The Irish capital is one of the great literary cities of the world, producing geniuses such as Oscar Wilde, YB Yeats, George Bernard Shaw and plenty more. Those who have read James Joyce will also be familiar with the streets of the old town, even if they’ve never set foot on the cobblestones. For anyone who has read Ulysses or The Dubliners, weekend breaks in Dublin are equal parts delightful and thought-provoking.

Short breaks in Dublin are also interesting for lovers of a different kind of literature. The famous Book of Kells is on public display at Trinity College. This superbly decorated book is perhaps the best surviving example of an illuminated text to be found anywhere. It’s more than 1000 years old and a thing of great beauty- a must see on city breaks to Dublin.

On short breaks in Dublin you can also visit the National Library of Ireland and the National Print Museum (which hosts many other outstanding pieces of incalculable historical value). And of course, you can follow in the footsteps of Yeats, Wilde, and their contemporaries along the city streets.

The literary scene is still very much alive, and it is not restricted to museums. Dublin has produced a host of modern writers of the highest calibre - Maeve Binchy and Roddy Doyle are just two of the many well-known novelists from the region. There are plenty of pubs that are host to regular poetry evenings and larger festivals of literature and poetry are held frequently across the city and elsewhere in Ireland.

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Weekend breaks in Dublin are an ideal time to enjoy the arts. The city is home to hundreds of theatres from small neighbourhood arts centres to grand and venerable institutions that are host to the best travelling productions from across the world as well as outstanding pieces drawn from the rich local dramatic scene.

Ireland’s cultural history is worthy of the greatest respect. Dublin itself has produced some of the finest writers and thinkers of the last two centuries, and still retains a special place in the heart of literature buffs. Its theatre programs are just as well regarded, from Shakespeare, performed exactly as the Bard would have imagined it, to the most cutting edge of modern plays. 

Many of the theatres specialise in music and you can find it elsewhere too. On short breaks in Dublin you can enjoy opera at the very highest level at the famous Gaiety Theatre or, if you prefer your music a little more casual, sample the delights of the live music culture in any one of thousands of pubs dotted throughout the city. On weekend breaks in Dublin you can spend every night listening to a different singer in a different pub if you want to.

City breaks in Dublin are also a great time to enjoy comedy shows. Modern Irish comedians are at the top of the profession and are appreciated in the UK, Europe, and further abroad. There are plenty of excellent comedy acts to be found in the pubs and clubs of Dublin as well as in the larger venues.

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