wow I live in Dublin and I didn''t know pick pockets are rife! thanks for the head's up!
But then I never go near Temple bar as it's full of English lads on stags puking their collective guts up, and brassy hens from Merseyside, all dayglow with fake tan, tiaras and bunny ears!!!!!
I live in the posh south side, and I can recommend some restaurants round me if you like .
And yes, I agree Dublin is the most expensive city ever. It's really shocking - be prepared to spend over 50? a head for dinner. Humm maybe that is the pick pocket experience??? LOL
There are lovely (free) museums, but only go if you like museums - you won't magically like them just because they are here. There are interesting mummified remains of early man in the national museum on dawson street, along with treasures dug up from the bogs - lots of gold and amber - that's in dublin 2 - up the road from Trinity college.
The national library is next to that and useful if you have some 'roots' in Ireland, and feel the need to do some research.
The (free) National Gallery is splendid if you like painting and sculpture. The IMMA in Kilmainham is lovely also and on the LUAS line for modern art, also Collins Barracks Museum is lovely if you are into textiles and silverware, also on the LUAS line. There are plenty of galleries and exhibitions going on as well - Temple bar during the day is the place to go for these - avoid it at night!
The DART is a fab train right around the coast from malahide up north round Howth head (lovely village with a fab sea food restaurant King Cidric) you can hire a boat in Howth to take you to an island called Ireland's eye from there - a lovely trip if you like to watch gulls and other sea birds up close.
The DART will take you round through the city and down to greystones, going through some really beautiful scenery - Killiney bay is like the bay of Naples and it's a no brainer why Bono and Enya live out here. Stop off in Dalkey to have a bite to eat in the Queens pub. and then on to greystones - Lovely tea shops there.
Dublin itself is mostly georgian in the nicer bits (I'm biased of course living in a Georgian) and has lovely parks - don't wear stiletto heels the pavements are original granite and are all uneven! - The Iveagh gardens behind the national concert hall is lovely and leafy, with a maze and rose garden, Merrion Square is flowery, and St Stephen's green had a victorian layout, with benches and formal flowerbeds, and a bandstand.
Dublin Zoo is in the Phoenix park and is well worth a trip, (especially as they have a really successful breeding programme and the elephants and rhinos have just had new babies) - as are the botanical gardens in Glasnevin.
You can go horse riding in the phoenix park as well - it's great for a ride out.
Dun Laoghaire (on the DART line) is a lovely town for a walk along the pier and an icecream - maybe more suited for a kiddies trip!!!
There are lots of clubs and gigs on - whelan's on camden st, the sugar club and the POD and Crawdaddy at Harcourt attract some really big international world music and fusion jazz acts, so check these out as well.
The national concert hall does a lovely lunchtime programme - an hour of orchestral / recital music for a tenner. well worth a look in as the acoustics are brill.
Hope you enjoy your stay. I'd avoid Temple bar - too full of puking stags and hens.
You'll find the prices are high, so Dublin isn't really a shopper's paradise. But the City is lovely and the free stuff is fab.