Dublin
Set beside the shores of curving Dublin Bay, Ireland's capital city, DUBLIN, is a thrusting, dynamic place, which despite its size remains utterly beguiling and an essential part of any visit to the country. Much of Dublin's centre has been redeveloped over the last few decades, leaving a wag to comment that "the city's only sights are building sites", as it built on Ireland's economic boom. So, alongside the city's historic buildings – its cathedrals and churches, Georgian squares and town houses, castles, monuments and pubs – you'll discover grand new hotels and shopping centres, stunning new street architecture and a state-of-the-art tramway system.

More than a quarter of the Republic of Ireland's population of almost four million lives within the Greater Dublin area. Intensely proud of their city, Dubliners seem to possess an innate sense of its heritage and powerful literary culture, and can at times exhibit a certain snobbishness towards those living in Ireland's rural backwaters (people often termed "culchies"). Locals are noted for their often caustic, but engaging, brand of humour, as shown in the numerous (and sometimes bawdy) nicknames given to many of the city's landmarks, but there is also a warmth in their welcome – it's easy to find yourself drawn into conversation or debates in bars and cafés (or, if you smoke, outside them). Dubliners are also increasingly style-conscious; where once the city looked inwards for inspiration, today it glances both east and west, to Europe and America, catching new trends and bringing a decidedly Irish slant to bear upon them.

Most of Dublin's attractions are contained within a relatively compact area, spreading either side of the many-bridged River Liffey, which divides the city between its Northside and Southside. These have very distinct characters, defined over the city's historical development: stereotypically, the south is viewed in terms of its gentility while the north is seen as brash and working class. Certainly, the Southside is regarded as more fashionable and fashion-conscious, thanks to its Grafton Street shopping area and the rejuvenated Temple Bar arts quarter, yet the north possesses Ireland's two most renowned theatres and its own increasingly lively nightlife. On either side of the river it's easy to escape the city's bustle, to relax or picnic in its numerous green spaces (especially expansive Phoenix Park); or visitors can head to the shoreline for seaside strolls and blustery cliff-top walks.