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Very good value, clean, quiet hostel in the heart of one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.
Friendly staff will look after you if you haven't brought food, but it's supposed to be self-catering so there's a big kitchen to use. No TV (there is dial-up internet) and your mobile won't work, so bring a book to read by the peat fire.
If you're interested in the controversy relating to the Shell pipeline being installed nearby the owner might even give you a lift to one of the regular protests at the site.
www.kilcommonlodge.net
Some nice pictures of the area here: www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2864627
Phone: (00353) 97 84621
This is a fab little Cuban place in Ballsbridge. We took our children there early evening and the waiter was delightful, couldn't do enough to make us comfortable and well fed, and the other diners were graciously accommodating of the added fuss. Far more important - the food was fantastic, authentic Cuban grub, and the service duly attentive; and to boot the tab was very reasonable.
11 Ballsbridge Terrace, Dublin 4
It's a small town in the midlands that is normally not on any tourist route. But it is the place where the last executioner of Ireland existed - Lady Better. The old jail where she reputedly killed her criminal son still stands.
I visited Ireland recently and for a change we went to counties Carlow and Kilkenny, very nice as both are full of history and ruins. Easy access from Dublin (only one-hour drive to Kilkenny), Kilkenny castle is fantastic with lots of nice accommodation. I found a good restaurant especially if you're a beef eater. Enjoy...
www.butlercourt.com (guest house)
www.celticbedandbreakfast.com (B&B Carlow)
www.langtons.ie (restaurant Kilkenny)
I found the write-ups here helpful before I visited Dublin for my recent outing - a group of us went over for a weekend a few weeks ago. We were aware rooms could be pricey, but we found a great hostel about a mile from the city called Morehampton House. It's a massive Georgian and not much of a walk to the centre, but most of all it's great value. We only paid 20 per night for each person, so I wanted to let those who want budget rooms to know about it. Its clean and friendly.
I have been using this site for last few months and finding great prices and offers. They seem to be new.
I would like to recommend a bed and breakfast we found by accident while in Dublin, we were taking the Ferry back to the UK from Ireland from Dun Laoghaire so we had to stay the night nearby. Found Tara Hall B&B and it's run by an English lady called Margaret, it was great and so is she.
It's a lovely house near the sea in a place called Sandycove and an Irish writer used to live in it, its different and good fun and relaxing.
I stayed around Baggot Street a few weeks ago. A great location, there are great pubs and restaurants and it's just a few minutes' walk from Trinity College.
I can recommend Dohney & Nesbitts pub, a very traditional pub and great fun and then across the street is Toner Pub, different crowd, but again traditional. Stayed in Baggot Court Townhouse and then for a change moved to Fitzwilliam Square and stayed at Fitzwilliam Townhouse, great places to stay, Georgian buildings and, most of all, good value.
www.baggotcourt.com
www.visitdublin.com (see bars)
www.fitzwilliamtownhouse.com
www.bangcafe.ie
The Pav is Trinity College Dublin's only drinking hole at the moment, and as the summer approaches is really the only one needed. The bar itself is horrid.
I'm recommending it on the strength that it is the best place to drink outside in central Dublin, legally.
On a Thursday and more so on a Friday there will be literally thousands of people, students, office slaves and more, sitting in the sun drinking. Drinks can be bought at the bar- 4 cans of larger for €8 - or more often brought in. Sometimes there's cricket on, and you can laze and look at that, or the stunning Berkley Library full of studying students, all wishing they were down on the grass next to you.
Other activities might include an impromptu kick about, impromptu sing-a-long, frisbee game, streaker and other studenty type activities.
Food and other drinks available and there's a very limited selection of beers and stouts on tap, but buying drink in there seems against the whole spirit of the thing.
The Pavilion Bar,
Trinity College Dublin,
It's the yellowish building facing on to the cricket pitch.
Great little burger bar on the Rathmines Road, great selection of organic meats, three different types of veggie burger and great imaginative and tasty options for the garnish.
There's a DJ booth in the corner and the crowd is young and hip. Alcohol is available and they have a great South African beer. Costs around €12.50 a burger and €5 a beer so not cheap, but is good value. Open quite late on the weekends.
Rathmines Road,
Dublin 6
www.joburger.ie/
Charlies popped up a few years ago as a sort of fast food Chinese restaurant and there are now three or four of them about the centre of town. The food is standard Dublin prices, or in other words a bit more than it should be, and is all right if you get it when the place is quiet. Other than that stay the hell away from them. It's a magnet for the drunk and serves up the vilest food when it gets busy. I've been ill the last two times I've eaten there, and won't be returning.
The main problem is that for the same money you could get a decent enough meal elsewhere.
Around Temple Bar
I came to the Boghill Centre to do a yoga weekend retreat earlier in the year. They offer residential workshops all year round including yoga, creative energy, tribal drumming, singing, native American sweat lodges, traditional Irish music, ceramics, cookery (veggie) and a whole range of cool holistic therapies.
As far as I'm aware they rent the place for visiting tutors so, naturally, the programme varies. These are just examples from when I looked at the website, but some are regular or annual events (drumming, Irish music and yoga).
Anyway, I found it a really relaxing place to just chill and unwind. It is run as an eco community with help from WWOOFers, the people there are lovely and very welcoming and friendly. Quite an international collection!
The best thing I found was the completely natural and homely atmosphere, and also the scrumptious homegrown organic veggie food, all served up there in such a beautiful secluded setting.
There is a stone circle, tonnes of walks in their own land or on the neighbouring Burren landscape (unique apparently and certainly very bizarre and fairytale like), and the coast and beaches are great for surfing too! They are a hostel/B&B too.
It is just in between Lisdoonvarna and Kilfenora. They're tiny villages but are both on the map for local events. I got a bus from Ennis to Lisdoonvarna, they are frequent in the summer but I can't remember how often, twice a day I think! See Bus Eirann website if you're planning to get there green-ways!
The Boghill Centre
Kilfenora
Co Clare
Ireland
Tel - +00353 (0)657074644
Email - boghill@eircom.net
Website - www.boghill.com
Glynn's Coaches provide private coach and minibus hire in Ireland. They also provide specialist golf trips to make for your perfect golf vacation.
It has a Spar and a Centra.
Northside
Environmental education charity offering eco holidays that include training in ecology/traditional skills plus guided walks via woodlands, hills, bogs and lakes.
Also enjoyable local culture with traditional music, dancing, arts and drama.
Scariff, County Clare, Ireland.
www.celtnet.org (+353)61-640765
nearest station Birdhill
It's an hilarious Dublin guide filled with serious tips.
My girlfriend and I took a tour with Galway Walking Tours recently even though they were out of season. Aside from the usual historical info we were delighted to get plenty of funny stories about Galway events and characters.
galwaytours.ie
091 561386
Fountain in Eyre Square
In the west of Ireland, a new Irish company whose directors have many years experience in running activity and adventure centres, has launched its series of residential summer camps in Counties Mayo, Westmeath and Cork that will finally give Irish children and teenagers a taste the sorts of camps that their English and American counterparts have enjoyed for over 20 years. Horizon Summer Camps have rolled out a range of residential summer camps for children aged eight to seventeen years of age at Westport and also at their Wilson's Centre in Multyfarnham in Westmeath near Dublin.
For parents, the attraction is that Horizon look after their children 24/7 from once they are picked up at the special pick-up points around the country - parents don't have to worry at all.
Horizon camps include multi-activity holidays where children can throw themselves into a wide range of activities such as kayaking, climbing, dragon-boating, horse-riding, quad-biking, and many other activities.
Or, if they wish, they can concentrate on a specialist camp such as the multi-media programme, or horse-riding for the week. Many teenagers opt for the "surf camp", for example, because the coastline adjacent to Westport offers some of the best surfing in Europe.
Horizon Summer Camps Ireland
River View, North Mall, County Mayo
Ireland
tel: +353 98 50290
email: summer@horizonireland.com
web: www.horizonireland.com
The Bernard Shaw is one of a number of pubs catering to a youngish, trendyish crowd. There's a massive smoking area with a pool table, a dj booth, and decently priced if limited selection of beers.
Decent music nights, recent ones were Dubstep and a celebration of the Rio Carnival with drummers and cheep Brazilian beer. Usually packed at the weekend, always a laugh.
Richmond Street,
Dublin
Because you can wave at your friends at home, dance a jig, kiss a dublin gal, lay down for a nap or do just about anything else that's legal -- and appear on the World-Link live webcam (www.nci.ie/ispy)
If you prefer a more traditional spot - they also have a cam aimed at O'Shea's front door.
Talbot Street across from the World-Link Call shop (big blue building on the corner of Talbot and Gardiner)
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