Con It is quite easy to visit Dublin on foot, strolling leisurely through its beautiful streets and stopping for a pint or a coffee in any of its numerous pubs and cafés, or enjoying the peacefulness and beauty of its parks.

The Liffey River cuts through the centre of the city. South of the Liffey is the old quarter, where we will find most of the places of interest we wish to visit. Grafton Street is the main shopping street in Dublin, and at the end, invariably surrounded by tourists, stands the statue of Molly Malone, the beautiful young girl of legend immortalized in the song “Cockles and Mussels”, the unofficial anthem of the city.

Opposite we find Trinity College, the oldest university in Ireland and one of the oldest in Europe (founded in 1592). Such prominent students as Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett spent their college years here.


GARDENS AND PUBS
At the south end of Grafton Street we find St Stephen Garden, a magnificent Victorian garden with long avenues filled with flowers and peaceful lakes. Concerts are often given at mid-day during the summer. In the surrounding area we can see the beautiful and elegant Georgian houses bearing the emblematic doors of Dublin.

Temple Bar is a lively area brimming with pubs, cafés, theatres and cultural centres, an enclave of cobblestone streets which extends from the shore of the river as far as Dame Street. The north shore can be reached by crossing either of two footbridges: Millennium Bridge or Ha’Penny Bridge. From here we pass through Merchant’s Arch to wander into the artistic heart of the city, where we can dine at one of the many bars or restaurants or enjoy an exhibition at any of the numerous cultural centres. Saturday markets held in the streets and squares are also a sight to see. The city’s history, from the Vikings to the present day, can be seen at Dublin City Hall.

The city takes its name from a black pool called Dubh Linn, which formed where the Poddle and Liffey Rivers converge and where today the gardens of Dublin Castle stand. This historical building is currently used as accommodations for foreign dignitaries visiting Dublin and for the celebration of solemn acts. Located in the gardens is the Chester Beatty library, a superb collection of manuscripts, illustrations and objets d’art representing the world’s most important cultures and religions.

ONE CITY, TWO CATHEDRALS
Nearby we find Christ Church Cathedral, the older of the two cathedrals in Dublin, a sublime building combining Romanesque and Gothic styles. Inside the cathedral is the tomb of Anglo-Norman knight Richard de Clare, 'Strongbow', who ordered the current building to be erected, as well as a reliquary containing the heart of St Laurence O'Toole, patron saint of Dublin. Of particular interest is the large crypt where important medieval manuscripts and objets d'art are kept, and which occupies the entire area under the nave and the choir.

Dublin's other cathedral, St. Patrick's Cathedral, stands on the site where it is said that St Patrick baptised converts in a spring in the year 450 A.D. The immense proportions of the central nave, and the swords, banners and helmets representing the knights of St Patrick which hang on the benches in the choir are of particular interest. Since 1742, Handel's Messiah is performed here during Holy Week and at Christmas.

Beyond what were once the walls of the city, you must visit Kilmainham Hospital. Inspired by Les Invalides in Paris and built as a retreat for veterans, it now houses the Irish Museum of Modern Art, IMMA. A tree-lined avenue links it to Kilmainham Gaol, a prison erected in 1789 and closed in the 1920s, and which has since been restored as a museum. On the way, we mustn't forget to stop off at the Guinness Storehouse, where we will discover the story behind the famous beer and the beer-making process and where we can enjoy a pint of Guinness in the Gravity Bar, which offers a magnificent panoramic view of Dublin from 7 stories up.

North of the Liffey River is O'Connell Street, one of the widest streets in Europe. In the centre stands The Spire, 120 metres high, just opposite the General Post Office, an emblematic building that erved as general headquarters during the Easter Rising of 1916. You can still see bullet holes in the columns and statues that line O'Connell Street.

Nearby are the James Joyce Centre and the Dublin Writers Museum, where you can learn about the history of such writers as James Joyce, Jonathan Swift, Bernard Shaw or William Butler Yeats through their books, letters and personal objects.

And we can't leave Dublin without visiting Phoenix Park on the east side of the city, the largest park in Europe. Established by the Duke of Ormond as a deer reserve for Charles II, it is an idyllic place to stroll and enjoy the peace and quite offered by its woods, or participate in activities such as polo or hurling.

And now we must say goodbye to Dublin, a beautiful and peaceful city full of charm, and to its people, always kind and polite. We will undoubtedly take with us fond memories and the desire to return and enjoy again what we have already discovered.