Limerick or Dublin?

Neither city is for warm-water beach days, but Dublin at least has sand on its doorstep. Dollymount, Sandymount, Killiney and Portmarnock are a short DART ride from the centre, and the all-year swimming ritual at the Forty Foot and Seapoint is easy to join for an hour.

Limerick sits on the tidal Shannon, and its nearest beaches, Kilkee, Lahinch and Ballybunion, are an hour or more away by car on the Atlantic. They are wide, wild and good for surfing in a wetsuit, but they make a day out, not something you fit into a morning.

Dublin eats and drinks better. Its bistros in Dublin 2 and Dublin 8 cook Atlantic fish, beef and lamb with real care, and the drinking side, with slow-poured stout, whiskey distilleries and tasting bars, is a reason to visit in its own right.

Limerick works from much the same farmland larder, and the Milk Market in the old Victorian market yard is worth a weekend morning for cheese, cured ham and hot food. Away from the market there is far less choice than in Dublin, with a handful of serious modern Irish kitchens rather than whole districts of them. Expect good, plain meals rather than ones you plan the day around.

Dublin holds far more to see. The Book of Kells, the Chester Beatty Library's Asian and Islamic manuscripts, two medieval cathedrals, the free national museums and Kilmainham Gaol fill three full days, and the literary connections, from Joyce to Wilde, give the Georgian streets added depth.

Limerick's history is concentrated on King's Island. King John's Castle, St Mary's Cathedral and the Treaty Stone tell the story of the 1691 siege, and the Hunt Museum's medieval objects are a pleasant surprise. It is a satisfying day or two, not a reason to cross the country.

Both cities centre their nights on the pub, and neither keeps you out until dawn. Dublin simply has much more of it: snugged Victorian bars off Grafton and Baggot Streets, a younger cocktail and late-bar scene along Camden, Wexford and George's Streets, and a city that is full every weekend.

Limerick's pubs around O'Connell Street and Thomas Street are warm and unpretentious, and a few clubs stay open late at weekends. How lively it feels depends on the student term and on match days at Thomond Park, so on a quiet midweek night out of term it can feel subdued.

Dublin brings the outdoors closer. Phoenix Park's deer, the birdlife on North Bull Island, the cliff path at Howth and the coastal walk from Bray to Greystones are all within the city or a train ride away, and the Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough are about an hour south.

Limerick's own green space is mostly riverside walks and a canal greenway. Its landscapes are a drive away, but they are big ones: Lough Derg for kayaking and sailing, the Galtees and Ballyhoura for hill walking and mountain biking, and the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. Without a car, you will see little of them.

Dublin has the bigger headline excursions. The Boyne Valley's passage tombs at Newgrange and Knowth predate the pyramids, Glendalough and Powerscourt lie to the south, and Belfast and Kilkenny are both comfortable outings by train.

Limerick opens a different part of the country, mostly by car. Bunratty and Adare are about twenty minutes away, the Rock of Cashel about an hour, and Galway and Cork are each around an hour and a half. Distances are short, but more of the day is spent behind the wheel.

Dublin gives children more to do. Dublin Zoo sits inside Phoenix Park with room to run, the natural history museum is free, Dublinia brings the Vikings to life and a theme park is about half an hour's drive away. That gives you plenty of indoor options when it rains.

Limerick's main draw is King John's Castle, with siege displays and battlements to climb, plus Bunratty Folk Park's farm animals nearby. There is no zoo or aquarium, so most families treat it as a stop for a night or two on a wider tour.

Both centres are flat and easy to walk, but Dublin's transport reaches further. Two Luas tram lines, the coastal DART and one tap-on card let you reach Howth, Dalkey and Bray without a car. Buses to the airport and the outer districts can get stuck in rush-hour traffic, since there is no metro.

In Limerick, city buses cover the suburbs and the university, and the central station has trains to Dublin, Ennis and Galway. Rural buses are infrequent, though, so most visitors pick up a hire car at Shannon Airport.

Dublin is much the better place to shop. Grafton Street and Brown Thomas cover the high end, the Powerscourt Townhouse turns a Georgian mansion into small shops, and the design and craft shops around Drury Street and South William Street are good places to find Aran knitwear, linen and tweed.

Limerick's O'Connell Street is mostly practical high-street chains. The Milk Market's craft and secondhand stalls are the most characterful stop. Limerick lace has a long history but is hard to track down, so keep most of your gift buying for elsewhere.

Limerick is noticeably easier on the wallet, mainly because of the room bill. Hotels are reasonably priced for Western Europe, and sights in the compact centre cost little. Meals, drinks and the hire car most visitors need are still expensive, though.

Dublin's hotels are among the priciest in Europe, especially on match and concert weekends, and a round in a central pub adds up fast. The free national museums and gallery and good lunch menus help. Staying near a DART or Luas stop outside the centre cuts the biggest cost.

Dublin offers far more to see on stage. The Abbey and the Gate carry a long tradition of Irish drama, and the Gaiety and the theatre at Grand Canal Dock take musicals and touring shows. The National Concert Hall is home to the national symphony orchestra, and the autumn theatre festival is a long-established part of the year.

Limerick does well for its size. The Irish Chamber Orchestra is based at the university, the Lime Tree and the Belltable stage drama and dance, and the university's Irish music programme keeps the pub sessions strong. Neither city has a permanent opera house.

Neither city is a place to slow down, and both leave you to make your own calm. In Dublin, the ritual is a cold dip at the Forty Foot or Seapoint followed by a seafront sauna, or a long walk in Phoenix Park.

Limerick's better options lie outside the city: country-house spas around Adare and Lough Derg, and the old hot seaweed baths in Atlantic seaside towns an hour or so away.