Dublin (Ireland)

...drinking. We went to Dublin in January this year, and had a fantastic time.

Our flights cost £55 each return (incl. taxes) from Heathrow to Dublin on Aer Lingus. We booked online - www.aerlingus.com. The flights themselves were pretty good, with no delays and friendly service, which makes a pleasant change from Air France. Plus, our bags arrived with us this time (see previous review on Air France). The only thing about Aer Lingus ...
...We got the bus from Dublin airport to the city centre, which meant that we only had to walk for 5 minutes with our bag in the rain to our accommodation. We just got one of the local airport buses, it was OK, but not really set up for baggage etc (it cost 8 Euros for both of us). We took the Airbus to the airport on Sunday, which was a better service, but a little more expensive (6 Euros each).

Anyway, our accommodation was at Abbey ... more

Dublin

Since I'm here to travel, I thought that I should actually write about travelling instead of eating and drinking. We went to Dublin in January this year, and had a fantastic time.

Our flights cost £55 each return (incl. taxes) from Heathrow to Dublin on Aer Lingus. We booked online - www.aerlingus.com. The flights themselves were pretty good, with no delays and friendly service, which makes a pleasant change from Air France. Plus, our bags arrived with us this time (see previous review on Air France). The only thing about Aer Lingus is that you have to pay for the food onboard - the flights are cheap for a reason, but the food onboard is not. However, don't let that put you off - the flight only lasted an hour, so if you can't go without eating or drinking for that long (like the MOTH) then I would recommend taking your own food along.

When we arrived in Dublin, it was pouring down. I haven't seen rain like this since I was in New Zealand. Now I know why the Irish settled in my part of NZ - it's just like home - green and wet! Don't let the rain put you off though, just make sure you take your umbrella & a good raincoat. We got the bus from Dublin airport to the city centre, which meant that we only had to walk for 5 minutes with our bag in the rain to our accommodation. We just got one of the local airport buses, it was OK, but not really set up for baggage etc (it cost 8 Euros for both of us). We took the Airbus to the airport on Sunday, which was a better service, but a little more expensive (6 Euros each).

Anyway, our accommodation was at Abbey Court Hostel, which is right on the River Liffey, directly across from the Temple Bar area of Dublin. This cost us 75 Euros each for 3 nights accommodation and breakfast, which is pretty good value. Being a bit older, we've gotten past the desire (as if we ever really had it!) to share a dorm room with 8 snoring strangers, so our priority was to find a place where we had our own room (with double bed) & bathroom if possible, at a good price. If you try and book accommodation in Dublin, you'll find that it's fairly expensive for what it is. There are lots of hostels, but all hostels are not created equal. Abbey Court was good value - we were right in the middle of Dublin, but far enough away from the noise of Temple Bar to get a good night's sleep (but not too far that we couldn't walk into Temple Bar (2 minutes in flat shoes, 5 in heels - there's lots of cobbled stones in Dublin girls), so it meant no taxi rides home at closing time (if you could find a taxi). Batchelor's Walk is a busy road, however our room was at the top and back of the building - we couldn't hear any street noise. I think if you were in one of the rooms that faced the Liffey you may have been able to hear the street noise. We paid a special rate at Abbey Court, which was 150 Euros for 3 nights accommodation over the weekend. For this we had our own double room in the "hotel" part of the hostel, with ensuite bathroom. The place was spotless & very secure, which was a good sign. The only downside would be the breakfast - toast & very weak coffee, however you can't complain if it's included in the price. I don't work for Abbey Court, but I would definitely recommend staying there.

So, after dumping our bags, we thought we should be dutiful tourists and go for a bit of a walk/explore. Did I mention it was pouring down? After walking across O'Connell Bridge, down the Quay, and into Temple Bar, we turned around and went back to the hostel. My legs were wet, and it was bloody cold. On the way to the hostel, we saw a pub, the Arlington Hotel, that was opening (it was about 11am), so we went in to keep dry. It prides itself on being an "authentic Irish pub", and has an Irish dancing show at night. The Arlington Hotel is definitely for tourists, but not to run it down, the bar staff were friendly and helpful. One thing I liked about Ireland is that no-one gives you a funny look if you go into a pub at 11am. We had lunch there, which was hearty and filling (and pretty good value), and I had a pint of Guinness (has to be done). The MOTH (Man of the House) was too chicken so drank something else. The Arlington is definitely touristy, apparently the dance show at night is quite good, however we didn't go to this. I'm not sure how "authentic" it would be - my family in NZ are Irish, I think the traditional songs they sing (after a few pints) wouldn't appear in a tourist attraction! However, don't let me put you off, they have their own website (www.arlington.ie) if you're interested.

After getting up early, and one pint, I was tired, so we went to bed early. The next day was fine (yay) but very very cold (1°C), I would recommend taking an umbrella & warm jacket/scarf/hat/gloves if you visit in winter. Over the rest of the weekend we took it pretty easy. The best way to get around at the start is on one of the bus tours (we thought www.dublinbus.ie was the best one). It costs 12 Euros for a hop on/hop off service (the ticket is valid for 24 hours), and the price of the ticket also includes discounts off the entrance costs to some attractions. There are 19 stops around the city, and the buses are pretty regular. Dublin is fairly compact, so you could walk around it if you chose. However, because it was so bloody cold we thought we'd be lazy and get the bus. The drivers also provide a witty commentary as you go around. One particularly funny bit came when we were stopped at traffic lights near some road works. As in most countries in the world, it appears that the people working on the road works may not be working as fast as they possibly could. The bus driver started ranting about how long this one part of the road had been under construction, then said "hey you, the one in the orange vest with the shovel, stop leaning on it and actually do some work, I'm sick of not being able to drive over the bridge". The guy turned around to see where the voice was coming from, which made the situation even more comical. I guess you had to be there. Anyway, that gets me to a point about Dublin - roadworks seem to be an ongoing issue. When we were there O'Connell St was being dug up, driving was a mess, so you might want to leave your car at home. However, the Mad Cabbie would be better qualified to comment on that than me.

Getting back to it, we stopped at Kilmainham Gaol (Î5.00 - www.kilmainham-gaol.com) which held Republican political-prisoners, finally closing in 1924. You can visit, and take a guided tour, which is very interesting and informative (don't read boring, it really is interesting). The guide had told us that the place was never heated, which meant the prisoners obviously froze. The day we visited it was 1°C, and by the end of the tour I don't think I'd ever felt so cold in my life. You start by visiting the main cellblock area, which is where "In the Name of the Father" was filmed. You then watch a video in the chapel, which provides an overview of recent (ie last 500 years) Irish history, and the background of the gaol. After that, you see the rest of the gaol. What is striking is the sense of gloom that pervades, even outside the gaol. There is also a museum, which houses artifacts that reflect the museums history - letters from condemned men, photos etc.

We also went to the Jameson's Whiskey Distillery (Î7.50 - www.jameson.ie). Being a good & loyal Irish lass, my nana wouldn't touch Scotch, only Jameson's would pass her lips, so I thought that I should at least see the place where it was first made. The tour itself is a bit rehearsed and touristy - you won't learn a lot, but it was a good introduction to the making of Irish Whiskey (the Scots spell it without an "e"). You even get a taste at the end. Mine went to the MOTH, who was more than grateful given how cold it was outside. I think the fact that the first whisky I had was Glenfiddich Green Label has spoilt me for drinking any other whisky/whiskey. You can also visit the Guinness Storehouse (Î13.50 - www.guinnessstorehouse.com), and do the tour & taste there as well. One of my workmates went in November last year, and she really enjoyed it - the views of Dublin from the top of the building are apparently fantastic, but the tour is a bit slick & touristy like Jameson's.

One other famous sight is Trinity College, and the Book of Kells (Î11.00 - www.tcd.ie/Library/oldlib.htm) You can walk around Trinity for free, but it is a working University, so don't be surprised if you're suddenly surrounded by hundreds of students on their way to class. I tell you, in my Uni days we didn't dress that well, and couldn't really feed ourselves like those kids obviously do. The Book of Kells, which is a very old manuscript dating from about 800 AD, can be seen in the library, however the interior library itself is pretty impressive in its own right. Another place you can visit is Dublin Castle (www.dublincastle.ie), however as Dublin is the seat of the EU Presidency this year, a lot of the rooms are closed to the public. On the tour (Î4) you can see a video of the rooms, but it's probably not the same. I thought it was quite disappointing, but I think that was because you couldn't really see a lot. The gardens (free) were quite nice though.

Close by to Dublin Castle is Dvblinia (Dublinia) (www.dublinia.co.ie). I'm sorry, I can't remember the cost, but you can buy a joint ticket with Christ Church Cathedral (which is across the road). At the end of the Dvlinia exhibition, you can enter the Cathedral. Dvblinia is great if you have kids (we don't, but then the MOTH is a big kid anyway), as they can try on a chainmail suit (heavy), smell spices, and throw balls at a man in the stocks. It was a nice diversion for us. Chris Church Cathedral is interesting, there are statues of Charles II in the crypt that look suspiciously like Rufus Sewell - very strange.

Apart from all of this, there are other things you can see - I could go on forever but you can visit www.visitdublin.com for more info.

If you don't want to visit tourist attractions, but have come to drink etc, you're probably in the right place. The Temple Bar area of Dublin has been revitalised, and has a number of restaurants and bars, including "traditional Irish bars" that contain high numbers of suspiciously shiny pretty people. Mmmm, not sure how traditional that is...anyway, this means that if you are one of the many stag/hen parties that journey to Dublin for a weekend of drinking and trying to snog policemen (we saw a good (and gentle) fend from a very patient officer on the Friday night) then Temple Bar is for you. Everything is close to anything, and the only problem you would have is negotiating the cobbled streets in high heels (and finding a last minute restaurant reservation). I would say that all of the drunkeness in such a small area can cause problems at closing time, but then this is no different to any place in the UK.

If you are intending to eat out, it is advisable to make a reservation the day before (at least) for the next night's dinner. We went in January (low season), and made the mistake of not making a reservation for the Saturday night. At 5pm I was frantically dialling all sorts of restaurants (which were all full), in the end one guy took pity on me, and told me that his boss had opened another restaurant called Tapa Momma's, which we were able to squeeze into (the place was full when we arrived). The food was good, and as an anniversary dinner not too bad. The service was alright, although we had one waitress who was fantastic, not surly, and really willing to help (ie she not only looked good, she provided excellent service as well - it was too good to be true). In the end, we stumbled home well fed and happy.

Overall, both of us really liked Dublin. The people were generally pretty friendly and helpful (we got lost on the way to Kilmainham, which is why I recommend taking the bus), and some random person actually helped us without sighing the whole time & mumbling under his breath. I love the attitude of the Irish - craic really sums it up perfectly. I love the way the Irish smile, and don't seem to give a toss when things are looking down. The whole place is pretty relaxed, the only downside would be that it is now more expensive compared to other destinations (Belgium etc). I think this is because it is popular with groups of hens/stags & backpackers, meaning the place is normally booked. Don't let this put you off though - while they're sleeping off their hangovers, you can visit some of the places outlined above.

***Top tips
****Stay central - no need to try and search for a taxi after closing time - they're scarcer than underweight English rugby forwards, and no worries (apart from the aforementioned cobbles) about getting back after a night out in Temple Bar.
****Watch your wallet (especially on some of the bridges and around the tourist attractions).
****Make restaurant reservations, otherwise McDonalds may be your only option.
****Don't talk about the Unionist/Loyalist situation with the locals - practice your listening skills instead (unlike one tourist we overheard, 2 guesses as to which country she came from).
****Take an umbrella & raincoat (in summer), add gloves/scarf/hat/thermals in winter.
****Don't drive - leave it to the locals, the place is already congested as it is.
****People had also told us how dirty the place was, we didn't think it was too bad (it's probably because they have the EU Presidency at the moment??), but I wouldn't recommend walking around the top end of O'Connell St & its environs after dark. I don't think it's any more dangerous than any other European city at night - just exercise caution.  

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