Inside Dublin’s Abbey Road where The Rolling Stones, U2 and The Spice Girls have recorded

IRISH pop band The Script have just left the recording studio at Dublin’s version of Abbey Road to let us have a peek inside.

They are busy recording their new album and everything is very hush-hush, but we’re lucky enough to be a part of the experience.

GettyWe were in town for Dublin’s New Year’s Festival, which had returned with a bang after a three-year Covid related absence[/caption]

AlamyThe National Gallery of Ireland is the No1 free visitor attraction in Dublin[/caption]

SuppliedWhat’s a trip to Dublin without a pint of Guinness[/caption]

I’m at the world famous Windmill Lane Recording Studios in the capital city of the Emerald Isle, Dublin.

It is only the opening hour of my three-day visit and I couldn’t have had better stars — unless Bono himself had turned up.

We were here for Dublin’s New Year’s Festival, which had returned with a bang after a three-year Covid-related absence, scoring Westlife as a headline act — and Windmill Lane was just the start of what looked set to be a corker of a cultural weekend.

The Who’s Who? of stars that have passed through the doors of Windmill since recording engineer Brian Masterson opened it in 1978 is quite astonishing.

The Rolling Stones, U2, Rod Stewart, Def Leppard, Metallica, The Spice Girls, The Cranberries, Van Morrison, Kate Bush, Snow Patrol, New Order, Depeche Mode, Lady Gaga, Elvis Costello . . .  I could go on.

Masterson’s logic was: “If we get the best recording equipment then . . . they will come.”

And he was right.

Some of the great albums produced here include Kate Bush’s 80s classic Hounds Of Love, The Rolling Stones’ Voodoo Lounge and Def Leppard’s Hysteria, along with several of U2’s.

Windmill Lane isn’t the only landmark of historical importance in this impressive city, though.

Dublin’s Museum of Literature Ireland is THE place to go for book worms.

It was here that we learned about the country’s most famous tome — Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

And you won’t need to spend a fortune to absorb the culture either.

If you’re strapped for cash, on a simple stroll along the streets you can enjoy the city’s Georgian architecture, including the old Parliament building, which was used between 1720 and 1800, and the magnificent Custom House, built in 1791.

Or there’s the National Gallery of Ireland, the No1 free visitor attraction in Dublin and home to a priceless masterpiece, Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ, which went missing for 200 years.

Putting it in perspective, the Italian artist’s other “missing” piece recently sold for £140million.

Of course, a trip to Ireland wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Guinness Storehouse, where you can get a photo of your face imprinted onto a pint.

Fill your boots

It’s also one of the best spots for soaking up incredible views of the whole of Dublin, so make sure to pop up to the top floor while you’re here.

Guinness not your tipple of choice?

SuppliedI visited the world famous Windmill Lane Recording Studios in Dublin[/caption]

GettySeveral of U2’s best hits were produced at Windmill Lane Recording Studios[/caption]

SuppliedThe pub is just one example of exactly what makes Dublin so fantastic[/caption]

A short 20-minute walk from here sits the Jameson Distillery with whiskey-tasting opportunities galore, no matter what time of day . . . 

A free cocktail after our tour featured Jameson, ginger ale and fresh lime juice — give it a whirl, you won’t be disappointed.

And when it comes to soaking up those drinks, you’ll have plenty of quality restaurants to pick from.

The Woollen Mills, right on the River Liffey, does a thumping great Irish steak cooked to perfection and served alongside a roasted mushroom, crispy onions and chips with delicious homemade gravy.

Or there’s The Elephant & Castle at Maysons Hotel, where the notorious chicken wings are to die for.

You probably won’t need a main course as you get half a farmyard for your starter, but if you are here to fill your boots, you’ll have plenty of choice on the main menu from burgers filled with curried sour cream and streaky bacon to goat’s cheese spaghetti and Mexican salads.

If you want a real show-stopper of a meal, though, venture up the mountains for lunch at the highest pub in the whole of Ireland, Johnny Fox’s, where your food will be accompanied by Irish folk music in a venue that’s over 220 years old.

The pub is just one example of exactly what makes this city so fantastic.

Most of the fascinating buildings and attractions are many years older than me — and each one has its own special story to tell.

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