Georgian Dublin

Gorgeous buildings and great museums

Word to the wise: Those after an insight into Georgian living should visit Number Twenty Nine at 29 Fitzwilliam Street Lower, a house kitted out as it would have been then.
You'll spot Georgian buildings all over Dublin, but the greatest concentration is in the upmarket neighbourhood to the east of the city, centered around the glorious Merrion Square. Wilde, Yeats, Daniel O'Connell - it seems like every Dublin luminary you can name once lived here, and you can hardly blame them. The park in the middle of the square is a lovely place to escape to when the city gets too much.

Your mood may darken somewhat on the walk between Merrion and the almost-as-lovely Fitzwilliam Square, however. This stretch was once the longest run of Georgian houses in the world, until the Electricty Supply Board knocked down a whole row of them in the 60s to make space for their own, horrible modern building. The sight might bring tears to the eyes of the architecturally nostalgic.
Around Merrion Square you'll also find some of the city's best museums, such as the National Gallery of Ireland and the wondrous Natural History Museum, as well as plenty of smart cafes, restaurants and shops.