Dublin

Trinity, Kilmainham and the Howth coast over three Dublin days

Three days cover Dublin. Spend the first south of the Liffey, at Trinity College for the Book of Kells, Grafton Street, St Stephen's Green and the national museums; the second west and north of the river, starting at Kilmainham Gaol; and the third out on the coast at Howth, reached by DART, for the harbour and cliff walk.

Day one, south of the Liffey. Start at Trinity College at opening time for the Book of Kells and the Long Room, checking first what is open, as the Old Library is under restoration. Walk down Grafton Street to St Stephen's Green, then round to the National Museum of Archaeology on Kildare Street and the National Gallery on Merrion Square. In the evening, avoid the busiest Temple Bar bars and look for a music session in a pub on the fringes.

Day two, west and north. Take a bus to Kilmainham Gaol for the first tour, then walk to the Guinness Storehouse at St James's Gate and finish with a pint in the Gravity Bar with its views over the rooftops. Pass Christ Church Cathedral and Dublin Castle on the way back. After lunch, cross the river to the GPO on O'Connell Street and its museum on the Easter Rising.

Day three, the coast. Ride the DART north to Howth, walk the cliff path around Howth Head and eat fish by the harbour. Alternatively, go south to Dalkey and Killiney for views over the bay. Back in town, end with a look at the old Liffey bridges at dusk, including the cast-iron Ha'penny Bridge.

Coddle, chowder and pubs in Dublin

Dublin's own dish is coddle, a slow stew of sausages, bacon, potato and onion still served in some traditional pubs; Irish stew, bacon and cabbage and a full Irish breakfast are the other classics. Seafood is underrated: order chowder with brown soda bread, Dublin Bay prawns, or fish and chips at Howth harbour.

Dublin's own dish is coddle, a slow stew of sausages, bacon, potato and onion, once eaten on Saturday nights and still on the menu in some traditional pubs. A full Irish breakfast, with black and white pudding, sets you up for a day of walking.

Seafood is excellent and underrated. Oysters from the west coast are paired with stout in many city bars.

The newer local favourite is the spice bag, a takeaway mix of chips, chicken and peppers tossed in spice, sold by Chinese takeaways across the city. For coffee and cake, Bewley's on Grafton Street has served Dubliners for generations. The streets around Camden Street and Capel Street have many independent restaurants, while the north side has much of the city's Indian and Asian cooking. Expect higher bills than in most of Europe; lunch menus are the better value.

St Patrick's Day, Bloomsday and Dublin weather

Dublin's two big dates are St Patrick's Day around 17 March, with the parade on O'Connell Street and hotel prices to match, and Bloomsday on 16 June, when Joyce fans retrace Ulysses. Book rooms early for both festivals, and pack a rain layer in any month.

The St Patrick's Day festival runs over several days around 17 March, with the big parade along O'Connell Street on the day itself. It is the busiest week of the spring, with hotel prices to match, and March weather is cool at about 11C by day. Book rooms and restaurants weeks in advance.

Literary fans should aim for 16 June, Bloomsday, when people in Edwardian clothes retrace the route of Joyce's Ulysses through the city, with readings and breakfasts at the James Joyce Centre. Summer highs reach 20C in July and August, with long evenings ideal for walks in Phoenix Park. Autumn and winter are wetter, with about 75 to 81mm of rain in October and November.

For a day out, the Wicklow Mountains are close. Glendalough, a monastic site founded by St Kevin in a glacial valley with two lakes, is about an hour south by road, and day tours leave from the centre. North of the city, the coastal towns of Malahide and Howth are easy to reach on the DART for a relaxed afternoon by the sea.