Relaxing

Ask a member of Dublin’s chattering classes to name their favourite “secret spot” in the city, and there’s a fair chance the response will be the Iveagh Gardens. It has become this almost mythical place that nobody is supposed to know about, yet everybody does.

Nevertheless it remains true that, thanks to its concealed location behind the National Concert Hall, this wonderful park attracts nothing like the crowds of nearby St Stephen’s Green.

The gardens combine traditional English landscaping with formal features like statues, fountains, rockeries and a rose garden. The real beauty of the place, however, is the feeling of quiet seclusion.

If you fancy reading a book, having a nap or just whiling away a few hours on a sunny day in Dublin, this is a much more attractive option than jostling for space in St Stephen’s Green.

There are roughly 1.5 million inhabitants in the Dublin metro area and you might bump into a few at the local pubs or at a rugby match. Not many people realize that within the city, there are another 1.5 million residents you won’t be likely to see on the street.

You can however find them at Glasnevin. The necropolis that is Glasnevin Cemetery, located a few blocks from the National Botanical Gardens is famous for many things. As mentioned, the sheer size of the place and the unbelievable number of tombs rivals the number of happy go lucky Dubliners that live, work, party, and play just a few steps outside its gates.

Other points of interest? The tombs of the brave, the inspiring, and the famous such as Daniel O’Connell, Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, and Michael Collins can all be found within the walls. The crematorium is also unique for being the largest and most modern in Europe. More recently, Galsnevin has opened a wonderful museum where one can practice a bit of genealogy, something that not all cemeteries provide.

I suggest showing up early for one of the tours so that you may get an insight into Dublin’s past through the voice of a local… and keep an eye for the watch towers as these were placed to keep body snatchers at bay during the 18th & 19th centuries!

Ireland’s culture goes back way before the Vikings thought it would be fun to pillage and burn in this mysterious part of Europe. If learning about the origins of a culture and its people is what intrigues you, I suggest you stop by The National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology.

Inside the Victorian structure, your eyes will discover items created by some of Ireland’s earliest residents as far back as 7,000 B.C. The museum is composed of several galleries that take you through a journey of Ireland’s past, from the Stone Age all the way through medieval times.

The more popular collections are those of Irish gold and the bog bodies. The gold gallery is extraordinary and cannot be missed (in the center of the main hall). The bog body exhibit takes you back to the Iron Age and gives you a glimpse into the Irish world at the time. This particular part of the permanent exhibit must not be missed! If you are having trouble finding it, ask any of the staff, as they will happily show you.

Other attractions that you might find equally captivating are The Treasury, which takes you through the development of Irish art, and the items presented from Viking Ireland. In addition to the wonders inside the building, you will also find enjoyment in the architecture of the place. The dome in the entrance must be admired and the mosaic floors will keep your eyes merrily entertained.

One of the greatest advantages of using a bus pass when you are in Dublin is the fact that you can go anywhere and everywhere in and around the city, without caring for anything else in the world besides what lies ahead.

One of the areas not often seen by tourists are the areas of Raheny and Clontarf, which hide a charming space in a former Guinness family estate. The spot is St. Anne’s Park, north of the Liffey.

Indeed, the park is situated in what used to be a 500-acre estate belonging to the Guinness family — yes, Arthur’s people.

St. Anne’s features many amenities including a duck pond, a lovely and extensive rose garden, The Red Stables (of art gallery & farmers’ market fame), woodlands for leisurely strolls, a golf course and playing fields among other things.

Should you happen to love roses and be in Dublin during the month of July, an annual rose festival takes place in the grounds with plenty of plants and flowers for show and for sale. Kiosks throughout the park during the festival make the ambience even livelier with plenty of arts & crafts vendors, food, live entertainment, and activities for young and old.

As already mentioned, the Tudor-styled Red Stables are located within the park, hosting day and residential artists’ studios from within Ireland and abroad. Not only can you get closer to nature and art while in St. Anne’s Park, but you can also appreciate suburbia with an Irish spin.

If life were perfect, I’d be living in a penthouse apartment overlooking The Grand Canal Dock with its theater – designed by legendary architect Daniel Libeskind, also responsible for The Holocaust Museum (Berlin) and the winning design for the new World Trade Center in New York City – and square designed by the masterful minds at Martha Schwartz Partners. This public space has everything you could ever dream of. From a supermarket, to a local bakery, several restaurants, a barbershop and the theater of thought provoking and illuminating vision, to residential and office buildings of intriguing modern quality.

The area sits in a former derelict space in the Dublin docklands. Thankfully, through the efforts of investors, visionaries, and local support, the colorful and cheerful space is available for everyone to enjoy at any time of the day or night. The Grand Canal Dock can’t be missed, for it gives the visitor a true sensory experience of Dublin in the 21st century.

I suggest you go there by foot from city centre. Walk along the River Liffey on the North bank, heading east, where you will stumble upon other interesting places such as the IFSC, and the CHQ Building. Eventually, cross the bridge that’s shaped like a harp (Dublin’s newest cityscape addition) onto the south bank and continue East to let your eyes feast on the colors, angles and textures that will slowly unravel before you.