National Museum of Arts and History, Dublin, Ireland

Ireland's turbulent past explained - and a Guinness to enjoy

- Barry Wiseman

DUBLIN IS AN entrancing city for the tourist, with much to see. For instance, there's the beloved Molly Malone statue and the imposing General Post Office, used as headquarters for the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916 and still bearing scars of the ensuing battle. This building has a foreboding atmosphere, hardly surprising given its history of drama and bloodshed. It makes the visitor want to know more about the past of this country and its people, many of whom are happy souls but tinged with bitterness about the past.

First a happy part - the Guinness Storehouse and the World of Guinness Exhibition. You'll learn during a couple of hours of wandering around that Guinness is not black, but actually a very dark red and that, as the ads say, 'It's good for you. Guinness claims to make three million pints a day, just at this brewery. The interesting tour ends in the seventh-floor Gravity Bar, with grand views over the city.

Dominating the view is the former Collins Barracks, all 18 acres of it, including a massive cobbled parade ground. Once home to up to 4000 soldiers, it is believed that it may well be the longest-serving army base in the world. It operated from 1702 to 1997, then it stood idle before being renovated, re-purposed and then re-opened as the National Museum of Decorative Arts and History.