D1 and I are planning a quick trip, four days in mid February. Wondering if anyone can recommend casual hotels or B&B’s. I think I’d like to stay in the Christchurch/Temple Bar area, be an easy walk back from pubs, at night. Any recommendations on where to eat or what you think is a “must do” would be great.
We’re very easy travelers, easy to please with the basics, then add the special treats. I know Feb can be cold, but it’s projected at upper 40s during the day and we’re used to NE winter.
Thanks.
I can’t find the name of the B and B we stayed at; it was near the Custom House on Lower Gardiner Street; might not be close enough for you, anyway, but we liked it. It was also a hostel on one side and had a nice, unfussy vibe. But not sure it still exists as I couldn’t find something on maps that struck my memory. Will keep looking.
The pub that I insist you go to is called The Celt, on Talbot Street. It is small, cramped, and lovely. A local Irish group were playing the night we were there, joined, with no announcement or fanfair, by one of the Irish Tenors that night! Quite a surprise. They’re well known as the place to go for authentic music. Good food, too. And drink, Of course.
Things to see – some are standard–O’Connell Street, St. Stephens Green, Trinity College (Book of Kells, etc.). We really enjoyed the Guinness Factory, though it’s a little touristy. Also the Writer’s Museum which is by the Garden of Remembrance which is lovely. And definitely Kilmainham Gaol which is an unforgettable experience.
A second on the Gaol. Really fascinating! We also did the Guinness tour, a 3 hour bike tour (probably too cold in Feb)that hit all the high spots, and the Teeling Whiskey Distillery tour with tasting afterwards. If you do the Guinness tour, we had a nice lunch at Arthur’s pub down the block before our tour. We were only there for 2 days in July, did a lot of walking as our hotel The Spencer, while on the river, was about a mile from Temple Bar.
How timely! We’re leaving this coming Saturday for two months in Dublin as DH decided to end his six-month LOA with an engagement there prior to retiring fully. His company hasn’t even arranged for tickets yet and we have a ton of things to do to shut down our house and get ready. I have read up on the weather and have taken advantage of some post-Christmas sales to weatherproof my wardrobe. That’s probably all I’ll manage before we leave as DS is still here (until Thursday) and we want to enjoy the little time we have left with him before he goes back to school.
So, I will watch this thread along with you, @lookingforward.
I’m interested in proper pub and restaurant behavior and tipping practices. I’ve ready about how the Irish drink in “rounds” and that you don’t usually tip the bartender, but what about restaurants/waitstaff, hotelstaff, taxis, etc?
Oh, and any absolute DON’Ts beyond the typical listicles? I don’t want to be THAT American.
I’ve been to the Cliffs of Moher, but we were stayiing in Doolin and walked over (about a ten mile round trip along the cliffs and through mud, past cows, around bulls, under electric fences, etc.) We walked back along the road. Don’t think I could do that again.
Cliffs were fantastic. My S did the one day trip and I believe really enjoyed it but Idon’t know the details.
I’m kinda lost right now, thinking we do want to stay in Temple Bar or just off, but second guessing myself. (Weird, for me.) Some interesting places are already booked out.
Later, will figure if we can get to the Cliffs.
Temple Bar = Times Square – very touristy. Check out the area around Stephen’s Green – very nice section of Dublin. Balls Bridge is another very nice area but it’s 2 or 3 miles outside the center – it’s in Dublin 4 area code which is high end residential.
ETA: for a very nice dinner try Chapter One. It’s in the former home of John Jameson of the whiskey family in Parnell Square.
We were there last November and did a prepaid room at the Radisson Blu Royal near St Patricks. The room was amazing and the walk to Temple Bar was doable. I agree that Stephen’s Green area is quite nice.
We had a fun day taking the train to Howth, Had some great seafood at one of the restaurants along the water, walked the pier and ended our adventure with a few pints at the 16th century Abbey Tavern before taking the short train ride back to Dublin. https://www.abbeytavern.ie
If you are going to rent a car, might I suggest renting from the airport or some other out of the city location. (we took a day trip to Kilkenny and loved it)
D2’s bff is an expat in Dublin, but hasn’t offered any advice. I told D1 about the Gaol, Guiness, the distillery, and she’s game. Good kid who said, “We’ll see Trinity and the Kells, right?”
They’ll know you’re a tourist anyway. Just embrace it and have a good time. The Irish like Americans. At least most of them just not the guy in the White House.
We stayed at the dublin skylon hotel in Drumconda. It was a quick, straight shot bus ride into town. I liked staying out of the city center a bit - quieter and a good bit cheaper. There was a very nice pub (Fagans) down the street with really excellent pub food too.
I stayed at O’Callaghan’s Stephen’s Green. The location was great. 24 hour desk which is helpful at times. Good at giving me directions and recommendations for pubs, etc. Check out the hotel’s website; sometimes it has better deals than the hotel aggregators.
You can pay more to have breakfast included. I hadn’t and the daily rate was ridiculous. I soon discovered that there is a tiny breakfast place in the shopping center nearby where lots of people --tourists and natives alike–grab a quick breakfast.
Just a follow up that we had a great time. @sly123 we did do a tour out to Wicklow (it snowed!,) Glendalough, and Kilkenny, with Wild Rovers, had a great time. It included time on a farm, with the farmer and his wife, watching the sheep dogs in action. (That was a treat.)
The people are great, open and laid back. In ways, I think that tops my people experiences in other countries. We saw Trinity and the Kells, did the Jameson tour, had great food, and drank Guiness (which D2’s bff insists is different than the export we get here.) Walked everywhere. And got out to Howth. As for the weather, no problem. At least on our trip, “rain storms” meant the ground was wet, nothing coming down, maybe a mist, one day, lol. And the temps were a breeze compared with New England in Feb.
