Not to miss

Dublin Castle

The stronghold of British power for 700 years is principally an 18th-century creation that is more hotch-potch palace than turreted castle. Only the Record Tower survives from the original Anglo-Norman fortress built in the 13th century on Viking foundations. The most fascinating part of the castle is underground - a chunk of the old city walls and moat.

Once the official residence of the British Viceroys in Ireland and now used by the Irish Government, access is by tour only. Sights include drawing rooms with their beautiful plasterwork, once used as bedrooms by visitors to the castle. The castle gardens end in a high wall said to have been built for Queen Victoria's visit to block the sight of the Stephen St slums.

The Figure of Justice that faces the castle's Upper Yard from the Cork Hill entrance has a controversial history. The statue was seen as a snub by many Dubliners, who felt Justice was symbolically turning her back on the city.

If that wasn't enough, when it rained, the scales would fill with water and tilt over, rather than remaining perfectly balanced. Eventually a hole was drilled in the bottom of each pan, letting the water drain out and restoring balance, of sorts.

James Joyce Centre

More study centre than museum, casual Joyceans may be disappointed by the small cache of Joyce-related items in this beautifully restored Georgian home. But the centre has more than just texts and papers for Joycean scholars; there's a regular programme of events, films and lectures, walking tours of Joyce's haunts, photographs, relics and fascinating facts.

Although the Joyces did live in the area for a time, the link with the house is a literary one. It was the residence of a certain 'confirmed bachelor' called Denis Maginni, who taught dance in the front room early in the 20th century. Hardly remarkable, except for the fact that it left quite an impression on Joyce, who featured it several times in Ulysses.

In CS Andrews' Dublin Made Me, Maginni is described as 'egregious and ludicrous. Every afternoon he strolled up O'Connell St in silk hat, morning coat, lavender waistcoat, striped trousers, silver-topped malacca cane and gold watch-chain.' After Maginni's departure the house fell into disrepair. In 1982 it was taken over by Senator David Norris, a charismatic Joycean scholar and gay-rights activist, who restored the building and converted it into a centre for the study of Joyce and his books.

Guinness Storehouse & St James' Gate Brewery

Like a Disneyland for beer lovers, the Guinness Storehouse is an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza combining sophisticated exhibits with more than a pintful of marketing hype. The best part of the Storehouse tour is the rooftop Gravity Bar, where you can kick back with a pint of the black stuff.

Housed in an old grain storehouse, it's an impressive enterprise that milks the worldwide fame of Guinness for all it's worth. More multimedia installation than provincial beer museum, the Storehouse uses high-tech audio and visual displays to tell the Guinness story - and what a story it is.

Founded by Arthur Guinness in 1759, St James' Gate brews an astonishing 450 million litres of Guinness per year, which just manages to keep ahead of the 4 million pints per day consumed in Ireland alone.

Back in the 1930s St James' Gate and Guinness was the largest employer in the city. Its 5000-plus employees were paid well above the minimum wage, while receiving the extra perks of subsidised housing, health benefits, pension plans, longer holidays and life insurance.

While lounging in the midst of Irish conversation at a local pub, you might find yourself taking part in speculation on what constitutes the perfect pint. Arm yourself beforehand with the following favoured theories: the pint must be poured in Ireland, as close as possible to the St James's Gate brewery; it must be poured by an expert bartender who has mastered the technique for pulling the brew; and, after half the Guinness has been consumed, there must be a residue of thick white foam in rings on the inside of the glass.