Dublin

Abbey Theatre

National Theatre of Ireland

Opened in 1904, and always at the centre of the Irish drama scene, the Abbey is a good venue for catching local playwrights' work but with a global repertoire. It's intended to replace the current building with two new theatres fronting onto the Liffey. This will mean a lengthy closure, but the work has not started.

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

Grand Canal Theatre

The theatre offers a wide range of shows featuring ballet, musicals, family shows, drama, concerts, comedy and opera. With a 2100-seater auditorium, the building was designed by Daniel Libeskind and completed in 2010.

Croke Park Stadium

This stages Gaelic football and hurling for Dublin County GAA and national competitions, with a playing season April-Sep. The stadium has a capacity of 82,300 yet you may struggle to get tickets for big games. Tours of the stadium and GAA museum are also available, including a chance to try out these sports. You can also take the "skyline walk" across the stadium roof.

Gaiety Theatre

Founded in 1871 so this is the oldest continually operating theatre in Dublin. It hosts popular musical shows, opera, ballet, dance and drama.

Gate Theatre

This has a focus on European and American theatre ranging from classics to modern plays. It was established as a theatre company in 1928 by Hilton Edward and Micheál MacLiammóir.

Guinness Storehouse

Guinness is brewed in 49 countries and Ireland just happens to be one of them. The St James Gate brewery is still in production, now part of Diageo, and this vast storehouse has become an exhibition (self-guided) on the drink and the Guinness family. Price of entry includes a pint at the seventh floor Gravity Bar, which forms the head of the giant pint of stout formed by the atrium. Outside, touristy-trappy horse-drawn carriages ply for hire, but a stretch limo for the 2 km ride back to city centre might be cheaper.

Sun-Thu 9:30AM-5PM, Fri Sat 9:30AM-6PM·Adult €26, child €10

Jameson Distillery

Jameson whiskey was produced in Dublin from 1780 to 1976, when the business relocated to Midleton near Cork. So the old Bow St distillery no longer makes whiskey but has been converted into a museum about the process and industry.

Mon-Sat 10AM-PM, Sun noon-PM·Adult €26

Leinster Rugby

Leinster play in the United Rugby Championship, the professional European league, and often win it. The stadium has a capacity of 18,500 and big games sometimes transfer to Aviva stadium.

Leopardstown Racecourse

This has regular meetings throughout the year, flat-racing in summer and jumps in winter. There's a "Pay as you Play" golf course within the racecourse grounds, as well as bars, restaurants and a nightclub.

National Concert Hall

This offers classical concerts. Frequent performances by the resident orchestra, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. The main auditorium seats 1200 and there are three smaller spaces. It was built in 1865 for a trade fair then became an entertainment venue then the core of University College Dublin. It became a concert hall from 1981 when UCD moved to the Belfield campus.

Shamrock Rovers

They play in the League of Ireland Premier Division, the top tier. The stadium (capacity 10,500) is on N81 two km west of M50.

Teeling Distillery

Distillery opened in 2015, primarily for whiskey but with small amounts of poitín.

Daily 11AM-PM·Tasting tour €25 (pointless going for the cheaper "cocktail" tour)

The Helix

Event venue and theatre located in the northern suburbs of the city, built in 1996. Hosts a wide variety of talks and performances.

Conradh na Gaeilge

Gaelic League

Cultural centre where Irish is the first language. They organise events and classes.

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl

This is the most ingenious crash course in Irish literature, history, architecture and pub bonhomie yet devised... It combines street theatre with the 'craic' that makes Dublin pubs the liveliest in Europe. It is a highly enjoyable evening that gives you the pleasant notion of replacing brain cells as you drown them. The tour is a kind of rough guide to the cultural, religious and political life of the city. Performances by professional actors are central to the experience, not forgetting a fun-filled quiz with prizes for the winners. Can be a bit formal at times but this one's been going a long time and is well worth the experience for such an unusual tour. There's just enough time to stop in each pub for a pint as well.

2·€10-12

Irish Film Institute

Arthouse cinema for independent Irish and international movies.

The Lazy Bike Tour Company

Two-hour bike tours of the major sights and off the beaten track, with informative guides.

Daily 9:30AM-5:30PM·e-bike €40, push-bike €35

Walking Tours

Dublin city is famous for its characters. A great way to experience and live the city is by learning about it from people who are characters themselves - Dublin Tour Guides. Tours can vary from one to four hours in length and include, as well as the standard sightseeing tour, tours on topics like the paranormal and ghosts, music and song, literature, historical, 1916 Rising, and even Irish mythology. There are various walking tour companies and freelance tour guides available in Dublin. Anyone interested in geeky history should try the Ingenious Dublin tours, that cover history of medicine, Irish inventions (yes, there are lots!), great Irish scientists (lots of those too). They have walking tours and self-guided MP3 tours.