There's more to a Dublin holiday than the inevitable pub crawl
The Irish capital and its surrounds have a lot to offer the intrepid visitor - weather permitting. Text and pictures by Tim Pile.
It's a gloriously sunny day in Dublin but when I mention this to the hotel receptionist, she puts a finger to her lips and warns me not to jinx it. Switching subjects, I ask for directions to Glasnevin Cemetery.
"Oh, you'll love it there," she says, with what appears to be a straight face.
Dubliners are an optimistic bunch for whom the (pint) glass is invariably half full. Humour and self-deprecation pepper conversations so that even a proposed visit to a graveyard elicits good-natured envy. Within 20 minutes of my meteorological faux pas, storm clouds gather and a light drizzle dimples the River Liffey. Perfect weather for traipsing around a cemetery.
First, though, there's the gift shop to negotiate. I join a group of ancestor-tracing Americans browsing bookshelves filled with titles such as Dead Interesting: Stories from the Graveyards of Dublin and the DVD One Million Dubliners, which "explores life, death and the afterlife".
There's also an assortment of Guinness merchandise and a range of chunky knitwear on special offer but it's the guided tours that draw curious visitors. Ours is led by a man with the pallid appearance of an undertaker and a wry sense of funereal humour.