Dublin, a fair city indeed. Particularly the old Georgian city, to the south around St Stephen's Green and Merrion Square, which can boast many handsome properties. The newer parts aren't bad either.
Famous for its pubs and its music, it is probably true to say that Dublin has more to offer the drinker that the diner, at least in the mid to lower end of the market.
It is also encouraging to note the more widespread availability of craft beers, which make a pleasant change from the ubiquitous cold, gassy Guinness (and, yes, I am old enough to remember the real stuff).
Whilst I sometimes get annoyed by the Irish tendency to blame every bad thing in their past on the British, there is no getting away from
the fact that the way the UK Government treated the Irish during the 19th century Potato Famine was appalling.
These gaunt bronze figures on Custom House Quay, commemorating those Irish people forced to emigrate, are a graphic reminder of that reprehensible period of our history. Famine was designed and crafted by Dublin sculptor Rowan Gillespie and presented to the City in 1997.
Originally named the Wellington Bridge (after the Duke of Wellington) and officially called the Liffey Bridge, the Ha'penny Bridge, as it is universally known, was built in 1816 from cast iron parts made in Coalbrookdale in Shropshire.
The popular name derives from the toll the builder, the former ferryman, was allowed to charge.
It briefly became the Penny Ha'penny Bridge, until the tolls were abolished in 1919.
Docked at Custom House Quay, SS Jeanie Johnston is a scaled-down replica of the original ship of that name that sailed between Tralee in Co. Kerry and North America between 1847 and 1855, taking emigrants on the outbound journey and returning with timber.
It was built between 1993 and 2002, and aims to allow visitors to see what it was like on board a wooden tall ship during the famine era.
Standing proudly on College Green opposite the entrance to Trinity College are the Irish Houses of Parliament, the first purpose-built two-chamber parliament building in the world.
Being Ireland this is not were the parliament sits, that's round the corner in Leinster House, instead it is a branch of the Bank of Ireland.
The building dates from 1729, and was in use up until the ill-conceived Act of Union of 1801.
It then became the headquarters of the bank who turned the old House of Lords into their Board Room.
The old House of Lords is open to the public and is used for various public functions, including music recitals.
Said to be inspired by the shape of an Irish Harp lying on its side, the incredible beautiful Samuel Beckett Bridge was designed by Santiago Calatrava, and opened in December 2009 at a cost €60 million.
The bridge can be rotated through an angle of 90 degrees to allow ships through. Why, is anybody's guess, given that the docks upstream of the bridge are no longer in use.
Only a few metres away from Rowan Gillespie's Famine sculptures is the World Poverty Stone.
This commemorative stone marks the, optimistically named, United Nations International Day for the Eradication of World Poverty.
It was designed by Stuart McGrath who is based in Co. Wicklow.
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