Spanning four converted eighteenth-century Georgian townhouses, Dublin’s Merrion Hotel is a quietly unassuming spot, but don’t let the modest façade fool you. Once inside, you’re spoilt with original features, including chandeliers, claw-foot bathtubs and a beautiful neoclassical pool. But it’s the two-Michelin-starred restaurant, fronted by Patrick Guilbaud, that seals the deal. Tuck into contemporary Irish dishes, each with classic French roots, before a nightcap in the Cellar Bar.

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Insiders love Dublin’s newest cocktail bar, 9 Below, where four intimate rooms create a chic speakeasy amid the enclaves of the tastefully converted basement on St. Stephen’s Green. Formerly part of the historic Hibernian Club, this unique space is filled with polished wood, velvet sofas and dim lighting – making it the perfect after-hours spot for those wanting privacy.

The hottest table in town is nestled in the basement of Dublin’s former Writers Museum – only those in the know have Chapter One on speed dial. Boasting two Michelin stars, the menu is a unique French fusion fronted by head chef Mickael Viljanen, and you can book the Chef’s table for a front row seat to watch the master at work.

Get up close and personal with Irish equine royalty at the Irish National Stud & Gardens in County Kildare, home to immaculately-bred stallions, frolicking foals and more. It’s here where you’ll also find the famous Japanese Gardens, perfect for a stroll with a guide or to contemplate the meaning of life on the ‘Life of Man’ path, which symbolises a person’s journey from birth to death through the plants, flowers and rocks.

For the most magical tour of the Emerald Isle, opt for a helicopter ride above Ireland’s picturesque landscape and the quaint Inis Mór, one of the Aran Islands off the west coast. Starting in Galway, you’ll fly over Inis Mor, taking in its ancient dry stone walls, thatched villages and the prehistoric Dun Aengus – a series of hill forts sitting dramatically on the island’s cliff edge.