Una Healy’s guide to Dublin

I’m shocked when people from the UK tell me they haven’t been to Ireland — it’s just an hour away and yet it’s a different culture. There’s so much to do but it’s also compact, so you can pack loads in during a weekend. Dublin is an international capital but it’s got real character.

There’s a high standard of dining in Dublin because farming is huge in Ireland and many restaurants use local produce. I love One Pico, a modern European restaurant in the city centre near the National Museum of Ireland. I went there years ago on a date and revisited recently. The standard is still high.

At the other end of the scale there’s Supermac’s, Ireland’s version of McDonald’s. It serves what some people in the UK call “chavvy chips”, like garlic cheese chips and taco fries. They hit the spot when you’re in that mood. Dublin also likes its chicken wings and Elephant & Castle’s are the talk of the town. The restaurant is in Temple Bar and it’s always really busy, so you have to be prepared to queue.

After a visit to the Guinness Storehouse you can have a pint in The Gravity Bar at the top. There’s no better place for it; you get great views across the city. For a drink at night, Dawson Street, parallel to Grafton Street, has a number of sophisticated bars. They change names all the time but there’s Sams Bar, 37 Dawson Street, and Café en Seine, which has beautiful high ceilings and gorgeous interiors. You’ll hear a lot of posh “D4” accents there.

Brown Thomas on Grafton Street is like the Selfridges of Ireland. It has Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Gucci and all the top designers. Even if you’re not buying anything, it’s interesting to have a look — it’s a famous Irish store and a beautiful place for a browse.

Dublin is the place to see live music. People say Nashville has music playing in every bar but that’s the same in Dublin — there’s music everywhere as you walk around and lots of bars have free live bands.

I used to sing in O’Briens, a lovely little pub just outside the inner city. It’s good for feeling like one of the locals.

There’s a bus that goes to a pub in the middle of nowhere called Johnnie Fox’s. It’s the highest pub in Dublin so it’s got picturesque views, and it doesn’t feel touristy. It puts on traditional Irish dancing and music, and serves hearty food — you have to try the homemade brown bread.

You won’t have experienced Dublin if you’ve just been to Temple Bar. It’s good for hen and stag parties, especially with all the buskers and music, but there are also good pubs around the Liffey and in the outskirts so it’s worth venturing away.