Wander the cobbled streets of Dublin’s Temple Bar district after 9.30 pm any night of the week and you will hear live traditional music wafting from many of the pubs, ranging in style from the raucously uplifting to the poignantly mournful.  Take advantage of the moment: The “sessions” of Irish musicians are impromptu, so planning out an entertainment schedule is a difficult feat.

This spontaneous element actually dates back for over three centuries.  When the English imposed their brutal rule over Ireland in the late 1600s, the whole Irish landowning class was replaced and the Irish language was suppressed.  The tongue was banned from schools, official correspondence and public encounters in an attempt to wipe it out.  But like an underground resistance, the Irish kept their culture alive though songs, which were performed in secret locales whenever the opportunity arose.

Far from prying English eyes (and ears), the oral history of the land was passed on from generation to generation.  But it was an impoverished, difficult time, and Irish musicians developed a fondness for cheap, simple instruments – the fiddles, accordions, spoons, flutes, harps, whistles and the bodhran, or Irish drums, that are still popular today.  Unaccompanied songs called sean-nos (“in the old style”) developed when there were no instruments at all.

Today, Irish music is world-famous, with U2, The Pogues, The Chieftains, The Cranberries and the singer Sinead O’Connor household names; groups like The Irish Tenors and Riverdance are major operations.  But it is still the spontaneous pub gatherings that capture the spirit of the Irish.  Good places to start looking in Dublin for “the craic” – fun or good times – are Fitsimmons Bar overlooking the River Liffey, Ha’Penny Bridge, Brogan’s Bar and the eponymous Temple Bar itself.

Wine-lovers may flock to the vineyards of France, but for connoisseurs of beer, Europe’s most sacred site is the Guinness Storehouse, a unique museum inside the St James’ Gate Brewery in Dublin.  The hallowed building was derelict when it was leased by Arthur Guinness in 1759 using £100 left by his godfather.  When a craze for a new, heavy style of beer called ‘porter’ began sweeping Dublin about 20 years later, Mr. Guinness decided to beat the English exporters at their own game, and came up with a brew that would ultimately become an Irish staple – the velvety, pitch-black Guinness Stout.

Today, Guinness is an international, US $3 billion-a-year business, but the recipe for “the Black Stuff” is still a closely guarded secret – part chemistry, part mystery.  We do know that Guinness’ unique color and flavor stem from the addition of rolled and roasted barley to beer’s traditional ingredients of malt, hops and yeast.  A substance obtained from fish bladders, known as isinglass finings, are added to help clarify the beer. But is the stout still aged to promote its sharp lactic flavor, as it was in the 18th century?  The current owners of the company, a conglomerate called Diageo, won’t say.  Finally, pouring a Guinness seems to involve as many arcane rules as its manufacture.  Diageo stipulates that the “perfect pint,” with the slow cascade of tiny bubbles and creamy head, can only be achieved in a slightly tipped, tulip shaped glass, with the temperature of the beer exactly 42.8 degrees Fahrenheit.  The famous “double pour,” whereby each glass of Guinness is half filled, allowed to sit before being topped up, should take exactly 119.53 seconds.

At the St. James’s Gate Brewery, a self-guided tour allows you to discover these and other eccentric facts, and revisit some of the company’s historic advertising campaigns.  “Guinness is good for you!” was one famous slogan in the 1920s, when it was discovered that the brew contained antioxidants that ward off heart disease and contains less calories than orange juice or skimmed milk.  The price of admission includes a free Guinness.  You can try pouring your own in the Source Bar, or be served in the top-floor Gravity Bar, which has splendid 360-degree views over Dublin.

Ireland is rich with literary history and every vacation to Dublin promises to full of prose, verse, drama and song.

The most entertaining anniversary in Dublin falls every June 16th – the date in 1904 when the fictional action takes place in Ulysses, the greatest novel by Ireland’s greatest writer, James Joyce.  Every year, thousands of literature fans descend on the city and follow the exact route taken by Leopold Bloom, a Jewish advertising salesman, and Stephen Dedalus, an aspiring writer, as they meander across the city.

True devotees like to wear Edwardian period dress – the men in straw boaters, tinted spectacles and striped blazers, the women in bloomers and corsets in homage to the hero’s lascivious wife, Molly Bloom.  But even if you do not travel to Dublin for the June extravaganza, you can follow the key points of the Ulysses walking tour.

Start at the James Joyce Center (35 North Great George’s Street), a Georgian townhouse where the door to Leopold Bloom’s fictional home, which once stood on Eccles Street in Dublin, is kept on display.  Proceed to Davy Byrne’s pub (21 Duke Street), one of Joyce’s favorite drinking spots, where Bloom lunched on a gorgonzola cheese sandwich and glass of burgundy.  (“Nice quiet bar,” Bloom notes approvingly in Ulysses. “Nice piece of wood in that counter…Like the way it curves.”)  Finally, take the short train ride to Sandycove, where the imposing Martello Tower was the setting for the novel’s first chapter.  One of 15 defense posts set along the coast to protect against an invasion by Napoleon, it has today been named James Joyce Tower with a museum that displays, amongst other gems, a rare edition of Ulysses illustrated by the French Impressionist painter Matisse.

True Joyceans should then take a dip in the Forty Foot swimming hole beside the Tower, named after the 40th Regiment of Foot once stationed here.  In Joyce’s day it was male-only venue and swimming was only in the nude.  Today the hole is co-ed, and swimsuits are “required by order” – although literature fans will be delighted to know there is still a nude section.

The Emerald Isle is our next stop as our travel series takes us on a vacation to Dublin.

Full of history and rich with Celtic tradition, the lush green country side of Ireland and the busy metropolis of Dublin promises breathtaking views and memorable experiences.

During our two-week series we will immerse ourselves in the history of James Joyce, discover the must-see sights of Dublin and maybe find the luck of the Irish.

No trip to Ireland is complete without a tour of Waterford, the world-famous crystal factory, a stop in Avoca, the oldest handweaving mill, or a drive through the Wicklow Mountains.  So sit back, relax, and enjoy your Ireland vacation!

If you’re looking for lush green scenery, Celtic tradition, music, dance and more, look no further than the beautiful country of Ireland.

Travel to Dublin, Ireland and explore the legendary Saint Patrick’s Cathedral while learning the history of St. Patrick’s Day.  Stroll among the shops, galleries and play a round of world–class golf while learning of 5 must-see sights of Ireland.  And finally, discover a great recipe for an Irish meal to celebrate the country’s rich culture at home.

From the Cliffs of Moher to the Guinness Brewery to the Blarney Stone, you will return from your Emerald Isle journey with many a memory and maybe a little luck of the Irish.