What to do in Dublin

christian

we have a friend in dublin and have been a couple of times now. Highlights were/are...

Kilmainham Gaol
Guinness Factory
Temple Bar

And some lovely restaurants and non-smoking pubs!

The Cafe-en-Seine on Dawson Street (handy for Trinity College, Grafton Street and National Museum) is an absolute must.

Have a great time. Mrs JWM and I did in October. Can't wait to go back.

James

Hi Christian,

To eat...
If you like Thai food then The Chili Club, at 1 Anne's Lane, Dublin City Centre (+353 (0) 1 677 3721) is a must. Small and cosy, you even have to knock on the front door to get in. Booking would be essential I'd say. Reasonably priced too.

For a drink...
A visit to "Dawsons" on Dawson Street is a laugh. The smallest pub in Dublin, it is probably smaller than your lounge. To find it go to top of Grafton Street and turn left, and then left again after about 100 yds. Dawsons is then on your left hand side. Just walk down the narrow staicase and order your Guinness.
Also if you fancy a bit of star spotting , the Octagon Bar in the Clarence Hotel (owned by Bono and The Edge of U2) can often be good fun.

As for things to see...
I'd recommend jumping on the open top tourist bus. For about 7 Euros it takes you all round the city and out to Pheonix Park. The guides' commentary (usually amusing) will help you decide what you would like to investigate further.

As for the tour of the Guinness site, well I'm afraid I can't agree with Jay. I left feeling very disappointed. A money making exercise in all its glory. We had to queue for nearly an hour to get in the place, then once inside it was very congested.
I enjoyed the tour of the old Jameson Distillery, on James Street I think, far more. You will be given the chance to volunteer to be a "Whiskey Taster" at the end of the tour. Take this chance. At the end of the tour its in to the bar where half a dozen tots of various whiskies are placed in front of you and you have to sample them and find the irish one!

Dublin's a great place to visit, enjoy your stay.


Regards,
Steve O.

the two bars look/sound interesting - no guiness tour for me thanks ;+
trinity college is also worth seeing i think.

super. thanks so far...
best regards,+bf

I'm so out of date. The place has changed and is expensive - but the heart remains hidden away.
I would have said Bewleys for tea or coffee but I think it is self-service and crowded out by Starbucks.
If they still exists - smoked cod and chips at Coffolas - eaten by the canal.
St Patrick's Cathedral - prize given if you can spot my relative - Dean way back when.
Trinity is probably quite unchanged and worth a wander around.

For a bit of culture if you're visiting Trinity College "The Book of Kells" is supposed to be well worth a look. I've been there a few times on business, but never had time to go take a look.

Graham.

I enjoyed great service and a quiet beer in the octagon bar at the Clarence. no bono, though. not far from temple bar - rest your feet during the record shopping.

one thing's for sure - when you're done there, getting out's good. IIRC it's a great airport.

quote:

Originally posted by Graham Russell:
For a bit of culture if you're visiting Trinity College "The Book of Kells" is supposed to be well worth a look. I've been there a few times on business, but never had time to go take a look.

Graham.

The pages are turned on a regular basis. We were blessed in seeing one of the greatest pages of all, folio 291v, title page of St John's Gospel, portrait of St John the Evangelist.



The whole display in which the book is set is extremely interesting and informative, explaining something of the tradition of illuminated manuscripts from which the Book of Kells comes, together with detailed explanations of how it was made. Well worth it, we thought.

James

if you like cajun food (and I lurve it), check out Tante Zoe's in Temple Bar - well worth the visit. therwise, I second the Books of Kells recommendation (not Krells)
I'm afraid Dublin has become a a bit of a pastiche of itself, with 'Irish bars' taking more from their overseas manifestation than from true Dublin ancestry, but you can still find the gems
Enjoy

oh, and if I find another bar in Dublin playing Van Morrison, the Corrs and U2, I'll scream.....

I like the Hugh Lane Gallery which has the Francis Bacon studio [the studio was originally in London but was packed up and moved to Dublin].

If you think you are untidy look at this

The Hugh Lane is on Parnel Square and here is a map.

ends==

quote:

Posted Thu 08 February 2007 12:38

- record shopping
- dining
- bar/nice pub
- a place that you MUST have seen in dublin

records ...
Not a lot of places for CD's. If you want Irish music there is Claddagh Records in Temple Bar, and there is a shop selling Irish music CD's in Nassau Street [opposite the side of Trinity College]. Parliament street has an Oxfam shop with second-hand vinly but a fairly small selection [say 100 records]. Thre is HMV and Tower but London is MUCH better.

food ...
I like Indian and London is better.

pubs ...
A nice pub is 'The Bank' in Dame Street [it was originally a bank -- see the safes on the way to the toilets]. There is also an old church converted into a bar [sad] on Mary street. [I recommend both for the architecture rather than the atmosphere].

place to see ..
The Francis Bacon studio in Hugh Lane Gallery [see last post].

James H.

ends==

thanks all - this should be enough

i will report back - regards,
christian

For (vinyl) records I like Road Records, 16B Fade Street, off of Georges Street:
http://www.roadrecs.com/bigmap.html

Nice lunches can be had in the Millenium Wing of the National Art Gallery, Clare Street and in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle.

The best kebab place is an eat-in Iranian place on Parliament Street, Zaytoon, that make their own flat bread on the premises. A Zaytoon platter for two gives a taste of every thing and is very good value.

For a bar/pub (which also has an interesting menu) I recommend the Porterhouse, also on Parliament Street which has a good selection of independent beers
http://www.porterhousebrewco.com/templebar.html

The Hugh Lane Gallery usually has excellent free classical or contemporary music on Sundays at noon.

Nick

hi
visit the national museum of ireland and see the ardagh chalice, a stunning example of 8th century metalwork.

Watch the Irish get humiliated in the rugby in a couple of weeks while you're wearing an England shirt?

- record shopping

Cladagh and Road records already mentioned. worth going into Georges St Arcade for Mac records and Spin Dizzy



- dining

L'Ecrivain - off Baggot Street


- bar/nice pub

Keogh's Sth Anne Street
or for very traditional
Mulligan's of Poolbeg Street, The Long Hall, Georges Street.



- a place that you MUST have seen in dublin

It's the people that make Dublin, otherwise it's a low rent replica of many English towns, go to real Ireland, get a bus to Glendalough in Wicklow and/or Newgrange in Meath. Medieval and megalithic Ireland which if they are not too packed with tourists are truly magical spiritual places.



Enjoy,



SJB

Don't forget to wear one of these

quote:

Originally posted by Rasher:
Don't forget to wear one of these

How insulting to our great compatriot,


this is what one wears in Dublin.







SJB

thanks guys - most helpful.

i will report back on monday.

regards,+blackforest.

quote:

Originally posted by blackforest:
thanks guys - most helpful.

i will report back on monday.

regards,+blackforest.

well did blackforest have too much of the black stuff?



SJB