Growing up with Irish relatives, or even by simply watching or reading about Ireland's history, it's hard not to picture it; even now, as a quaint and poor country. But Dublin's Temple Bar, the cultural centre of the city which has come to be known as 'Dublin's Left Bank' is a success story that mirror's it's country's recent rise in economy and cultural stature.

Ireland has never been lacking in musical culture, nor has its citizens lacked in other artistic and cultural talents. But the city itself has only fairly recently began to nurture these in what has become known as Temple Bar.

A derelict part of town as late as the early '90s, this area from O'Connell Bridge to Christchurch Cathedral has been transformed into a cosmopolitan epicenter of what is a surprisingly modern and up and coming city.

There is no shortage of bars, pubs, restaurants, or all other forms of entertainment to be had in this area, and is easily the best and most versatile area of the city to view a lot in a little bit of space.

It's best to arrive in town, drop your bags and go for a long and leisurely stroll around Temple Bar. It's not that big an area, but there is a lot to see in a short space - and it can be appreciated even more knowing a little bit of the history behind it.

As one of the worst run down bits of the centre of Dublin, it was apparently scheduled for demolition, before it was undertaken by a project still going today to completely revamp the entire area and make it a haven for the artist and history of the area.

The only downfall of a place like Temple Bar that I can see is that you do get an inordinate amount of tourists here, so for the best enjoyment of the place it may be best to visit in the off season. But if a few extra people wandering about doesn’t bother you then all the better, because in my opinion a place like this (reminiscent to me of places like the French Quarter in New Orleans or Fremantle in Western Australia) lends itself to visitors, and the more new people that visit it, the more it adds to the flavor and distinction of the place. Don't go expecting a Disney World feel - there is still a reminder of edge and grime from the not so distant days when this was a poor area of town. But that too only enhances its uniqueness and for me this is the heart of new Dublin, and in fact, new Ireland.

Very easy to get to from the airport, and easy to find pretty much anything on foot once you're there. Going to Dublin with out strolling through Temple Bar would be like going to Paris with out seeing the Eiffel Tower. It's a must, and each pub and bar along the way offers something a little bit different for a full evening.

It is hidden in a small square around shops and restaurants. There was a butcher shop selling hamburger patties that they would barbecue for you right on the spot. I bought some of the most amazing apples, and sampled some cider. So much fun, I was sad we could only go once!!!

The Temple Bar area is very busy with people having fun pub-hopping. People usually stand in the middle of the cobblestone street with pamphlets from different clubs, handing them out to people passing by. If you want to find hundreds of pubs on one street, Temple Bar is the place.

We approached the Temple Bar region of Dublin over the Ha’penny Bridge. This bridge, built in 1816, used to charge a toll of a halfpenny (it's free now!). Indeed it had just been restored when we visited, so the high humpback bridge had been fitted out with original period lanterns and was looking superb.

Merchants Arch, the traditional entrance to the Temple Bar, leads to a short, narrow, and dark alley lined with shops–it feels a bit like the beginnings of a bazaar–and then opens up into the bright modern area known as the Temple Bar Square. The area of Temple Bar is named after Sir William Temple, who acquired the land in the 1600s and "bar" refers to (I didn’t know this until we visited Dublin) a riverside path. By the mid 1800s it was a thriving business area that was, following a period of serious decline, rejuvenated in the 1960s when artists and retailers "invaded" the neglected buildings.

Now it’s a buzzing place full of high-quality restaurants, coffeeshops, small exclusive shops, and of course, artists’ outlets and studios. Weave your way through the cobbled streets and alleyways, observe the overstated murals on some of the buildings, and just take in the atmosphere. If you’re like us, you’ll double back on yourself, but it really won’t matter, as the place is alive in the daytime. At night it’s positively buzzing.

At the far end of Temple Bar is the winding Fishamble Street, which has history going back to the mid 1600s, when it was the focus of the local fish trade. Also, it was in a building, long since demolished, on this street that Handel conducted the debut performance of Messiah.

Cross over Dame Street and head for the castle district. We didn’t have time to tour the castle, but there are some photo opportunities en route, along with some superb old properties, including the hostel for sick "room keepers," founded in 1790, and "the Long Hall," housing a typical old-fashioned Irish bar (not quite sure what that’s like now that Ireland has imposed its non-smoking rule).

The Powerscourt Townhouse was originally a mansion built in the 1770s for Viscount Powerscourt (whoever he might have been!), but is now an exclusive shopping centre for specialist galleries, antique shops, and jewellers. It has retained several original features, including some fine stuccowork, while a glass dome encloses a central courtyard, making it a good place to take an afternoon tea. Whilst you’re in shopping mode, take a trip to the nearby Covered Market on Drury Street, especially good for antique jewellery, but also for an interesting mosey.

When walking around this district, keep looking upwards, as there are some interesting signs, decorated facades, and wall plaques. These can be spotted particularly along the banks of the Liffey, away from O’Connell Bridge. We liked the terracotta decoration on the Sunlight Chambers on Essex Quay that confirmed its main purpose of a soap manufacturer.

Dublin's Temple Bar area has in recent years undergone a transformation, becoming the cultural center of Dublin. Not only will you find a variety of pubs there, but a host of art galleries (like the Original Print Gallery), music facilities (like the Temple Bar Music Facility) and theatre locales (like Project) -- though we made it to nothing but restaurants and pubs. In addition, Temple Bar boasts a long history, ie: it was also the home of the first performance of Handel's "Messaiah" in 1742.

We ended up in Temple Bar on our first visit by mere coincidence (seems we found a lot of our Dublin activities that way), as it's where the Number 50 bus dropped us off. It's also a hop, skip and a jump from Trinity College.

Mostly Temple Bar is a younger, hipper crowd. It's a great place to people watch and grab a pint. Much of it is closed off for pedestrians to walk the cobblestone streets without fear from Dublin's crazy drivers.

While we found out about it on our last night there, too late to partake of the fun, Temple Bar is host to a Musical Pub Crawl. It's a crawl of 4 pubs, entertainment from musicians the whole way and a history of Irish Music. It starts at Gogarty's pub - see below.

Here are some of the establishments that we visited while we were there, with a short review of each and a link to the full review.

The Shack Restaurant: This place was great, and the only place we found in our travels that served specialty chicken! Our waiter was not only a cutie, but gave us a great pub recommendation. We had a chance to get in out of the rain, have a pint, warm up, and revive ourselves over some really good food. Read the full entry.

Gogarty's Pub: I think we found the second best pub in Ireland (the first being Knight's Bridge Inn), on the suggestion of the cab driver that took us there. There are two floors, a regular old pub downstairs, and a mini pub upstairs that featured some awesome Irish music. Even the barmaids sang along. Read the full entry.