Dublin is a lively and busy city that I am only just getting to know. Therefore, I have found you someone eminently better qualified to compile a fantastic guide to Dublin restaurants, Dublin pubs and bars and Dublin entertainment. Over to her:

Going Out: Eating & Drinking

I am a native Dubliner, and I love the city. Yes, the late 1990s' economic boom brought with it traffic squalor, smug self-awareness and slick reinvention, but it also brought ethnic variety, self-confidence and, above all, a sense of vibrancy. Dublin remains cosy, compact and friendly and accessible to newcomer and old hand alike.

Eating

Dublin Restaurant Guide

Drinking

And of course, you can also use your drinking time productively by taking in a concert or comedy gig at the same time. Dublin has a healthy music scene and plenty to offer those who prefer more intimate venues to the major arenas. And as Irish comedians prove they are more than flavour of the month on the British and American circuits, homegrown comedy is undergoing a resurgence. Hot Press and In Dublin magazines are great sources of information and gossip. Or consult the freebie paper Event Guide and Time Out for dates.

Entertainment: Music & Comedy

Getting Around

Getting out of the city, buses, the staple of Dublin transport, are exact-fare only, with change tiresomely given in the form of receipts to be redeemed at Dublin Bus headquarters; day tickets will save you hassle. Taxi-rank queues curl around the city on weekend nights - expect to wait for a long, long time. Calling a cab is an alternative, but even these can be hard to find at busy times.

• The CIE Group site brings together city bus and regional rail and bus information, including:
  • Dublin Bus
  • Aerlink (airport service)
  • Railink (links city centre railways)
• Aircoach is a private coach company linking major hotels with Dublin airport.
• The DART light-rail system snakes down the coastal areas north and south of the city.
• Nitelink buses service most suburbs late into Thursday-Saturday nights.

Miscellaneous

• Dublin's museums and galleries are well-documented and generally easy to find. Lesser known attractions among the more obvious sights include:
  • The Casino at Marino has nothing to do with gambling. This ingenious neoclassical building located three miles north of the city centre is very much worth the visit, and the tour is included in the entry fee.
  • The Irish Museum of Modern Art in Kilmainham holds some great exhibitions in very imposing surroundings.
  • The Irish Jewish Museum (restricted opening times) features artefacts and documents relating to Ireland's fading Jewish community and was opened in 1985 by the late Israeli president D. Chaim Herzog, who was born in Ireland.
  • Marsh's Library is a preserved scholar's library at St. Patrick's Cathedral, while the Chester Beatty Library houses fine collections of East Asian, Islamic and Western art.
• Literature and alcohol are firm friends in Dublin. The literary pub crawl uses Dublin's literary figures as an excuse to introduce you to some handsome Dublin pubs. Pay attention and win a t-shirt. Or why not try a book reading? The entrance fee to these friendly little events generally covers a glass or two of wine. Ask at Waterstone's or Hodges Figgis bookshops, both on Dawson Street.
• If driving around graveyards at night in a red-velvet-curtained bus is your thing, Dublin Bus's Ghost Bus Tour is for you. The city and coastal bus tours are also to be recommended.
• March 17th is St. Patrick's day, and the feast day of Ireland's patron saint has metamorphosed from a rainy, lacklustre, provincial affair to an impressive four-day festival. Less well-known, Bloomsday, on June 16th, is an annual re-enactment by fans of Joyce's Ulysses of the events of Leopold Bloom's day; expect to see grown-ups in Victorian costumes eating gorgonzola and buying lemon soap.
• Smithfield, Dublin's new "up-and-coming" quarter, is still rough around the edges but worth a visit for its interesting architecture. Attractions include the Old Jameson Distillery, and The Chimney, which gives you great views of the city. The Smithfield market is the genuine article and even sells horses.
• Take in a Gaelic football or hurling game at Croke Park. Fixtures and game rules can be had from the Gaelic Athletic Association. The less noble sport of greyhound racing is just as much fun at Shelbourne Park.
• Your granny knows it: you don't have to spend money to have a good time. BestValueIreland.com has some excellent tips for activities that won't cost you a cent - from open-air cinema to free flamenco.

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