Smithfields, Stoneybatter, Ranelagh, Liberties & Portobello

Dublin is a city of villages. You can haggle for a vintage treasure in Dublin’s Antique Quarter, scuba dive from Howth Pier and grab a gourmet coffee in Ranelagh, all within the same day, all within the same city. These distinct villages are connected by the winding streets, cobbled laneways and flowing waterways that make up the veins and arteries of this city. Read on for some of Dublin City’s most vibrant villages.

SMITHFIELD

Centred around the newly developed market square on the North side of the River Liffey, Smithfield is where old Dublin tradition meets creativity. Bars like Frank Ryan’s and Dice, tiptoe between the traditional and the hip, making Smithfield perfect for ‘drinking in the culture’. Take a walk across the central market square from Jameson Distillery Bow Street and you’ll find the Lighthouse Cinema, voted by Artinfo as one of the coolest cinemas in the world, that specialises in showcasing the best Irish and International films. The Cobblestone Pub stands as the authentic face of Irish trad sessions. This heady mix of Old Dublin charm and New Dublin cool, makes Smithfield the perfect place to go if you want to see what a city’s creative revival looks like.

STONEYBATTER

Located just next to Smithfield, Stoneybatter is Dublin’s original inner-city urban village. It stands as one of the last bastions of Old Dublin, meaning long cherished traditions and customs and a strong community spirit are central to life here. It is currently home to screen printers, gallery spaces, an internationally-renowned independent publishing house, bookshop and recording studio.

RANELAGH

Ranelagh is Dublin’s original village. Over the last century, as the city grew larger and its borders grew, it was adopted into the fabric of the city. Currently a haven for foodies and coffee connoisseurs, the original small-town feeling of this village has not been lost. Craft butchers and traditional bakeries still lie nestled amongst European style coffee houses and an array of enticing restaurants.

Worth investigating are Dillinger’s Restaurant and its sister ventures: the Butcher Grill, Cinnamon Food Emporium and best-kept coffee secret, Nick’s Coffee Company. The village’s mix of youth and tradition creates a unique, effortlessly cool atmosphere that’s just a couple of tram stops from the city centre.

LIBERTIES

Francis Street, one of the oldest areas in Dublin, is traditionally an antiques and art quarter. Many of the shops and galleries are family-run institutions. This vibrant area attracts a steady stream of young artists and designers from the nearby National College of Art and Design.

This mix of influences and aesthetics is played out on the myriad of shop fronts and art spaces that line the street, Contemporary art galleries and spaces like pallas studios, Cross Gallery and the NCAD Gallery, rub shoulders with the likes of the Iveagh Gallery, which homes a collection of 19th Century paintings and sculptures. Also, here you’ll find the Dublin Food Co-op, which hosts an array of Sunday markets, www.libertiesdublin.ie

PORTOBELLO

Portobello runs along the edge of Dublin’s picturesque Grand Canal bridging the gap between Rahtmines and the popular Camden Street area.

The old jewish Quarter is café territory, with top tea experts Wall & Keogh, traditional bagel-makers the Bretzel and sweettooth ticklers the Cake Café, all finding their homes in its streets. Its restaurant scene is equally busy.

Portobello’s most famous son is the playwright, George Bernard Shaw, born on Synge Street, in 1856 The Bernard Shaw pub includes an outdoor garden and a bus that serves pizza and some excellent cocktails and beers.