Hostelworld Guide for Dublin

Birthplace to many of the world's most popular musicians, writers and singers, Dublin is the perfect city fora break at any time of the year and has something for everybody. If you are looking for culture there are ahost of museums to visit, if the great outdoors are your thing then you can take pleasure in a stroll in oneof the world's largest city centre parks, and if you enjoy letting your hair down you will love its legendary

nightlife.

In this Guide...

Useful InformationAfter Dark

Places to EatTop Attractions

Budget TipsWhere to Shop

The Essentials Climate

Getting There

By plane: Dublin airport is about 6 miles north ofthe city centre. The easiest way to there from theairport is on the Aircoach which costs €7 one-way.

By train: If you travel to Dublin via train you willarrive in either Connolly Station or Heuston Station.Both are in the city centre.

By bus: Just 5 minutes walk from O'Connell St,Busá ras i s Dub l i n ' s ma in bus s ta t i on . A l llong-distance and international buses end up here.

Getting Around

On foot: Dublin is a relatively flat city and gettingaround it on foot is easy. To get from O'Connell Stto Grafton St takes ten minutes.

By bus: The main mode of public transport is bus.They cover all parts of the city.

By DART/Luas: Dublin is served by two light railnetworks. The DART travels around Dublin Baywhile the Luas connects both train stations. Its mostuseful stop for tourists is 'Museum' on the Red Linewhich is at the Museum of Decorative Arts andHistory.

Dublin facts

Name: The name Dublin comes from the Irish'Dubh Linn', which means 'black pool'. Theofficial Irish name for Dublin is Baile Átha Cliath.

Location: Dublin city is located in the county ofthe same name on Ireland's east coast.

Population: Over 1.6 million people live in theGreater Dublin Area.

Area: The city of Dublin covers an area ofaround 114 square kilometres.

Dublin's coldest months are December and Januarywhen frost is regularly seen in the mornings.February is also quite cold, and it isn't until Marchwhen the milder days and nights arrive. Summersaren't extremely hot, although in more recent yearstemperatures have been steadily rising. While itmay look sunny, it is advised to carry an umbrellawith you as you never know when it might rain inDublin. August is also quite warm and temperaturesbegin to drop in September, while October andNovember sees the temperature drop more beforewinter arrives again.

Good to know...

Language: EnglishCurrency: EuroElectricity: 220 Volts AC/50Hz, 3-pin plugArea Code: +353 (Ireland), 01 (Dublin)Emergency Codes: Ambulance 112/999, Fire112/999, Police 112/999Time Zone: Greenwich Mean TimeCentral Post Office: GPO Arcade, O'ConnellStreet, Dublin 1Main Tourist Office: Dublin TourismInformation Office, Suffolk Street, Dublin 2

Embassies

USA: +353 (0)1 668 8777Canada: +353 (0)1 234 4000Australia: +353 (0)1 664 5300South Africa: +353 (0)1 661 5553UK: +353 (0)1 205 3700Germany: +353 (0)1 269 3011Spain: +353 (0)1 269 1640Italy: +353 (0)1 660 1744New Zealand: +353 (0)1 660 4233*France: +353 (0)1 277 5000

*Number is for General Consulate

Hostelworld Guide for Dublin www.hostelworld.com

Cheap Eats After Dark

Zaytoon, 14/15 Parliament St, Temple BarZaytoon is a firm favourite with both tourists andlocals who flock to enjoy their Persian specialities.You can choose from shish, steak or chickenkebabs and enjoy either on their lonesome or aspart of a meal deal along with chips and a drink.Open daily from 12 noon-4am.

The early bird catches the worm

Early bird specials, various locations Youmay think that eating out in a restaurant isbeyond the budget of a backpacker, but thanksto 'early bird' specials, it isn't. You can avail ofthese specials between 5pm and 8pm(approximately) and, costing anything between€12 and €25, they are comprised of up to 4courses.

Bia Bar, 28/30 Lower Stephens St Fancy a pizza?If so, don't go looking for a pizzeria. Instead, put allyour effort into locating this bar near Grafton St.Why? Because they do a wide array of tasty pizzasand have an all-day special where you'll get two ofthese delicious pizzas at a pocket-friendly price.O p e n M o n - W e d 1 1 a m - 1 1 p m , T h u r s - S a t11am-2.30am, Sun 12 noon-11pm.

Burritos and Blues, 2 Wexford St Providingsimple and tasty fillings, Burritos and Blues is thebest burrito joint in town. Their 'Silver Bullet' is verypopular and easy to see why at only €5.95. Mondayto Thursday: 12pm-10pm.Friday to Saturday:12pm-4am

Green 19, 19 Camden St Lower Offer ing adelicious array of dishes, Green 19 is a busy eateryboasting a fantastic menu, affordable prices and agreat atmosphere. Some of the main courses foryou to try out include an organic beef burger, collarof bacon, and potato gnocchi. Open daily from 12noon-11pm.

Kehoe's, 9 South Anne St Since opening its doorsto thirsty Dubliners back in 1803, Kehoe's is aDublin institution. It's famous for being an old hauntof James Joyce as well as being one of the bestplaces to sample a pint of Guinness. Thanks to apreservation order, it has retained its character overthe years and doesn't look set to lose it any timesoon. Open daily from 10.30am-12.30am.

The Cobblestone, 77 King st A little off the beatentrack The Cobblestone stands out in the newlydeveloped Smithfield area. Inside you will find localmusicians playing traditional Irish music as localss i p p i n t s . A r e a l g e m . O p e n d a i l y f r o m11am-00.30am.

Gay / Lesbian Dublin

There was a time when Dublin's gay scene wasconfined to one venue but over the last decadeit has exploded, with a number of gay barspopping up all over the city. The George (89South Great Georges St) is the city's oldest gayvenue, while others include The Front Lounge(33 Parliament St) and Dragon (South GreatGeorges St).

Dakota, 9 South William St Dublin's South WilliamStreet offers one of the widest selections of bars inthe city, but Dakota seems to draw a bigger crowdthan any other. A good mix of some familiar tunesand a hip crowd guarantees this each weekend.Once inside, you'll realise that the décor can alsoentice, with its leather, half moon seats towards thefront and wide open space at the back. Open dailyfrom 12 noon-2am.

T h e T e m p l e B a r , 4 7 / 4 8 T e m p l e B a r A sunashamedly touristy as it is, no visit to Dublin iscomplete without going for a pint in Temple Bar. Sowhat better bar to visit than 'The Temple Bar' itself?D r o p i n h e r e t o i m m e r s e y o u r s e l f i n t h eatmosphere, chat to fellow tourists, listen to the'diddley-ei' music coming from the folk band in thecorner and enjoy a pint of the 'black stuff'. OpenSun-Wed 11am-1am, Thurs 11am-2am, Fr i11am-2.30am.

Rí-Rá, Dame Court Open six nights a week, Rí-Ráis another Dublin institution, this time with the city'sclubbers. The Irish capital's most diverse club, itplays music from the last 4 decades on Saturdays,electro on Wednesdays, indie on Thursdays andmore. Open Mon-Sat from 11.30pm-2.30am.

Don't Miss Mark Your Calendar

Trinity College Dublin, College Green Founded in1592, Trinity College is Ireland's oldest universityand is located in the heart of the city centre. Youcan stroll around the grounds or visit its premierattraction, the Book of Kells, one of the oldest andmost magnificently illustrated manuscripts in theworld. Book of Kells open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm,Sun 12 noon-4.30pm (Oct-Apr)/9.30am-4.30pm(May-Sept); admission €9.

Are ye goin' for a pint?

Guinness Storehouse, St. James' Gate,Dublin 8 Ever wondered what goes into makingIreland's most famous export? If so, visit theGuinness Storehouse. It gives you an insightinto the history, brewing process and marketingbehind the 'black stuff'. The tour ends with afree pint of Guinness in the 'Gravity Bar' whichboasts some of the best views in Dublin. Opendaily from 9.30am-5pm (July and August until7pm); admission €16.50 or €14.85 online.

Christchurch Cathedral, Christchurch Place,Dubl in 8 Dat ing back to the 11th century ,Christchurch Cathedral is the city's most famouscathedral. Highlights include Strongbow's Tomb andthe Crypt, one of the biggest of its kind in Ireland.Open Mon-Sat f rom 9.30am-6pm, Sun f rom12.30pm-2.30pm; admission €6.

Dublinia & The Viking World, St Michael's Hill,Dublin 8 Opened in 1993, Dublinia is an exhibitionthat recreates what life was like during medievaltimes. Spread out over 4 floors, highlights includethe Medieval Fayre with its medicine stall and theview from St Michael's Tower. Open daily from10am-4.30pm/5pm; admission €7.50.

Glendalough Located just one hour south of Dublinin Co Wicklow, Glendalough is one of the mostbeautiful places in Ireland. Meaning 'Glen of theTwo Lakes ' , t he v iew a t the upper l ake i sbreathtaking. Visit www.hostelworld.com/tours fortour info.

February/March - Six Nations Rugby The annualSix Nations Rugby tournament is one of the year�sbiggest sporting events and attracts thousands fromthe UK, France and Italy every year.

March - St Patrick's Festival Celebrating Ireland'spatron saint, the St. Patrick's Festival is Dublin'sbiggest event and for 5 days there is one big streetparty in the city centre!

June - Bloomsday Every year on June 16th Dublincelebrates the life of Leopold Bloom, the centralcharacter of James Joyce's epic novel Ulysses.

June - Dublin LGBTQ Pride Festival Starting witha fabulous launch party, the centrepiece of thisfestival is the annual Pride Parade. Other eventsinclude street festivals, sports days and more.

June - Taste of Dublin Held in the IveaghGardens, this festival is a celebration of food anddrink. Many of the city 's top restaurants arerepresented here, while a number of world-famouschefs also appear.

July - Vodafone Comedy Festival The biggestnames in Irish stand-up comedy, as well as manyinternational comedians, gather in the uniquesetting of the Iveagh Gardens for a weekend oflaughs.

August - Oxegen Festival Held over 2 days atPunchestown Racecourse in nearby Co. Kildare,Oxegen is Ireland's biggest music festival and seesmore than 100 acts play to over 80,000 revellers.

September - GAA All- Ireland Finals EachSeptember the whole of Ireland gets enthralled byGaelic games as the country's best hurling andfootball teams battle it out for the Liam McCarthyand Sam Maguire cups.

October - Dublin City Marathon Whi le thethoughts of running over 26 miles don't appeal toeveryone, over 10,000 athletes take part in thisannual race which passes through Dublin's streets.

December - Funderland Held in Dublin's RDSArena, every year Funderland attracts thousandswho wish to ride rollercoasters, walk through theHouse of Horrors and eat cotton candy!

Hostelworld Guide for Dublin www.hostelworld.com

Neighbourhood Watch Retail Therapy

Ranelagh Just three short stops from Stephen'sGreen on the Green Luas Line, Ranelagh seessleepy students and aff luent famil ies residetogether in perfect harmony. Best visited in thelatter half of the day, it boasts some of Dublin's bestrestaurants and pubs outside of the city centre.

A quaint fishing village

Howth There aren't too many suburbs in Dublinthat can claim to have a 'village', but Howth iscertainly one of them. Located north of the RiverLiffey along the shores of Dublin Bay, you couldspend half a day here walking over HowthHead, enjoying fish and chips on the pier, takingphotos of the harbour, and enjoying a few drinksin its best known pub 'The Bloody Stream'.

Killiney If you're expecting to bump into Bono orThe Edge as you stroll down Grafton St for the firsttime, you will be sorely disappointed. They're notknown to saunter down there on a Saturdayafternoon any more. However, jump on a DARTbound for Killiney and you might just spot them.This is where they like to call home. NeighbouringDalkey is also worth visiting.

Malahide Ask many people who live in Dublin whattheir favourite suburb is and many will answerMalahide. It boasts one of the city's few beaches, amarina decorated with an army of boats, andMalahide Castle, its premier attraction. It is alsofamously lively after dark, with a large selection ofpubs to choose from. Incidentally, the northside'sb e s t - k n o w n n i g h t c l u b , T a m a n g o s , i s i nneighbouring Portmarnock.

Dun Laoghaire Dun Laoghaire is to the southsidewhat Howth is to the northside. Another fishingvillage, it also has a pier that is popular with walkersand a harbour where you ' l l be able to takebreathtaking photos, particularly at sunset.

Grafton Street Dublin's flagship shopping street isa tourist attraction in its own right and one of thebest-known streets in Ireland. Maintaining apleasant atmosphere both during the day and atnight , i t is home to branches of the wor ld 'sbest-known brands. It's also where you'll encounterDublin's most exclusive department store, BrownThomas.

Henry Street The northside's equivalent of GraftonStreet, Henry Street isn't as costly as its southsidecounterpart. Its premier department store 'Arnotts'has been around for decades and is a Dublininstitution. Henry St is also where you'll the find thebeginning of Moore St, the spiritual home of MollyMalone, Dublin's most famous street trader.

Dublin's shopping centres Prefer to do all yourshopping under the one roof? Then make your wayto one of Dublin's three big shopping centres.These are Stephen's Green Shopping Centre atthe top of Grafton St and the Jervis Centre andIlac Centre, both off Henry St.

T e m p l e B a r A l o n g w i t h o b l i g a t o r y s h o p sspecialising in kitsch like 'Kiss me quick I'm Irish't-shirts, Dublin's tourist quarter also has some of thecity's most eclectic shops selling everything fromsecond-hand clothes to Celtic jewellery.

Satisfy your quirkier side

Georges Street Arcade, Market Arcade,Georges StOpened in 1881 and housed in oneof Dublin's most beautiful buildings, theGeorges Street Arcade is home to some of thecity's more alternative stores. Maharanispecialises in Indian clothing, The Head Roomsells nothing but hats, while Stokes Booksdeals in antique books. It even has its ownfortune teller. Open daily from 9am-6.30pm(until 8pm Thurs).

Budget Tips A Day in Dublin...

Visit Dublin Castle Dating back to the late 10thcentury, Dublin Castle is one of the city's mostfascinating buildings. Originally a Danish VikingFortress in the 930s, it was later strengthened byKing John of England in 1204 for defence of the cityagainst (ironically) Dubliners. Today you can walkaround the grounds, relax in its gardens and visit'The Chester Beatty Library', all for free.

Visit a national museum or gallery Dublin hasfive national museums and galleries, all of whichhave free entrance. These include the NationalGallery on Merrion Square, the Museum ofNatural History next door, the National Museumof Modern Art in the Royal Hospital, Kilmanhamand the Museum of Decorative Arts and Historyin Collins Barracks.

Buy a combined ticket for Christchurch andDublinia If you're planning on visit ing either'Dublinia' or Christchurch Cathedral, rather thanbuying separate tickets for both attractions, buy acombined ticket for €11 that will gain you entranceto both.

Street crime?

Enjoy free entertainment on Grafton StreetNo matter what time of day or year it is, GraftonSt is always full of free entertainment.Sometimes it's musicians aspiring to be the nextbest thing, other times it's string quartetsentertaining passers by, while every now andthen it's puppeteers and magicians trying to geta reaction from Dublin's shopaholics. Some aregood, some are bad, but all are entertaining.

Chill out in Dublin's parks Dublin is full of parks toretreat to when you're looking to get away from itall. The best-known is St Stephen's Green at thetop of Grafton St. Others worth checking out are theIveagh Gardens off Harcourt St, and MerrionSquare, just five minutes from Grafton St.

Begin your day at the impressive 'Spire' in thecentre of O'Connell St. From here walk down HenrySt, passing Moore St and its famous street traders.

From Henry St find Liffey St which leads to Dublin'sfamous Ha'penny Bridge (below). Cross it andexplore Temple Bar, the city's tourist quarter.

Once you've checked out the shops sel l ingsecond-hand clothes and Claddagh rings, visitMunchies on South William St, the perfect pitstopfor lunch in the city centre.

After lunch go for a stroll down Dublin's premiershopping strip, Grafton St. Listen to the buskersentertain passers by before wandering into StStephen's Green.

Visit Dublin's number one tourist attraction, theGuinness Storehouse. Find out how the famousdrink is made before enjoying a pint of the 'blackstuff' in the Gravity Bar.

Upon your return to the city, walk through thegrounds of Tr in i ty Col lege, I re land's o ldestuniversity. Afterwards check out works by Irishmasters in the National Gallery.

Take advantage o f an 'ear ly -b i rd ' spec ia l .Restaurants all over the city offer them and they aregreat value.

Enjoy the 'craic' in one (or more) of Dublin'slegendary pubs. Go for a pint in 'The Temple Bar'before moving on to one of the strips such asCamden St or South William St.

Finish the night off in one of Dublin's nightclubs orlate bars. Whelan's on Camden St, Rí-Rá on DameCourt and D2 on Harcourt St are the city's mostpopular.

Hostelworld Guide for Dublin www.hostelworld.com