Weekend in/around Dublin - driving and parking advice needed please????

sporina

First of all I mods can you check if I am in the most appropriate forum please?? Its difficult to know sometimes.

So, i am going to Dublin (and Meath) for a few days and I am trying to figure out whether or not I should take the car or use public transport??

So here is the situation:
Day 1 - getting from Cork to Dublin - staying in Dundrum that night.
Day 2 - meeting people in and around the city - not sure where yet, then staying in Julianstown (co. meath) that night.
Day 3. Back to the city, meeting more people and then and staying in Drimmnagh that night.
Day 4 - Back to Cork.

So, I am not very familiar with driving around Dublin, but I will have a sat nav.

So I would like to take the car, but - well here are the pros and cons as I see it:

Pros:

• comfort of car - stop when i like etc, can bring as much luggage as I like, can leave when i like etc.
• Won't be looking for a place to leave luggage during the day when roaming around the city
• I guess the luggage bit is important - I am a lady and not a light traveller at that, and nights out are on the cards, which means a lot of extra stuff.

Cons:

• Expense of fuel, tolls, parking, - petrol is soo expensive and city driving is really tough on fuel. (bus is 22€ return, I can meet a friend in Santry who can then take me to Julianstown, and I guess I could get a bus easily from Juliantown, back into the city)

[*]finding a place to park??? Where could I leave the car in the city at a reasonable cost, with reasonable access to city center and at a relatively good price???
[*]driving in the city etc..

So what would you do?? Any other reasons - pros/cons?
Suggestions of where to park in town??

Thanks a mill, S x