georgian dublin from heart of dublin on foot

1. Bewley's Café, our meeting point, is one of the three cafes founded in Dublin by the Bewley family. Their company has specialised in importing tea and coffee since 1840.
2. Grafton Street is a pedestrian street equally attractive to visitors and to Dubliners. There's always a carnival atmosphere with singers, musicians, jugglers and clowns putting on their shows against a background of splendid nineteenth century buildings. At the end of Grafton Street is Duke Street which has two pubs mentioned by James Joyce in 'Ulysses': The Bailey conserves the actual door of the house (7 Eccles Street) where Joyce's fictional representation, Leopold Bloom, lived, while Davy Byrne's is the pub where Joyce dined on that memorable day.
3. On Saint Stephen's Green there's a wonderful park with a small artificial lake, so well-known that it is impossible to grow up in Dublin without feeding the ducks on the lake. It was Lord Ardilaun, the Guinness producer, who in the 19th century dreamed up this park with its flower-beds, lake for aquatic wild life, bandstand and deck chairs for taking the sun. There's a beautiful sculpture by Henry Moore commemorating the Poet W B Yeats and on the southern side a simple bust of James Joyce looking towards 86 St Stephen's Green, a part of The National University, where Joyce studied at the end of the last century.
4. On Dawson Street the most conspicuous building is the Mansion House, residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin. Built at the beginning of the 18th century, it has the arms of the city of Dublin on its prediment. Just beside it is the Royal Irish Academy founded in the 18th century to keep the old Irish treasures which were later transferred to the National Museum.
5. On Kildare Street, at the Stephen's Green end, stands the Shelbourne Hotel, a large distinguished hotel built almost 200 years ago. It has an "olde worlde" reception room where afternoon tea can be taken in luxury. There is also a sophisticated cocktail bar, "The Horseshoe Bar", which is always crowded and packed to the gills during Horse Show week (early August). Further along Kildare Street is the National Museum, with its unique exhibitions of gold and silver Celtic art, early Christian chalices and varied pottery. Opposite the museum there's a house with a plaque in memory of Bram Stoker, who lived there and who wrote about and invented Dracula. Beyond the Museum is Leinster House, a Georgian building, presently the seat of the Irish government, where one can on occasion have a guided tour provided one has identification papers (passport or identity card). On the other side is the double of the Museum, the National Library, where the rarest and most precious Irish Manuscripts are kept.
6. Merrion Square is a marvellous public park surrounded by imposing Georgian houses with characteristic large windows and panelled doors. On the west side of the square, on either side of Leinster House, are the Natural History Museum and the national Art Gallery, the latter with a good collection of works by Irish as well as Italian, Flemish and English painters. On the right, in front of the Gallery, is a small statue of George Bernard Shaw, the author of St Joan Pygmalion.
7. Trinity College is an oasis of peace in the heart of the city which celebrated its 400 year anniversary just a few short years ago. The university was founded in 1592 and was the alma mater of Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift and Samuel Beckett. It has seven libraries with eight and a half million books. The Book Of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the Gospels written in the 8th century, can be seen in the Old Library, a library which is rich in atmosphere. On no account should this exquisitely written and illustrated book be missed.
8. During the middle ages, College Green was a large sports field, now the Bank of Ireland occupies it. This building was constructed in 1729 as home of the Irish Parliament and is as grandiose today as when it was built. It is possible, during banking hours (10.00 a.m. to 15.00 p.m.), to see the magnificent, restored House of Lords.
9. Off Dame Street one can find Dublin Castle, which was built in 1204 but restored during the Georgian period. Formerly the symbol of English power in Ireland the Castle now contains the State Apartments which are open to the public.
10. Christchurch Cathedral was built in 1172 and has splendid vaulted crypts whose walls are steeped in history. During the Middle Ages these cryps were used as markets and even as taverns. They were so turbulent that Trinity College students were not allowed to go there. We are now in the heart of Dublin, where the Vikings founded the city in the 9th century.
11. Saint Patrick's is another medieval cathedral a stone's throw from Christchurch and is the last stop on our tour. This is the oldest Christian site in the city. This is where St. Patrick built a church in the 5th century. The present church was built in 1190 and restored during the 19th century. It is now the national cathedral for Irish Protestants.