Holiday in Dublin

chris-red

Hello all,

My name is Chris I'm 21 and am coming to Dublin over New Years (29th - 4th)

I'm staying in the Hotel Issacs and just wanted to post her to ask for advice on where to go and what to do whilst over in Dublin. Obviously the Guiness factory and Temple Bar are on my list but I was wondering where else you would suggest? Whats good to do in Dublin?

Cheers

Chris.

arse..biscuits

The open top bus tour. The viking splash tour

Fajitas!

The open top bus tour is quite good from what I've heard. Brings you about most of the spots you'll be wanting to go anyways, from the Guiness Brewery to the zoo, etc, and it's hop on/hop off.

There's also the Museum of Modern Art, Kilmainham Gaol, the National Gallery, Collins Barracks and a few other spots - Again, the tour bus drops you off at most of them.

Are you over on your own, or with a group of friends? Nightlife can be very good depending on what you're after and what night it is.

If you didn't mind a bit of a walk, you could get a tour bus to Glendalough one morning if the weather was good. There's also a ghost tour bus at night.

flanzer

All of the above are worth doing. IMO stay clear of Temple Bar. Maybe browse through it during the day. There's plenty of bars off Grafton Street with a lot more character, Kehoes, Bruxelles, McDaids, Nearys, The Old Stand etc

John Mason

yes, avoid temple bar at night - its the horrible overrated place in dublin.

you will not find one irish person there.

glasnevin cemetary and the botantic gardens are brilliant and the whole of the phoenix park, there is a bus tour you can take of the park, it starts near par gate street, not far from teh luas

chris-red

Thanks for he advice the bus tour definately sounds like a good idea. I am going with 3 friends but I will not be spending all my time with them, as much as I love them all I can spend as much time as I want with them at home and for me when you are away I think it is sometimes better to venture out on your own and explore.

As for night life I'm easy I don't mind going clubing I'll listen to pretty much anything about from R&B really. I equally enjoying sitting in a pub till closing.

What would your suggestions for New years eve night be? Will I need tickets in advance for most places? Where I am from (Romford Essex) You have very little chance of getting in anywhere unless you have pre bought tickets. Even most Pubs will charge £10 in advance to get in!


Thanks for the advice

Chris

humberklog

pink fluffy bunny wrote: »

yes, avoid temple bar at night - its the horrible overrated place in dublin.

you will not find one irish person there.

glasnevin cemetary and the botantic gardens are brilliant and the whole of the phoenix park, there is a bus tour you can take of the park, it starts near par gate street, not far from teh luas

A 21 year old Essex man going to for a stroll around Glasnevin cemetry and the Botanic gardens?!
Get the bus up to stepaside for a game of par3 18 hole golf at The Burrows. 10 euro for 2balls, bag of tees, club rental, pen, scorecard, can of coke and a Mars bars and a cracking view over the city. You'll welcome the warmth of the boozer after it.They told me that weather permitting they will be open during the New Year's.

Gavin "shels"

Paintballing http://www.skirmish.ie/

My bro done it last Sunday (got it on the cheap at Toys for Big Boys), said it was class, well worth it he said but he only paid like €12.:eek:

chris-red

Golf may be an option but I wouldn't fancy 18 holes though, paint ball is great fun but I have plenty of good paintball places near me, and I could do that anytime. You are correct in saying that a botanical Garden wouldn't be my cup of tea, but I welcome any suggestions.

Thanks

Chris.

Jay D

.

humberklog

chris-red wrote: »

Golf may be an option but I wouldn't fancy 18 holes though, paint ball is great fun but I have plenty of good paintball places near me, and I could do that anytime. You are correct in saying that a botanical Garden wouldn't be my cup of tea, but I welcome any suggestions.

Thanks

Chris.

It's par three. Start to finish in an hour and a quarter.
Paintballing hurts like a mother.
Rent bikes and pop a few wheelies and bunny hops in the Phoenix park.

df1985

i had a friend over from scotland recently, he was 22.we did the guiness tour, its good, great view of the city from the top as you enjoy your complimentary pint.we did the croke park tour too.if your into stadiums its very impressive.my scottish mate loved havin a go at hurling! other than that he enjoyed just walking around the city centre getting a feel of the place.

temple bar during the day is fine, good buzz about the place, nice for a few drinks.BUT like every irish person says avoid it at night-overpriced,crowded and not an irish person anywhere-complete tourist trap.great pubs off grafton st,along baggot st,goerges/wexford and camden st.for new years eve you wont need tickets for most places apart from the big clubs thatll have big djs/events on.theres plenty of clubbing websites thatll give you all the info.

chris-red

Thanks guys I think I will definately avoid temple bar then maybe check it out in the day. The open bus tour souns good too. How do you get tickets? do you get a day pass or pay each time you get on. What would the average price of a pint be?

Cheers

Chris

The_B_Man

Well look, go to Temple bar and see if you like it. The main street is only a couple of hundred metres long, so try a pub or two. I wouldnt say avoid the place though. There's pubs there ranging from rock bars to dance clubs to old irish diddley-eye fiddle playing bars! give it a look and see. If u dont like it, then at least ya saw it.

Danger_Dave

http://www.brazenhead.com/

Go to this bar ! It dates back to 1198.

Kilmainham Gaol (jail) . If you want an excellent tour this is the one i recommend. Its fantastic !

BraziliaNZ

I always feel queasy and nervous about tourists coming to dublin in case they don't like it. Do update us about what you thought of the place please!

me-skywalker

if your looking for some pure bred irish women check out copper face jacks on harcourt street hahaha

KTRIC

Danger_Dave wrote: »

Kilmainham Gaol (jail) . If you want an excellent tour this is the one i recommend. Its fantastic !

And he can see where the English shot all the Irish rebels :rolleyes:

Zatman

Guiness tour is really overpriced and overrated. You be better off going to Jameson much better tour. Also avoid Temple Bar its very overpriced. as for New Years Eve we dont really do anything spectacular here so hope your not expecting much:(

Monkey61

I'd agree, the Guinness tour is awful. 7 empty floors and a few small television screens. The most boring tourist attraction I have ever had the misfortune to visit.

Don't miss Temple Bar though, you'll probably love it. The pubs are overpriced and all, but so are most pubs in Dublin these days. The atmosphere is fun though and there's always a bit of a buzz about it. You'll feel like you're on holiday.

CrazyRabbit

Gavin shels wrote: »

Paintballing http://www.skirmish.ie/

My bro done it last Sunday (got it on the cheap at Toys for Big Boys), said it was class, well worth it he said but he only paid like €12.:eek:

Or try airsofting. A whole lot less painfull, much cheaper and 100% more realistic. Extreme fun and a very welcoming group of people.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=830

Check it out here... (about €45 a day.. €25 for half day....10:30 - until 6pm...gun rental & bb's included)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs60GuDt14c

dSTAR

humberklog wrote: »

Rent bikes and pop a few wheelies and bunny hops in the Phoenix park.

^ ^ ^ Code for something else perhaps??

humberklog

dSTAR wrote: »

^ ^ ^ Code for something else perhaps??

I would've highlighted the middle bit to look for the double entendre or euphamism.

dSTAR

humberklog wrote: »

I would've highlighted the middle bit to look for the double entendre or euphamism.

That was the part that made my mind create all sorts of bizarre images :-S

bealbocht

as a Tourist , Temple Bar will probably be kinda hard to avoid, but is mostly ok.

There are a few places worth checking out.

If you come off O'Connell St Bridge and take the first right (not down the river the next one) there is a place called the Palace Bar (not to be confused the the The Palace on Camden st ) Very tradational Irish Dublin Bar, with lots of photos and paintings of writers who used to drink there. Also has Irish music upstairs some nights (not sure which .. weekend probably) Good place to have a pint and read a book, if you get one of the nice seats in the room at the back of the bar.

AVOID (in my opinion) Oliver Johns St Gogartys. There is irish music here, but the crowd is almost all Engish over for the weekend, and it IS the most expensive place in Dublin. Avoid The Quays pub ( in the square , for the same reason) The Temple Bar Pub , is ok for a quick look and one beer maybe, but is also very expensive and mostly English over for the weekend)

Upstairs in The Ha-Penny Bridge Inn, is always good in the evenings for music and comedy. Friday is Irish music , Saturday is Blues music, other nights have other bands/comedy . the ground floor is a standard irish bar.

The Porterhouse, (opposite end of Temple Bar to The Palace) has a lot of live music and is free in, pretty mixed crowd (55 % tourist)

The Mezz (ground floor) has free music every night. The crowd is mostly Spanish & Itailian ,bands can vary in quality, but is pretty good. (Downstairs is "pay in" )

Eamon Dorans, near the square, is mostly Irish, its a rock bar, bands down stairs,(mostly pay in) upstairs is ok, free in, good smoking area

The Foggy Dew, kinda expensive (as far as I remember) kind of a Rock crowd.

Depends in what you are into. Plenty of tacky nightclubs/discos , generally, if they are asking you to pay in , its a disco... not my thing, so cant tell you much. The Purty Kitchen, Fitzsimons , The Turks Head, and Buskers, all "Discos" with younger / ruder crowds (Turks Head is free I think)

chris-red

Cheers Guys, I'm gonna print this thread out and take it with me when I go 19 days till I leave I an't wait!:D