A LOVE LETTER TO...

Designer and decorative artist Bridie Hall explains why Ireland's capital city has captured her heart

- EMMA J PAGE

I FIRST visited Dublin more than 35 years ago and fell in love with its dynamic spirit. More recently, a good friend of mine moved there from New Zealand, which has given me an excellent excuse to reconnect with the place. I love it for its pubs, history, shopping, nearby coastal escapes and the friendliness of its people.

The National Museum of Ireland has an astonishing collection of gold jewellery and Irish art dating back to the Iron Age. Viewing 3,000-year-old Viking-influenced gold artefacts as brilliant as the day they were made gives one a sense of how ancient these lands are.