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Morning

Breakfast in style at Bewley’s Oriental Café then spend the first half of the morning exploring the shops on Grafton Street and in Powerscourt Townhouse and soaking up the atmosphere of the street entertainers. Once the crowds move in, continue down to College Green and walk under the arch into Trinity College to relax in the grounds. On leaving Trinity, head down Dame Street to Temple Bar and enjoy the many shops and galleries here.

For lunch, press on to Leo Burdock’s, the city’s oldest fish-and-chip shop (2 Werburgh St, €). It’s take-away only so make for Christ Church Cathedral and sit and admire its exterior while eating. Then wander inside to view the restored crypt and treasury.

Afternoon

After lunch, retrace your steps to Dublin Castle for a tour of the state apartments and a visit to the Chester Beatty Library. A cup of eastern-flavoured coffee and exotic cake in the café here will set you up for your final stretch of the day. Walk down Dame and Nassau streets to Clare Street and the newly opened Millennium Wing of the National Gallery .

Finally, to unwind (albeit on rather a hard chair), check out an evening concert at St Patrick’s Cathedral .

Morning

For an unusual breakfast head for the Winding Stair Bookshop café, then browse its wonderful second-hand stock. Next, aim for O’Connell Street and the GPO, where you can post your cards and view the historic bullet marks, and up to the Gate Theatre to book tickets for the evening’s performance.

Be at the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art by 10am to have time to view the collection, then walk down to the Dublin Writers’ Museum. Have lunch in the café before enjoying the literary artifacts. As you leave the museum, go downstairs to Chapter One and book a table for dinner.

Afternoon

After lunch, walk around the corner to the James Joyce Cultural Centre, then retrace your steps to the west side of Parnell Square and the Rotunda Hospital to have a look at the Baroque chapel.

For a bit of retail therapy, head for Henry Street , one of the city’s main shopping areas. Continue down St Mary’s Lane and up Bow Street to the Old Jameson Distillery for a tour and tot of whiskey.

Walk along the river past the floodlit Custom House to enjoy a civilized pre-theatre drink at The Gresham hotel.

Morning

Head out of Dublin on the N4 west road to Celbridge and Castletown House . Take the first tour and you will get an excellent history of the house and family as well as being talked through the architectural highlights. Negotiate your way back to the Naas Road (N7) via Clane, across the Curragh towards Kildare and the National Stud – there’s an excellent café here for a coffee. After a leisurely wander around the gardens, enjoy the fascinating and informative tour through the business of blood-stock.

After leaving here head for Russborough House by returning to Naas and taking the N81 Blessington road. The café-cum-restaurant at Russborough serves simple but delicious home-made fare for lunch. Then tour the house and savour the views of the Wicklow Mountains .

Afternoon

Retrace your steps to Naas and the N7 to Dublin and follow signs for Kilmainham Gaol and Hospital . After a sombre visit to this former prison, cut across to Kilmainham Hospital for the Irish Museum of Modern Art. If further refreshment is required, there’s a good café in the basement. Standing in the formal gardens here you get a great view across to Phoenix Park which you could visit on your way back into the centre, energy levels permitting.