The first custom-built theatre in Dublin, Smock Alley today
offers a varied artistic programme spanning drama, song, dance and
comedy. Positioned on the banks of the Liffey in an unassuming part
of the city, it’s the place to come for your cultural fix (you’ll
be able to ID the venue thanks to its ornate stained-glass
windows). With everyone from Aisling Bea to Foil Arms & Hog
having showcased works here, it’s a creative hub worth noting.

Home to the national collection of Irish and European fine art,
spanning the 14th century to the present day, the National Gallery
of Ireland houses over 16,300 works. James Barry, William Orpen and
Jack Butler Yeats are just three of the eminent artists whose work
is on display. Don’t miss William John Leech’s A Convent Garden,
Brittany, and Johannes Vermeer’s Lady Writing a Letter with her
Maid.

After you’ve taken in the Book of Kells and paid a visit to the
Long Room, make tracks for Books Upstairs on D’Olier Street, just a
stone’s throw from Trinity College. Given Dublin’s impressive
literary scene, it’s wise to seek out a good local bookshop while
in town. The blue-fronted Books Upstairs is a winner: modest,
charming and piled high with publications. With a commitment to the
best of Irish and international writing, “encouraging the
circulation of ideas” is paramount to the bookshop, which is as
much a cultural space as it is a retail offering. Head to the
laptop-free, WiFi-free Books Upstairs café to enjoy a range of
events or a simple cup of coffee accompanied by the first chapter
of that new title you just bought.

Read our Modern Literary Guide to Dublin.