravel Magazine | deceMber 2016