Dublin trip

My lad has just finished his A levels.

I asked him where he would like to go for a post-exam trip. He said Dublin
[1], so I've sourced a couple of cheap flights and a central hotel that is
not too dear. Going for 4 nights, 7-11 July as I want to avoid the worst of
the weekend migration of stag & hen groups.

Bearing in mind we will be on foot or using public transport, what is worth
visiting? What is to be avoided?

[1] maternal grandfather, with Irish heritage, was very ill at the time, so
he's been thinking about his roots. Even more poignant now, as the old boy
croaked last week.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, wessie

I don't know whether this would be of any interest, but my Shite Old Dad
(who is a history buff) was there a few years ago and wandered into the
Bank of Ireland and was chatting[1] to one of the security bods, who
mentioned that the Irish House of Lords had sat in that building and
their chamber was preserved, and would he like to see it?

He would. He called it "fascinating". YMMV.

[1] He does this, with remarkable facility. He went to Cape Town a while
back and got chatting to a Russian tom down near the docks. She had an
interesting life story to tell, and he *still* doesn't know what she
does for a living. It would break his heart.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

I have already made the greatest contribution to the fight against climate
change that I can make: I have decided not to breed. Now quit bugging me and
go and talk to the Catholics.

 

ta

we both have an interest in politics, so I'll add it to the list

wikipedia has located it, close to some other stuff I had already
identified http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_House_of_Lords

bless

 

I am aware of this, although the municipal galleries & museums appear to
be free, so 99% is a bit harsh.

As I said, we're on foot or using public transport. I am unlikely to be
sober enough to consider driving after about 10 mins after I hit the
exec lounge at Bristol airport.

sounds ghastly. I did the integrate with the locals thing years ago,
when I was into Celtic folk music

He's nearly 19 and already has quite a track record in being led astray
by his cock. Anyway, it would make me ill going to a straight club or
knocking shop.

It was his idea. He's the one with the O'xxxx surname.

 

Spent three nights there a couple of years ago, rather disappointed.
Enjoyed the modern art museum amongst other museums and a wander
around the Trinity College bit. Thought the book of Kells a bit of a
rip off. The stag henny area, Temple Bar I think , looked like fun
for those of a younger persuasion worth a look if you're old, and
staying if you're young. A couple of nice traditional pubs there with
some decent beers of various types. Spent a nice day visiting Howth,
easy to get to by train a a good escape from the city.

However I did not find too much to stimulate me, and whether my likes
have any similarities to those of a late teenager is questionable, I'm
not far off of being an OAP.

Have a good time and help him forget the exams they'll re-emerge when
the results are due.

Brian

 

Went there in July 2007, stayed in Upper O'Connell Street which is fairly
central and close to the river. Dublin is quite compact so you can do most
things on foot without much trouble. There's an open-topped bus which goes
round and round - you buy a day ticket and can get on and off as often as
you like to see stuff. Go round once for an idea of what's where, then use
the second circuit to do the jumping on and off.

The Guinness Brewery is interesting - there's a tour and a gift shop and
included in the cost of entry you get a free pint (which you can pour
yourself if you want to) and a souvenir paperweight with a drop of Guinness
inside it. It's a nice place for low-light photography if you're into that
sort of thing. There's a museum at the old barracks which is quite
interesting. In fact just walking around is quite interesting.

Eating recommendations: definitely try the Italian places in the Temple Bar
area - Botticelli's springs to mind.

 

would recommend this too (if you like breweries). we had a evening do
there a few years ago and the view from the bar at the very top is
amazing after dark.
--
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Trust the BoI to have blagged that building for themselves.

 

If you like that sort of thing, Phoenix Park is very nice, with deer
wandering around.

The 'Viking Tour' in a a WWII-era DUKW is a bit daft, but not a bad
thing either (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUKW#Tourist_attraction).

The whole stag/hen party thing is much less now than 10 or more years
ago- we first went in 1996 and it was a bit much then, but 8 years later
it was much better.

The local bus co runs a ghost bus tour (from O'Connell St) that's not
bad either. The hop-on/hop-off bus is useful to bget your bearings if
you don'y know the city.

Besides that? The pubs, bars and restaurants. Temple Bar is a bit clubby
for me. Go near the Jamesons distillery, go up the giant chimney, and
there's some nice bars near there too.

The Guinness storehouse is pretty much essential, I'd say.

 

Oh, and try a trip on the Dart. Good views of the coast. Bray is quite nice.

 

I've pre-booked a ticket for that as it offers a discount. As you say, it's
a good way to get your bearings if you do a lap before getting off to see
things.

I'm sure we will visit the brewery.

I like Italian food, so I'll take a look.

Thanks for the input

 

Thanks.

Seems last admission is 7pm, so we might be able to catch the evening
lights. Might be a bit blurry, as we'll have to spend a bit of time in the
bar waiting for dusk...

 

$:

Oh, good

Yep, got tickets for that bus

Cheers, Chris

 

Take a lot of cash with you because eating and drinking in Dublin is
worse than London.

If you want to have a rabid night out for two I'd seriously budget on
£150 per night (or the Euro equivalent) because nothing is cheap.

 

Again, I'm aware of that. At least the £ has got a bit stronger. When the
trip was first discussed the £ was worth little more than a euro.

I'm planning to do mainly free stuff in the day, as a lot of the public
owned galleries etc are free. Flights are with Ryanair for under £25 and
out hotel is about £45 a night. Cutting costs in those areas, where we'll
hardly notice[1], should leave plenty in the kitty for evening shenanigans.

[1] investing £12 in a pass for the executive lounge should ameliorate
slumming it on Ryanair and getting pissed every night should take away any
concerns over a cheap hotel.

 

You've already managed to avoid my rather large error where Dublin is
concerned.

Me plus mates turned up in Dublin to find we'd arrived on the one day
of the year (Good Friday ?) that Dublin is "dry" :-(

Cheers,

John

 

Trinity College and the Book of Kells: costs, but the book and (to my
mind) the library are worth a look;

National Museum: the ancient history bit near Leinster House in the
city centre (lots of Celtic gold) or the other bit slightly outside
the centre with the big exhibition of Irish fighting men in the
service of various nations (very fair-minded and quite balanced);

National Gallery and Hugh Lane Gallery, if you're into the art;

O'Donoghue's on Merrion Row is the stereotypical diddley-aye venue but
Hughes's behind the Four Courts is a better place to actually listen
to music;

Temple Bar is a stag-infested lascar's armpit but the Porterhouse at
one end is a fine brewpub;

Decent old-fashioned boozers: the Stag's Head, Grogan's (full of
half-cut poets and artists and such), the Long Hall, Neary's,
O'Neill's (either of them) and Mulligan's supposedly serves the best
pint in the city (and is worth calling into as an example of a proper
oul' fellas' establishment).

If you want to see outside the city proper for half a day, take the
Dart to Skerries or Greystones.

More if I think of it.

 

I am. Not sure about the sprog - I haven't dragged him around a gallery
before. Time to find out.

Have you been to Capital Comedy Club on TB?

Cheers, Mick. I was hoping for your input on proper boozers rather than
plastic pubs.

 

I liked the Legal Eagle, last time I was there. It's near the law
courts, funnily enough.

 

cheers, Ben

I suppose I better make a list and do a map. Do you think a spreadsheet
would be taking it too far?