Best of Dublin – My City – Nuala O'Connor

What do you like best about Dublin?
I love so much – the Liffey; Liberty Hall winking away there in the sun; the variety of the river bridges; the city’s walkable size and the contrast between the north and south sides of town. I went to school on Marlborough Street, and college at Trinity, so I spent long, long years in the city centre; it’s under my skin, I love going home to it.

What do you think is the most iconic thing about modern Dublin?
The Spire is still one of the gaspiest monuments I know. I can be standing on Mary Street, minding my own business when I look up along Henry Street, and there it is, shiny and magnificent. It’s some feature.

Where is your favourite place to eat?
Cornucopia – as a vegetarian, it’s still my fave place for hearty, tasty veggie food. I love Umi Falafel in the George’s Street Arcade, too.

Dublin’s best bar?
Ah, now, come on. Each one has its own charms. But, I’m going to say the Palace Bar, because it was a college haunt, and the barmen were sweethearts to us, even when we sang and were daft.

What’s your favourite shop in Dublin?
Bombay Banshee in the George’s Street Arcade is always a must-visit when I’m up from Galway. I often buy my book launch earrings or a new ring there. Stokes Books beside it is also brilliant, a treasure. And the Winding Stair Book Shop is another gorgeous, eclectic place that I love.

Where do you shop for clothes?
I’m not a fan of clothes shopping, but I love charity shops, so I like to do the strips on Capel Street and South Great George’s Street and, inevitably, I find a gem. As a young one, I was a confirmed Sé Sí, Eager Beaver, and Crown Alley shopper.

Favourite Dublin building?
The Irish Writers Centre on Parnell Square gives me the good feels. I’m in a group that meets there quarterly, and I’ve taught there – and attended classes – over the years. It’s like a home from home.

Your Dublin music?
The Golden Horde. We used to follow them around as teenagers. I adored them.

Favourite Dublin neighbourhood?
Dublin 1, because I went to school there and that’s where the Writers Centre is, and the James Joyce Centre. I made my Communion and Confo in the Pro Cathedral; I went to dance classes on North Great George’s Street and Granby Row; I learnt to swim in the Belvedere Pool. I just love that whole area.

Your Dublin hero?
James Joyce. I love what he made of Dublin, his honesty about the city’s downsides and his adoration for it. In Ulysses, he worships the women and men of Dublin, and everything from the river to the churches. A brilliant, funny, roistery homage.

What is your most loved
spot in Dublin to catch some me-time?
I love to sit in the garden café at MoLI and people watch. And the Phoenix Park can’t be beaten for a walk.

Hugh Lane Gallery. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Where is your favourite place to bring friends/family when they visit Dublin?
I like meeting people at the National Gallery or at the Hugh Lane Gallery – the perfect spots for a combo of a cultural experience, a café to eat at, and a shop to buy a card or souvenir.

• Nuala O’Connor’s latest novel Seaborne is out now.

• Featured in Hot Press "Best of Dublin 2024" available down below