Top Spot: Dublin
Alright, so the 17th of March has been and gone, but Dublin is beautiful all year round. Dublin used to be a place where students could go with just £2.50 in their pockets. They'd then busk and scrounge for two weeks and fall in love with all things Irish. But now Ireland is booming, accommodation prices are sky-rocketing and, anyway, you'll need to take Euros, not pounds. Dublin is an exciting place to be this year. If you head off to Ireland the moment term ends you'll hit Bloomsday, on the 16th of June, a celebration of the work of James Joyce. All the Joyce museums and sights will have huge discounts or be free.
As well as raving about the booze in Dublin (I refuse to mention the G-word) loads of students have mentioned the revival of traditional Irish food. Just out of the centre of Dublin, Bandits of Dorphin has been recommended repeatedly. The cuisine on offer ranges from pickled oyster soup to bread fried in nutmeg tallow and from the traditional boiled cabbage and bacon to pig knuckle stew. And you thought it would just be potatoes. If you have a craving for all thing British, though, the best chips in Dublin are availabe from Burdock's Chippie, near Christchurch Cathedral.
Dublin is bisected by the River Liffey and most of the tourist sights are located to the south. Start off at the Cathedral and then move on to Trinity College. Search for the machine gun bullets in the wall of one quad, and, if you can bear looking at a book after this term, drop in to see the oldest book in the world, the Book of Kells, an illustrated manuscript dating from 12, 000 years ago.
But a trip to Ireland wouldn't be complete without a trip to the pub. There are some ghastly ones in Dublin - chain outfits with no soul and high prices. One recommendation is to track down the Pembroke Bar (only hazy recollections of where it is) and convince the bar man you're from Pembroke College: it got one student from St Catz a free round. It's a family business and often has live music.
• Ferry services are run to Dublin from Stranraer and Fishguard. You can get very cheap tickets if you go at night and are happy kipping on the floor.
• Very cheap flights are available from London Stansted if you fly with Ryanair. If you book soon you might get a flight for only £14. See www.ryanair.com for details.
• Accommodation prices soar if you are looking at hostels or hotels on the south side of the Liffey. Take a bus out to the suburbs and rooms cost only around £10 a night per person.
9th May 2002