When I think of Ireland, I think of pubs, U2, poet Seamus Heaney and films such as The Commitments and Michael Collins.
Being in Ireland first-hand is altogether a different experience. For one, you actually get to meet someone with the surname O'Brien, as opposed to dining at one of the O'Briens Irish Sandwich Bars in Singapore.
And you can immerse yourself in the Celtic myths and varied scenery of this ancient land separated by the Irish Sea from Great Britain.
If time is limited, as was in my case, drop in on the two major cities - Dublin in the Republic of Ireland and Belfast in Northern Ireland - to get a quick feel of what Ireland has to offer.
Dublin, the bigger, richer and more vibrant of the two cities, is the obvious choice for your first stop.
Ironically, for a city steeped in history (as evident in its many fine examples of Georgian architecture), one of its most distinctive features is a modern one - the Spike, a steel needle-like sculpture rising 120m from O'Connell Street.
This balance between modernity and heritage is again highlighted in the Temple Bar district off Dame Street, where I found that old warehouses built upon cobbled streets are now home to artist studios, galleries, boutiques and restaurants.
This undoubtedly touristy area is a hip place to unwind after sightseeing and to enjoy a pint of beer.
Temple Bar is also bound by the River Liffey, which slices the city into northern and southern halves.
Aside from the National Gallery, National Museum and Christ Church Cathedral, southside attractions include Trinity College, Ireland's oldest university dating from 1592, whose alumni include Jonathan Swift and Oscar Wilde.
Its main attraction, as attested by the snaking queue I witnessed at the university's Old Library, is the Book of Kells, an ornately handcrafted Biblical manuscript dating from AD800.
The sprawling and historical Dublin Castle is a major government complex which is open to visitors.
Avoiding the crowd, I instead pored over ancient religious texts and rare manuscripts at the Chester Beatty Library, a free museum situated on the grounds of Dublin Castle.
I also visited the city's main commercial street, Grafton Street, which is a haven for shopping and people- watching.
North of the Liffey is generally less posh, but the area is characterised by the wide thoroughfare of O'Connell Street, where I found the historic General Post Office and visited, just off the street, the Dublin Writers Museum and the majestic Custom House.
A distance of 166km away, Ireland's second-largest city after Dublin is Belfast. As the capital of Northern Ireland, which is a part of the United Kingdom, it bore the brunt of the region's turbulent period called the Troubles, which wreaked destruction from the late 1960s till the signing of the 1998 peace agreement.
Thankfully, the bombing and assassinations resulting from the struggle for independence from British rule and the sectarian conflict between Catholic and Protestant populations are now a thing of the past.
But it is easy to be reminded of those times by visiting the political murals in West Belfast. The loyalties of opposing communities were reflected through murals adorning houses along Shankill Road and Falls Road.
For example, within the Protestant stronghold of Shankill, you will find a painted tribute to Oliver Cromwell, an English military leader who massacred Irish Catholics in his conquest of Ireland.
At the Sinn Fein political party headquarters, on the corner of Falls and Sevastopol Street, you can view the famous mural of the Irish Republican Army's late hunger striker, Bobby Sands.
Charm, uneasy calm
Sands was the first to go on the 1981 Irish hunger strike to demand better conditions for prisoners and died after 66 days of striking. He was 27 years old. His story has been made into a film, Hunger (2008), starring Michael Fassbender.
Friends living in Belfast were quick to point out to me that the peace process has been upheld for the past decade and the streets are safe and the residents friendly.
Still, while strolling in the city's bust- ling downtown, I could not help feeling a sense of uneasiness in its current calmness and growing affluence. Perhaps as a timely reminder, one of my friends recounted a gun battle he had witnessed in his youth at a street corner where a McDonald's now stands.
Being a compact city, Belfast is easily walkable, from its heart at the lively Donegall Square, where the domed City Hall is situated, to other attractions such as the Linen Hall Library, St Anne's Cathedral and the Ulster Museum, which covers history, archaeology and antiquities.
Rest your weary soul (and feet) at Belfast's St Anne's Cathedral, which boasts dramatic arches.
While the city's attractions pale in comparison to Dublin's offerings, it is a good base for visiting the Unesco World Heritage Site of Giant's Causeway. According to local folklore, the Causeway was built by an Irish giant trying to cross the sea to Scotland but was later destroyed.
Indeed, its estimated 37,000 interlocking basalt columns, almost perfectly hexagonal in shape (right), may appear handmade, but scientists believe they were formed by volcanic eruptions 70 million years ago.
Make sure you wear the right shoes as the tops of the 30cm-wide columns provide a challenging array of stepping stones that are a delight to navigate.
The dramatic backdrop of steep cliffs and ocean waves off the coast of Northern Ireland also adds to the indelible impression of the beauty within these ruins.
5 DOS
1 Do soak up the spirit of Ireland's rich literary tradition by reading the works of authors such as James Joyce, Roddy Doyle, Louis MacNeice and Samuel Beckett. Get better acquainted with them by visiting the Dublin Writers Museum.
2 Do enjoy a pint to wash down pub grub at an authentic Irish watering hole such as the Crown Liquor Saloon in Belfast and Stag's Head in Dubli
3 Do visit the Guinness Storehouse at St James's Gate, Dublin, for a stroll through the history and brewing process of the city's world- famous export, a black beer called Guinness Stout. And while sipping your glass of Guinness (included in the admission fee) at the rooftop Gravity Bar, enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the city.
4 Do travel out of the cities. Visit Giant's Causeway near Belfast and Newgrange, a prehistoric burial mound reachable on a day trip from Dublin.
5 Do sample traditional Irish food such as black pudding (sausage made of pig's blood), soda bread and potato pancakes, or modern Irish cuisine that marries other cooking styles with fresh local produce such as farmhouse cheeses and Aberdeen Angus beef from Ireland's west coast.
2 DONT'S
1 Don't pack too much if you are planning to fly by budget airline from London. You save on charges for check-in luggage if you can fit your belongings within the specified dimensions and weight of carry-on luggage.
2 Don't make religious or political statements about Northern Ireland, especially if you wander into less centralised areas like West Belfast. It pays to be cautious, even though Belfast today is generally perceived as safe
How to get there
While Singapore Airlines does not fly direct to Dublin, it is an easy destination to get to on European carriers such as British Airways (via London) and KLM (via Amsterdam).
Expect to fork out between $1,400 and $1,600 (before taxes and fuel surcharges) for return airfare.
Or you can shop around for a cheap flight to London, where you then take one of the budget airlines - Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) and British Midland Airways (www.flybmi.com) - that fly to Dublin and Belfast. Depending on online offers, a one-way ticket can start from £10 (S$26).
The train (www.nirailways.co.uk) departs several times a day from Dublin for Belfast (and vice versa). The trip lasts two hours and costs £25 one way. Buses take about three hours and are cheaper at £11.10 one way.
Where to stay
Dublin
The Clarence: The luxurious boutique hotel's claim to fame is its owners - Bono and The Edge (guitarist David Howell Evans) of Irish rock band U2 - but its views of River Liffey are a big plus too. Call 353-1-407-0800 or visit www.theclarence.ie
The Morgan: This modern and stylish boutique hotel is located within the vibrant Temple Bar. Call 353-1-643-7000 or visit www.themorgan.com
Isaac's Hostel: Those travelling on a shoestring will appreciate this friendly and affordable hostel in the heart of the city. Call 353-1-8556215 or visit www.isaacs.ie
Belfast
Ash Rowan: Former restaurateurs run their bed-and-breakfast in a four- storey Victorian townhouse in a quiet residential neighbourhood near Queen's University. Call 44-28-9066-1758.
Maranatha Guesthouse: This Victorian building, located within 20 minutes' walk to the city centre, offers modern comforts with hearty Irish breakfast. Call 44-28-9046-0200 or visit www.maranatha-guesthouse.com
This article was first published in The Straits Times on September 16, 2008.
