Smoked salmon, Guinness memorabilia, sweaters, and wool items are great souvenirs. Traditional Irish breads and scones are delicious as breakfast treats. The main meal of the day tends to be lunch, although a pint of Guinness can be a meal in itself. Beef, lamb, and pork chops are popular menu items. Though with 12 swimming pools in the greater Dublin area, finding a spot to swim is relatively easy.
Public pools are open at several central locations in Dublin.
If you are itching for a wee bit of Irish countryside, head to County Wicklow, just south of Dublin, for mountain scenery and picture postcard views. The early Celtic monastery of Glendalough, eighteen miles south of Dublin, is one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. If art and architecture are more appealing, check out Russborough House and its collection of paintings, which includes works by Goya, Murillo, Vel zquez, Gainsborough, Rubens and Frans Hals. Located near the Temple Bar area, it's a great place to stroll through en route to the pub. The Dublin Zoo and Zoological Gardens, located in Phoenix Park, is definitely worth a visit.