* ALL THINGS DEBS / GRADS!! *

Mazda

Okaaay I have three hotels to report on

Castle Arch Hotel, Trim Co. Meath

This was my own grad and was organised by the school only.
8pm-3am

Food - Main course looked like dogfood, vegetarian option was delicious however. Not impressed AT ALL, we got a horrible chicken stew thing with rice, sauce was tasteless, rice was cooked wrong :mad: was all just very very bad. Bar was closed during the meal so we could only drink the water sitting in jugs on the table couldn't even get a mineral let alone alcohol!
We were supposed to get a cocktail reception but only the people who came on the bus organised by the hotel (about 10 people) got it as far as I can tell. Drinks were ridiculously over priced as they raised the prices as the night went on - €8 for a shot by the end of th night. Wouldn't give out receipts at the bar either which is illegal :P We were pretty much treated like scum by the staff and it was clear that we were a nuisance to them. Singer didn't know the words to half the songs, DJ played We No Speak Americano literally about 4 times....all in all very disappointing! OH horrible breakfast rolls for breakfast and no vegetarian option then!

Park Inn Hotel, Dundalk Co Louth

Organised by DebsIreland.ie
8.30pm-6am

Dinner was fabulous, staff treated us with respect, drink was priced average, excellent band and DJ. Hotel was lovely and clean as it has been for the past 2 Grads I was at in it. Bar closed about 3ish maybe? But they provided loads of water for anyone looking for it. Everyone had a brilliant night as far as I could tell. Sitdown breakfast at 5am and home then! Would reccommend this hotel for anyone in the area.

Dunboyne Castle, Meath

Organised by Debs Ireland
8.30pm-6am

Similar dinner to above - very high quality. Same DJ but a different band as above which was funny because the grads were one day after th other, DJ was so sound had built up a little friendship with him Hotel was pretty fancy and we were very well looked after! The awards DebsIreland did at both grads really make the night special and unlike the first grad DI were constantly focused on making it a good night for us and not on making a profit. (I wish my own school went with them :mad: only a fiver difference per ticket!)

All in all having experienced a grad organised just by a school I would say get a company of some sort to organise it, they'll be taken more seriously by a hotel and you wont be screwed over by sub-standard food and service.

Happy Gradding

focus_mad

barry181091 wrote: »

Just wondering is it standard practice for the guy to go out to the girls house with his parents and pick her up ? We have a bus organised to bring us to the hotel and I was thinking of just getting there and letting her parents drop her off at the bus stop.

Yeah pal the fella usually goes anround to the girls house if its her debs but if its your debs she should come around to your gaf with her parents...Dunno if its different qith a bus though, we had a limo..

**Timbuk2**

Thanks for the reviews Mazda. Heading to Dunboyne for my school's grad at the end of August, organised by Debs Ireland and it's good to hear that you enjoyed it!

karaokeman

As we are coming back into the starting school term Autumn/September, we are hearing numerous stories about the Debs season.

I am in 6th year, so I was wondering from any of you that have been to a Debs lately, what is it like?

I know that usually you ask a girl, buy tickets, a suit, chocolates, buy two tickets etc.

Other than that what is it like? I hear that you stay up till like :5:00am and have breakfast at 6. Does this mean that you sleep for one hour at the hotel?

Also in what way did you enjoy it? For the date you brought, the music, the food?

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Gordon Gecko

karaokeman wrote: »

Other than that what is it like? I hear that you stay up till like :5:00am and have breakfast at 6. Does this mean that you sleep for one hour at the hotel?

.

Whether or not you get any sleep depends on your date

Making It Bad

Do most people wear a waistcoat and cravat? Would I look under-dressed without one?

theowen

Making It Bad wrote: »

Do most people wear a waistcoat and cravat? Would I look under-dressed without one?

Most wear waist coats, but cravats, not so much. Sure if your wearing a suit your not exaclty gonna be ejected from the limo.

karaokeman

I don't understand why anyone would get a limo.

It just sounds like a waste of money to me when you can get a bus (which from what I heard is paid for with your tickets).

DancingQueen:)

karaokeman wrote: »

I don't understand why anyone would get a limo.

It just sounds like a waste of money to me when you can get a bus (which from what I heard is paid for with your tickets).

I'm getting a party bus, holds 12 couples and is cheaper than a limo but yeah I understand that, there's a bus going from my school and no-ones going on it! Maybe it's because not everyone lives close enough to their schools?

klose

Debs are great craic, loada people in my year didnt go and they missed out big time, make sure ya go and bring loooots of money

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

If yeh get drunk before yeh go how much would yeh spend for the rest of the night??

PARARORY

f yeh get drunk before yeh go how much would yeh spend for the rest of the night??

Well you'll end up buying your friend(s) plus date a drink eventually (and they will return the favour !) so I'd say about 70 euro would do you grand. (10 drinks x 7euro - less if ya stick to beers n cider. )

JayEnnis

PARARORY wrote: »

Well you'll end up buying your friend(s) plus date a drink eventually (and they will return the favour !) so I'd say about 70 euro would do you grand. (10 drinks x 7euro - less if ya stick to beers n cider. )

Don't drink beers and cider all night if your planning on any "romantic activities" afterwards.

You really don't need all that gas.

randylonghorn

JayEnnis wrote: »

You really don't need all that gas.

That's one reason. >_>

JayEnnis

randylonghorn wrote: »

That's one reason. >_>

Whiskey dick?

I ****ing love it! Can go for hours haha.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

JayEnnis wrote: »

Don't drink beers and cider all night if your planning on any "romantic activities" afterwards.

You really don't need all that gas.

Meh, one night.

dillo2k10

Does anyone know if the K Club holds debs?

phileeoonskee

Anyone have the skinny on renting a limo? How much? Any recommendations?

ironclaw

phileeoonskee wrote: »

Anyone have the skinny on renting a limo? How much? Any recommendations?

Personally, they come off as a little tacky. They had their day a long time ago in my opinion. An awful lot of money for maybe 40 minutes. I've heard quotes of €300 or more depending on how long you want it for etc.

dillo2k10 wrote: »

Does anyone know if the K Club holds debs?

I can see that being awfully expensive. Isn't a glass of brandy there something like €25? I also doubt it, its a members club no?

Chuchoter

Just out of interest, does anyone have any experience/know someone who does of going to the debs with someone the same sex as you? What happened to you/them?

Serkunet

crayolastereo wrote: »

Just out of interest, does anyone have any experience/know someone who does of going to the debs with someone the same sex as you? What happened to you/them?

Nothing much different they had a blast. I know of a few people who went with they're cousins/friends that were the same gender as themselves.
They had fun like everybody else ^^

Chuchoter

Serkunet wrote: »

Nothing much different they had a blast. I know of a few people who went with they're cousins/friends that were the same gender as themselves.
They had fun like everybody else ^^

I mean like they went as a couple? Would they let you in?

Serkunet

crayolastereo wrote: »

I mean like they went as a couple? Would they let you in?

Hmm not as a couple but as each other's debs date...unless that's what you meant ^^'
Well we went to Park Inn in Dundalk and they were allowed in, as long as they had the tickets. But that was the same with everyone.

Chuchoter

Serkunet wrote: »

Hmm not as a couple but as each other's debs date...unless that's what you meant ^^'
Well we went to Park Inn in Dundalk and they were allowed in, as long as they had the tickets. But that was the same with everyone.

As dates, as in they were gay, lol I should have been more clear! :P So the venue would let you in anyway? There won't be the principal at the door sayign careful now we don't do that here?

Serkunet

crayolastereo wrote: »

As dates, as in they were gay, lol I should have been more clear! :P So the venue would let you in anyway? There won't be the principal at the door sayign careful now we don't do that here?

Ohhh well do people know? I wouldn't worry about that.
Yep the venue let them in, I don't think it's any of their business whether the couples were straight or gay or something else. As long as they behaved during the night ^^'
The principal didn't come with us to the place only near the end of the night did he show up. Is your principal going to the venue with you guys?

JayEnnis

I really don't get why your principal would be at the debs, it really has nothing to do with the school.

Chuchoter

JayEnnis wrote: »

I really don't get why your principal would be at the debs, it really has nothing to do with the school.

I don't know if she'll be at the debs, but the school is very homophobic, and since its xyz schools debs I thought they'd be able to make rules about who could come. You do hear horror stories of people just being told to leave, but from what you guys are saying that doesn't seem to be the case

JayEnnis

crayolastereo wrote: »

I don't know if she'll be at the debs, but the school is very homophobic, and since its xyz schools debs I thought they'd be able to make rules about who could come. You do hear horror stories of people just being told to leave, but from what you guys are saying that doesn't seem to be the case

Nope the school doesn't have any control its up to the venue. Besides there's nothing illegal with a gay relationship so the school couldn't do anything about it anyway.

blubloblu

crayolastereo wrote: »

I don't know if she'll be at the debs, but the school is very homophobic, and since its xyz schools debs I thought they'd be able to make rules about who could come. You do hear horror stories of people just being told to leave, but from what you guys are saying that doesn't seem to be the case

The school would be risking a good bit of trouble if they tried to make it a problem.

Chuchoter

blubloblu wrote: »

The school would be risking a good bit of trouble if they tried to make it a problem.

I thought thats why we have the gay debs though, it was on the growing up gay thing. I can't tell if its like people being to afraid to try or trying and getting shot down. I know in my school (and a lot of others) we have been told on more than one occasion that its wrong to be gay/plays cancelled over gay characters/ysi projects cancelled/leaflets taken down so on and so forth, but I just wasn't sure if they had that control over the debs