The most popular attraction in Ireland

Talk of the town: The 64-acre brewery is on a 9,000-year lease that began in 1759. Visitors can see the lease encased in glass in the floor of the atrium.

James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw and U2 can't hope to compete with Dublin's most famous export - a pint of the black stuff. One hundred years ago the Guinness Brewery in the city's Liberties district was the largest brewery in the world; now, it still remains the biggest producer of stout, pumping out over 50 million barrels a year.

A visit to the brewery is, unsurprisingly, a firm fixture on Dublin's stag party scene, but it's quite fun even for those who prefer a nice glass of Chablis. The Storehouse experience is a slick operation: starting off in an atrium designed like the world's biggest pint glass, a self-guided tour takes visitors through several floors of exhibits on the history of Guinness and the brewing process. You'll learn how to pour a perfect pint, before ending up in the seventh floor Gravity Bar where you'll be given a drink yourself, with gob-smacking views of the city thrown in.