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Ten Dublin Literary Attractions
Dublin is known worldwide as the capital of Ireland, hosting landmarks such as the Spire of Dublin, Trinity College and St Patrick's Cathedral. Along with the UK's Edinburgh, Melbourne, Australia, Iowa City in the U.S. and others, UNESCO recognizes Dublin as a City of Literature, reflecting the city's rich and varied history of writers and writing.
As the birthplace of James Joyce and Nobel Literature Prize winners William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw and Samuel Beckett, Dublin pays tribute to its literary heritage in a variety of ways. Statues, streets, bridges, pubs and book stores that make for a grand tour that visitors can take in an organized way or on their own.
James Joyce Centre is dedicated to a better understanding of the life and works of James Joyce and has exhibitions, events and workshops.
National Public Library of Ireland has the most comprehensive collection of Irish documentary material in the world. Talks and major exhibitions are hosted throughout the year.
Dublin Yarnspinners invites visitors to listen as the Storytellers of Ireland spin an array of tales, tall and otherwise, from its members on the second Thursday of every month.
Bewley's Cafe Theatre has lunchtime drama and one of the city's most popular venues for evening cabaret, jazz and comedy every day by reservation.Sweny's Pharmacy features daily readings from the works of James Joyce in the original pharmacy where Leopold Bloom bought lemon soap.
Trinity College has an official, student-guided walking tour of the historic campus on a daily, scheduled basis. The 30-minute tours run from mid-May to the end of September.
St Patrick's Cathedral, where writer/satirist Jonathan Swift was dean from 1713 to 1745 is open every day. Visitors to the cathedral can see his tombstone and epitaph on an escorted tour.
Marsh's Library was the first public library in Ireland, opening in 1701. With over 25,000 books relating to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the collections covers medicine, law, science, travel and more. Open daily except Tuesday and Sunday.
Dublin City Bike Tours are an easy, eco-friendly way to see the sights with local guides along for the ride. Starting in the lobby of Isaacs's hostel, the tours run three hours and begin at 10 a.m. daily.
The Dublin Literary Pub Crawl is a fun, walking tour led by a team of professional actors who follow the footsteps of literary greats on an evening filled with prose, drama and song as we see in this video:
For more information on these and over 20 other Dublin literary attractions see www.dublincityofliterature.ie
[Flickr photos by infomatique]
Filed under: Biking, History, Festivals and Events, Europe, Ireland
