Explore Dublin 8 on a new dog friendly walking tour, staying at the Hilton Dublin Kilmainham

Researchers at the University of Surrey have estimated that dog friendly tourism will be worth over $50 billion by 2030.

And you know it is now a serious business when the Hilton Dublin Kilmainham is pitching for the market and welcoming visitors' dogs - and cats - into the hotel.

We arrived to a large beautiful double room with a balcony overlooking the trees and greenery of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, a 7th-century hospital which now houses the Irish Museum of Modern Art and hosts major concerts.

Created in collaboration with national tour guide Karl Deery, the Tour and Taste D8 experience began on the Saturday morning with brunch in the hotel’s Broyage Bar & Bistro; it features a heated terrace for canine friends, and weekend classics such as shakshuka, fried chicken on waffles, stacked sourdough sandwiches and sweet and savoury pancakes.

First stop on the leisurely stroll was the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, with its expansive green spaces - clearly the lungs of the local community, and packed with runners, pram-pushing families and dog walkers.

Karl stopped first for a talk about the ancient graveyard, the final resting place of a son of Brian Boru, not a few vikings, and a legendary Irish boxer Dan Donnelly, whose muscular arm was painted in led after his death and continued to have a colourful life of its own in a string of pubs long after he was laid to rest.

(For a memorable weekend, it should be noted that the hospital is also a noted venue for concerts, with Rod Stewart visiting on 26 May and Nial Noran on 23/34 August.)

Continuing on, Karl took us to the Irish National War Gardens, down a locally famous cherry blossom avenue.

The gardens were famously visited by Queen Elizabeth II in 2011, where she laid a wreath.

"It spoke volumes about how far we have come," Karl said. The erudite guide will take you back in history with a nod of the head, and envision you with tales such as the local monks and the viking invaders who drowned them - but who thankfully overlooked their prized creation - the famous Book of Kells.

In the war garden itself, he regaled us with the incredible tale of how the IRA twice tried - and twice failed - to blow up the massive granite cross that stands like an immovable angel over the memorial to 210,000 Irish men who fought in WWI.

The cross overlooks two expansive fountains that were designed so that the water would only ever drip from them - each drip signifying the soul of an Irish man that died in the war. A serene and peaceful garden that is an ideal spot for quiet reflection.

Trekking backward in a loop in the direction of the hotel, we traverse some of the most expensive real estate in Dublin, only to arrive outside the historical Kilmainham Gaol, a stone's throw from the hotel entrance. Originally the site of a monastery, he said, a sculpture of five serpents over the front door, represent murder, rape, theft, treason and piracy - the crimes for which its inmates were incarcerated. (Tours of the gaol are memorable but must be booked well in advance).

Just across the road is an eerie but striking sculpture representing the 16 men executed after the 1916 Easter Rising.

Easing back to the hotel - it has been a leisurely 90 minute stroll - he noted how this became a centre of accomplished brewing in the 18th Century, due to the excellent transport structure afforded by local canals.

Strolling back into the bistro, we were treated to an entertaining tasting and presentation on the produce of local Dublin 8's finest breweries and distilleries, including Rascals, Stillgarden and Teeling.

The first Tour and Taste D8 with Hilton Dublin Kilmainham and Karl Deery is on 24 March. It includes brunch at Broyage, a 90 minute walking tour and a drink tasting for just €49 per person. Book tickets here.

Why not stay overnight and avail of the hotel’s popular leisure club and wellness facilities which include a state-of-the-art gym, indoor hydro pool and thermal area sauna. Plus pets are invited to stay for free. Room nights cost from €189.00 Bed & Breakfast. For more see www.hilton.com/dublinkilmainham