Dublin Remains the Capital of Gab : City by the river has retained its beauty, but the best part is still mingling with friendly locals at the pubs.

DUBLIN, Ireland — “In Dublin’s fair city, where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone” goes the old Irish song. And while sweet Molly has long ceased to hawk her cockles and mussels from a wheelbarrow, it’s still possible to see her latter-day counterparts shouting their wares in colorful Dublin accents from battered baby prams in the lively street market along Moore Street.

Molly’s cries of long ago and today’s barrow-vendors’ wails are perfect examples of the hoary traditions that refuse to die in this most tradition-bound of all cities.

Dublin is still a cloth-cap and pennywhistle-music town, yet very proper ladies with picture hats and parasols arrive for teatime at The Shelbourne hotel. The August horse show is one of the world’s most elegant social events. And newly elected “foundation scholars” of Trinity College, founded in the 16th Century, still count among their perks the right to drink beer during examinations.

Dubliners are a warm and friendly lot, full of charm, a bit of blarney and perhaps a Guinness or two. They love good conversation, weighty or otherwise, but much prefer to spin a dark or winsome tale of the imagination rather than a dull one fettered by reality.

Much of this talk goes on in the city’s 850 or so public houses, Dublin being a pub town if ever there was one. The egalitarian conversation could be between hod carrier and bank president, often about horses or the latest play at the renowned Abbey Theatre, a showcase of Irish playwrights and a well of the country’s history. Those conversations may not always be congruent, however, since discourse and discord meld often in Ireland.

One thing that draws no fractious comment from locals or visitors is the beauty and civility of this lovely old Georgian town on the River Liffey. Block upon block on both sides of the river are lined with 18th-Century townhouses, their regal entries given distinct characters by handsome fanlights and doors lacquered in vibrant colors, from periwinkle blue to burnt umber.

Fine museums and galleries, historic churches (in this very Catholic city, both cathedrals are Protestant), stately Georgian squares, and manicured parks and gardens make Baile Atha Cliath (Dublin in Gaelic) an eminently livable and enjoyable city.

But lest anyone harbor the notion that Dublin is locked irrevocably in the 18th Century, just take a walk down the two blocks of Windmill Lane. This is home for the studio that recorded the famed U2 and other rock groups. Walls on both sides of the street are completely covered with graffiti, praising U2’s music for “hugging my soul” or begging them to play the writer’s home town, be it in Australia, Angola or Arkansas.

After a cursory look at the thousands of messages, we were impressed by the fact that there were no obscenities or off-color remarks. But an Irish friend offered the pragmatic opinion that such comments “are probably in Gaelic.”

How long/how much? Give Dublin two full days minimum, a third if possible. Lodging costs run in the high moderate range, dining the same.

Getting settled in: Ariel House, an old townhouse currently finishing a thorough face lift, is a five-minute drive from city center (O’Connell Street and River Liffey). There is also a nearby bus stop and convenient train station. This old Victorian has antique furnishings, fireplaces in the breakfast room and lounge, a small wine bar and the friendliest of owners. Room prices vary according to size and location.

Longfield’s Hotel, a masterful converted Georgian townhouse that sits right at the center of things, is both intimate and elegant. Bedrooms abound in period furniture and good taste. The Number 10 restaurant in the cellar carries out the discreet feeling and has superb food and service.

Any tight travel budget will like Egans House, a former private home 10 minutes from town center. It’s very modest and the bedrooms are simple enough, but each has a hair dryer, TV and “self-catering” coffee and tea gear to get you started in the morning. A continental or full Irish breakfast is served, as well as a substantial evening meal costing about $20.

Regional food and drink: With the Irish Sea and Atlantic at its doorsteps, Ireland’s seafood always has the exceptional taste that separates fresh from frozen. Excellent smoked or grilled salmon, cod, the lowly plaice and sole join ever-present prawns, Galway oysters, mussels and occasional cockles on many menus.

Staples include Irish stew, hearty mixed grills and the traditional Monday night special of colcannon (mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage and perhaps onion) served with sliced “bacon,” which in size and taste is more like our country ham.

The Irish and Scots, unlike the British, really know how to make breads, the most noted being Irish soda bread, white or brown, that’s a true delight. Guinness stout, Harp lager and a number of ales go well with just about everything.

Dining well: Gallagher’s Boxty House (83 Middle Abbey St.), in the Temple Bar area, makes a big thing over traditional Irish dishes, starting with the beloved boxty, a huge potato pancake stuffed with either lamb, beef, fish, bacon and cabbage or whatever. They also have steaks, Irish stew, salmon and chowder.

Two wood-burning fireplaces, old wooden tables, chairs, bookcases and a grandfather clock give Gallagher’s a warm and inviting atmosphere to go with food that conveys the same feeling. Seven boxty dishes go for $8, smoked wild salmon for $7.

Kitty O’Shea’s (23 Upper Grand Canal St.) is named for the wife of a British army officer who ultimately wrecked the political career of Charles Parnell, the 19th-Century nationalist firebrand, with their blatant affair and three children. O’Shea’s is really a pub hangout for politicians and rugby fans. It’s very Victorian, with fine stained-glass windows and booth dividers, though a bit tacky in the dining room.

Main dishes such as beef curry on rice, and fillet of plaice or roast pork are served with a puree of turnips (always delicious in Ireland), garlic zucchini and roast or Lyonnaise potatoes for $7. There’s lively Irish music every night.

Gleeson’s (44 Booterstown Ave.) is a real Victorian charmer, with long dining rooms, working fireplaces in each and a marvelous bar backed by a stained-glass window. The dining rooms are only open for lunch (pub snacks in the evening), with steaks about $14, leg of lamb $10.50, fish the same. Gleeson’s is a very upscale pub without being tarted up and pretentious.

Going first-class: The Shelbourne Hotel is almost a page in Dublin’s history, having opened in 1824 right on St. Stephen’s Green when it was a grazing field for the Lord Mayor’s livestock. The Irish Constitution was drafted in a suite here in 1922, and James Joyce mentions The Shelbourne in both “Ulysses” and “Dubliners.”

Interiors are luxuriously Georgian, with gorgeous antiques at every turn, bedrooms most comfortable but varying in size. Views across St. Stephen’s Green are spectacular, the Horseshoe Bar and its banquettes a nightly scene of Dublin’s social whirl.

Puerto Bella Restaurant (1 Portobello Road) sounds Italian but is really a haven for those seeking the finest Irish-Continental food. There’s nothing fancy about the place, inside or out, but the accomplished kitchen, fine service and very pleasant decor will win you over immediately.

A fixed-price menu at lunch is $22, dinner $33, giving you the likes of quenelles of salmon mousse with watercress, fillet of hake with a fresh basil cream sauce, grilled salmon with an orange hollandaise or roast leg of lamb in a thyme-garlic gravy. Follow this with a heavenly bread-and-butter pudding swimming in Baileys Irish Cream, or a board of the country’s fine if unsung cheeses.

On your own: Two of the biggest topics in town are the new Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Dublin Writers’ Museum, both originally scheduled for May. The latter will showcase original manuscripts, rare editions and memorabilia of George Bernard Shaw, William Butler Yeats, Samuel Beckett, Sean O’Casey, Jonathan Swift, Brendan Behan, Joyce and other illustrious authors who have found inspiration in Dublin.

The Dublin Heritage Trail is a bus tour leaving six times daily for stops at city highlights (adults $6, children half). Just get off at any of 10 stops and you’ll such landmarks as Trinity College for a look at the truly magnificent, 9th-Century Book of Kells, then re-board the next bus an hour later. Or pick up one or more of the three 28-page, beautifully illustrated Heritage Trail walking tour booklets ($1.65 each) at tourist offices. They have fine architectural drawings and concise histories of everything from the cathedrals to the Moore Street market, and make wonderful mementos of Dublin, its history and people.

Theater is an addiction of Dubliners, and no visitor should miss seeing a performance at the Abbey or its sister Peacock Theatre in the same building. Tickets are $14 and $17.50 at the Abbey, $10.50 and $14 at the Peacock.

Have a go at the narrow and cobbled 18th-Century streets of the Temple Bar section just south of the river near Wellington Quay. It’s a warren of pubs, cafes, booksellers, restaurants, used-clothing shops and the like, some having received face lifts, others just plain grotty. And if the urge for a real pizza hits you, stop in at the Bad Ass Cafe on Crown Alley, where the toppings are endless, including sweet Molly Malone’s cockles and mussels.

GUIDEBOOK

Doing Dublin

Getting there: Fly Delta or British Airways from LAX, the latter connecting with Aer Lingus in London. Aer Lingus also flies direct from New York. An advance-purchase, round-trip ticket will cost from $1,190-$1,232 after next Sunday, $1,049 on British Airways before then.

A few fast facts: The Irish pound recently cost us $1.73, making our dollar worth about 58 cents. Best time for a visit is between May and September, but wet going is a way of life year-round, so bring your raincoat and brolly.

Where to stay: Ariel House (50 Lansdowne Road; $99 double); Egans House, (7 Iona Park; $67 double); Longfield’s Hotel (Lower Fitzwilliam Street; $163 double with full Irish breakfasts); Shelbourne Hotel (27 St. Stephen’s Green; $322 double).

For more information: Call the Irish Tourist Board at (212) 418-0800, or write (757 Third Ave., 19th Floor, New York 10017) for the 24-page color brochure “Dublin 1992” and another 32-page magazine on all of Ireland’s regions, including a map of the country. Ask for the Dublin package.