The most popular city of Ireland is Dublin. And it should be for all the thinkable reasons. There’s an air of vibrancy in Dublin now to rival any European city. Add to that historic atmosphere soaked pubs, incredible restaurants and idyllic stretches of sandy beach within 20 minutes of the city centre and you have got all you need for the perfect weekend break.

DUBLIN’S MUST DOS:

• If you do only two cultural things in Dublin, make one a visit to the Hugh Lane Gallery, a fifteen minute walk from Trinity College. It’s home to Ireland’s foremost collection of contemporary and modern art and also French bacon’s studio, which was moved piece by piece from its original London location. The second thing you should do is ,wander around the gorgeous Trinity College, Ireland’s answer to Oxbridge, where Michael Caine’s classic  ”Educating Rita”  was filmed.
• Catch the DART (Dublin’s over ground equivalent of the Tube) to Killiney,the fashionable south Dublin coastal suburb whose residents include Bono,The Edge and Van Morrison.
• Or catch the DART to the north Dublin suburb of Malahide,whose centre is packed with great cafés and restaurants. Try dinner at Bon Appetit, housed in a pretty Georgian terrace near the marina.
• Ireland is the land of the seven –hour lunch. Sometime you  have just got to call your boss and tell him you can’t get back. So if you want to relax and enjoy each and evey bite of what you are eating then head to Unicorn at Merrion court or Town Bar and Grill or the Four Seasons Bar.

 Ireland’s relatively small size means that everything is pretty accessible and you don’t have to stray far from Dublin to find some brilliant country house hotels-many are just and hour’s drive away or less and are set in glorious rolling countryside. And when you are finally stretching in the countryside don’t forget to checkout Glin Castle,Dromoland Castle, Hayfield Manor, Capella Castlemartyr, Park Hotel Kenmare, Castle Leslie ,Rathmullan House, Slieve Donard Resort and Spaetc. Remember that Park Hotel Kenmare overlooks the Kenmare Bay and is home to the spectacular Samas Spa,one odf Ireland’s best loved and secluded spas(recently visited by John Travolta and Woody Allen) with Chill-out rooms and whirlpools overlooking the surrounding wilderness.