Flights to Dublin with Air France from ZAR 10,532*

Dublin - take a holiday in a city where the written word reigns supreme

Ireland has always punched well above its weight when it comes to the arts and Dublin very much reflects this rich literary and musical heritage. The capital city of the Republic of Ireland, Dublin has a population of just over one million people. Served by regular flights from Johannesburg via Paris and Amsterdam, the city is well-suited to a short stay or as a base with which to explore the rest of the country. With a similar climate to the west of England, you can expect fairly mild weather with a good scattering of light rain showers at most times of the year. Dublin Airport is a short trip from the city centre and is small enough to be easily negotiated by the traveller. If you would like to explore further afield during your holiday, it may be advisable to rent a car, as this will offer you more flexibility than being tied down to public transportation. Plane tickets are best bought outside certain key travel dates, at least if you want to bag yourself a bargain. The lead-up to the National Day, St Patrick's Day, March 17th, is definitely one period where it may be harder to find value-for-money airline seats.

Due to its proud literary tradition and ongoing vitality in this field, the city was awarded the UNESCO City of Literature title, one of only nine in the world. The Dublin Writers Museum is a favourite attraction and a must for anyone interested in the lives and works of authors such as James Joyce, WB Yeats and George Bernard Shaw. There are also individual museums devoted to some of these writers. The James Joyce Tower and Museum, containing letters, photographs and personal effects belonging to the author, is famous for having appeared in the early stages of his magnum opus, Ulysses. Literature is very much alive in Dublin today, and this can be readily seen on the thriving theatrical scene. Top venues include:

• The Gaiety
the Abbey
• the Olympia
the Gate
• the Grand Canal

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Dublin's just the ticket for great music at any time of the day or night

Ireland is internationally famous for its folk and modern music scene. The obvious way to enjoy this aspect of Irish culture is to combine it with another one - pub life. Numerous pubs will put on live traditional music shows most evenings of the week, with many being concentrated in the Temple Bar area of the city centre. Temple Bar is also home to the Button Factory, one of Dublin's larger clubs, which frequently hosts big name acts. It's worth knowing that this district is very much on the tourist trail, with the result that prices can be considerably higher here than elsewhere. Still, with 600 pubs across the city, there are plenty of alternatives, from classic bars to the new breed of micro-breweries (which have recently benefitted from a special government tax-break). The Dublin granddaddy of all breweries is of course Guinness and the Guinness Storehouse tour retains its enduring popularity.

From music, to the visual arts. These are equally well-represented in the city, in the shape of the Chester Beatty Library's collection of decorative arts, drawings and much more, the National Gallery, the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery and of course, the world-famous Book of Kells, a 1,200 year old illuminated manuscript Gospel which reposes in the library of Trinity College Dublin. A last word of warning, do remember that Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area, so be especially attentive as regards travel documents and customs regulations.