Discover More, Dublin in Dublin, Ireland
We sent Maser out with a DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Ireland to get his perspective on what it means to use a travel guide in his hometown.
Dublin has a lot of character and is full of characters too! Mismatched streets, shops and signs. Street vendors and buskers, it’s a romantic city.
Place you live:
Dublin, Ireland: on the south side of the city, just by the canal.
Can you sum up the people of Dublin?
They are like a friendly bag of pick and mix. They are the ones who fill the streets with life. Without them its just bricks and mortar. The taxi drivers are story tellers, the bar men are the judges. The flower ladies decorate the streets like they are their home.
Tell us about the photos you shot for this project?
McDaids 3 Harry Street on a Saturday morning. Christy Moore told me stories about how he’d meet Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) here for a few in the 70’s.
Side streets and back streets of Dublin city centre you’ll find old local stores, giving you an insight into how Dublin used to be.
Jim Larkin aka ‘Big Jim’ Statue on O’Connell Street. Jim was an Irish Trade Union leader and best known for his role in the 1913 Dublin Lockout.
Hugh Lane Gallery in Charelmont House, Parnell Square N, Dublin 1. It houses Francis Bacons studio, relocated from London in 1998.
The Long Hall pub: one of the many great boozers in town. It still has its original facade even though most of the original surrounding buildings have been knocked.
Robert Emmett Bridge in Harolds Cross. He led the first rebellion against British rule in 1803. The bridge looks over the beautiful canal.
Grafton Street Flowers. Main shopping street in Dublin.
Occupation:
Artist
Describe a perfect day in Dublin?
A sunny day in Dublin. Breakfast and coffee sitting outside Metro Cafe on Southwilliam Street. A pint, maybe 2 in McDaids with Damien Dempsey and friends before getting the Dart out to Vico Road, Dalkey for a swim in the sea.
What do you love about Dublin?
I live in the city but within 20 minutes you can be at the sea for a swim or at the Dublin Mountains for a walk. It’s a great place full of friendly faces.
What do you dislike?
Dublin is beautiful, cracks and all.
What was the experience like looking through a DK Eyewitness Travel Guidebook for your own local city?
It made me aware of the things I pass by most days. The city is rich in history, monuments that I usually walk by have made me stop and take note. Learning more about the people who are credited for helping create this city and country.
