YOU’VE booked your trip to Anzac Cove, Pamplona and the Munich Oktoberfest, but summer is still three or four months away and you’ll go stir crazy if you wait until April to get away from Britain’s depressing grey skies.

The long Easter weekend, however, is under five weeks away and is the perfect opportunity to take a break from the daily grind. Easter holidays get booked early, so you’ll have to get cracking if you want to take advantage of the full choice of breaks available.

But, where can you go from March 28-April 1 You’re limited only by your imagination. Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels are popular Easter destinations, but you’ll be going there on your combi trip. So, perhaps, the best place this Easter is Dublin, where the craic is fierce, the city beautiful and the horse racing brilliant.

The sport of kings is a minor interest elsewhere, but the Irish and Antipodeans share a love of racing horses. Just as everyone from Australia and New Zealand knows about Phar Lap, the mention of Arkle, Dawn Run and Danoli brings a smile to any Irish face.

Nowhere in Ireland is there a more popular day’s racing than at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday (March 31). Fairyhouse, 35 kilometres north of Dublin, hosts the Jameson Irish Grand National, a stamina-sapping three-and-a-half-mile race over stiff fences.

Like it’s more illustrious English namesake at Liverpool, the Jameson Irish Grand National is a test of speed and stamina, athleticism and willingness to battle, both of horses and spectators. As the races unfold the crowd discovers a huge party sponsored by one of Ireland’s brewing giants.

The Guinness Jazz Band plays all day, while the Kilkenny Design Centre — an Irish fashion chain — is sponsoring a “Best Dressed Lady” competition. With a £1000 voucher to spend in the centre’s shops, TNT’s female readers should pack a set of glad rags.

The racecourse management has also organised a pre-racing prize draw to entice you to the track earlier, while, between races, jockeys and celebrity racing enthusiasts give interviews from the mounting yard which are shown on big screens around the course. Who knows, you may get a last-minute winning tip.

Last year’s race was won by Feathered Gale — a typical Jameson Irish Grand National winner — who is tough, improving and has a touch of class. You should look for a similar type of horse this year and, although the official race entry hasn’t closed, specialist daily racing newspapers such as the Racing Post carry detailed form, analysis and statistics. The first race at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday starts at 2.15pm.

After the races — about four hours later — you’ll want to enjoy your winnings or, perhaps, drown your sorrows in one of Dublin’s pubs and there is no better city in which to sink a tipple or two in. The Irish enjoy a pint like no other and you’ll never walk far without finding an accommodating hostelry.

According to Lonely Planet’s Dublin City Guide, a pub crawl around the city should start at The Brazen Head on Bridge Street, just south of the River Liffey. It’s Dublin’s oldest pub and is but a short hop, skip and a jump from Temple Bar, an area of narrow lanes with a heap more places where you can meet the locals. North of the river, Slattery’s at 129 Capel Street, and Sean O’Casey’s at 105 Marlborough Street are recommended. Further out of the city, in the southern suburb of Donnybrook, I can vouch that Kiely’s is a particularly good weekend venue.

If you’re still unsure where to find the best “pint and a paddy”, however, The Dublin Literary Pub Crawl (Tel: 454 0028) is a great walking tour that combines beer with a little of the city’s literary history. The two actors that lead the tour act out works by Joyce, Behan and Wilde in pubs associated with the writers. A fun alternative is the The Dublin Musical History Tour, a walking tour combining the craic with traditional Irish music.

If you fancy something a little less hedonistic, however, head to the Shelbourne Hotel. Overlooking St Stephen’s Green, the elegant Shelbourne is one of Dublin’s best places to meet even if you can’t afford the room rates. Jennifer Cox of Lonely Planet described afternoon tea in the Shelbourne as, “heaven on a stick”. “It’s lovely and the coffee is so strong you’ll never want to sit down again,” she said. It sounds like the perfect hangover cure and, who knows, you may then be able to see some of the wonderful sights like Trinity College with the Book of Kells, O’Connell Bridge, Dublin Castle and the Guinness Brewery.

Getting There

BUS: National Express operate four daily services from London to Dublin. Return tickets cost £39.

SEA: For holiday-makers wanting to visit Dublin with their own vehicles, Stena Sealink offers a standard return of £311 (car with four passengers) from Holyhead in north Wales to Dun Laoghaire on the southern side of Dublin Bay. Stena Sealink said weekend returns are not available over Easter, while, even at this early stage there is no room available for camper vans.

MONEY: The Irish punt is exchangable at 0.996 to the pound.

FAIRYHOUSE RACECOURSE: Jameson Irish Grand National entry costs IR£10 to the general enclosure, IR£5 to the reserved enclosure. Bus Éireann (Tel: 836-1111) will run raceday services to Fairyhouse from the central bus station. A return ticket costs IR£6. There is free oncourse car-parking.