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Dublin - Literary Dublin
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Dublin offers bookworms endless possibilities when following the trail of literary figures, both fictional and in the real lives of their creators. A visit of every single sight of literary significance in a single day would constitute a physical impossibility, therefore this tour offers a mere taster of places of literary interest.

The natural introduction to Dublin's literary world and obvious starting-point is, unsurprisingly, the Dublin Writers museum on Parnell Square. This museum, set in a restored 18th century townhouse, gives a broad introduction to the authors and works of literature that have put Dublin on the map-starting with the first Gaelic translation of the Old Testament and continuing on to 20th century modern classics. Downstairs in the Gorham Library you can find a collection of first editions and various exhibits from the private lives of the writers, including correspondence and other memorabilia. Upstairs houses the Gallery of Writers. Sumptuously decorated in white and gold, with ornate doors and a stucco ceiling, there are frequent poetry recitals and lectures held here.

Walk up Great Denmark Street to where it meets North Great George's Street. You will pass Belvedere College-the prestigious school that was built as a Catholic answer to Trinity College and where Dublin's beloved James Joyce (1882-1941) spent his unhappy school days.

If you walk back down along North Great George's Street you will come to the James Joyce Centre, an absolute must for any Joyce enthusiast. Perfectly located on the city's northside, which was Joyce's own stomping ground, a short walk affords a glimpse of no 7 Eccles Street-home to Leopold and Molly Bloom in Joyce's epic novel. The centre itself is a beautifully and lavishly restored Georgian townhouse which also features (albeit in a minor role) in Ulysses. The building is a rare example of Michael Stapleton's stucco mouldings, which makes it one of Dublin's most prized museums, even without the Joyce exhibits. Talks are regularly held here, and exhibits detailing Joyce's literary and private life, including an exhibition of prized family portraits, are all on display.

The Joyce Centre is also the chief organiser of the annual Bloomsday celebration. Every year Joyce enthusiasts congregate on June 16th to make a pilgrimage to important points of reference in the novel Ulysses. There is also a Ulysses portrait gallery with depictions of some of the many hundred characters that appear in the novel. The Guinness Library houses a collection of different editions and translations of Joyce's work, so you can even read up on what all the fuss is about.

Cross Parnell Street and continue down Malborough Street until you reach Abbey Lower Street. Number 26 is the Abbey Theatre, effectively Ireland's national theatre, which continues to promote Irish talent. Founded as the Irish Literary Theatre in 1904 by W.B. Yeats and other members of the Irish Literary Society, it gained notoriety for upsetting nationalist sensibilities with the 1926 staging of Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars. Over the years, the theatre continued to gain a reputation for controversy, often requiring a heavy police presence to avoid bloodshed. The original building was lost to fire in 1955 and replaced by the current (architecturally undistinguished) Abbey in 1961.

Cross Parnell Street and continue down Malborough Street until you reach Abbey Lower Street. Number 26 is the Abbey Theatre, effectively Ireland's national theatre, which continues to promote Irish talent. Founded as the Irish Literary Theatre in 1904 by W.B. Yeats and other members of the Irish Literary Society, it gained notoriety for upsetting nationalist sensibilities with the 1926 staging of Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars. Over the years, the theatre continued to gain a reputation for controversy, often requiring a heavy police presence to avoid bloodshed. The original building was lost to fire in 1955 and replaced by the current (architecturally undistinguished) Abbey in 1961.

Continue down Abbey Street Lower until you reach O'Connell Street Lower, then turn left into it and head over the river. Now in the historical heart of Dublin, head straight for Trinity College in the middle of College Green. Trinity College, like Oxford or Cambridge, is a famous seat of learning with a long list of distinguished ex-students. They include: Oscar Wilde-renowned playwright and author of the Importance of Being Earnest; Samuel Beckett-author of Waiting for Godot; Jonathan Swift-author of Gulliver's Travels; Bram Stoker- Dracula; and J.M. Synge-who wrote The Playboy of the Western World. This last piece caused such outrage when it was staged at The Abbey in 1907 that police were required to avoid serious violence.

Facing College Green is the college's West Front, framed by two statues of distinguished ex-students: the philosopher and statesman Edmund Burke and the poet Oliver Goldsmith. Try to ignore the frenzy of tourists at Trinity and enjoy the beautiful and inspiring surroundings by wandering around the quads. But eventually, accepting that it is your fate to be squashed by others taller and bigger than you are, it's time to follow the herd of visitors and head for the Old Library, which is easily accessible from Fellows Square. The greatest treasure of the Old Library is undoubtedly the Book of Kells-Ireland's most richly decorated manuscript, containing the Four Gospels in Latin. The beautiful calligraphy and intricate detail make it immediately obvious as to why the Book of Kells is one of Ireland's most prized treasures. Legend has it that Queen Victoria graffitied the book with her signature!

Amble over from College Green to St Stephen's Green at a nicely relaxed pace-the quickest route is to cross Nassau Street and head straight down Dawson Street. This beautiful and spacious green was intended by the Georgian town planners as the centrepiece for the elegant development of the city. Such elegance can still be seen in the design of Fitzwilliam and Merrion Squares. Apart from a beautiful and inspiring place to take a walk, St Stephen's Green also pays homage to two of Dublin's most prized literary greats: Joyce and Yeats. W.B. Yeats (1865-1939) was arguably Ireland's greatest poet, winning the Nobel prize in 1923. The statue to him on St Stephen's Green is by Henry Moore.

Leave the Green using the southwest corner, where it meets Cuffe Street and Harcourt Street. Continue down Harcourt Street until you reach Camden Place on your right-the third turning will be Synge Street. Number 33 Synge Street was the birthplace of the renowned playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), author of Pygmalion and yet another Nobel laureate (he donated a substantial share of the prize money to the National Gallery). The house where Shaw lived with his family until he was ten years old has been furnished in authentic Victorian style and, although there are few original Shaw-family belongings, it manages to capture the sombre mood of the stiff society and crumbling family life that featured so heavily in Shaw's family household at the time.

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Abbey Theatre

Ireland's historic National Theatre

26 Lower Abbey Street
Dublin, Leinster
Ireland
+353 1 887 2200 (Administration) / +353 1 878 7222 (Box Office)
http://www.abbeytheatre.ie

Founded in 1904 by W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory, the Abbey is Ireland's national theatre and remains a crucial promoter of established and emerging Irish playwrights. The theatre's early years saw much controversy: the 1926 premiere of O'Casey's 'The Plough and the Stars' upset nationalist sensibilities and provoked Yeats to personally rebuke the audience, who felt offended by the depiction of the 1916 nationalist movement. Although generally less controversial these days, new Irish plays are still staged in the basement theatre, the Peacock. The theatre's Abbey Street premises has been open since 1961, but changes are afoot. The management is currently considering a move south of the river.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Cristiano Cardin

Dublin Writers Museum

To be or not to be... 18 Great Denmark Street
Dublin, Leinster
Ireland
+353 1 872 2077
http://www.writersmuseum.com/ Those curious about Dublin's literary art will do well to spend some quality time among man's best friends – books! The writer's museum, housed in a Georgian mansion, is a treasure-hold of collections dating as far back as three hundred years. It's not just the works you will browse through, but books, letters, portraits and personal items of some very famous writers, like Oscar Wilde. A visit to the Gallery of Writers is a must; the portraits and busts enhance this space, which is used for receptions and exhibitions. The experience is enhanced by temporary exhibitions and a lunchtime theatre. Top it off with a visit to the in-house bookshop and café. Admission charges are EUR6.50 for adults, EUR4 for children and EUR 18 for a family.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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James Joyce Centre

A fitting tribute 35 North Great Georges Street
Dublin
Ireland
+353 1 878 8547
http://www.jamesjoyce.ie/home/ This Georgian townhouse is beautifully restored thanks to the efforts of David Norris, a Joycean enthusiast, Irish Senator and human rights activist who saved the house from demolition. Once the home of Dennis Maginni and his dance school, the James Joyce Center hosts an extensive program of events, including films, lectures and walking tours of Joycean Dublin haunts. The center also organizes Bloomsday, an annual celebration of Joyce's "Ulysses," which takes place on June 16th.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Merrion Square

Georgian elegance Merrion Street
Dublin
Ireland
+353 1 661 2369 Merrion Square is the grandest of the city's great set-piece squares. The park in the centre is owned by the Catholic Church, which has leased it to the city. It is a beautifully maintained green space in the heart of the city dotted with sculpture and public art, the most visible of which is probably the monument to Oscar Wilde in the north-west corner. Wilde spent his childhood at 1, Merrion Square, while W.B. Yeats lived at No. 82. On Sundays, artists hang their works for sale on the railings surrounding the park.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Shaw's Birthplace

Childhood home of Irish playwright 33 Synge Street
Dublin, Leinster
Ireland
+353 1 475 0854 Though sometimes overshadowed by the more celebrated Irish authors, George Bernard Shaw was a Nobel prize winner and the noted author of many plays, including Pygmalion. He was born and spent his early years in this house. He remained in the house until his parents finally separated and his mother took him to England. Although little of the Shaws' personal effects are on view, the sombre mood of a Victorian family in trouble is conveyed rather effectively. For literature enthusiasts, a visit here should be an informative part of your Irish itinerary.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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St Stephen's Green

Pretty oasis in city centre Grafton Street
Dublin
Ireland
+353 (0)1 475 7816 /+353 (0)1 605 7700 (Tourist info)
http://www.visitdublin.com/vis... Dublin's most famous park is steeped in history. It started life as common ground, not far from a lepers' hospital, and was eventually enclosed in 1664. The site of public hangings throughout the 18th century, it was not until Lord Ardilaun's patronage in 1880 that the park took on the landscaped form that we see now. Memorials are dotted around the flower beds, trees and willow-fringed duck pond. James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and W.B. Yeats are just some of the famous names commemorated, while the Three Fates smugly measure the thread of humanity's destiny from their fountain at Leeson Street Gate. Free concerts are held on summer days in the bandstand.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Trinity College

Ireland's premier university College Green
Dublin
Ireland
+353 1 608 1000
http://www.tcd.ie/ Founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I, Trinity is Ireland's most prestigious university, attracting thousands of visitors each year. The college consists of a series of fine open squares and College Park. The major attraction at Trinity is the exquisitely decorated illuminated manuscript, the Book of Kells, which dates from 800 A.D. and contains 340 folios which illustrate the four New Testament gospels. The Old Library is also a worth a visit for its antiquarian books. The College Chapel and Berkeley Library should not be missed.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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