Why? It has a lot of romantic associations for my wife and me. Because both of us are Irish - albeit kind of ex-pat Irish - we seem to keep going back there to get reacquainted with our ‘Irishness’. The first time we went there together was just after the General Election, and I think that had a large impact on our visit. We were both so completely euphoric that the Conservative rule was over at last we were walking on air by the time we hit Dublin. We ended up getting married there, too, in the University College chapel on St Stephen’s Green.

The best thing: I’d have to say the people. Going to Dublin after London really is a breath of fresh air, because everyone’s so polite.

My perfect day: We’d get up about noon and head down to the Liffey. We’d take a stroll down one of the new riverside walkways they probably built with lots of new European money and grab a coffee. We’d have lunch at Tosca’s, which I think was started by Bono’s brother. After some shopping and a walk around St Stephen’s Green, we’d have dinner in a curtained-off booth at Odessa.

My advice: If you’re planning to have your stag night in Dublin, please reconsider.

How to get there: Aer Lingus (www.flyaerlingus.com) flies from London to Dublin from £69 return.

The Divine Comedy’s new album, Regeneration, is out now on Parlophone.


Neil Hannon
The Guardian 05/05/2001