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Ireland is known throughout the world for its rich, diverse culture - and East Ireland is very much at the centre of that. Visitors to Dublin and the surrounding counties will be spoilt for choice when looking for convert venues, art galleries and literary points of interest.
The East of Ireland, and especially Dublin, has long been held in high regard when it comes to its literary heritage. Amazingly, for such a relatively small population (compared with other cities of the world), Dublin has produced three Nobel Prize for Literature winners; W.B. Yeats in 1923, George Bernard Shaw in 1925 and Samuel Beckett in 1969. Bram Stoker (Dracula-1897), Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels-1726) and James Joyce (Ulysses-1922) are just three others in a large list of global icons to have been born in Dublin.
Today, Dublin is a treat for anyone looking to trace Ireland's literary past or wander through some of the most comprehensive libraries and independent bookshops anywhere in the world. Dublin's jewel in its literary crown is The Book of Kells, an internationally celebrated 9th century manuscript housed in Trinity College, weaving intricate symbolism with ornate Latin text. The other regions of the East are also well covered with bookshops and libraries, especially the larger towns. Below you can find a list of the best spots in Ireland's East to get your literary fix.
The art scene in Dublin is Ireland's most vibrant and is also home to Ireland's premier art gallery, the National Gallery of Ireland. Housing European art from between the 14th and 20th centuries, the National Gallery of Ireland welcomed 1,006,846 visitors in 2017. Dublin is also home to numerous art galleries of varying sizes, from smaller coffee shop settings to larger galleries where you could easily spend a few hours wandering around. Across the rest of the East of Ireland, in the larger towns, you will also find some small to medium-sized art galleries.
The 3 Arena, in Dublin city's North Dock, is Ireland's premier music venue, with a capacity of 13,000 people and holding a major international concert every 3 to 4 nights, on average. Dublin City is also home to some of Ireland's more well known, albeit smaller venues such as Whelan's and Vicar Street. Outside of Dublin, the main hub for live music in the East is County Kildare, where the towns of Greystones and Newbridge both have vibrant live music scenes.
As a local Irish company, we at My Ireland Tour are passionate about our country and our local community. We're thrilled that you're interested in visiting the place we call home. That's why we put together this definitive travel guide for anyone who wants to come to Ireland and discover this amazing place for themselves.
This is a completely free resource covering everything from top tourist attractions to the nearest yoga centre. We hope it helps!
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