Book by Greenwood, Margaret, Hawkins, Hildi

Ireland: The Rough Guide, First Edition

Greenwood, Margaret

Hawkins, Hildi

Travel

Rough Guides

Ireland: The Rough Guide, Second Edition

Doran, Seán

Europe

INTRODUCTION 
A vibrant and compact city, Dublin has a pace and energy quite at odds with the relaxing image of Ireland as a whole. Prosperity generated by the Republic's economic boom in the 1990s has brought fundamental changes to the life of its capital, reversing the tide of emigration and creating a dynamic cultural centre. Visitors and Dubliners alike are astonished at the rate of transformation; chic bars and restaurants, new exhibitions and trendy shops all signify a major shift in the city's identity, no longer dominated by the insular conservatism of less than a decade ago. 
The city's emergence from provincialism is, however, only part of the picture. With the increase in population, Dublin is bulging at the seams, which, of course, brings its problems - spend just a couple of days here and you'll come upon inner-city deprivation as bad as any in Europe. The spirit of Dublin has its contradictions, too, with youthful enterprise set against a deeply embedded traditionalism: the national divorce referendum in 1995 may have gone in favour of reform, but it was a close-run thing. However, the collision of the old order and the forward-looking younger generations is as an essential part of the appeal of this extrovert and dynamic city, and, despite the differences, the wit and garrulous sociability for which its inhabitants are famous is a constant feature. In the legendary - and plentiful - bars, the buskers of Grafton Street and the tour guides who ply the streets with visitors in tow, there's an unmistakable love of banter. Dublin's considerable literary heritage owes much to this trait, and, on either side of the Liffey you'll find reminders of literary personalities who are as intrinsic to the city's character as the river itself - from the bronze plaques in the pavement following the route of Leopold Bloom, hero of James Joyce's Ulysses, to the remarkable statue of Oscar Wilde on Merrion Square. 
Ireland's tremendous economic growth - an average of nine percent per year between 1994 and 1998 - has given new impetus to just about every facet of the capital's cultural life. Historic treasures are being promoted and displayed in a way previously not possible, from the Millennium Wing of the National Gallery to the new displays of decorative arts at the Collins Barracks, and major periods of social and political history are articulated with flair, both in the plethora of theme-based tours available and the built environment of the city itself. Everywhere in Dublin you'll find evidence of a rich past well worth exploring: exceptional Viking finds excavated at Wood Quay (and now on show in the National Museum); impressive reminders of Anglo-Norman and British imperial power; elegant Georgian streets and squares; and monuments to the violent struggle for independence. The visual arts are enjoying a higher public profile too, with mouthwatering exhibitions in the city's numerous galleries supplemented by the development of a unique design scene, characterized by subtlety and experimentation. Throughout the city there's a palpable sense that Dublin's cultural heritage is coming into its own with striking confidence. 
Dublin is, of course, known for its pubs, and, for many, sampling the myriad bars and buzzing nightlife is an integral part of any visit to the city. There's also plenty of music on offer and, while the capital has nothing to match the music cultures of rural Ireland, there's no shortage of traditional, rock and jazz venues. Theatre too has long played a part in the city's cultural life and you can catch plays by O'Casey, Synge and Shaw all year round at the Abbey Theatre, as well as experiencing the vitality of Dublin's continuing dramatic tradition during the Theatre and Fringe Festivals. 
For those who want to get out into the surrounding countryside, again there are plenty of options. Dublin is within easy reach of the wild open heights of the Wicklow Mountains, the secluded monastic settlement of Glendalough, a sprinkling of choice stately homes, and some of Europe's most important prehistoric sites, including Knowth and Newgrange.

The Mini Rough Guide to Dublin, 2nd (Rough Guide Pocket)

Wallis, Geoff

INTRODUCTION Landscape and people are what bring most visitors to Ireland – the Republic and the North. And once there, few are disappointed by the reality of the stock Irish images: the green, rain-hazed loughs and wild, bluff coastlines, the inspired talent for talk and conversation, the easy pace and rhythms of life. What is perhaps more of a surprise is how much variety this very small land packs into its countryside. The limestone terraces of the stark, eerie Burren seem separated from the fertile farmlands of Tipperary by hundreds rather than tens of miles, and the primitive beauty of the west coast, with its cliffs, coves and strands, seems to belong in another country altogether from the rolling plains of the central cattle-rearing counties. It’s a place to explore slowly, roaming through agricultural landscapes scattered with farmhouses, or along the endlessly indented coastline. Spectacular seascapes unfold from rocky headlands, and the crash of the sea against the cliffs and myriad islands is often the only sound. It is perfect if you want space to walk, bike or (with a bit of bravado) swim; if you want to fish, sail, or spend a week on inland waterways. In town, too, the pleasures are unhurried: evenings over a Guinness or two in the snug of a pub, listening to the chat around a blood-orange turf fire. But there is another Ireland growing at a phenomenal pace alongside all of this. The extraordinary economic boom enjoyed by the Republic since the early 1990s has brought growth on an unprecedented scale. A country notoriously blighted by emigration is, at last, drawing people home with the lure of work. The conspicuous new wealth of many makes itself felt in every quarter of Irish life, but most especially in cities like Dublin and Galway where a proliferation of new bars, cafés and restaurants reveals a generation determined to enjoy life to the full. The cosmopolitan flavour of these cities is informed, in part, by the complex array of experiences brought home by returning ex-pats, more familiar with the ways of Melbourne and San Francisco, London and New York, than with those of the Aran Islands. The boom has its downsides – notably, spiralling property prices and the tensions brought about by increased immigration – but as a visitor you’ll probably be most struck by the t! remendous energy and palpable sense of confidence in the future, most especially in the young. To act as a backdrop, there’s a wealth of history. In every part of the island are traces of a culture established long before the coming of Christianity: sites such as Newgrange in County Meath or the clifftop fortress of Dun Aengus on Inishmore (the biggest of the Aran Islands) are among the most stupendous Neolithic remains in Europe, while in some areas of Sligo almost every hill is capped by an ancient cairn. In the depths of the so-called Dark Ages the Christian communities of Ireland were great centres of learning, and the ruins of Clonmacnois in County Offaly, the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary and a score of other monasteries are evocative of a time when Ireland won its reputation as a land of saints and scholars. Fortifications raised by the chieftains of the Celtic clans and the Anglo-Norman barons bear witness to a period of later turbulence, while the Ascendancy of the Protestant settlers has left its mark in the form of vast mansions and estates. But the richness of Irish culture is not a matter of monuments. Especially in the Irish-speaking Gaeltacht areas, you’ll be aware of the strength and continuity of the island’s oral and musical traditions. Myth-making is for the Irish people their most ancient and fascinating entertainment. The ancient classics are full of extraordinary stories – Cuchulainn the unbeatable hero in war, Medb the insatiable heroine in bed, or Fionn Mac Cumhaill (Finn Mac Cool) chasing Diarmuid and Gráinne up and down the country – and tall tales, superstition-stirring and "mouthing off" (boasting) play as large a part in day-to-day life as they did in the era of the Tain Bo Cuailngè, Europe’s oldest vernacular epic. As a guileless foreigner enquiring about anything from a beautiful lake to a pound of butter, you’re ideally placed to trigger the most colourful responses. And the speech of the country – moulded by the rhythms of the ancient tongue – has fired such twentieth-century greats as Yeats,! Joyce and Beckett. Music has always been at the centre of Irish community life. You’ll find traditional music sessions all around the touristed coasts and in the cities, too – some of it might be of dubious pedigree, but the Gaeltacht areas, and others, can be counted on to provide authentic renditions. Side by side with the traditional circuit is a strong rock scene, that has spawned Van Morrison, U2, Sinead O’Connor and more recently The Divine Comedy and Jack Lukeman. And ever-present are the balladeers, fathoming and feeding the old Irish dreams of courting, emigrating and striking it lucky; there’s hardly a dry eye in the house when the guitars are packed away. The lakes and rivers of Ireland make it an angler’s dream, but the sports that raise the greatest enthusiasm amongst the Irish themselves are speedier and more dangerous. Horse racing in Ireland has none of the socially divisive connotations present on the other side of the Irish Sea, and the country has bred some of the world’s finest thoroughbreds. While association football is as popular as in most parts of the world now, Gaelic football, sharing elements of soccer and rugby (which itself has its hotbeds, notably in Limerick), still commands a large following. Hurling, the oldest team game played in Ireland, requires the most delicate of ball skills and the sturdiest of bones. No introduction can cope fully with the complexities of Ireland’s politics, especially the dramatic changes in Northern Ireland in recent years. However, throughout the guide we have addressed the issues wherever they arise, and in the introduction to the North on p.521 and at the end of the book, in the "Contexts" section, we have included pieces that give a general overview of the current situation. Suffice it to say that, just about everywhere hospitality is as warm as the brochures say, on both sides of the border.

The Rough Guide to Ireland

Connolly, Mark

INTRODUCTION 
A vibrant and compact city, Dublin has a pace and energy quite at odds with the relaxed image of Ireland as a whole. Prosperity generated by the Republic’s economic boom has brought fundamental changes to the life of its capital, reversing the tide of emigration and creating a dynamic cultural centre. The ongoing rapidity of transformation is constantly apparent; new exhibitions, chic bars and restaurants and fashionable shops all signify a major shift in Dublin’s identity, no longer dominated by the insularity of the past, but increasingly adopting a more global outlook. 
The city’s emergence from provincialism is, however, only part of the picture. Increases in population have left Dublin bulging at the seams which, of course, brings its problems, not least in terms of the high cost of housing and rents: spend just a couple of days here and you’ll come upon inner-city deprivation as bad as any in Europe. Furthermore, the arrival of numbers of refugees and asylum-seekers has challenged perceived notions about Ireland’s homogeneity – and not all Dubliners have embraced the concept of multiculturalism. 
Dublin’s collective spirit has its contradictions, too, with youthful enterprise set against a deeply embedded traditionalism. However, the collision of the old order and the forward-looking younger generations is an essential part of the appeal of this extrovert capital, and, despite their differences, its inhabitants’ famous wit and garrulous sociability are a constant feature of Dublin life. In the legendary – and plentiful – bars, the buskers of Grafton Street and the patter of the tour guides who ply the streets with visitors in tow, there’s an unmistakable love of banter. The city’s considerable literary heritage owes much to this trait, and on either side of the Liffey you’ll find reminders of literary personalities who are as intrinsic to Dublin’s character as the river itself – from the bronze pavement plaques following the route of Leopold Bloom, hero of James Joyce’s Ulysses, to the Oscar Wilde statue striking an insouciant pose in Merrion Square. 
Ireland’s economic growth during the 1990s has lent new impetus to just about every facet of the capital’s cultural life. Historic treasures are being innovatively promoted and displayed, from the new Millennium Wing of the National Gallery to the wealth of decorative arts on show at the Collins Barracks, while the city’s social and political history is evoked with flair, both in the abundance of theme-based tours and in the fabric of the city itself. Everywhere in Dublin you’ll find evidence of a rich past well worth exploring: exceptional Viking finds excavated at Wood Quay (and now on show in the National Museum); impressive reminders of Anglo-Norman and British imperial power; elegant Georgian streets and squares; and monuments to Ireland’s violent struggle for independence from the British. The visual arts are enjoying a higher public profile too, with mouthwatering exhibitions in the city’s numerous galleries supplemented by the development of a unique design scene that’s characterized by subtlety, experimentation and exploration of Ireland’s Celtic past. Throughout the city there’s a palpable sense that Dublin’s cultural heritage is coming into its own – with striking confidence. 
Dublin is, of course, known for its pubs, and for many, sampling the myriad bars and buzzing nightlife is an integral part of visiting the city. There’s also plenty of music on offer and, while the capital has nothing to match rural Ireland, there are plenty of traditional music bars as well as an abundance of rock and jazz venues, and a vital and ever-changing club scene. Theatre, too, has long played a part in the city’s cultural life – you can catch plays by O’Casey, Synge and Shaw all year round at venues such as the Abbey Theatre, as well as experiencing the vitality of Dublin’s continuing dramatic tradition during the annual theatre and fringe festivals.

The Rough Guide to Dublin 3 (Rough Guide Mini Guides)