Vacation in Dublin HELP!!

VABbum

Hello everyone!

My girlfriend and I are visiting Ireland for the first time next month (Feb.) and we'd love some suggestions for places where the locals would go and some other places "off the beaten path."

Our trip will begin by flying into Dublin in the morning and us needing to be in Galway for the first two nights and then the following two nights in Kilarney and our trip finishes up in Dublin for the final two nights.

We'll be taking plenty of pictures that I'll be happy to share our trip.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I hope to have a great start on these boards.

Cheers!

admiralofthefleet

first thing: avoid temple bar, its vastly overrated and very expensive.

get the dart (local train) to howth, its a very nice seaside village north of the city
there are a good few 'local' pubs in the city centre where normal dublin people go like the bachelor inn, windjammer, longstone, longhall, fitzgeralds and the flowing tide.

im sure other people will be along to offer you other opinions, enjoy your time here

fontinalis

I'd recommend Malahaide (near Howth as mentioned) and Dun Laoghaire for a day trip, nice areas by the sea. The Guiness Brewey and Kilmaonham Jail are meant to be interesting.
I'd also say to avoid Templebar (it can be good on a thursday or sunday but in general it's expensive), and go for the type of bars admiralofthefleet mentioned.

Qwerty27

Make sure you visit the Stags head pub, just off Dame St, a lovely pub where you'll get a proper pint of Guinness! Also, try and visit the book of Kells, a beautiful manuscript in Trinity College. You also get entry to the library there and is a must see in my opinion
Enjoy your trip

electrogrimey

If you want to try a real Irish pub, like the kind you read about in books, check out the Cobblestone. It's just off the Luas (tram) stop in Smithfield. Live irish music most days/nights, they do local beers, and it'd not crammed with tourists like the ones in Temple Bar.

For lunch, maybe try Davy Byrnes off Grafton Street, it's a famous literary pub, mentioned in James Joyces' Ulysses, and a lovely place.

Busses are (I imagine) a nightmare for anyone who doesn't live in the city, so stick to the Dart (light rail) or Luas (tram). They're much easier to find your way around on.

bridget.laitly

If you do want a few activities in town that aren't super touristy (Guinness, Jameson, Temple Bar) and if you've already done Trinity and the Book of Kells, Kilmainham Gaol is a good alternative –*plus it's right across the street from the Museum of Modern Art! (Buy your tickets in advance for the Gaol b/c the tours fill up fast.
Ooh, and instead of paying extra for guided tours, you can download free guided walking tours for your iPod from here. They cover museums, local landmarks etc. for the city and surrounding areas.

If you're in town on the south side, head up to The Central Hotel on Exchequer st and settle in for drinks at The Library Bar (it's just upstairs) –*amazing little place with a roaring fire and comfy couches, never too loud, never to crowded.

And if you haven't made plans for Galway don't bother staying in Galway City Centre –*lovely place but there's other really great alternatives for about the same price; The Twelve in Barna (abt 20 min from Galway CC) is gorgeous and just a few blocks from the hotel is one of the best seafood restaurants I've ever eaten in - O'Grady's on the Pier.

whew, I think that's it –*happy travels!

CrazyRabbit

http://www.discoverireland.ie/

And

http://www.visitdublin.com/

Everything you need to know is there.

Enjoy your stay!

EDIT: Why is everyone else obsessed with pubs and cold beaches?

admiralofthefleet

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

http://www.discoverireland.ie/

And

http://www.visitdublin.com/

Everything you need to know is there.

Enjoy your stay!

EDIT: Why is everyone else obsessed with pubs and cold beaches?

because the op asked for places that were off the beaten track

lightening

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

[url]EDIT: Why is everyone else obsessed with pubs and cold beaches?[/url]

Dublin does really good pubs and really good cold beaches!

Nothing better than going to a warm pub after a cold beach!! OP, what are your interests?n What's your age bracket?

VABbum

Thanks everyone for the food and drink suggestions! We will certainly stay far away from Temple Bar.

This thread has actually turned out better than I could've imagined.

Lightening, to answer your question, we're mid-twenties. I'd love to catch a football (Euro) game to see the excitement, but it's the off-season correct? We were looking at possibly going to the greyhound races, but we haven't found anything yet. Also, what is 'hurling', sounded like it's all the rage from what I was reading?

I'm an architecture junkie, photography hobbyists, sports enthusiast and food lover- my girlfriend is, too.

If anyone else has even a small suggestion to anything I will listen.

Thanks again to all that have helped thus far!!

Posy

Shelbourne dog track has racing every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. You can find info at www.igb.ie. If you go on a Saturday, go VERY EARLY if you want a seat. It's also accessible by taxi to the City Centre.
I'd recommend a tour of Croke Park- it's a great stadium with a colourful history. The national hurling league starts February 20th but if your trip will be finished by then I's still say you could catch a hurling match somewhere.. it is the national sport after all!

Thoie

VABbum wrote: »

I'm an architecture junkie, photography hobbyists, sports enthusiast and food lover- my girlfriend is, too.

The photography forum here uses google maps to mark places that others might like to photograph. Some information on greyhound racing here - there are tracks in Galway and Dublin. Current fixtures for GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) hurling and football (gaelic football, not soccer) can be found here. The master fixtures list is here. To help with that page, Feabhra=February, Gaillimh=Galway, and Áth Cliath=Dublin

Posy

Also, not to put a dampener on your holiday but make sure you have warm clothes, rainproof jackets and (especially around Dublin/Galway city) BEWARE of pickpockets. Just be wary of carrying expensive cameras with you or leaving bags on the back of chairs in restaurants etc. And be very very careful of your possessions if you travel by luas (tram). Random crime is fairly rare if you're sensible and look after your belongings.

PCPhoto

OP ..... if you are interested - I'm sure some of the boardsies here would meet up for a drinking session.

theres loads to see but be aware of the dangers in the city at night too.

if you get a chance there's powerscourt waterfall and powerscourt gardens - jonny foxes pub (claims to be the highest pub in Ireland) .... theres the Brazen head - the oldest pub in Dublin and the smallest pub in Dublin (Cant remember the name)

what dates will you be in Ireland ? - theres a big Rugby tournament (six nations) where our National Rugby team will be playing - if you are in Dublin on a Sat/Sun and want to find a local Hurling game or a Gaelic Football game drop me a PM.

EDIT: Powerscourt gardens would probably be pretty bare in Feb....with most flowers blooming later in the year and all that !!

Nevyn

The gallerys and musems are also worth a visit.
http://www.museum.ie/en/homepage.aspx
http://www.dublin.ie/disp_list.aspx?catid=53
http://www.nationalgallery.ie/

CrazyRabbit

VABbum wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the food and drink suggestions! We will certainly stay far away from Temple Bar.

This thread has actually turned out better than I could've imagined.

Lightening, to answer your question, we're mid-twenties. I'd love to catch a football (Euro) game to see the excitement, but it's the off-season correct? We were looking at possibly going to the greyhound races, but we haven't found anything yet. Also, what is 'hurling', sounded like it's all the rage from what I was reading?

I'm an architecture junkie, photography hobbyists, sports enthusiast and food lover- my girlfriend is, too.

If anyone else has even a small suggestion to anything I will listen.

Thanks again to all that have helped thus far!!

If you would like to check out the local sports, then I'd suggest some Irish ones like Hurling (Fastest field sport on earth). It's hard to beat a good hurling match in Croke Park with 82,000 fans in attendance!

http://www.crokepark.ie/plugins/eventsfeed.cgi
http://www.gaa.ie/

_blank_

VABbum wrote: »

I'd love to catch a football (Euro) game to see the excitement, but it's the off-season correct?

When are you arriving?

yermanoffthetv

Not really off the beaten track but be sure to check out Mc Donaghs in Galway for good old fish and chips http://www.mcdonaghs.net/index.html (order the onion rings!) If not already mentioned, panoramio.com should give you a good idea of some good photo op locations http://www.panoramio.com Finally rugby is a very popular sport to so if your in the vicinity(and manage to get tickets) on match days it definitely be worth a trip.http://www.magnersleague.com/ has fixtures info.

Hope you have fun!

How Strange

PCPhoto wrote: »

if you get a chance there's powerscourt waterfall and powerscourt gardens

Powerscourt is lovely and you could go to the Avoca cafe for some lunch. A walk around Enniskerry village would also be a nice way to spend an afternoon. If you want to go authentically local then get the Dublin Bus out. I think it's a 44?!?

Glendalough is also gorgeous and while it is touristy it is still worth a visit. It's in Co. Wicklow which is about 1hr's drive from Dublin. Get the Glendalough bus from Dawson St. I'm from close by there originally and when I'm at home I love to go for a walk there. You can get off the main route and do a 2 or 3 hour walk. There is a large map at the upper lake which shows all the routes and they are colour coded with distance and times.

The hotel in Glendalough apparently makes the nicest scones in the world!! And that recommendation comes from a local.

jonny foxes pub (claims to be the highest pub in Ireland) .... theres the Brazen head - the oldest pub in Dublin and the smallest pub in Dublin (Cant remember the name)

Far far far too touristy. Stay away. There are so many nice pubs without having to go to these places. I think someone gave a list already but mine would be Nearys, The Stags Head, The Long Hall, Grogans, Mulligans of Poolbeg St. Hogans is a nice bar too but more contemporary.

Hire bikes and cycle out to Howth. There's a cycle track pretty much all the way and you're cycling along Dublin Bay. Go over the wooden bridge to Bull Island and you can walk out along the north wall which is a pier wall on the north side of Dublin Port and the views across Dublin are amazing Have a fish and chips lunch in Howth.

One thing I love to do is walk along the canal on the southside. Start at Grand Canal basin and walk up to Harolds Cross and back down again.

Suggestions for IMMA and Kilmainham Goal are good too. Our National Gallery and the Chester Beatty Museum are worth visiting.

If you want to go for some really nice food rserve a table in Chapter One for their early bird menu. First class food priced very reasonably because you have to vacate your table by 7pm. The Pigs Ear also gets great reviews and we've used it for work related dinners when we have colleagues from overseas visiting and they love it.

Obviously you don't have time to do all this but it's some more suggestions for you. Whatever you do avoid Temple Bar at night time. It's hell. It's a nice place for a stroll around during the day and if you're here on a Saturday there's a lovely food market in the square which is worth a visit.

lightening

Don't knock Temple Bar on the head, stroll through during the day and decide for yourself. Also, Whelens might have a gig on, google Whelans in Dublin...

OK, the other posters know more about football and hurling. They are right about Shelbourne park in Ringsend for the dogs, great place. Here is an architecture tour.

http://www.dublintours.net/tours/tourDetail.cfm?tour_id=8153

But, if you like architecture just keep looking up walking around Dublin, some great sights.

OK, this is all around Stephens green... for Guinness maybe some live music and a great atmosphere go to O'Donnaghue's. You will like it, full of nice people a really nice bar. You could then go to Peploe's for dinner. An excellent restaurant, fine dining, very very comfortable with a good wine list. A bit pricey though. You could nip in to the Horseshoe bar in the Shelbourne for a laugh and a drink after.

You should go to the Market bar for food too. It's the maddest place. A HUGE ex shoe factory converted in to a pub, very busy, loud and noisy, but great fun. The food is Tapas with an Irish twist, helpings are much larger than Spanish tapas. I would suggest the cheese dish between you, the mussels and the chicken and chorizo skewers. Stunning. They have a decent wine list here, all from proper bottles, not the little tiny bar bottles.

The Market bar is on Georges street, the entrance is small for such a huge pub and is opposite Hogans, a very well known pub, again ask for directions.

No, if you have time I would suggest a trip to Howth on the DART, much much better than Malahide. Get the DART in town, loads of stations, ask for directions, Dubliners are friendly like that.

Travel North bound to Howth, it's the last stop. When you come out of the station turn left and then left again towards the pier. Walk all the way down past all the restaurants and you get a view of the bay including Irelands eye. Walk back and go in to one of the fish shops and ask for rubber or plastic gloves and some fish for the seals. Around the trawlers there are about six old seals, they are to old to fish and survive on people feeding them. One is blind, he has huge scars on his back from propellers, make sure he gets loads.

Howth is a working fish port, some excellent photo opportunities here, lots of colour, nets, massive ropes and chains...

Eat in the Oarhouse 0035318394562. It's the best and most reasonable restaurant in the village. Great, simple fish dishes.

If you walk to the other pier away from the train station you reach the end of Howth, you can turn right and do the cliff walk then.

These are the sort of things a lot of people like to do, a lot of people don't share my views on these restaurants etc...

admiralofthefleet

harolds cross greyhound stadium is an alternative to shelbourne and is rarely as packed. the 16/16a bus southbound from the city centre stops right beside it.

malahide castle is a nice place to photograph, its on the dart line as well

JuliusCaesar

a visit to a lot of opinionated Irish architects might be useful!

CrazyRabbit

All the suggestions here make ME want to go visit the sights in and around Dublin, and I already live there!

Posy

Ha, I'm feeling the same way!

Lollymcd

+1 for the Cobblestone

+1 for avoiding Temple Bar at night!

If it's a nice (warmish) day the Iveagh Gardens behind The National Concert Hall on Earlsfort Tec off St Stephens Green is a nice secluded park to go for a picnic. (Not sure when you're coming, it could be freezing!!!)

The Irish soccer season starts in early March...

VABbum

Posy, thanks for the link and suggestion. From the sound of things and the consensus on here we’ll be hitting Croke Park. Even if we’re just able to catch a full practice of hurling would be great, but of course, we’d prefer a game. We will bringing our warmest gear with us.

Thoie, thanks for the google maps vantage points, greyhound info, and the GAA. I’m grateful you included the translations, that would’ve been a problem otherwise.

PCPhoto, I may take you up on the meeting up offer! We’ll be getting in on the 10th in the morning and leaving the 16th. I’d love to catch a hurling or Gaelic football game.

Thaedydal, I appreciate the links you supplied. My girlfriend has assured me that we will be seeing the museums in a morning trip.

Crazy Rabbit, the Croke Park link is just what I needed!

Des, we’ll be arriving on the 10th in the morning.

Yermanofftv, I did some separate research and found that McDonagh’s received high marks for it’s fish and chips, but you were the first to mention the onion rings. Just awesome!

How Strange, we will take your suggestion of Avoca Café and Enniskerry Village. My girlfriend loves scones and that should help me… I think my pub list is twenty deep now. How long would a bike ride take to Howth? Either way, we’ll be planning a trip to see it. Also, we absolutely love farmers markets!

Lightening, the Market Bar sounds like my cup o’ tea. I’m big on redevelopment and mixed use projects – like a shoe factory converted into a bar. The directions you gave will do the trick.

Admiralofthefleet, Harolds Cross sounds like our best bet for greyhounds (easier winnings, too. Haha.)

JuliusCaesar, thanks a ton!

Lollymcd, I was hoping for a picnic spot and you pulled through. Thank you!

To all, try Temple Bar during the day? Check.
Thanks again for all your help!

Dick Turnip

Hi VaBum, just on the sports side of things, i'm afraid that you're timing isn't good at all!

The soccer season doesn't start til March in Ireland (also it is not like the major european leagues, attendances would only average a couple of thousand and most players head to England or Scotland to earn a wage).

As for rugby, Ireland are playing France in Paris that weekend and there are no games on in the professional league that weekend either.

Also the hurling league doesn't start until the end of February and judging by your travel itinerary you will miss any gaelic football games also as when you are in killarney kerry are playing in cork and you will have missed dublin's game by the time you get back up there. there is the option of finding a local club game but that might be hard to find one on in your locality. also you won't be able to watch a county team train as they don't hold open sessions, not at this time of year anyway.

sorry to disappoint but i hope its of some use!

To answer you're question about places off the beaten track in dublin. lots of places that are mentioned above and i would recommend the croke park museum regardless of the fact there wont be games on there.

Also the national museum in collns barracks. theres a stop on the luas for it (Museum on the Red line). its free in and has exhibitions on the military history of ireland from the 1600s right up to the 1916 rising, war of independence and civil war and bit on irish troops on UN peace keeping missions abroad.

Howth is good but i'd recommend getting the dart out, i'm not too sure how many bike rental places are about. however you should get a 3 day pass for the new public bike scheme (www.dublinbikes.ie) they're great for getting around the city centre and the first half hour of every journey is free with nominal charges after that.

You could get a luas to heuston (red line) and walk up parkgate street to the entrance of phoenix park (europe's largest urban park) and rent a bike (www.phoenixparkbikehire.com). There's plenty to see here - place where pope john paul II said mass to 1million people in 1979, Aras an Uachtarain (president's residence), residence of US ambassador, dublin zoo (world's 3rd oldest zoo), farmleigh house (former guinness family residence, now the state "guest house"), you might come across the herds of deer that call it home also.

Dublin Castle is worth checking out too. theres a park in the grounds for a picnic spot too but id recommend iveagh gardens as the top spot in dublin - very central but quiet too, a lot of dubliners dont even know about it! Theres the chester beatty library in dublin castle too, which is full of islamic texts and other treasures. its free also.

anyway thats my input. hope its of some use! prob a bit long winded but what can ya do.:D

Twee.

Don't avoid Temple Bar during the day time! Check out the Gallery of Photography http://www.galleryofphotography.ie/ . If you go on a Saturday afternoon you'll be right next to the gorgeous food market.
On Saturday afternoons you'll also find loads of stalls selling old books and records in the area.

IMMA are running the international exhibit Picturing New York until Feb 14th http://www.imma.ie/en/page_197023.htm It's a fiver in, free for students/unwaged/oaps and on Fridays. Some lovely photos on display.

What kind of food you in to? Head to Govinda's for cheap, vegetarian, no fills but delicious meals. http://www.govindas.ie/

If you're into live music, check out the late shows upstairs at Whelans, there's usually an Irish band on, Thursdays and Saturdays are best I think. http://www.whelanslive.com/listings/

Dick Turnip

might as well keep going whilst i'm on a roll here.

if you're into film you could check out the lighthouse cinema in smithfield, the Irish Film Institute (IFI) in Temple Bar or Screen cinema on d'Olier street - they're all independent cinemas and offer something different to the normal blockbuster fare.

there are free walking tours that start opposite the olympia theatre on dame street but i don't know much about them.

you could check out www.mcd.ie, www.ticketmaster.ie, www.tickets.ie or www.aiken.ie for any gigs, comedy or plays that might be on.

as regards pubs i'd recommend grogans, stags head, cobblestone, no name bar (or the snail bar) on fade street, the globe, whelans, keoghs, dawson lounge (smallest bar in dublin).

check out Trinity College and the book of kells exhibit there but go to that for the old library there as much as the book itself.

Also Merrion square or stephens green are both good picnic spots but i still prefer iveagh gardens!

Dick Turnip

also agree with Twee re Temple Bar. Do go during the day. I think its great at that time just gets very touristy, loud and messy at night time. especially at weekends if there's stag and hen parties about. Also that food market in meeting house square (where the IFI is) is great! anything from oysters to bbq lamb burgers to organic apple juice to noodles and curries!

could check out the national concert hall (www.nch.ie) just off stephens green. they do lunchtime concerts sometimes aswell i think.

theres also the writers museum (www.writersmuseum.com) or hugh lane gallery (www.hughlane.ie) on parnell square.

A Disgrace

lightening wrote: »

You should go to the Market bar for food too. It's the maddest place. A HUGE ex shoe factory converted in to a pub

Not to be pedantic, it used to be a sausage factory, but it's still worth the visit.

As an Architecture buff, Georgian Dublin is a must (simply head to Merrion Square and walk). Also Aungier Street is one of the oldest (almost intact) original streets in Dublin and also boasts having a certain St. Valentine in the church there. Capel street too retains most of its original character and it leads directly to Dublin Castle, which is worth an hour or two and is very close to the two main cathedrals and most importantly, one of Dublin's best kept secrets, Marshes Library.

Also, DEFO hit the old library in Trinity. It's awe inspiring to say the least.