Unique Places in Dublin

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Completed in 1942 to a design by J RBoyd Barret, this is one of the few examples of art deco in the city (though its actually a mix of classical and art deco elements) and it always catchs my eye when walking down Kildare St. The interior (should you be able to go in) has benfited from the innate conservatism of government departments and looks much as it did when fitted out. Needless to say, all the fittings and furniture were designed for the building and display considerable ingenuity in the face of wartime shortages.

Unfortunately, camera phones not being good at detail, you can't see the carved stone face at the top of the enormous window!

Sunlight chambers (now used by Solicitors of the writing on paper variety) were designed as Dublin offices for Lever Brothers (who produce all the soap and washing powders), by the architect Edward Ould who also designed Port Sunlight (hence the link in the name, although it was also the name of a brand of soap they sold.)

It is built in a romantic Italianate style with its wide overhanging eaves and arcaded upper floors, but the most unusual architectural features is two multicoloured terracotta friezes depicting the history of hygiene.

They were recently restored and now look quite stunning.

The Dublin intelligensia never really took to the place, as a foreign architect was used, and it is unlike any other Dublin Building, but that's their problem - not yours.

Found facing the river Liffey at Parliment street.

Throughout Dublin city there are various spots to escape the crowds. This photos is of the grounds of Saint Peter's Cathedral. St. Stephen's Green and Merrion Square are also good bets as are the grounds of Trinity College. You could venture out a little farther and head for Phoenix Park as well, which is the largest enclosed urban park in Europe.

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I'm putting this in the off the beaten track because you'll probably never find it! George Bernard Shaw, one of Ireland literary Nobel laureates, was born in 1856 in Synge St in South Dublin, just off the South Circular Road. His birthplace has been turned into a museum, though its definitely one of the less well-known ones in the city. Synge St is not far from the city centre, so can be walked to from Stephens Green in 15-20 mins.

This small cemetary was the burial site for Dublin's Huguenot community (French protestants forced to live France who were welcomed in Ireland for their skills). Opened in 1693, the last internment was in 1879. By the 1970s it had fallen into disrepair but was restored. Its on busy Merrion Row, just off St Stephens Green.

While you can't go in, it always strikes me as a quiet and dignified spot amidst all the hustle and bustle of the city.

Take the DART 25 minutes south to Killiney to one of the nicest neighborhoods outside of Dublin (8 miles out). Bono lives in the area, and boy does he have a nice view. One tip, though, there are no restaurants that serve food readily findable. Check quickly to make sure you know where you're going once you get there.

If you pay close attention to the adjacent street of St. Stephen’s Green, you’ll notice something that it’s completely out of place among the surrounding Georgian style buildings. This peaceful place provides sepulture to the French Protestant community of the city. Quite an unusual place….

Markets are often excellent places to take the pulse of a city. If this is true with Henry St. Market, you could deduce that Dublin is a colorful an active metropolis, where the young and the old coexist in a visible harmony. You could find the market in Henry St, near Oconnell St. in the north side of the Liffey.