James Horan
Guinness is available the world over, but it really does taste better in Dublin. Where serves the best pint? It's hard to say for sure, but it's always good watching a pint being slowly pulled and then settling, ready to be sunk. You'll hear native Dubliners say they're going "down the pub" or to the "local" for some craic (fun). Grab a pint and join in the craic.
Wander along Dublin's Georgian streets to experience one of the great pleasures of a visit to the city. Merrion Square is one of its most elegant squares, lined on three sides with well-preserved Georgian houses, including Number Twenty Nine, the Georgian House Museum.
Approach Christ Church Cathedral, one of Dublin's oldest landmarks, from the rivier to truly appreciate its magnificence. The cathedral dates back to 1030, although the present structure was built in the 1870s. St. Laurence O'Toole's heart belongs to Christ Church--literally. It resides in an iron box in the southeast chapel.
The real show at Dublin Castle is inside, where visitors can take a guided tour of the opulent interior. Highlights include the State Rooms with the throne used for royal visits and the ceremonial St Patrick's Hall with ceiling paintings and family crests, used for the inauguration of Irish presidents.
St. Patrick's Cathedral is Ireland's largest church and the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. Famous for its loud-pealing bells, its interior is especially spiritually uplifting in the late afternoon when organ music plays and shafts of sunlight filter through the stained-glass windows.