Over the past decade, Dublin has well and truly shed its insular tendencies. Fuelled by its strong ‘Celtic Tiger’ economy, the city has embraced change and is today, a thriving, cool and cosmopolitan metropolis and one that city-break travellers can’t seem to get enough.

Famous people born in Dublin include actors Colin Farrell and Gabriel Byrne, singers Bob Geldof and Ronan Keating, and writers George Bernard Shaw and Bram Stoker.

• Visitor numbers have nearly trebled since 1997 and airlines have reacted to this with many new route...