DUBLIN, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

The river Liffey divides Dublin into two distinct halves: the southside of the city and the north.

South of the River The southside of the city traditionally has been the domain of Dublin's middle-classes and is—generally speaking—more affluent than its northern counterpart.

Temple Bar Area A maze of cobblestone nooks and crooked crannies, between Dame Street and the Liffey, Temple Bar is still Dublin's most upwardly mobile area. In the 1980s, the district was scheduled to be demolished to make way for a vast bus station, but was saved by some last-minute planning decisions and became instead the focus of Dublin's urban regeneration scheme throughout the 1990s. Every turn uncovers more distinctive shops and another trendy arts centre. With music and television recording studios, the excellent Irish Film Centre and other media magnets, this is where Dublin's cultural heart is to be found. By night, visitors (and some Dubliners) gravitate towards Temple Bar and its environs to socialise. Here, above a former Viking settlement, they come to soak up the cafe culture or have a drink in... more