There are various coach links at Dublin Airport for the 40-minute journey to the city (IR£4).Get your bearingsThe pubs of Temple Bar, to the south of the River Liffey, are the focus for traditional music in Dublin Useful maps of the area are posted at intersections. Elsewhere, brown-and-white signs point out the many tourist sites. First things first: head for the Dublin Tourist Centre ( www.visitdublin ) on Suffolk Street, a converted church. The staff can arrange accommodation and tickets for most events, including big venues such as The Point at East Link Bridge (00 353 1 836 3633) and the Gaiety Theatre on South King Street (00 353 1 677 1717), and you'll be able to pick up a free copy of listings guide The List here.Check in Accommodation doesn't come cheap in Dublin, and it doesn't come much more expensive than at the brand new Four Seasons Hotel at Ballsbridge (00 353 1 665 4000, www.fourseasons ).
With rooms from IR£280 a night, this is for the well-heeled music lover only, although its proximity to the Royal Dublin Society's Showgrounds open-air venue (00 353 1 668 0866, www.rds.ie) is a bonus. The Clarence Hotel on Wellington Quay (00 353 1 670 9000), owned by U2's Bono and The Edge, is Dublin's rock'n'roll hang out, with prices starting at IR£210. More affordable is the Clifton Court Hotel (00 353 1 874 3535, www.cliftoncourthotel ) at IR£70 a double room, with the popular Lanigan's bar. One of the many backpacker options is Avalon House (8) on Aungier Street (00 353 1 475 0001) A double room with a shower is IR£22. Take a hikeYou might have to run to catch the once glitzy, now grimy Hot Press Irish Music Hall Of Fame on Abbey Street Middle (IR£6, 00 353 1 878 3345) as rumours surround its future.
Instead, get to know Temple Bar before the hordes of revellers arrive. The Temple Bar Music Centre on Curved Street (00 353 1 670 9202) is worth a look: it's one of the best rock venues in Dublin and features gigs by local bands during weekend afternoons. Alternatively, stroll to the George Street Arcade, a pretty indoor market that's great for second-hand records.Take a rideHire a bike from Dublin Bike Tours and Rental on Fishamble Street (00 353 1 679 0899; www.dublinbiketours ) for IR£10 a day. Use yours to take in the tourist sites, then zoom to those parts of the "rock'n'stroll trail" (leaflet available from the Tourist Centre, price IR£2.95), which take your fancy.
