Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [107]
Ark (Map; 670 7788; 11A Eustace St) A 150-seater venue that stages shows for kids aged between five and 13.
Gaiety Theatre (Map; 677 1717; www.gaietytheatre.com; South King St) Opened in 1871, this theatre is used for modern plays, TV shows, musical comedies and revues.
Gate Theatre (Map; 874 4045; www.gatetheatre.ie; 1 Cavendish Row) To the north of the Liffey, the Gate Theatre specialises in international classics and older Irish works with a touch of comedy by playwrights such as Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and Oliver Goldsmith, although newer plays are sometimes staged too. Prices vary according to what’s on, but they’re usually around €20.
Helix (Map; 700 7000; www.thehelix.ie; Collins Ave, Glasnevin) The Helix, Dublin City University’s new theatre venue, has already established its reputation as a serious theatre with its mix of accessible and challenging productions. To get here, take bus 11, 13, 13A or 19A from O’Connell St.
International Bar (Map; 677 9250; 23 Wicklow St) This is one of several pubs that host theatrical performances; it also hosts comedy on Wednesday evening at 9.30pm (admission €9).
Olympia Theatre (Map; 677 7744; 72 Dame St) This theatre specialises in light plays and, at Christmastime, pantomimes.
Players’ Theatre (Map; 677 2941, ext 1239; Regent House, Trinity College) The Trinity College Players’ Theatre hosts student productions throughout the academic year, as well as the most prestigious plays from the Dublin Theatre Festival in October.
Project Arts Centre (Map; 1850-260 027; www.project.ie; 39 East Essex St) This centre puts on excellent productions of experimental plays by up-and-coming Irish and foreign writers.
Tivoli Theatre (Map; 454 4472; 135-136 Francis St) Experimental and less commercial performances take place here.
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SHOPPING
In 2007 Europe’s busiest shopping street was Dublin’s very own Henry St, which saw an average of 16,000 frothing retail junkies an hour, each pram-pushing family and consumer couple playing catch-me-if-you-can with the credit card companies. But that was before the global credit crunch.
On the surface, nothing seems to have changed. Dubliners still throng the main shopping streets both north and south of the Liffey, even though the overall numbers have dipped, in some cases quite dramatically.
British and US chains dominate the high street and major shopping centres but there are also numerous small, independent shops selling high-quality, locally made goods. Irish designer clothing and streetwear, handmade jewellery, unusual homewares and crafts, and cheeses to die for are readily available if you know where to look.
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PASSION FOR FASHION
After years in the wilderness, Irish designers are making a name for themselves on the international fashion stage. John Rocha, whose own-label clothes have been high fashion for the past decade, has branched into hotel design (Morrison, Click here) and homewares (available in Brown Thomas, below), as has milliner-to-the-supermodels Philip Treacy, who designed the flamboyant G Hotel in Galway. Irish names currently making a splash internationally include Joanne Hynes, Pauric Sweeney and N&C Kilkenny.
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While souvenir hunters can still buy toy sheep, Guinness magnets and shamrock tea towels, a new breed of craft shop offers one-off or limited-edition crafts and art. Traditional Irish products such as crystal and knitwear remain popular choices, and you can increasingly find innovative modern takes on the classics.
Grafton St is the city