The Old Jamesons Distillery - home to Irelands favourite whiskey

I have to say I prefer the Old Jameson's Distillery as a visitor attraction to the Guinness Storehouse for the simple reason that the tour here is guided whereas in Guinness’s you are left to your own devices. Which can be very pleasant, especially above in the Gravity Bar with a view of the city and a pint in your hand, but for me I want something more?

I like to leave a place a little bit wiser and in Jameson's case (a little bit tipsy) having learned something. Properly guided tours will do that for you and at Jameson's it’s very well done, just the right length of time and information to hold your attention, finishing up with a genuinely, convivial tasting session in the Jameson's Bar.

Perhaps, when you understand how something is made you appreciate it more? It’s quite amazing how three simple ingredients, barley, water and yeast can be turned into ‘uisce beatha’ or the water of life? And interesting too, how each of the processes, whether it was the malting of the barley, the marrying of the whiskey in casks or the vatting into bottles, shaped the lives and social history of such a small part of Dublin. Surely they could never have imagined Jameson's whiskey becoming the global phenomenon it is today.

Situated in an historical part of Dublin, Smithfield market is surrounded by cobbled streets. The original building is lovely with a theatre, bar, shop and restaurant, which seems to be very popular with ‘legal people’ (which must make for some great people watching) from the nearby Four Courts.


Old Jameson Distillery, Bow St, Smithfield, Dublin 7.


Phone 01-8072355 /Open 7 days a week


Admission Adult €13 Senior & Student €9.60 Family €29 (online discounts)


Website: www.irelands-hidden-gems.com/jamesons.html


By Susan Byron author of http://www.irelands-hidden-gems.com/index.html

Dublin Castle - a once forbidden visitor attraction

Dublin Castle is quite the fairytale inside and out. Massive medieval fortress walls protect an inner sanctum of majestic staterooms, filled with enough fabulous artwork, furniture and crystal to please any King or Queen ?

The only thing is we Irish don’t do royalty, we even managed to mislay the crown jewels! The nearest we got to a truly noble figurehead was Michael Collins who received the keys of the castle in 1922 ending some 800 years of British rule and tenancy. The question then was, what would we do with it?

Apart from being used as a centre of intelligence, Garda headquarters is still there it is now mainly used for elaborate state occasions. The last visiting dignitary to stay there was Dame Margaret Thatcher, who incidentally turned 85 last week just as the Chilean miners emerged from their incarceration......

And while it is open to the public with excellent informative guided tours conducted daily, including an underground tour of the Viking ramparts, not many Irish people seem to visit? Perhaps, because it has always being deemed more of an English institution then an Irish tradition, and an interest in anything with an English association was certainly frowned upon when I was a child. The chapel royal has only recently been reopened and has a very special ornate gothic interor. There is even an enclosed medieval knot garden on the site of the original Dubh Linn or black pool at the epicentre of the original city where the castle cat still reigns peacefully over his minions.....

But the real jewel in the crown, see I told you we still had some, is the Chester Beatty Library in the grounds of Dublin Castle. It houses a wonderful collection of oriental art and rare manuscripts and is a million times more interesting then the Book of Kells and its free! In the same building is the wonderful Silk Road Cafe whose cuisine is based on the delights of the Far East....its a 10 out of 10 place to eat or have mint tea, coffee and turkish delight.


For more information on Dublin visit http://www.irelands-hidden-gems.com/ or download my free iPhone app guide My Dublin by Susan Byron

Dublin City, an insider's guide to the capital city of Ireland

Welcome to Dublin, I was born and bred here so I should know what I am talking about, right? Possibly of Viking descent? my maiden name Doyle means Dubh Ghaill or dark stranger and we can trace our roots back to Font Hill, right next door to the Guinness brewery which kind of explains a lot?

Never mind, Dublin is steeped in history from medieval times to the present day with an 800 year chunk of British rule which hugely influenced the built environment and of course our culture? We Dubliners are fiercely proud of our city and its history, especially the rebel bit? And although it has seen enormous changes in the last few years with the rise of the Celtic tiger, now extinct..... we all have our favourites, places we grew up with that are much the same as they always were, full of real history and character and well worth seeing if you want the real deal....

The following are my Top 10 attractions in Dublin most of which are free listed alongside each of these are 10 other interesting things to do and see in the area that you wont find in many of the guidebooks. The city is very compact and easy to get around, you can always, hop on a city tour bus, the Luas tram or just pick an area and walk around and Go n'eiri an t'adh leat - Good Luck !

Susan's Top 10 favourite attractions in Dublin

1 Dublin Castle
2 Guinness Storehouse
3 Collins Barracks, National Museum of Decorative Arts.
4 Hugh lane Gallery, Parnell Square
5 Christchurch Cathedral.
6 IMMA, Irish Museum of Modern Art.
7 Farmleigh House, Phoenix Park.
8 The Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle.
9 The National Museum, Kildare Street
10 Dublin Zoo

For more information on each of the above visit http://www.irelands-hidden-gems.com/dublin.html or download my free Iphone app guide My Dublin by Susan Byron