KATIE FEEHAN spends a whirlwind two-day trip exploring the city of Dublin and its surrounding beauty.

When you think about Dublin as a city, the first thing you might think of is Guinness and the lively nightlife that it has come to be known for. After all, the ebony nectar remains the country’s biggest export.

So when I joined a small group for a cultural trip to the Irish capital, I didn’t know exactly what to expect.

The trip was made possible thanks to Flybe’s new route to Dublin from Southend Airport, a serene terminal within an hour of London where a hideous queue at check-in is a rare site.

Our group was staying at the beautiful Dylan Hotel – a 5* boutique hotel in the heart of Dublin which made a more than comfortable base for the upcoming days’ exploits.

The lavish hotel features a gourmet restaurant serving locally sourced dishes – including succulent rib eye steak as well as crab and smoked salmon.

I stayed in one of the Dylan’s spacious Deluxe rooms with all the amenities you could ask for making it almost too difficult to leave the luxury of the room and head out to explore the bustling city.

But venture out we did and our first stop was the recently-refurbished National Gallery of Ireland.

Having been closed for six years, the art gallery officially relaunched six months ago with an exhibition featuring the works of Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer.

During our visit, we explored an exhibition dedicated to Irish artist Frederic William Burton as well as an impressive collection of European masters’ works including Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet.

Among the museum’s 12,500 works, a personal highlight was the extensive collection of works belonging to one of Ireland’s most well-regarded artists Jack B Yeats.

Next, it was a short five-minute walk to the Little Museum of Dublin and little it was as, from the pavement, you would be forgiven for missing it - tucked away in a row of Georgian town houses.

As the city’s top-rated museum on Trip Advisor, the Little Museum of Dublin is a must for visitors looking for a unique taste of Irish history.

From top to bottom, every inch of the walls in the three-storey building is covered with memorabilia giving onlookers sentimental snapshots into periods of Dublin’s history.

Their collection is made up entirely from public donations received since the quaint museum’s inception in 2011 and highlights include a music stand once used by President JFK as a lectern when he visited the city, a handwritten letter from Irish playwright Samuel Beckett to a young schoolboy and an entire room dedicated to Irish rock legends U2.

For lunch, we headed to Fallon & Byrne, a sprawling food hall and Delhi on the ground floor with a basement café and wine bar.

So we could sample the wide-ranging menu, we were brought a number of platters in a tapas-style manner.

The first thing that caught my eye was the bowl of oysters as I generally try and avoid seafood but in the spirit of adventure (and with encouragement of my fellow diners) I tried my first oyster and enjoyed it a great deal.

Other dishes included cold meats and flavoursome cheeses as well as delicious pates and salads.

Our culture spree continued as after lunch, we headed to another attraction unlike anything I’d been to before.

Located in Dublin’s Docklands is EPIC, the Irish Emigration Experience – an interactive and fully-immersive museum exploring the dispersion of Irish culture across the world.

The exhibition is made of 20 separate galleries each with their own individual theme and all fall under the headings of Migration, Motivation, Influence and Diaspora Today which essentially explore the who, why and how of Irish emigration through the ages.

Full of interactive screens and accompanied with an informative headset, the journey through the museum provides a fascinating opportunity to trace Irish culture and heritage which now permeates every sphere from business and politics to sport, literature and music.

Our packed day in the city concluded with a refreshing and much-needed Vintage Tea Tour which combined afternoon tea with a site-seeing bus tour round the city.

While enjoying exquisite cakes and sandwiches complemented by much-needed coffee, we were guided round Dublin’s key sites including Trinity College, the Guinness Brewery and Phoenix Park – the largest city park in Europe - as a staff member on board provided commentary.

For dinner, we spent an evening at Ely Wine Bar where I enjoyed a starter of ham hock terrine with tasty bread followed by steak sourced from the family farm in the Burren (as all their meat is) and a finale of apple crumble with malted milk ice-cream.

After a restful night’s sleep back at the Dylan, the second day took us out of the heart of the city as we ventured to the village of Howth.

With its sweeping sea views and stunning clifftop trails, Howth was a beautiful change of scenery just 30 minutes away from Dublin itself.

Howth Castle is a 15th century stately home set in striking grounds and featuring a popular spot for keen golfers.

Echo: Co Dublin, Malahide Castle 11

We were taken to the castle’s Georgian kitchen where we were given a “feast of the sea” masterclass that demonstrated how to cook a three-course meal of lobster and avocado salad, pan fried hake with chorizo and leeks and lemon cheesecake.

The masterclass, which forms part of the castle’s cookery school programme, provided practical tips that have proven invaluable since I returned home and would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys cooking.

If it’s fresh seafood you’re after, Howth Harbour is a must. As a working fishing village, cosy restaurants along the seafront serve up the catch of the day to hungry hikers fresh off the Howth Head walk.

Our final stop was the affluent coastal town of Malahide which has its own Castle and Gardens, a stately home that dates back to the 12th century set in its 260-acre estate.

Each room of the grand building has been preserved to reflect different eras in the Talbot family’s 800-year history with many of their original artefacts and belongings left in place.

If you treat yourself to the guided tour, you will hear the troubled stories that lead many to believe the castle is haunted by five ghosts who can be seen walking the grounds after dark.

While it is perhaps known for its pubs and bars (which are also worth exploring), a few days soaking up the dynamic city’s history and culture proved there is more to Dublin than the infamous black stuff and the lively nightlife.

For more information on Ireland, visit www.ireland.com