I'm planning to go to Ireland this coming summer (09) through BUNAC (which may not be very helpful, but is at least legal) on their Work in Ireland program. What I'd like to know is what city I should try to find a job in. I'll be 20 when I go, and I'm a student at a university in the midwest.

I'm going to be traveling alone and am quite happy to meet other young travelers, so I'm probably looking to stay at a hostel with a potential for some couchsurfing thrown in there. What I'm looking for is somewhere lively, with some nightlife to speak of, that attracts lots of travelers - and that has jobs available, so I can find a job working in a pub or something for three months. Dublin seems obvious, but I want to know if there's somewhere better I'm overlooking.

I welcome any suggestions. Thanks!

Dublin is great if you just want to meet travellers, get drunk, and avoid the Irish entirely. If you actually want to experience the beautiful culture and people of Ireland, then I would look at another city.