Ireland

This is a great place to take refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. Entry to the city’s oldest library (which dates from 1788) to browse the collections is free, and there’s also a great café and regular exhibitions.

This cafe offers the most delicious raspberry, apple, and chocolate chip scones you will ever taste. In addition they offer a wide variety of pastries, sandwiches, and teas. Their 2 locations in Dublin are fairly close to each other but distinct—...

The Temple Bar brings a lot of tourists and locals to the square. Go out there when it just starts to get dark and you will find yourself in the middle of a fun nightlife scene with brilliant musicians, new friends, and even some leprechauns ;)...

Irish history sets the tone throughout this red-brick Victorian’s marbled halls. The 284 rooms include the apartment where the constitution was drafted, and a tapestry by famed 20th-century Dublin painter Louis le Brocquy hangs above the fireplace...

In what was once the Jameson family mansion, chef Ross Lewis specializes in Irish haute cuisine. The menu at this Michelin-starred restaurant changes seasonally. Standout dishes include cured Clare Island salmon with smoked pear, and a spiced...

A fanciful three-week celebration of the arts, Fringe has been an annual asylum for artistic oddballs since 1994. Nearly 650 productions— theater, dance, poetry, magic, outdoor installations—enliven venues all over Dublin. 353/(0) 1-670-6106....

Start with chorizo-stuffed squid and a Hendrick’s martini. Follow these with a pancetta-topped lobster burger with truffle-and-Parmesan fries, and you’ll know that you’ve moved well beyond traditional fish and chips. 353/(0) 1-679-7000. This...

Deft use of social media—you can tweet for a seat and get a special deal—enabled a pop-up poultry joint to settle into long-term industrial-chic digs in 2011. Atmosphere, like the menu, is minimalist. Flavors are not. The addictive qualities of...

A paradise of collectible and contemporary spirits awaits the serious whiskey connoisseur. The stock here includes a single malt from the tiny island of Inish Turk Beg, in handblown bottles (pictured), and an exclusive Connemara bottling aged in a...

This is a gem, tucked away from busy city street, in Pheonix park, which happens to be the largest city park in Europe. This place brings you back in time—half a century into not too distant past, where people congregated here for a drink after a...

Best bar in the world? Debatable. Freshest Guinness on earth? No doubt. An expedition to the Gravity Bar at St. James's Gate, perched atop the venerated Guinness Storehouse, was the perfect way to cap our Irish escapades. The storehouse, including...

Gravity Bar has wonderful 360-degree views of Dublin and all the Guinness you can drink. You can even try your hand at pouring the perfect pint. The bartenders know what they're doing, and to prove it, they make shamrocks into the foam with a...

I had the absolute pleasure of being in Dublin during St. Patty's Day, and it really was, as the cliche goes, "a sea of green". The streets were madness, but so full of love. What I love about the Irish when they drink is that they are happy: full...

This Temple Bar area in central Dublin is nicknamed "Temple Barf" due to all the bars and the drunk tourists who pay for overpriced Guinness within them. I was enjoying a pint of the dark stuff in the Palace Bar when two young women from Norway...

Centred around St Anne’s Cathedral, the narrow streets of this city quarter are thriving with restaurants, pubs and arts venues – stop here for food, drink or a cultural outing at the MAC arts venue in St Anne’s Square, which has three galleries,...

This is a vibrant indoor market with everything from tasty food stalls (hot and cold) to crafts, jewelry, and often live music, adding to the atmosphere and making it a great place to spend a couple of hours on a weekend day. If you only do one...

With its eye-catching gothic facade, as well as plenty of other listed buildings around its spacious campus, Queen's University is worth an hour or two’s exploring (you can take a self-guided walking tour with a map from the visitor's centre)....

Joel is driving me through the notorious Protestant Shankill district where he grew up in Belfast during "The Troubles"—when bombings and killings wracked this city for 30 years. I didn’t know a lot about the conflict before coming here. Joel is...

A look at Belfast's City Hall.

With strong political and religious undercurrents, the murals found around Belfast are a powerful reminder of Northern Ireland's recent past and a must-see for anyone who wants to delve deeper into Belfast's tragic history. The political wall art...

Located in the University Quarter and designed by the same architect as Queen's University, the bosky Botanic Gardens contain one of the city's most impressive Victorian relics. The Palm House is an original wrought-iron conservatory greenhouse...

Opened in 1906, Belfast City Hall proudly surveys the heart of the city on Donegall Square. It's here that residents congregate in times of celebration or protest and it's also home to a cheery traditional European-style market in the run up to...

OX Belfast recently added a Michelin star to its ever-lengthening string of accolades. This is one of the city's new wave of restaurants that showcase the best ingredients Ireland has to offer, like smoked eel from nearby Lough Neagh with a modern...

Another acclaimed spot on Belfast's culinary map is this relaxed restaurant where Irish ingredients like local cheese, cured sea trout and wild venison are featured on both the à la carte and four- and five-course tasting menus. There's also an...

Belfast is famous for its murals, most notably the politically themed paintings representing partisan Loyalist/Unionist and Republican/Nationalist interests carried over from The Troubles. But the city is a music and soccer town, as well, and in...

Victorian watering holes don't get any more atmospheric than this tiny gem. Virtually every available surface is decorated with elaborate mosaics and etched glass, while the coziness factor is amped up by gas lamps, an elaborately carved ceiling...

Michael Deane has a number of well-regarded restaurants, including the fine-dining Eipic that has had critics gushing. This is a more casual affair that serves food throughout the day. Come for a tasty breakfast, or visit in the early evening for...

One of Belfast's must-do shopping experiences is a stroll through the aisles of its weekend food market. Producers from around the city and beyond come here to sell fruit, meat, seafood, vegetables, baked goods and oils. It also plays a part in...

Irish retail success-story Avoca started off selling blankets from a historic mill in County Wicklow, south of the border. This Belfast outpost sells colorful heritage throws in lambswool and mohair, plus boho-chic clothing, food and home goods.

Something of a local landmark, residents have been stocking up at this food store and delicatessen since it opened in 1897. Head to this little slice of Belfast's culinary history to find shelves groaning with charcuterie, seafood, game, jams,...

This is where to find out how Irish whiskey is made, with a guided tour through the live production process from grain to glass at Ireland’s oldest working distillery, which got its licence in 1608. You can see everything from the malted barley...

A trip to the Giant's Causeway is made all the better with the audio guide provided. A beautiful walk on paths next to the sea are filled with voices from the past and their stories of the Causeway.

If you're strolling through Salthill in Galway, Ireland -- don't miss out on this quaint little bakery!!

Despite Aran knits' newfound popularity among fashionistas, Ó’Máille has been selling hand-knit Aran sweaters for decades from its shop in the center of Galway. Go here for traditionally inspired clothing, including sweaters and coats, and home...

Kennys has been Galway’s go-to place for the printed word for more than 75 years. Now installed in expansive new premises—and with a strong online presence as well—the store is a must for any bookworm. Inventory includes new, old, out-of-print and...