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jubond
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The city of great perfomances
Dublin is a city where, in my opinion, the main tour is sitting in one of the many pubs of the Temple Bar region to listen and watch great Irish performances of dance and music. But, of course, the city has also other interesting attractions. The principal are Trinity College and its tower, St. Ann’s Church and its amazing façade and stained glass windows, the memorials of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the bigger basilica of the Ireland, Merrion Square, Guinness Store House and Dublin Castle. In the summer, the local people and also tourists use to relax in St. Stephen’s Green, a lovely park that hosts concerts in this time of the year. So, it is easy to find things to do in Dublin.
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SavvyLeo
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Dublin - Earplugs Advised
Trying to find a reasonably priced hotel in Dublin can be rather difficult. But I was fortunate to come across a decent looking hotel online called the Grafton Capital Hotel in the city center.
Overall, the hotel was well equipped, clean, and had very comfortable beds (but after a 9 hour flight, I suppose anything may be more comfortablel than a transatlantic economy seat).
One very important item that I brought for this hotel, which saved my life - and my sanity - was earplugs. I knew that Dubliners were known for drinking, but I had no idea that even during the week, they would be loud and partying. Even though, I was on the top floor, I could not sleep at night without earplugs. They were truly a lifesaver. So, if you bring earplugs the hotel is actually lovely. But if you don't, it may ruin your trip. You have been warned.
www.graftoncapitalhotel.com/
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GeorginaS
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Dublin - A great city break
Dublin is a fantastic city break destination. It’s cosmopolitan and surprisingly friendly and it manages to retain its Irish charm. The nightlife is fantastic, with all the restaurants, bars and night clubs you could possibly want. I really loved the fact that it was so manageable in size that you could get a feel for the city in just a few days and walk to most places in the centre. There is a large student population which gives the city a fun vibe and there are lots of lovely hotels to stay at. We wandered the streets and found little pubs which looked like they hadn’t changed for 50 years and certainly hadn’t noticed the influx of tourists! Enjoy a Guinness and soak in the atmosphere.
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Sinbad the sailor
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Dublin - along the Liffey River
Cities can be seen in many ways – I like to walk across them and see how they offer many angles. In Dublin you can surely have a pint of beer at the Guinness Brewery and check for interesting architecture churches and cathedrals, like St. Patrick’s. A visit to the Castle of Dublin and the Trinity College is also recommended.
After spending the night around the narrow streets and a couple great bars in the Temple Bar quarter – I had to cross the Ha’Penny Bridge to the other side of the Liffey River.
In fact these are my peculiar memories of Dublin: walking at dawn all along the misty river’s atmosphere, crossing O’Connel and its other many bridges, from one side to the other…until I reached Dublin’s Bay, where the city embraces the Atlantic Irish Sea…
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mke_maddie
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Dublin Pubs...a hoot and a hollar
I once heard a saying, “the Italians are good at cooking which is why you find so many Italian Restaurants…and the Irish are good at drinking, which is why you’ll find plenty of pubs” and this is true when it comes to finding an abundance of pubs located throughout Dublin.
You will find plenty of pubs situated in the Temple Bar area. On weekend nights it can get particularly rowdy due to noisy crowds of stag and hen parties who sing their way through the streets. However, this is a pretty touristy area and a pint of Guinness seems to be a little overpriced here.
Somehow, we made our way to Georges Street, a skipping stone from Temple Bar. Here we found some really fantastic pubs with some very friendly folk. After talking to a few of the locals, they directed us to South William Street and Wexford Street. These streets are apparently famed for their bars, which are literally located on top of one another. Although we enjoyed ourselves here…we were looking for something not so crowded…and a little more traditional.
From here, we moved our way southwest from this area, finding the more “established” pubs in which we were in search of, in fact, we had a wonderful time. Eventually we made our way too far south…landing ourselves lost within the residential area. Without help, we made our way back easily, as Dublin is really easy to maneuver through, especially if walking or biking.
Overall, Dublin really has quite the variety of pubs and bars to choose from. It would be hard pressed to find one that you didn’t enjoy...including the drinks, atmosphere and company. And for your information, Dublin does not allow smoking inside…even in pubs.
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mke_maddie
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St. Patty’s Day in Dublin
I’ve always been told that the Irish do not celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, at least not the way they do in the States, and for the most part this could be true. However, I found this statement to be false when I found myself in Dublin on St. Patty’s Day. Of course, everyone I met was from around the world…Germany, France, England, Ireland, America…but it was a party and a half.
Apparently they have a few days of activities and events that lead up to the celebration. I did not see any of this, arriving in Dublin the morning of St. Patty’s Day. However, there were plenty of activities and hustle and bustle to check out including live music, street theatre, family carnivals, comedy, street performances, and dances…not even including the St. Patrick’s Day Parade…
The parade beings early in the day at noon. If you want to actually see this parade, plan to set up shop early…we could only see people walking on stilts and the tips of floats and we got to the parade route on time. But we managed to see (what felt like) our own parade, making our way down streets filled with people strolling about…with green and white costumes or green sparkly makeup floating from pub to pub. There had to be well over 20,000 people roaming the streets of Dublin that day…and it was all well worth it to see.
I wouldn’t plan taking a tour of either the Guinness Storehouse, or the Old Jameson Distillery, or even seeing The Book of Kells. Both had lines that literally wrapped around their buildings. There was no way I was spending a day in Dublin standing in line. But it absolutely gives me a reason to come back some day. I did stop by the National Gallery of Ireland, which had virtually no one there…and just the way I like it.
Overall, Dublin puts on one heck of a party…and in particular, one heck of a party on St. Patrick’s Day.
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Edgey
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Molly Malone's lucky upper luggage
When you turn the corner onto Grafton Street in Dublin it is clear 20-odd-year-old statue, Molly Malone, has been touched up. Not in an emergency surgery kind of way, but in the way that there are two very shiney spots on her - well - tits. I was assured by an Irish man whom I met, this was for good health. Perhaps he meant breasts in general, but I think he was referring to Molly Malone's rather large assets. If you don't believe me, check them out for yourself. More spit and shine than a Dublin shoeshine bar. Turn the flash off for photos.
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lala30
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Travel tip number 5 – hold off the celebrations
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
After all that stress and due to the fact you pass plenty of duty frees on the way it is easy to give in and have a celebratory drink.
While I am the last person to be telling anyone what they should or should not do, drinking on the bus is not smart. Especially not since we still had the cross channel ferry to look forward to (Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire).
The waters were choppy, sloppy and it was not a pleasant sail. I am shamefaced to admit the only person who was able to hold her drink was an 80-something gran that was traveling with us.
So hold off your celebrations until you get to your destination, your stomach will be grateful.
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lala30
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Travel tip number 4 – what to do if you do get detained by immigration?
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Take at least your wallet and your mobile with you. I left my backpack on the bus and I was not the only one left with the clothes on my back. Literally.
How to tackle the immigrations officer?
I am not the submissive kind, but be polite and curtious. Ask if you can call your embassy. I am not saying to plead and beg, that will not help much. Be firm, but polite.
If that does not work, stern tone will do. If that does not work as the last resort you can threaten with press. That always gets their knickers in a twist, but do use it as a last resort.
We were lucky as there was plenty of us, someone managed to reach the ambassador quickly and it was not our fault as we were told the visas would be issued in London.
These things are never pretty and dignified that is why it is important to retain at least some common sense.
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lala30
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Travel tip number 3 – visa issues
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
This ties with travel tip number 1, making sure to check a) if you need the visa and b) double checking if the agency sorted out the visas in time.
In our case (that has changed since) we needed the visa for Ireland, but not for UK. The nearest Irish embassy was in London and we were told the visas would be issued there. The good news was visas were issued eventually. The bad news was British immigration detained half of the bus in Dover. Myself included.
Before you leave write down the number of your Ministry of Foreign affairs and the number of your nearest embassy. As I always say - better be safe then sorry. As experience has shown you will never when you will need that particular information.
Call your ambassador and call your Foreign affairs ministry, there should be emergency lines available.
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lala30
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Travel tip number 2 – avoid long distance traveling by bus
What I mean by this? More then 10 hours is an exercise in masochism. Trust me. There are plenty of low cost airlines nowadays and your back, legs and arse will thank you for it.
Plus you will avoid peeing in toilets, gas stations and/or bushes from location A to B (why is that you can never use the toilet on the bus? Why do they put them in to begin with if you cannot use them?).
You will avoid drunken senior citizens wanting a chat. And it is a bus remember, there is nowhere to hide. You are stuck with people you don't know and by sod's law there is bound to be someone that will grate on your nerves. In that case even an hour is a long time.
Also there is a direct correlation between the number of hours you have been sitting on the bus and the levels of flatulence. Multiply that by 60. The aromas will make your eyes water, it is that horrible.
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lala30
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How to get to Ireland - not by bus (handy tips of a blond traveler)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
My first ever trip to Ireland was a memorable one.
Do I love it there? Certainly I have been back 5 or 6 times since then. Was it fun? Most certainly so. Are the Irish friendly? I think I have bought 1 round in all 7 days I was there, thats Irish hospitality for you.
I will give you some travel tips that are not particular for any specific destination, but involve a lot of common sense. Because lets face it – no matter how wordly and well – traveled you consider yourself to be sometimes things happen. So we shall call these handy tips of a blond traveler.
Travel tip number 1 – always check the travel agency.
Do they know what they are doing? Do they know where they are going? Do you need visas? How can visas be sorted out? Anything and everything that comes to your mind, check beforehand.
See I thought I did check, as I have booked a trip with this particular agency on a previous occassion. But since it was only a day's outing to U2 concert and even though the logistics part left a lot to be desired I thought they knew what they were doing. And there is no better time to check then when you are preparing to embark on 50 hour long bus trip from Zagreb to Dublin via 6 different countries.
In the case of agency in question, they were short staffed and shall we say inexperienced for the logistics of navigating through 7 different countries with 60 something people in a double decker bus.
Ask for recommendations, ask around, search the travel forums or Cosmotourist. Do not make the same mistake I did and book a trip without checking because it was - lets face it – affordable.
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cosmoclaudio
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Temple Bar District
The Temple Bar District is the most bohemian place in Dublin. It is the center of Dublin’s nightlife, with a great range of pubs, hotels, restaurants, art-cafés and entertainment venues. However attractive this may sound, if you are an ordinary visitor that only wants to share the feeling of the bohemian life, I recommend visiting the quarter before 11 pm. The Temple Bar Districts suffers great transformation during the cause of the day: the evenings are crowded and the later it gets the more dangerous Temple Bar can become. Pay attention to pickpockets and drunken behavior.
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cosmoclaudio
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Dublin
Perhaps everybody is somehow familiar with the city of Dublin from James Joyce’s writings, but to visit it means to catch the dramatic and tumultuous historical changes interacting with the modern economical progress and artistic achievements. In 1991 Dublin was declared European City of Culture and every year it is visited by millions of tourists. In Dublin there are many museums and galleries, many attractions and places of interest, castles and cafés and all of them will have something to tell about the long history of the city. Make sure you see at least some of them.
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ashleymoray
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Short Trip to Belfast/Dublin
We only have 2.5 days in Ireland. Can anyone recommend what we shouldn't miss? Is the Giants Causeway really worth the trek north? Which city has more character, Belfast or Dublin?
Thanks!!
Ash
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lala30
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Cow's Lane Fashion and Christmas Market
Cow's Lane Fashion and Christmas Market is located at 12 East Essex Street, Temple Bar (Dublin 2). This is seasonal market and the stalls will be in operation every Saturday and Sunday in December, so you can pop by if you are looking for a Christmas gift that you simply cannot find in shops. I love Christmas market as you can find all sorts usually, from jewelry to novelty gifts to Christmas ornaments, but what is great here is that you can pop by in any of the neighborhoods pubs, cafes or restaurants to rest your feet and enjoy a coffee or a cup of mulled wine. And do not miss the Christmas tree, although at 30ft it will be difficult to miss.
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lala30
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Blackrock Market
Blackrock Market is located at 19a Main Street, Blackrock (County Dublin).
If you are looking for bargains then you will have to pop by Blackrock market, which is one of the most successful weekend markets in Dublin. Another by-chance find as I was staying with a friend in Blackrock, you can find virtually anything from new to second hand clothes, arts, furniture, collectibles, it like flea market galore here. It is a bit out of the way give, but if you take DART or a bus from the city center is not that far. Not to mention its fun and exciting as you never know what you might find. Plus you can always grab a bite and you’re your feet as well.
Opening hours Sat from 11:00am until 5:30pm; Sun from noon until 5:30pm.
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lala30
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Wall of Fame (Rockarchive gallery)
Wall of Fame at Rock archive gallery is located at U3 20 Temple Lane Sth, Temple Bar (Dublin 2).
If Irish music is your thing (and it is mine) then this is the place to visit. Here you can see the photos of some of the most important and world known Irish musician and artists that have shaped and influenced the music scene. My favorite U2 is there, as well as Shane McGowan and even Sinead O'Connor back in the day. Do give it a look if you are in Temple bar.
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lala30
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Molly Malone statue
Molly Malone statue is located at the very bottom of Grafton street and it was designed by Jeanne Rynhart in 1987. The statue actually got the name after a popular song Molly Malone, young fishmonger who did her trade on the streets of Dublin and died at very young age from a fever. The song is almost like an anthem for the city of Dublin. Dubliners coined a number of names for the statue the two I know of are the Tart with the cart and the Dish with the Fish. You cannot miss it as it is right there on Grafton street, one of the busiest streets in Dublin.
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lala30
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St. Anne Park and Rose Gardens
St. Anne Park and Rose Gardens are located at Raheny (Dublin 5).
St. Anne park used to be home of the Guinness family. In 1936 the park has been sold to the Dublin Corporation. The part of the park was sold for housing while more attractive areas were kept. The prettiest by far are the rose gardens, although you will have to come in the right time of the year to enjoy them in full bloom. It is the largest enclosed park in Dublin and there are plenty of recreational grounds to enjoy especially in the spring and summer time. To see the roses June, July, August and September are the best months.
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