I’m wedged tight into the corner of the snug at one of my favourite Dublin pubs – the snug is that dark and dim little room off the main bar, the perfect meeting spot. Near closing time and the place is heaving. The roof is long stained brown with nicotine, though smoking is now, incredibly, banned in Irish pubs. Windows are shut fast – sure, who needs fresh air. Laughter, conversation and joking wafts across the room, along with shouts of ‘who’s round is it?’ Through the noise I hear a familiar accent – Aussies in the house! Three Australian travellers out for their last night in town. Pull up a chair, have a drink and a chat – welcome to Dublin.

Dublin pub

Confession Time. I shook the mud of Dublin off my shoes with few regrets years ago when I headed down under. Today when I wander the city the buildings, street signs and raucous Dublin accent are reassuringly familiar but the place itself has under gone a sea change.

In case you haven’t heard, Dublin became the city in Europe in the last 10 years – home of the Celtic Tiger economy, hip and fashionable, with low unemployment, a booming economy and a confidence about it that I find astounding. Whilst the Global Financial Crisis has given it a battering, the great thing is that the heart of the city – its people and their sense of life and fun – is stronger than ever. Optimism and hope expressed through its young people has taken over. That said, that infamous misty Irish rain (‘sure, it’s a fine day there missus”) is still around.

Come to Dublin for all the things you associate with Ireland – pubs, Irish music, history, tall tales, Georgian architecture and fine buildings. When you’ve done the usual trail (Trinity College, the Book of Kells, Dublin Castle, the Ha’penny Bridge, the Guinness Brewery) throw away the guidebook and get down to meeting the locals.

Temple Bar area of Dublin

Wander around the Temple Bar area in the centre of the city. Originally planned by the bureaucrats as a bus terminal, this maze of little cobbled streets is now the cultural and social pulse of the city.  There’s a European feel with outdoor coffee shops and restaurants (the Irish are ever optimistic!), whilst in the evenings the pubs overflow onto the streets and music booms from upstairs windows.

Start the day with real coffee – a pleasant change after the stuff they call coffee in England. Dublin has adopted a cafe mentality with gusto – Melbourne better watch out as it’s got a rival! Wander Grafton Street and window shop – at the exchange rate that’s about all you’ll be able to afford. Start a pub crawl in the late afternoon, most of the pubs near Trinity College are student haunts and it won’t take you long to get adopted by the crowd. Eat out in Temple Bar, and kick on into the night at one of the clubs.

I emerged from a club that night, leaving the Aussies to their evening out, gulping in great breathes of fresh air. Lots of people were wandering the streets, in search of elusive taxis or a last feed at the fast food joints. Standing in the taxi queue the locals were joking and teasing; full taxis passing by got good-natured abuse, queue jumpers less so.  The slagging and jokes made me smile. It was good to be home.