10 Must Do Stops in Changing Dublin

Dublin prompts easy associations -- good Guinness, good writers, good conversations over Guinness about writing.

To be sure, Guinness is everywhere and writers are drinking it. But though landmark pubs and ale houses faithfully pour pints, new establishments are concocting new libations for new lounge lizards - immigrants who have come to work in the Irish capital's new industries. Recent emigrés have affected Dublin profoundly, as restaurants and shops open to cater to changing tastes.

The city's architectural landscape is being transformed as well. Office buildings have sprouted up mere blocks from pristine Georgian townhouses. Construction cranes seem a permanent addition to the skyline.

There are many new Dublins to explore, but the city's heritage remains the key to its identity. Below are 10 must-do sights and activities to introduce you to Dublin. Some city traditions may reinforce your assumptions: if you search for your soul in the bottom of a pint glass, for example, Dublin certainly has a spot for you. Take the time to chat up your fellow patrons, though, and you'll get a sense of what life is like in this rapidly changing metropolis. When you leave Dublin, these conversations may well be your favorite souvenirs.

Guinness Storehouse. Guinness is to Ireland what wine is to France, and no trip to Dublin is complete without sampling Ireland's national drink. Every pub in the city serves it, but there's enough history in Arthur Guinness' famous stout to warrant a visit to the source. Multimedia displays in the pint-glass-shaped Storehouse explain how a tiny brewery in St. James's Gate became a global empire serving 10 million glasses a day. Tours are self-guided, but well-placed arrows direct you from one section to the next. End your tour by taking the elevator to the Gravity bar, where you can enjoy a free pint while looking out on the city through the 360-degree picture windows. The bar stocks Coca-Cola for nondrinkers and Bud for those who absolutely insist. St. James's Gate, Dublin 8, tel. 353/1453-8364. www.guinnessstorehouse.com. €13.50. Daily. 9:30- 5.

The James Joyce Centre. Thirty-five North Great George's Street is the intellectual home of the writer James Joyce. Inside the restored Georgian townhouse are extensive exhibits on the man and the city he loved but couldn't stand to live in. Photos capture Joyce's years in Trieste and the real-life Dubliners who appeared in his books under fictional names. Many are of people represented in Ulysses, Joyce's modernist love letter to Dublin and its people, but don't despair if you don't recognize all the names -- even some of the Centre's employees haven't finished reading the challenging work.

To learn about Joyce is to learn about his city, so consider taking one of the Centre's walking tours of northern Dublin. A 1½ hour stroll, a great way to see neighborhoods north of the Liffey that visitors don't usually see, takes in spots where Joyce resided and that he immortalized in his books. 35 N. Great George's St., Dublin 1, tel. 353/1878-8547. www.jamesjoyce.ie. €4.50, walking tours €9. Mon.- Sat. 9:30- 5, Sun. 12:30- 5.

Grafton Street. Possibly the busiest street in Ireland, this pedestrians-only thoroughfare is one of Dublin's best places for strolling and people-watching. Walk quickly, though, because almost everybody else is doing some serious shopping. Everything for the shopaholic is close at hand -- from clothes to music to crafts -- and malls on streets radiating off Grafton provide sheltered browsing on rainy days. After you've made the day's purchases and checked out the street performers, stop for a cup of tea and a pastry in Bewley's, a multilevel teahouse with comfy places to sit. Late afternoon is perhaps the only time Grafton Street takes a breather. As teatime becomes evening, stores close and the street becomes a major nightlife destination, with drinking spots that reflect Dubliners' dual tastes for public houses and posh lounges.

Merrion Square. An island of tranquillity amid Dublin's construction frenzy, Merrion Square is the perfect place to stop for a rest after spending the morning in the National Gallery across the street. Labyrinthine paths through the square's high hedges give way to manicured gardens. From a quiet spot on a bench it's easy to forget that the chaos of the 21st century is only blocks away. Chirping birds and gentle breezes inspire reveries of a time when ladies and their gentlemen paused to admire the tulips on a bright spring day -- you half expect to see parasols bobbing above the hedges. At one time, those parasols might have been in the company of some of Dublin's most prominent citizens: W. B. Yeats, Sir William and Speranza Wilde (Oscar's parents), and Daniel O'Connell all resided in the fine Georgian townhouses on three sides of the square. Today the buildings are mostly occupied by businesses, a reminder that even this unique spot in Dublin is part of the modern world. Merrion Sq. Daily sunrise- sunset.

Old Jameson Distillery. Not as fancy or as sophisticated as the Guinness Storehouse, the house of Jameson retains a human element missing from the Guinness showplace. First on the agenda is a brief film on the history of whiskey and Irish distilleries, Uisce Beatha-The Water of Life. Although a corny presentation limits its entertainment value, the film explains the significance of whiskey to the Irish: the word "uisce," Gaelic for water, is the root for the English word "whiskey." After the film, a guided tour follows the process of whiskey-making inside the restored distillery. At the end of the tour, four volunteers are invited to sample Irish whiskeys and compare them with bourbon and Scotch. Everyone else gets to sip Jameson's, which should be taken straight. Save the mixer for common liquors. Bow St., Smithfield, Dublin 7, tel. 353/1807-2355. www.jameson.ie. €7. Daily 9- 6.

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl. For those who can't stomach a drink without poetry (or poetry without a drink), this pub crawl hosted by two professional actors makes both go down easy. In between drinking stops the actors tell stories about Dublin's literary life, past and present. The itinerary includes stops at such pubs as the Old Stand, one of Brendan Behan's haunts, and Davy Byrne's, where Leopold Bloom drops in for a glass of wine and a cheese sandwich in James Joyce's Ulysses. The sunny faces of pub patrons contrast with the stern expressions of the barkeeps -- drinking is serious business in Ireland. Bone up on your Irish literary history before you go on the crawl: it includes a quiz guaranteed to stump even English majors. The Duke Pub, upstairs, 9 Duke St., Dublin 2, tel. 353/1670-5602. www.dublinpubcrawl.com. €8.90. Apr.- Oct., Mon.- Sat. 7:30 PM, Sun. noon and 7:30 PM; Nov.- Mar., Thurs.- Sat. 7:30 PM, Sun. noon and 7:30 PM.

Dublin Writers Museum. Ireland's second most famous product -- after Guinness, of course -- is its writers. This museum, in the former home of George Jameson (of the Jameson whiskey family) on the north side of Parnell Square, contains an assortment of manuscripts, first editions, and letters representing the lives and works of W. B. Yeats, Wilde, and Joyce, and other Irish scribes. The attractions range from the hilarious to the macabre: included in the collection is Brendan Behan's typewriter, which he supposedly sent sailing through the window of a pub in a fit of anger, and a first edition of Bram Stoker's Dracula. The stained-glass windows, courtesy of Jameson, bear his monogram and coat of arms. 18 Parnell Sq., Dublin 1, tel. 353/1872-2077. www.writersmuseum.com. €6. Mon.- Sat. 10- 5, Sun. 11- 5.

The Book of Kells. The Old Library of Trinity College displays this elaborately illuminated manuscript, a copy of the gospels created by Irish monks more than 1,000 years ago. In the 12th century the book was declared the work of an angel. A small exhibit explains its history and function in Irish missionary life. Only four pages are on view at a time. The Book of Kells itself is worth a trip to the Old Library, but don't ignore the other holdings, which form the largest collection of printed books and manuscripts in Ireland. One of the few copies of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic is here, as is the oldest Irish harp, probably dating from the 15th century. Old Library, Trinity College, tel. 353/1608-2308. www.tcd.ie. €5.70. Oct.- May, Mon.- Sat. 9:30- 5, Sun. 12:30- 4:30; June- Sept., Mon.- Sat., 9:30- 5, Sun. 9:30- 4:30.

National Gallery of Ireland. The must-see attraction here is the Yeats Museum, dedicated to the Irish family whose members were talented in multiple mediums. Works by Jack B. Yeats, the most well-known Irish painter of the 20th century, capture a Dublin one catches only glimpses of today. Also in the museum are portraits by Jack B. Yeats' father, including one of W. B. Yeats. At the gallery you'll also find works by Rembrandt (Rest on the Flight into Egypt), Goya (Portrait of Dona Antonia Zarate), and Caravaggio (The Taking of Christ), just to name a few, along with paintings by the French Impressionists, Monet and Pissarro among them. Merrion Sq. W, Dublin 2, tel. 353/1661-5133. www.nationalgallery.ie. Free, suggested donation €3. Mon.- Sat. 9:30- 5:30, Thurs. 9:30- 8:30, Sun. noon- 5:30.

St. Stephen's Green. In 1880 Sir Arthur Guinness paid for this formerly private 27-acre park to be laid out in more or less the form it is in today. Encompassing both formal gardens and uncultivated woods, Stephen's Green is frequented by schoolchildren, who come to feed the ducks in the lake and play along meandering paths. Other visitors come to pay homage to statues of James Joyce and W. B. Yeats, who contemplate their respective sections of the grounds. Still others come to smell the flowers or rest after a busy morning of Grafton Street shopping. Though placid today, until 1664 the area was used for punishing criminals, and in 1916 the green was the sight of a military skirmish during the Easter Rising. St. Stephen's Green. Daily sunrise- sunset.

By Grael Norton
Grael Norton is a freelance travel writer based in New York City.