Troba llocs on allotjar-te a Swords a través d'Airbnb

Experience authentic Georgian elegance is this unique large OVAL studio apartment, overlooking park. Accommodates two in cosy sleeping loft. Light a fire, cook dinner in the designer kitchen, and then head out to enjoy the attractions of the city.

Come stay in one of Dublin's unique Georgian apartments, a perfect oval room, situated on Mountjoy Square, in the heart of Dublin's North Georgian core, and just minutes from O'Connell Street. This large studio apartment is on the ground floor of a beautiful redbrick townhouse, built in 1792. Both house and apartment retain all their original features, combined with modern comforts. The apartment has a fantastic 10ft window and overlooks a quiet side street, with an oblique view of the park. It has a working black Kilkenny marble fireplace with a spectacular gilt over-mantle mirror. The log basket is fully stocked with fuel- we charge cost price on an 'honour system'. The fully equipped kitchen has a granite worktop, a gas hob, electric oven, dishwasher and microwave. The rest of the apartment is comfortably furnished with period furniture including a Georgian oval 'hunt' dining table and four matching chairs, a comfortable 6 ft., sofa, TV & DVD player along with an iPod/iPhone dock for music. A small library of Irish books, and DVD's is available. The bedroom is upstairs and overlooks the apartment. It has a comfortable contract-quality double bed, Siberian white goose down duvet and pillows and pure Pima/Egyptian cotton sheets. Read in comfort with vintage Anglepoise reading lights. PLEASE NOTE there is restricted headroom in the sleeping loft, and consequently, the bed is low. ALSO, while the apartment faces a relatively quiet side street, it is on the corner of a fairly busy main road, so there will be traffic noise.... A 90cm contract-quality FOLDAWAY single bed, and extra linens are available for a third guest. A charge of €10, to cover the cost of the extra laundry, will be collected upon arrival, if the room is occupied as a twin. The bathroom has a high-pressure shower and loads of storage space. •You will receive a welcome pack of the basics- quality tea, coffee, home-made granola and preserves, yoghurt, fresh fruit, free-range eggs. •100% cotton bed linen and towels are provided •Local tourist information and guide books available •Free wi-fi •Hair dryer •Fuel, at cost price, is available for the fire, if required - typically €10-20 for a night. •Washing machine and dryer are available in the building- we will do your laundry for you, for €10:00 CHECK-IN IS FROM 3pm, but we are happy to take in your bags AFTER 9am, and can give you keys to come aback at your leisure, after 3pm. CHECK-OUT IS BY 11am, please. The house is perfectly located for exploring the city; all of the city's cultural institutions are within walking distance and the transport connections are excellent. Airport bus (41) passes door, 4 min. walk to LUAS CROSS CITY line, at Parnell and Marlborough. 8 min. walk to LUAS RED line on ABBEY and Marlborough, DART, (Connolly and Tara) and city busses. Dublin Bikes stand opposite house. KARIN'S GUIDE TO THE CITY LOCAL GROCERY SHOPPING, SERVICES AND BREAKFAST OPTIONS In general, shopping hours are 9.30-6pm, with late-night shopping till 8pm on Thursdays. Sunday opening is from noon. BREAKFAST The Kingfisher Café, a no-frills 'caff' on the corner of Parnell Square and Parnell Street West is good for breakfast, with friendly and efficient service. Good value, and good fish and chips later in the day. The Old Music Store on North Frederick Street, a few blocks NW of us, does a good Irish breakfast in comfortable surroundings. LOCAL GROCERY SHOPPING Tops in Pops, just down the street to the right, for fresh local produce and basic groceries, 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. They are a fourth-generation local business, who have been trading on the site since 1931. The Londis corner store next door opens 8am to 10pm, but charge for privilege. There is an ATM machine at the back, right hand side of the store. Dunne's Stores, is the indigenous supermarket and department store chain, and has branches in every sizeable town throughout the country. There are two local branches. In North Earl Street, opposite O’Connell Street’s Spire, the Off-Licence (liquor store) is in a separate premises, a few doors apart - look for the James Joyce statue. You will find a bigger branch in the ILAC Shopping Centre, flanked by Henry Street, Moore Street and Parnell Street West (Moore Street entrance is opposite Paris Bakery). There is Metro Tesco on Parnell Street West, just past the Rotunda Hospital. A main branch is to be found in the basement of the Jervis Centre, off Henry Street. Carney’s Butchers, is another multi-generational local family business, which prides itself on the quality of its meat. In keeping with local tradition, they sell fresh fish on Friday’s. F.X. Buckley’s Butchers have two local branches; Moore Street and Talbot Street. This is a very old Dublin business and they have everything; free-range pork, beef and lamb from their own herds, poultry, game in season and fish, and, in the Moore Street branch, a deli counter for cooked meats next door. They are very obliging, and the lads have a great line in smart (sassy) chat. PHARMACIES Foley's Pharmacy on Parnell Street East is a 100+ year-old family business; they are very helpful. Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 9am 6pm. There is a late-night pharmacy, Hickey’s at 55 Lower O’Connell Street, (west side, within the block closest to the river). Opening hours: 8am -10pm M-F, 8.30am-10pm Saturday. 10am 10pm Sunday. Web: (EMAIL HIDDEN) POST OFFICES Our nearest Post Office is the Main City Post Office, the GPO, on O’Connell Street. 1828 façade, but badly damaged in the 1916 Rising, and largely rebuilt in 1928. The main hall is beautiful, with its entire original, 1928, fittings intact. It also contains the iconic statue, by Oliver Shepherd, The Dying Cuchullain. You will find a booklet with postal rates in the black folder. BANKS Allied Irish Bank has a branch on O’Connell Street, at the SW junction with Parnell Street, opposite the Rotunda Hospital. There is a bank of ATMs in the wall, on the O'Connell Street facade. Bank of Ireland has a branch at Lower O’Connell Street, on the east side of the street, between Middle Abbey Street and Ashton Quay. ATM inside, opens 8am to 9pm. MEDICAL AND DENTAL PRACTICES Mountjoy Medical Practice, Dr. Gerry Roebuck, Dr. Holly Porter (female) Dr. Colm Killeen. 2-3 Baker’s Yard, Portland Street North. Tel (PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN). Opening hours 9-1.30 and 3.30-5.30. You can just drop in. €50 per visit. Frederick Dental Clinic, Dr. Peter Dwyer, North Frederick Street. -My dentist- is happy to see people on an emergency basis. Call for appointment. Tel:(PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN). NORTHSIDE LOCAL RESTAURANTS AND CAFES: 'The Cobalt Cafe', in a beautiful Georgian house on North Great Georges Street, which doubles as a gallery, is great for lunch. Parnell Street, Dublin's emerging 'Chinatown' is just a half a block to the south. Mr Fox, on Parnell Square West is our local fine dining restaurant, serving modern Irish food in a smart and comfortable setting. The menu is interesting and inventive, and they have a separate vegetarian menu, which has had the same care lavished on it. Nearer the river, 'Le Bon Crubeen' (crubeen=pig's trotter- it's a modern Franco-Irish restaurant) is on Talbot Street, as is the venerable and immensely popular 'Talbot 101'. It is packed to the gunnels with locals between 5.54 and 7.15, enjoying their pre-theatre supper before the Abbey curtains rise at 7.30, when they relinquish their seats for the rest of us! On the riverfront, I love Panem, facing the Millennium Bridge, for a quick coffee and a delicious Sicilian almond biscuit, baked on the premises. A few doors down, you'll find a cluster of Italian bars, cafes and restaurants serving good quality food. Half a block to the east is the trendy 'Winding Stairs' restaurant, with its book-lined walls (relics of a former second-hand bookshop-cum-cafe of the same name), while The Woollen Mills, opposite the Halfpenny Bridge, has a sophisticated casual menu, based on 'plates' for sharing.Back on Capel Street, locals rave about Brother Hubbard for lunch. LOCAL PUBS include the 'Hill 16' just opposite the house, on Gardiner Street - very popular with the GAA crowd on match days (the Gaelic Athletic Association Stadium, Croke Park, is just 3 blocks to the east), they pull a superb 'pint'. ‘The Heritage Parnell’, on Parnell Street West, just around the corner from O’Connell Street 'The Flowing Tide', on the corner of Marlborough Street, opposite the Abbey Theatre, is one of my favorites - after the curtain goes down in the Abbey, half the cast are likely to be at the bar. A few doors closer to O’Connell Street is Mulligan’s, another very nice pub, dating from the Edwardian era. 'The Church' on Mary Street, in a converted 1720's church, is another fine place for a drink; the former owner won many accolades for the high quality of the restoration. Capel Street has many typical local pubs, which have the added benefit of serving a largely local population. They include Mc’Neill’s' which is good for traditional music, and Slattery's . 'The Black Sheep' has the local craft beers covered, and does good bar food, (as does its sister pub, ‘The Brew Dock’, on Store Street, at the bottom of Gardiner Street. The north side traditional music 'musician’s' bar is 'The Cobblestone', at the top of Smithfield, and is suitably grungy. DEPARTMENT STORES AND FASHION Henry Street, off O’Connell Street, to the West, at the SPIRE, is the premier shopping street on the north side of the river. Here you will find Arnott’s the local department store, which highlights Irish fashion and design, throughout the store, and has several nice cafes. Henry Street also contains large branches of Debenhams and Marks&Spencers, as well as branches of most of the high street fashion chains. There are two large shopping centres, the Jervis, with a large branch of Tesco’s in the Basement, and the ILAC, which has a Dunnes Department Store, with a Food Hall in the basement. (You can shop for fresh produce on adjacent Moore Street, Dublin's oldest street market, now also home to a thriving cluster of ethnic food markets and restaurants.) NORTHSIDE CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS The North side of Parnell Square is home to the city's Hugh Lane Gallery of Modern Art; we share a significant collection of Impressionist painting with the Tate Gallery in London, part of the Hugh Lane Bequest, which is rotated in seven-year cycles. Next door is the Writer's Centre, and next door again, is the Writer's Museum, with a Michelin-starred restaurant in the basement, the amazing Chapter One. Down on the East side of Parnell Square is the beautiful jewel-box that is the Gate Theatre - part of the 18th-century entertainment complex established by the entrepreneurial Dr. Bartholomew, to help support his new Rotunda Maternity Hospital (the oldest purpose-built such hospital in the world, and still delivering babies on a daily basis, 270 years later (9000 is 2012). You could be seated in either the Abbey or Gate Theatres within 10 minutes of leaving the house, and the James Joyce Cultural Centre is even closer, on North Great Georges Street (don't forget to check out the Cobalt Cafe, opposite). Hop on the Luas Red Line, going west, in Abbey Street, halfway between Mountjoy Square and the river, and you will be dropped at the ‘Museum’. The National Museum, Collins Barracks, housed in an old military barracks, dating from 1702, contains the Decorative Arts Collections, (basically, everything post 1700). Descend at the next stop, ‘Heuston’ for IMMA, Ireland's National Museum of Modern Art, housed in the old Kilmainham Hospital, built in the1660’s. It pre-dates the more famous Chelsea Hospital in London by several years. Not to be missed is the Old Jameson Distillery, in Smithfield. Jameson was distilled here until 1971, when three historic distilleries amalgamated, and centralized distilling in Midleton, Co. Cork. The Museum is very well presented; one is guided around the distilling floor, among the huge old pot stills before retiring to the Bar to sample the goods. Nearby is one of the oldest churches in Dublin, St.Michan’s, on Church Street, dating from the mid-11thc. There are several mummified bodies in the basement, thought to be Crusaders. When I was a child, one was allowed to shake their hands….. SOUTHSIDE In the south city centre, the RESTAURANT HUB is in the pedestrian streets to either side of Grafton Street, and in Temple Bar. Particular favourites of mine include: * Nede, Temple Bar Square * Eden Bar and Grill, South William Street * The Green Hen, Wicklow Street * Fallon and Byrne, Exchequer Street, basement wine-bar, full service restaurant first- floor, and coffee bar within the food-hall on the ground floor. * Fade Street Social, Fade Street, tapas bar and full-service restaurant. * The Rustic Stone, Exchequer Street, upmarket, sophisticated and healthy ‘fast food’. * Cornucopia, Wicklow Street- vegetarian café day, full service by evening. * The Port House, South William Street, wine bar and tapas. * Pinxto, Crowe Street, Temple Bar, as above, same management. Southside city-centre TRADITIONAL PUBS we like are: * Mulligan's, Poolbeg Street * Neary's, Chatham Street * Grogan’s, South William Street * International Bar, Wicklow Street * O'Neill's, Suffolk Street * The Dawson Lounge, Dawson Street * The Stag's Head, Connaught Court * The Long Hall, South Great Georges Street * Doheny and Nesbitt’s, Merrion Row * Kehoe’s, South Anne Street * The Duke, Duke Street Fronting the river, TEMPLE BAR, with its vibrant mix of independent shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs, markets and cultural institutions occupies an area three blocks deep and ten blocks long. At the western end, look out for the two branches of the Queen of Tarts- a wonderful teas shop that offers really good home baking and teas and coffees, all served on mismatched antique china (Lord Edward Street and Cow's Lane). TEMPLE BAR FARMERS MARKET, is held every Saturday in Meeting House Square, 9-4.30, now has a smart new tensile roof for wet days, and is a good place to rub shoulders with the locals, whilst sampling local food culture. Don’t miss the Oyster Stall, Hick’s Pork Butchers, or David Llewyllan’s fantastic ‘Double L’ local cider- 100% apple (not even water), and the two local cheese stalls, among others. Don’t’ forget to check out the overflow stalls on Curved Street, where Rossa Crowe’s fantastic bread is on offer- Rossa took himself off to France for two years to train, and now produces slow fermented breads, made with the very best organic flours. TRINITY COLLEGE is a good orientation point; from here it is easy to find the mediaeval core, the cultural/political hub of the country around Kildare Street, and the Grafton Street fashion hub. The campus occupies a 40-acre (16ha.) site, and is over 400 years old, though what one sees today are mainly beautiful eighteenth-century buildings. It is worth a wander around, after a visit to spectacular Long Library, to see the Book of Kells and other illustrated Celtic manuscripts. From Front Gate, look south to Grafton Street or west up College Green and Dame Street, which lead to the mediaeval core. At the brow of the hill you will find: * Dublin Castle (visit the State Apartments, the Chester Beatty Library and the lovely garden in front (which is actually the helicopter-landing pad for the Castle). * The City Hall with its 'Museum of the Capital' in the basement is worth a look- the Hall is free, and there is a nominal charge for the Museum. * Christchurch Cathedral * Dublinia-in the Christchurch Chapterhouse (Viking Exhibition). * Old Saint Audeon's Church, built almost into the city wall. * St Patrick's Cathedral, and historic park beside. * Marshe's Library-the oldest public library in these islands, 1701. * Francis Street- the Antiques Quarter. * Thomas Street/Meath Street, for a touch of 'Old Dublin'. * The Guinness Storehouse. * Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, (IMMA) Ireland's National Gallery of Modern Art, with its wonderful, recently restored formal garden. KILMINHAM GAOL is worth a visit, and tells the story of Irish Nationalism. It can be reached via the grounds of IMMA, passing Bully’s Acre, and old graveyard, where Brian Boru was reputedly rested on his way to his final burial place in Armagh. Alternatively, exit onto Nassau Street, with its cluster of high-quality shops showcasing the best of Irish crafts - fashion, knitwear, weaving, glassware, ceramics and contemporary jewellery - the Kilkenny Shop has a great cafe upstairs, with views over College Park. Continue along the College Park railings till you reach Kildare Street, the cultural-institutional hub of the country. All of our national cultural institutions have free admission. Here you will find the National Library, and the National Museum, facing each other over the forecourt of Leinster House, home to the Oireachtas, our National Parliament. The National Library has a lovely exhibit on the poet, W.B. Yeats, and the Treasury, in the National Museum houses both the Bronze Age and Early Christian collections. On the opposite side of the block, on Merrion Street/Merrion Square, you will find the National Gallery, and the Natural History Museum (known to Dubliner's of my father's generation, as 'The Dead Zoo’. This is a very refreshing look to the past, with absolutely no interpretation, and nothing, not even a postcard, to buy). The National Gallery is halfway through a four-year renovation programme; in the meantime, the Millennium Wing, on Clare Street, has a ‘highlights of’ exhibition, and the Café and Gift Shop are also accessed via the Clare Street Entrance. GETTING AROUND Two operators offer Hop-On/Hop-Off tours: (URL HIDDEN) (URL HIDDEN) They both offer a 2-day ticket, and cost roughly the same price - check them out online before you make up your mind. One can buy an integrated LEAP card in most newsagents, at train stations, and in the Dublin Bus Head Office at 42 O’Connell Street (on the west side of the street, just north of the Spire). This can be used on the LUAS, DART, some suburban mainline trains, and on Dublin Bus routes. There is also a 3-day tourist pass, the Freedom Ticket, which provides good value. €28 will give you 72 hours transport, starting at the Airport; Airlink from the airport, the Hop-On-Hop –Off tourist bus and all local bus routes. Web: (URL HIDDEN) •The DART, the local electric commuter train, runs north/south along the coast. The northside city centre station is Connolly, on Amiens Street, facing Talbot Street, but I usually suggest people use Tara Street, as Connolly is also a mainline station, and is very big, and a bit confusing. Tara is purely a commuter station, and is about the same distance. It is on George’s Quay, just south of the Custom House. The other south-side city centre station is Pearse, on Westland Row, at the south end of the Trinity campus. •The LUAS Red Line runs east-west through the north side of the city, as far east as the docks, and serves both Connolly and Heuston mainline stations. The nearest stop to Mountjoy Square is Abbey, on Middle Abbey Street, opposite the Abbey Theatre. The LUAS Green Line serves the south suburbs; Ranelagh, Dundrum, Leopardstown Racecourse, and on out to Cherrywood, on the county boundary with Wicklow. •Main cross-city bus routes run north-south through O’Connell Street. The No.7 terminates on Mountjoy Square North, and there is a ‘shopper’s fare’ of 70c, to Grafton Street- alight at Trinity. On the return journey it skirts the Trinity campus and comes along Pearse, to the east of the campus - catch it on Clare Street, at the Millennium wing of the National Gallery. •DUBLIN BIKES are free to use for the first half hour, and have a stand on Mountjoy Square West, but one needs to go to the Princes Street stand (to the right hand side of the General Post Office (GPO)), to purchase a short term card. It costs €2, and is only available to credit card holders. SHOPPING WITH A DIFFERENCE Those interested in the local fashion, art and design scene should look out for the following addresses (in no particular order): •Designist, South Great George's Street (stock chosen for good design) •Irish Design Store, Drury Street •Article, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre (housewares) •Irish Designer Store, Top floor Powerscourt Townhouse Centre •Cow's Lane Gallery, Temple Bar (artist’s collective) •The Jam Factory, Nicholas Street (artist’s collective) •Avoca, Suffolk Street •Kilkenny Shop, Nassau Street •Designyard, South Frederick Street (jewellery) •Louise Kennedy, couturier, Merrion Square, and Tipperary Crystal •Gallery Zozimus, Francis Street (art gallery and carefully chosen crafts) •Graphic Studio Gallery, Temple Bar (artist-printmaker’s gallery) •Magee's of Donegal, Duke Street, and, •Kevin and Howlin, Nassau Street have hand-woven tweeds covered. •Dubarry's, College Green produce wonderful, country-style outerwear, including the most perfect alternative to sweaty, waterproof Wellington boots… •Monaghan's, Hibernian Way, the House of Ireland on Nassau Street and the Sweater Shops on Wicklow Street and Nassau Street has the best selections of traditional knitwear. Monaghan's specialise in cashmere. •The Cloth Shop, St. William Street, for interesting designer fabric, including a good selection of Irish Linen, and Liberty of London INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOPS and MUSIC STORES Eason’s, O’Connell Street, is a Dublin institution for over 100 years. It encompasses a large stationery department, a branch of Tower Records on the top floor, academic books in the basement, a nice café and two floors of general books. It is a good place to browse books of Irish interest, and they have a really good Information Desk. Chapters, Parnell Street West is my ‘local’. John Gannon is one of the best booksellers in the business, and his staff are hand-picked enthusiastic bibliophiles, one and all. Stock is a mixture of the latest releases, and carefully chosen remaindered books. Their ordering service is superlative, and they ALWAYS know exactly what one is talking about, even with just the vaguest, half-remembered clues from a newspaper review. Very strong on contemporary fiction, natural history, non-fiction and books of Irish interest. Extensive second-hand section upstairs. The Secret Bookstore, Wicklow Street is another favourite. It’s tucked away down a passage, near the L’Occitane shop and often throws up gems among its large second-hand stock. An eclectic music store occupies the rear of the shop. Cathach Rare Books, Duke Street, specializes in Irish first editions, and have an interesting selection of Irish maps and prints. Stokes Books is another interesting antiquarian/secondhand shop, specializing in books of Irish interest. You’ll find it in Georges Street Arcade. Claddagh Records, Cecelia Street, Temple Bar, is primarily a music publisher, but they have a retail outlet in Temple Bar, which is the oldest independent music shop in Dublin, and specializes in traditional Irish music, with some interesting World Music additions. PLACES OF WORSHIP: Roman Catholic: Many Catholic churches have Mass on Saturday evening, in addition to morning Masses. •St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, Upper Gardiner Street. Gospel Mass, 7.30pm Sundays, September to mid June. •St. Mary's Metropolitan Church - the Pro-Cathedral, Marlborough. Sung Mass, 11am, Sundays, with the Palestrina Choir. •St. Joseph’s Church, Berkeley Road, Dublin 7. •St. Teresa’s Church, Clarendon Street Church, choir sings at 11 o’clock Mass, Sunday’s •St. Peter’s Church, Phibsborough, Dublin 7, has wonderful Harry Clarke ((PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN)) stained glass windows. •Whitefriars Street Church, Aungier Street, church has relics of St. Valentine. Church of Ireland: •Christchurch Cathedral, Christchurch Place, sung Services Sundays, •St. Patrick's Cathedral, Nicholas Street, sung Services Sundays. •St. Anne’s Church, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 Jewish: Dublin Hebrew Congregation (URL HIDDEN) Daily services in Synagogue at 32a Rathfarnham Road, Public Transport: Buses: (PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN). Get off at Terenure Cross (road). Walk up Rathfarnham Road, pass AIB Bank and one row of terraced houses; shul is next building, with wooden/metal security gates. Across the street is a shop called Window Fashions. Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation (DJPC) Website: (URL HIDDEN) Email: (EMAIL HIDDEN) Postal: PO Box 3059, Dublin 6 President: Mrs. Hilary Abrahamson Muslim: Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) 19 Roebuck Road, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14, Tel: (PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN) Islamic Foundation of Ireland (IFI) 163 South Circular Road, Dublin 8. Tel: +(PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN) Anwar-up-Madina Moore Street, Dublin 1. SHORT TRIPS OUTSIDE THE CITY BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT NORTH: Catch the No.46A bus, (heading north on O'Connell Street to the Phoenix Park- the largest enclosed urban park in the world, 1750 acres behind a seven-mile-long stone wall. Ashtown Castle Interpretive Centre, with its wonderful walled garden and café is a good place to orient oneself. From here, on Saturdays, it is possible to visit Aras an Uachtarian, the official residence of our President. One can also visit Farmliegh, the Official State Guesthouse, a former Guinness mansion. Among it’s attractions are an art gallery, café, occasional free concerts, and regular weekend Farmer’s Markets. The Park also houses the Dublin Zoo, (1827, the second-oldest Zoo in the world, after London’s Regent Park Zoo). Several herd of Fallow Deer roam at liberty. Many sports are catered for; there is Polo ground, a cricket club, and lots soccer pitches. The Duke of Wellington is commemorated by a marvelous granite obelisk, which can be seen for miles. The area know as the Forty Acres affords superb views over the city, with the Royal Hospital and Guinness in the foreground, along the south side of the River Liffey. Phoenix Park can also be reached via the LUAS Red Line, direction Tallagh, heading west. Alight at 'Museum' and take a detour into the National Museum-Collins Barracks, which houses the Decorative Arts, post-1700, wonderful collections of silver, furniture, glass and other artifacts. Just up the road, in Glasnevin there are three worthwhile attractions: Glasnevin Cemetary, was founded by Daniel O’Connell as one of his first initiatives, post Catholic Emancipation in 1829, to provide a dignified place for Catholic burial. The Glasnevin Musuem is new, and has superlative displays of Nationalist history. They also have a very good Geneology Department. The National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, date from the end of 18thC. Though relatively small, they contain an internationally-aclaimed collection of plants and three iconic Glasshouses, by Turner of Dublin, which have all been restored in the recent past. There is a nice café in the Gardens, and entry is free. The Gravedigger’s Pub, over-looking a Green, is not to be missed. It got its name from the fact that there used to be a hatch in the rear wall, through which the gravediggers were served. They do nice simple pub food, and one can sit outside on sunny days. Walk back into town, and stop at either the The Botanic Bar at Harte’s Corner or the Brian Borus, typicl local bars. The Porter House, at Cross Guns Bridge, which is a micro-brewery, with nice food, is on the corner of the Royal Canal. Take a stroll east down the canal bank, and you will see swans, and moor-hens going about their business. At the next bridge, at Dorset Street look out for the lifesize bronze statue of Brendan Behan, a local author. From here is just a few minute’s stroll up Belvidere Place, with its charming stepped terraces of tall Georgian houses, to Mountjoy Square. Another favorite is the Marino Casino, in Fairview/Clontarf, an early 18th century pleasure house, built to the design of Sir William Chambers, for Lord Charlemont, purely for entertaining, also just a few miles by bus, north of the city centre. Catch the DART, the coastal commuter train, heading north, at Tara Street Station, on the South Liffey quays, at Butt Bridge, and take a short ride. You have the choice of Howth (a working fishing village) or Malahide. Howth Demesne or Howth Head, behind the village will both afford walks with great views; the Harbour has a dozen restaurants along the quay- ranging from take-out fish and chips to the very upmarket. Book an early-evening window table at Aqua, and be astonished by the sunset over the coast, looking north-west. Another favourite of mine is Deep, midway along the quay (and do watch out for the local tame and greedy Harbour Seal, who begs shamelessly from the trawler men, who tie up alongside). Malahide is a charming village, with some of the most expensive urban residential properties in the country. Good food and good shopping are to be had here. On the edge of the village you will find Malahide Castle and Demesne, open to the public, which includes a renowned private Arboretum, as Milo de Malahide, the last of his family, (who had occupied the castle continuously since Norman times, in the 10th-12th centuries) was a significant plants-man. The Castle contains the National Portrait Collection, as was as magnificent furniture and other contents. There is a smart new branch of the AVOCA Shop and Café in the Courtyard. SOUTH: South of the city you will find Rathfarnham Castle, and its Berkeley Costume and Toy Collection. Marley Park is a little further, just at the foot of the Dublin Mountains. It has wonderful parkland with easy walks, and a magnificent walled garden with a nice cafe. The No.16 bus, from O’Connell Street will leave you close by. Powerscourt is at the edge of Enniskerry, its associated estate village, at the end of the No.44 bus route, which winds its way through the south side suburbs, into Wicklow, through the Scalp, a deep and picturesque glacial valley. The 19th century gardens are fabulous, and make great use of the 'borrowed landscape' beyond. The terrace and Nepture fountain are centred on the Sugarloaf mountain, which marks the beginning of the Wicklow Mountains. The Powerscourt Waterfall, part of the same estate, is a few miles further on, and there are beautiful, way-marked, woodland and moorland walks in the hills nearby. Do be mindful; these ‘mountains’ can be deceptive- while not high, they can be treacherous, as weather conditions can change in minutes. Stick to the way-marked paths, and do keep an eye on the weather. Take the DART south to Bray and Greystones - via Dun Loughaire, Dalkey and Killiney - all interesting villages, with many cafes and restaurants. Killiney Hill, with its eighteenth century obelisk at the summit, is a short climb that results in amazing views over Dublin Bay, and down into the Wicklow Mountains beyond. There is a nice pub in in the ‘village’- ‘The Druid’s Chair’. Dalkey is a charming village with old-fashioned shops and lots of nice pubs, cafes and restaurants. The local Dalkey Castle Heritage Centre, is worth checking out, and in the summer run a theatre programme, and walking tours. Bray Esplanade is a classic Victorian seaside amenity, sturdily built from local granite - the perfect place to enjoy an ice-cream. Campo di Fiori, either the Restaurant or the Café, both near the train station and the north end of the Promenade, are particular favourites of mine. If one is feeling energetic, one could contemplate the Cliff Walk from Bray to Greystones - 4miles/6km along the rough cliff path. Lots of nice pubs for a pint of Guinness at the other end, The Hungry Pear is my favourite café, among many. The DART will take you straight back into the city. But.. make sure to do it in the morning, as by mid-day the path is in shade, and it can be windy and cold. WEST: Travelling into the rich plains of Kildare, by the No. 67 bus route, you will come to the historic village of Celbridge, just twelve miles from the city centre. Castletown House is Ireland's finest Palladian mansion, and was saved from destruction by Desmond Guinness, in the early 1960's. He purchased it from the construction company who had acquired it. They intended to demolish it, to make way for a vast suburban housing estate. The Irish Georgian Society, founded by Desmond Guinness, restored the house and furnished it with the help of many volunteers and sponsors, and opened it to the public, a heroic task for a small membership conservation society. Today, it is in State ownership, and it is the flagship Georgian heritage property of Ireland. It is beautifully presented, and the parklands are undergoing restoration. A local bus, or the commuter train from Connolly Station in Amiens Street, will take one to Maynooth, a charming University town, with another magnificent Palladian mansion, Carton House, now operating as a very upmarket hotel and golf club. Lots of companies offer day-long coach tours. Some involve very long days, i.e, Cliffs of Moher in Clare and the Giant’s Causeway on the Antrim coast. Two more local, and very worthwhile ones are either: The Boyne Valley Tour (Newgrange Neolithic ( 5000 yr old World Heritage Site) / Mellifont Cistercian ruins- (12thC.)/ Monasterboice Early Christian (6th-8thC.) The Wicklow-Glendalough Tour (Powerscourt / Wicklow Mountains National Park and Glendalough (Glen of the Two Lakes) a 6thC. Early Christian site, in beautiful wooded valley. Details of both of these trips, and others, are available in the big black folder in the apartment.

A beautiful, historic, residential square, built in 1790's, within 5-10 minutes walk of the city centre. Elegance and convenience combined with a bit of inner city grittiness. I have loved it all, since 1978!

Experience authentic Georgian elegance is this unique large OVAL studio apartment, overlooking park. Accommodates two in cosy sleeping loft. Light a fire, cook dinner in the designer kitchen, and then head out to enjoy the attractions of the city.

Come cocoon yourself in Georgian luxury and elegance this unique OVAL apartment, situated on Mountjoy Square, in the heart of Dublin’s historic North Georgian Core, just minutes from all the action. The large studio apartment is on the first floor of a fully restored Georgian townhouse, built in 1792. Both the house and the apartment retain all their Georgian features, combined with modern comforts. The apartment has a fantastic 10ft window and overlooks a quiet side street, with an oblique view of the square. Other features include a fine, working, black Kilkenny marble fireplace with a spectacular gilt over-mantle mirror. The log basket is fully stocked- we charge cost price for the fuel used on an 'honour system'. The fully equipped kitchen with granite worktop has a gas hob, electric oven, microwave, dishwasher, electric kettle and a toaster. Eat around the 1770's oval dining table with four Georgian chairs. The rest of the apartment is comfortably furnished with antique furniture, Irish where possible, and a luxurious 6 ft. sofa. A large flat-screen TV, and a DVD player and iPod/iPhone player/dock for music are also provided. The bed is upstairs and overlooks the apartment. It has a comfortable hotel-quality double bed, Siberian white goose down duvet and pillows and pure Pima/ Egyptian cotton sheets. Read in comfort with vintage Anglepoise reading lights. PLEASE NOTE that the head height in the loft is somewhat restricted, and the bed is consequently low. The apartment is designed for two people, but a hotel-quality, foldaway bed is available for a third guest. A surcharge of €10, to cover the cost of the extra laundry, will be applied if two people occupy the apartment as as twin. This will be collected in cash, upon arrival. The bathroom has a high-pressure shower and loads of storage space. •You will receive a welcome pack of the basics- quality tea, coffee, juice, home-made granola, yoghurt butter and preserves. •100% cotton bed linen and towels are provided •Local tourist information and guide books available •Free wi-fi •Hair dryer •Fuel, at cost price, is available for the fire, if required. •We will do your laundry for you - €10:00 per load. Discount vouchers for local Q Park, two blocks S and T blocks W of us CHECK-IN is from 3pm, and CHECK-OUT by 11am, please. We are happy to take in your luggage earlier; please let us have your flight details/travel arrangements, so that we can plan our day around being here to greet you. The house is perfectly located for exploring the city; all of the city's cultural institutions are within walking distance and the transport connections are excellent. Airport bus (41) passes door, 8 min. walk to LUAS Red line, DART, (Connolly and Tara) and city busses. Dublin Bikes stand opposite house. KARIN'S GUIDE TO THE CITY LOCAL GROCERY SHOPPING, SERVICES AND BREAKFAST OPTIONS In general, shopping hours are 9.30-6pm, with late-night shopping till 8pm on Thursdays. Sunday opening is from noon. BREAKFAST The Old Music Store, on North Frederick Street is comfortable and offers a good cooked breakfast. The no-frills Kingfisher Café, on the corner of Parnell Square and Parnell Street West offers a good freshly cooked Irish breakfast and very good fish and chips later in the day. LOCAL GROCERY SHOPPING Tops in Pops, just down the street to the right, for fresh local produce and basic groceries, 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. They are a fourth-generation local business, who have been trading on the site since 1931. The Londis corner store next door opens 8am to 10pm, but charge for privilege. There is an ATM machine at the back, right hand side of the store. Dunne's Stores, is the indigenous supermarket and department store chain, and has branches in every sizeable town throughout the country. There are two local branches. In North Earl Street, opposite O’Connell Street’s Spire, the Off-Licence (liquor store) is in a separate premises, a few doors apart - look for the James Joyce statue. You will find a bigger branch in the ILAC Shopping Centre, flanked by Henry Street, Moore Street and Parnell Street West (Moore Street entrance is opposite Paris Bakery). There is Metro Tesco on Parnell Street West, just past the Rotunda Hospital. A main branch is to be found in the basement of the Jervis Centre, off Henry Street. Carney’s Butchers, is another multi-generational local family business, which prides itself on the quality of its meat. In keeping with local tradition, they sell fresh fish on Friday’s. F.X. Buckley’s Butchers have two local branches; Moore Street and Talbot Street. This is a very old Dublin business and they have everything; free-range pork, beef and lamb from their own herds, poultry, game in season and fish, and, in the Moore Street branch, a deli counter for cooked meats next door. They are very obliging, and the lads have a great line in smart (sassy) chat. PHARMACIES Foley's Pharmacy on Parnell Street East is a 100+ year-old family business; they are very helpful. Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 9am 6pm. There is a late-night pharmacy, Hickey’s at 55 Lower O’Connell Street, (west side, within the block closest to the river). Opening hours: 8am -10pm M-F, 8.30am-10pm Saturday. 10am 10pm Sunday. Web: (email hidden) POST OFFICES Nearest Post Office is Parnell Street East, at corner of Marlborough Street, but much nicer is the GPO, O’Connell Street. 1828 façade, but badly damaged in the 1916 Rising, and largely rebuilt in 1928. The main hall is beautiful, with its entire original, 1928, fittings intact. It also contains the iconic statue, by Oliver Shepherd, The Dying Cuchullin. You will find a booklet with postal rates in the black folder. BANKS Allied Irish Bank has a branch on O’Connell Street, at the SW junction with Parnell Street, opposite the Rotunda Hospital. ATM in the wall. Bank of Ireland has a branch at Lower O’Connell Street, on the east side of the street, between Middle Abbey Street and Ashton Quay. ATM inside, opens MEDICAL AND DENTAL PRACTICES Mountjoy Medical Practice, Dr. Gerry Roebuck, Dr. Holly Porter (female) Dr. Colm Killeen. 2-3 Baker’s Yard, Portland Street (website hidden) (phone number hidden). Opening hours 9-1.30 and 3.30-5.30. You can just drop in. €50 per visit. Frederick Dental Clinic, Dr. Peter Dwyer, North Frederick Street. -My dentist- is happy to see people on an emergency basis. Call for (website hidden)(phone number hidden). NORTHSIDE LOCAL RESTAURANTS: 'The Cobalt Cafe', in a beautiful Georgian house on North Great Georges Street, which doubles as a gallery, is great for lunch. Parnell Street, Dublin's emerging 'Chinatown' is just a half a block to the south. Newly opened, on Parnell Square West is 'Mr.Fox', serving modern Irish food in a smart and comfortable setting. Nearer the river, 'Le Bon Crubeen' (crubeen=pig's trotter- it's a modern Franco-Irish restaurant) is on Talbot Street, as is the venerable and immensely popular 'Talbot 101'. It is packed to the gunnels with locals between 5.54 and 7.15, enjoying their pre-theatre supper before the Abbey curtains rise at 7.30, when they relinquish their seats for the rest of us! On the riverfront, I love Panem, facing the Millennium Bridge, for a quick coffee and a delicious Sicilian almond biscuit, baked on the premises. A few doors down, you'll find a cluster of Italian bars, cafes and restaurants serving good quality food. Half a block to the east is the trendy 'Winding Stairs' restaurant, with its book-lined walls (relics of a former second-hand bookshop-cum-cafe of the same name), and it's sister restaurant, The Woollen Mills, while back on Capel Street, locals rave about Brother Hubbard for lunch. LOCAL PUBS include the 'Hill 16' just opposite the house, on Gardiner Street - very popular with the GAA crowd on match days (the Gaelic Athletic Association Stadium, Croke Park, is just 3 blocks to the east), they pull a superb 'pint'. ‘The Heritage Parnell’, on Parnell Street West, just around the corner from O’Connell Street 'The Flowing Tide', on the corner of Marlborough Street, opposite the Abbey Theatre, is one of my favorites - after the curtain goes down in the Abbey, half the cast are likely to be at the bar. A few doors closer to O’Connell Street is Mulligan’s, another very nice pub, dating from the Edwardian era. 'The Church' on Mary Street, in a converted 1720's church, is another fine place for a drink; the former owner won many accolades for the high quality of the restoration. Capel Street has many typical local pubs, which have the added benefit of serving a largely local population. They include 'O’Neill’s' and 'Slattery's which is good for music. 'The Black Sheep' has the local craft beers covered, and does good bar food, (as does its sister pub, ‘The Brew Dock’, on Store Street, at the bottom of Gardiner Street. The north side traditional music 'musician’s' bar is 'The Cobblestone', at the top of Smithfield, and is suitably grungy. DEPARTMENT STORES AND FASHION Henry Street, off O’Connell Street, at the SPIRE, is the premier shopping street on the north side of the river. Here you will find Arnott’s the local department store, which highlights Irish fashion and design, throughout the store, and has several nice cafes. Henry Street also contains large branches of Debenhams and Marks&Spencers, as well as branches of most of the high street fashion chains. There are two large shopping centres, the Jervis, with a large branch of Tesco’s in the Basement, and the ILAC, which has a Dunnes Department Store, with a Food Hall in the basement. (You can shop for fresh produce on adjacent Moore Street, Dublin's oldest street market, now also home to a thriving cluster of ethnic food markets and restaurants.) NORTHSIDE CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS The North side of Parnell Square is home to the city's Hugh Lane Gallery of Modern Art; we share a significant collection of Impressionist painting with the Tate Gallery in London, part of the Hugh Lane Bequest, which is rotated in seven-year cycles. Next door is the Writer's Centre, and next door again, is the Writer's Museum, with a Michelin-starred restaurant in the basement, the amazing Chapter One. Down on the East side of Parnell Square is the beautiful jewel-box that is the Gate Theatre - part of the 18th-century entertainment complex established by the entrepreneurial Dr. Bartholomew, to help support his new Rotunda Maternity Hospital (the oldest purpose-built such hospital in the world, and still delivering babies on a daily basis, 270 years later (9000 is 2012). You could be seated in either the Abbey or Gate Theatres within 10 minutes of leaving the house, and the James Joyce Cultural Centre is even closer, on North Great Georges Street (don't forget to check out the Cobalt Cafe, opposite). Hop on the Luas Red Line, going west, in Abbey Street, halfway between Mountjoy Square and the river, and you will be dropped at the ‘Museum’. The National Museum, Collins Barracks, housed in an old military barracks, dating from 1702, contains the Decorative Arts Collections, (basically, everything post 1700). Descend at the next stop, ‘Heuston’ for IMMA, Ireland's National Museum of Modern Art, housed in the old Kilmainham Hospital, built in the1660’s. It pre-dates the more famous Chelsea Hospital in London by several years. Not to be missed is the Old Jameson Distillery, in Smithfield. Jameson was distilled here until 1971, when three historic distilleries amalgamated, and centralized distilling in Midleton, Co. Cork. The Museum is very well presented; one is guided around the distilling floor, among the huge old pot stills before retiring to the Bar to sample the goods. Nearby is one of the oldest churches in Dublin, St.Michan’s, on Church Street, dating from the mid-11thc. There are several mummified bodies in the basement, thought to be Crusaders. When I was a child, one was allowed to shake their hands….. SOUTHSIDE In the south city centre, the RESTAURANT HUB is in the pedestrian streets to either side of Grafton Street, and in Temple Bar. Particular favourites of mine include: * Nede, Temple Bar Square * Eden Bar and Grill, South William Street * The Green Hen, Wicklow Street * Fallon and Byrne, Exchequer Street, basement wine-bar, full service restaurant first- floor, and coffee bar within the food-hall on the ground floor. * Fade Street Social, Fade Street, tapas bar and full-service restaurant. * The Rustic Stone, Exchequer Street, upmarket, sophisticated and healthy ‘fast food’. * Cornucopia, Wicklow Street- vegetarian café day, full service by evening. * The Port House, South William Street, wine bar and tapas. * Pinxto, Crowe Street, Temple Bar, as above, same management. Southside city-centre TRADITIONAL PUBS we like are: * Mulligan's, Poolbeg Street * Neary's, Chatham Street * Grogan’s, South William Street * International Bar, Wicklow Street * O'Neill's, Suffolk Street * The Dawson Lounge, Dawson Street * The Stag's Head, Connaught Court * The Long Hall, South Great Georges Street * Doheny and Nesbitt’s, Merrion Row * Kehoe’s, South Anne Street * The Duke, Duke Street Fronting the river, TEMPLE BAR, with its vibrant mix of independent shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs, markets and cultural institutions occupies an area three blocks deep and ten blocks long. At the western end, look out for the two branches of the Queen of Tarts- a wonderful teas shop that offers really good home baking and teas and coffees, all served on mismatched antique china (Lord Edward Street and Cow's Lane). TEMPLE BAR FARMERS MARKET, is held every Saturday in Meeting House Square, 9-4.30, now has a smart new tensile roof for wet days, and is a good place to rub shoulders with the locals, whilst sampling local food culture. Don’t miss the Oyster Stall, Hick’s Pork Butchers, or David Llewyllan’s fantastic ‘Double L’ local cider- 100% apple (not even water), and the two local cheese stalls, among others. Don’t’ forget to check out the overflow stalls on Curved Street, where Rossa Crowe’s fantastic bread is on offer- Rossa took himself off to France for two years to train, and now produces slow fermented breads, made with the very best organic flours. NORTHSIDE CULTURAL ATTACTIONS TRINITY COLLEGE is a good orientation point; from here it is easy to find the mediaeval core, the cultural/political hub of the country around Kildare Street, and the Grafton Street fashion hub. The campus occupies a 40-acre (16ha.) site, and is over 400 years old, though what one sees today are mainly beautiful eighteenth-century buildings. It is worth a wander around, after a visit to spectacular Long Library, to see the Book of Kells and other illustrated Celtic manuscripts. From Front Gate, look south to Grafton Street or west up College Green and Dame Street, which lead to the mediaeval core. At the brow of the hill you will find: * Dublin Castle (visit the State Apartments, the Chester Beatty Library and the lovely garden in front (which is actually the helicopter-landing pad for the Castle). * The City Hall with its 'Museum of the Capital' in the basement is worth a look- the Hall is free, and there is a nominal charge for the Museum. * Christchurch Cathedral * Dublinia-in the Christchurch Chapterhouse (Viking Exhibition). * Old Saint Audeon's Church, built almost into the city wall. * St Patrick's Cathedral, and historic park beside. * Marshe's Library-the oldest public library in these islands, 1701. * Francis Street- the Antiques Quarter. * Thomas Street/Meath Street, for a touch of 'Old Dublin'. * The Guinness Storehouse. * Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, (IMMA) Ireland's National Gallery of Modern Art, with its wonderful, recently restored formal garden. KILMINHAM GAOL is worth a visit, and tells the story of Irish Nationalism. It can be reached via the grounds of IMMA, passing Bully’s Acre, and old graveyard, where Brian Boru was reputedly rested on his way to his final burial place in Armagh. Alternatively, exit onto Nassau Street, with its cluster of high-quality shops showcasing the best of Irish crafts - fashion, knitwear, weaving, glassware, ceramics and contemporary jewellery - the Kilkenny Shop has a great cafe upstairs, with views over College Park. Continue along the College Park railings till you reach Kildare Street, the cultural-institutional hub of the country. All of our national cultural institutions have free admission. Here you will find the National Library, and the National Museum, facing each other over the forecourt of Leinster House, home to the Oireachtas, our National Parliament. The National Library has a lovely exhibit on the poet, W.B. Yeats, and the Treasury, in the National Museum houses both the Bronze Age and Early Christian collections. On the opposite side of the block, on Merrion Street/Merrion Square, you will find the National Gallery, and the Natural History Museum (known to Dubliner's of my father's generation, as 'The Dead Zoo’. This is a very refreshing look to the past, with absolutely no interpretation, and nothing, not even a postcard, to buy). The National Gallery is halfway through a four-year renovation programme; in the meantime, the Millennium Wing, on Clare Street, has a ‘highlights of’ exhibition, and the Café and Gift Shop are also accessed via the Clare Street Entrance. GETTING AROUND Two operators offer Hop-On/Hop-Off tours: (website hidden) (website hidden) They both offer a 2-day ticket, and cost roughly the same price - check them out online before you make up your mind. One can buy an integrated LEAP card in most newsagents, at train stations, and in the Dublin Bus Head Office at 42 O’Connell Street (on the west side of the street, just north of the Spire). This can be used on the LUAS, DART, some suburban mainline trains, and on Dublin Bus routes. There is also a 3-day tourist pass, the Freedom Ticket, which provides good value. €28 will give you 72 hours transport, starting at the Airport; Airlink from the airport, the Hop-On-Hop –Off tourist bus and all local bus routes. Web: (website hidden) •The DART, the local electric commuter train, runs north/south along the coast. The northside city centre station is Connolly, on Amiens Street, facing Talbot Street, but I usually suggest people use Tara Street, as Connolly is also a mainline station, and is very big, and a bit confusing. Tara is purely a commuter station, and is about the same distance. It is on George’s Quay, just south of the Custom House. The other south-side city centre station is Pearse, on Westland Row, at the south end of the Trinity campus. •The LUAS Red Line runs east-west through the north side of the city, as far east as the docks, and serves both Connolly and Heuston mainline stations. The nearest stop to Mountjoy Square is Abbey, on Middle Abbey Street, opposite the Abbey Theatre. The LUAS Green Line serves the south suburbs; Ranelagh, Dundrum, Leopardstown Racecourse, and on out to Cherrywood, on the county boundary with Wicklow. •Main cross-city bus routes run north-south through O’Connell Street. The No.7 terminates on Mountjoy Square North, and there is a ‘shopper’s fare’ of 70c, to Grafton Street- alight at Trinity. On the return journey it skirts the Trinity campus and comes along Pearse, to the east of the campus - catch it on Clare Street, at the Millennium wing of the National Gallery. •DUBLIN BIKES are free to use for the first half hour, and have a stand on Mountjoy Square West, but one needs to go to the Princes Street stand (to the right hand side of the General Post Office (GPO)), to purchase a short term card. It costs €2, and is only available to credit card holders. SHOPPING WITH A DIFFERENCE Those interested in the local fashion, art and design scene should look out for the following addresses (in no particular order): •Designist, South Great George's Street (stock chosen for good design) •Irish Design Store, Drury Street •Article, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre (housewares) •Irish Designer Store, Top floor Powerscourt Townhouse Centre •Cow's Lane Gallery, Temple Bar (artist’s collective) •The Jam Factory, Nicholas Street (artist’s collective) •Avoca, Suffolk Street •Kilkenny Shop, Nassau Street •Designyard, South Frederick Street (jewellery) •Louise Kennedy, couturier, Merrion Square, and Tipperary Crystal •Gallery Zozimus, Francis Street (art gallery and carefully chosen crafts) •Graphic Studio Gallery, Temple Bar (artist-printmaker’s gallery) •Malthouse Design Centre and Shop, Distillery Court, 537 North Circular Road, just around the corner from Mountjoy Square (cluster of design-led businesses, 10-5 M-F) •Magee's of Donegal, Wicklow Street, and, •Kevin and Howlin, Nassau Street have hand-woven tweeds covered. •Dubarry's, College Green produce wonderful, country-style outerwear, including the most perfect alternative to sweaty, waterproof Wellington boots… •Monaghan's, Hibernian Way, the House of Ireland on Nassau Street and the Sweater Shops on Wicklow Street and Nassau Street has the best selections of traditional knitwear. Monaghan's specialise in cashmere. •Murphy and Sheehy, Castle Market, stock Irish tweed, Irish linen and a quirky selection of designer fabrics. Look out for their ‘Linen Union (linen/cotton blend) Glass Cloths- the best ever for polishing glassware, they make a super, useful, inexpensive and lightweight traditional gift! •The Cloth Shop, St. William Street, for interesting designer fabric, including a good selection of Irish Linen, and Liberty of London INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOPS and MUSIC STORES Eason’s, O’Connell Street, is a Dublin institution for over 100 years. It encompasses a large stationery department, a branch of Tower Records on the top floor, academic books in the basement, a nice café and two floors of general books. It is a good place to browse books of Irish interest, and they have a really good Information Desk. Chapters, Parnell Street West is my ‘local’. John Gannon is one of the best booksellers in the business, and his staff are hand-picked enthusiastic bibliophiles, one and all. Stock is a mixture of the latest releases, and carefully chosen remaindered books. Their ordering service is superlative, and they ALWAYS know exactly what one is talking about, even with just the vaguest, half-remembered clues from a newspaper review. Very strong on contemporary fiction, natural history, non-fiction and books of Irish interest. Extensive second-hand section upstairs. The Secret Bookstore, Wicklow Street is another favourite. It’s tucked away down a passage, near the L’Occitane shop and often throws up gems among its large second-hand stock. An eclectic music store occupies the rear of the shop. Cathach Rare Books, Duke Street, specializes in Irish first editions, and have an interesting selection of Irish maps and prints. Stokes Books is another interesting antiquarian/secondhand shop, specializing in books of Irish interest. You’ll find it in Georges Street Arcade. Claddagh Records, Cecelia Street, Temple Bar, is primarily a music publisher, but they have a retail outlet in Temple Bar, which is the oldest independent music shop in Dublin, and specializes in traditional Irish music, with some interesting World Music additions. The Celtic Note, on Nassau Street, beside the Kilkenny Shop is another good bet. PLACES OF WORSHIP: Roman Catholic: Many Catholic churches have Mass on Saturday evening, in addition to morning Masses. •St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, Upper Gardiner Street. Gospel Mass, 7.30pm Sundays, September to mid June. •St. Mary's Metropolitan Church - the Pro-Cathedral, Marlborough. Sung Mass, 11am, Sundays, with the Palestrina Choir. •St. Joseph’s Church, Berkeley Road, Dublin 7. •St. Teresa’s Church, Clarendon Street Church, choir sings at 11 o’clock Mass, Sunday’s •St. Peter’s Church, Phibsborough, Dublin 7, has wonderful Harry Clarke (phone number hidden)) stained glass windows. •Whitefriars Street Church, Aungier Street, church has relics of St. Valentine. Church of Ireland: •Christchurch Cathedral, Christchurch Place, sung Services Sundays, •St. Patrick's Cathedral, Nicholas Street, sung Services Sundays. •St. Anne’s Church, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 Jewish: Dublin Hebrew Congregation (website hidden) Daily services in Synagogue at 32a Rathfarnham Road, Public Transport: Buses: (PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN). Get off at Terenure Cross (road). Walk up Rathfarnham Road, pass AIB Bank and one row of terraced houses; shul is next building, with wooden/metal security gates. Across the street is a shop called Window Fashions. Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation (DJPC) Website: (website hidden) Email: (email hidden) Postal: PO Box 3059, Dublin 6 President: Mrs. Hilary Abrahamson Muslim: Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) 19 Roebuck Road, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14, Tel: (phone number hidden) Islamic Foundation of Ireland (IFI) 163 South Circular Road, Dublin (website hidden): (phone number hidden) Anwar-up-Madina Moore Street, Dublin 1. SHORT TRIPS OUTSIDE THE CITY BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT NORTH: Catch the No.46A bus, (heading north on O'Connell Street to the Phoenix Park- the largest enclosed urban park in the world, 1750 acres behind a seven-mile-long stone wall. Ashtown Castle Interpretive Centre, with its wonderful walled garden and café is a good place to orient oneself. From here, on Saturdays, it is possible to visit Aras an Uachtarian, the official residence of our President. One can also visit Farmliegh, the Official State Guesthouse, a former Guinness mansion. Among it’s attractions are an art gallery, café, occasional free concerts, and regular weekend Farmer’s Markets. The Park also houses the Dublin Zoo, (1827, the second-oldest Zoo in the world, after London’s Regent Park Zoo). Several herd of Fallow Deer roam at liberty. Many sports are catered for; there is Polo ground, a cricket club, and lots soccer pitches. The Duke of Wellington is commemorated by a marvelous granite obelisk, which can be seen for miles. The area know as the Forty Acres affords superb views over the city, with the Royal Hospital and Guinness in the foreground, along the south side of the River Liffey. Phoenix Park can also be reached via the LUAS Red Line, direction Tallagh, heading west. Alight at 'Museum' and take a detour into the National Museum-Collins Barracks, which houses the Decorative Arts, post-1700, wonderful collections of silver, furniture, glass and other artifacts. Just up the road, in Glasnevin there are three worthwhile attractions: Glasnevin Cemetary, was founded by Daniel O’Connell as one of his first initiatives, post Catholic Emancipation in 1829, to provide a dignified place for Catholic burial. The Glasnevin Musuem is new, and has superlative displays of Nationalist history. They also have a very good Geneology Department. The National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, date from the end of 18thC. Though relatively small, they contain an internationally-aclaimed collection of plants and three iconic Glasshouses, by Turner of Dublin, which have all been restored in the recent past. There is a nice café in the Gardens, and entry is free. The Gravedigger’s Pub, over-looking a Green, is not to be missed. It got its name from the fact that there used to be a hatch in the rear wall, through which the gravediggers were served. They do nice simple pub food, and one can sit outside on sunny days. Walk back into town, and stop at either the The Botanic Bar at Harte’s Corner or the Brian Borus, typicl local bars. The Porter House, at Cross Guns Bridge, which is a micro-brewery, with nice food, is on the corner of the Royal Canal. Take a stroll east down the canal bank, and you will see swans, and moor-hens going about their business. At the next bridge, at Dorset Street look out for the lifesize bronze statue of Brendan Behan, a local author. From here is just a few minute’s stroll up Belvidere Place, with its charming stepped terraces of tall Georgian houses, to Mountjoy Square. Another favorite is the Marino Casino, in Fairview/Clontarf, an early 18th century pleasure house, built to the design of Sir William Chambers, for Lord Charlemont, purely for entertaining, also just a few miles by bus, north of the city centre. Catch the DART, the coastal commuter train, heading north, at Tara Street Station, on the South Liffey quays, at Butt Bridge, and take a short ride. You have the choice of Howth (a working fishing village) or Malahide. Howth Demesne or Howth Head, behind the village will both afford walks with great views; the Harbour has a dozen restaurants along the quay- ranging from take-out fish and chips to the very upmarket. Book an early-evening window table at Aqua, and be astonished by the sunset over the coast, looking north-west. Another favourite of mine is Deep, midway along the quay (and do watch out for the local tame and greedy Harbour Seal, who begs shamelessly from the trawler men, who tie up alongside). Malahide is a charming village, with some of the most expensive urban residential properties in the country. Good food and good shopping are to be had here. On the edge of the village you will find Malahide Castle and Demesne, open to the public, which includes a renowned private Arboretum, as Milo de Malahide, the last of his family, (who had occupied the castle continuously since Norman times, in the 10th-12th centuries) was a significant plants-man. The Castle contains the National Portrait Collection, as was as magnificent furniture and other contents. There is a smart new branch of the AVOCA Shop and Café in the Courtyard. SOUTH: South of the city you will find Rathfarnham Castle, and its Berkeley Costume and Toy Collection. Marley Park is a little further, just at the foot of the Dublin Mountains. It has wonderful parkland with easy walks, and a magnificent walled garden with a nice cafe. The No.16 bus, from O’Connell Street will leave you close by. Powerscourt is at the edge of Enniskerry, its associated estate village, at the end of the No.44 bus route, which winds its way through the south side suburbs, into Wicklow, through the Scalp, a deep and picturesque glacial valley. The 19th century gardens are fabulous, and make great use of the 'borrowed landscape' beyond. The terrace and Nepture fountain are centred on the Sugarloaf mountain, which marks the beginning of the Wicklow Mountains. The Powerscourt Waterfall, part of the same estate, is a few miles further on, and there are beautiful, way-marked, woodland and moorland walks in the hills nearby. Do be mindful; these ‘mountains’ can be deceptive- while not high, they can be treacherous, as weather conditions can change in minutes. Stick to the way-marked paths, and do keep an eye on the weather. Take the DART south to Bray and Greystones - via Dun Loughaire, Dalkey and Killiney - all interesting villages, with many cafes and restaurants. Killiney Hill, with its eighteenth century obelisk at the summit, is a short climb that results in amazing views over Dublin Bay, and down into the Wicklow Mountains beyond. There is a nice pub in in the ‘village’- ‘The Druid’s Chair’. Dalkey is a charming village with old-fashioned shops and lots of nice pubs, cafes and restaurants. The local Dalkey Castle Heritage Centre, is worth checking out, and in the summer run a theatre programme, and walking tours. Bray Esplanade is a classic Victorian seaside amenity, sturdily built from local granite - the perfect place to enjoy an ice-cream. Campo di Fiori, either the Restaurant or the Café, both near the train station and the north end of the Promenade, are particular favourites of mine. If one is feeling energetic, one could contemplate the Cliff Walk from Bray to Greystones - 4miles/6km along the rough cliff path. Lots of nice pubs for a pint of Guinness at the other end, The Hungry Pear is my favourite café, among many. The DART will take you straight back into the city. But.. make sure to do it in the morning, as by mid-day the path is in shade, and it can be windy and cold. WEST: Travelling into the rich plains of Kildare, by the No. 67 bus route, you will come to the historic village of Celbridge, just twelve miles from the city centre. Castletown House is Ireland's finest Palladian mansion, and was saved from destruction by Desmond Guinness, in the early 1960's. He purchased it from the construction company who had acquired it. They intended to demolish it, to make way for a vast suburban housing estate. The Irish Georgian Society, founded by Desmond Guinness, restored the house and furnished it with the help of many volunteers and sponsors, and opened it to the public, a heroic task for a small membership conservation society. Today, it is in State ownership, and it is the flagship Georgian heritage property of Ireland. It is beautifully presented, and the parklands are undergoing restoration. A local bus, or the commuter train from Connolly Station in Amiens Street, will take one to Maynooth, a charming University town, with another magnificent Palladian mansion, Carton House, now operating as a very upmarket hotel and golf club. Lots of companies offer day-long coach tours. Some involve very long days, i.e, Cliffs of Moher in Clare and the Giant’s Causeway on the Antrim coast. Two more local, and very worthwhile ones are either: The Boyne Valley Tour (Newgrange Neolithic ( 5000 yr old World Heritage Site) / Mellifont Cistercian ruins- (12thC.)/ Monasterboice Early Christian (6th-8thC.) The Wicklow-Glendalough Tour (Powerscourt / Wicklow Mountains National Park and Glendalough (Glen of the Two Lakes) a 6thC. Early Christian site, in beautiful wooded valley. Details of both of these trips, and others, are available in the big black folder in the apartment.

A beautiful, historic residential square, built in 1790's, within 5-10 minutes walk of down-town city centre. Elegance and convenience combined with a bit of inner city grittiness. I have loved it all, since 1978! Mountjoy Square is situated just NE of the historic city centre, within walking distance of just about all the main city attractions. It is the most densely populated area in the entire city: 1500 people have front doors opening onto the Square. The house fronts onto a 4acre/1.5ha park, across a fairly busy street. This apartment faces the side street, so it is quieter, but you will still hear traffic.....Please bear in mind that this is NOT LEAFY SUBURBIA, but a vibrant, living city community and it's definitely gritty in places... Having said that, I have lived here, uneventfully, for nearly 38 years, and consider the trade-offs well worth it, for the excitement and convenience of having the city on my doorstep..

Superb city centre location within walking distance of all major tourist attractions (see below for walking times). Located just outside the noisy pub and nightlife areas and overlooking a private roof garden for a peaceful nights sleep. Upscale, spacious (80 sq.m/860 sq.ft), modern, bright & chic apartment with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a balcony. The apartment contains everything you could expect for your stay and includes tasteful designer furniture and interiors.

Perfect location! Major attractions walking time: > The river Liffey, Smithfield Tram station, Jameson Distillery, Smithfield Square, Dublin Tourist Bus Stop - 1 minute > Christchurch Cathedral - 7 minutes > Temple Bar, Henry Street - 10 minutes > O'Connell Street & Dublin Visitor centre, Phoenix Park, Guinness Storehouse - 12 minutes > Grafton Street - 15 minutes This fantastic 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom modern apartment is ideally located in Dublin city centre within walking distance to all Dublin's major tourist attractions and 1 minute walk to Smithfield central tram station. The 2 bedrooms and living room overlook a private roof garden which ensures a low level of noise and a safe/peaceful nights sleep in the city centre yet just outside the noisy pub and nightlife areas (e.g. temple bar, along the Quays, etc). The apartment itself contains 2 spacious double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms both with shower and toilet facilities, a fully fitted modern kitchen (dishwasher, microwave, large fridge freezer, crockery, glasses, all utensils, etc.), a large living room/dining room area with floor length windows leading onto a balcony with a view of the private roof garden. We have carefully crafted detailed arrival instructions as well as a wide variety of tips/advice for the apartment, local area and Dublin city in general! We have put a lot of effort into these documents and improve them on a regular basis. Bedroom 1 - Double bed (2 persons) Bedroom 2 - Double bed (2 persons) Living room - Sofa bed (2 persons) The apartment has plenty of space for you to relax in peacefully with Dublin on your doorstep. An elevator takes you up up to our apartment and parking is available in the large public underground car park (prices vary). The apartment is professionally cleaned after every guest and freshly laundered bed sheets and towels come as standard with each booking. Both bedrooms have brand new deep fill, hotel grade mattresses and the bed sheets are 100% cotton with high thread count of minimum 200 threads per square inch. Duvets and pillows for all beds are hotel grade and a comfortable mattress topper ensures a good nights sleep.

Smithfield is a trendy inner city area just north of the river Liffey. Some local Artisian highlights of the Smithfield complex include the Light House Cinema/Gallery, the Generator Hostel, Third Space Cafe, Oscars Bar & Restaurant and the Fresh Good Food Shop. Despite the excellent location, the area is very quiet and removed from the bustling nightlife districts of Dublin city centre. Furthermore, the area is very safe and the building is secure.

Experience authentic Georgian elegance is this large bright studio apartment, overlooking park. Accommodates two in cosy sleeping loft. Light a fire, cook dinner in the designer kitchen, and then head out to enjoy the attractions of the city.

Come and have an authentic experience in one of Dublin's special Georgian apartments, situated on Mountjoy Square, in the heart of Dublin's North Georgian core, and just minutes from O'Connell Street. This large studio apartment is on the first floor of a beautiful redbrick townhouse, built in 1792. Both house and apartment retain all their original features, combined with modern comforts. The apartment has three full-length windows overlooking the gardens of Mountjoy Square. It has a working Georgian grey marble fireplace with a spectacular gilt over-mantle mirror. The fully equipped kitchen has a granite worktop, a gas hob, electric oven, dishwasher and microwave. The rest of the apartment is comfortably furnished with period furniture, including a square Georgian dining table and four matching chairs, a comfortable Victorian antique Chesterfield sofa, TV & DVD player along with an iPod/iPhone dock for music. there are pashminas and Kashmir hand-loomed wool wraps, for cosy evenings in front of the fire. The bedroom is upstairs and overlooks the apartment. It has a comfortable double mattress, goose down duvet and pillows, and pure cotton sheets. Read in comfort with vintage Anglepoise reading lights. Please note there is restricted headroom in the sleeping loft- 5'10-1/2", and consequently the bed is low. The bathroom has a high-pressure shower and loads of storage space. A single, contract-quality foldaway bed, or a single, memory-foam mattress, and extra linens are available for a third guest. Please see photos. A surcharge of €10, to cover the cost of the extra laundry, applies for the use of the apartment as a twin. This will be collected in cash upon arrival. • You will receive a welcome pack of the basics- quality tea, coffee, home-made granola and preserves, fruit, yoghurt, juice, milk and free-range eggs. • 100% cotton bed linen and towels are provided • Local tourist information and guide books available • Free wi-fi • Large flat-screen TV and DVD player, with selection of Irish themed DVD's • IPod/Iphone dock for music and charging • Library of Irish-themed books • Playing cards and board games • Hair dryer • Fuel, at cost price, is available for the fire, if required. • Washing machine and dryer are available in the building- €10:00 charge CHECK-IN IS FROM 3pm, and CHECK-OUT IS BY 11am, please. We are happy to take in your luggage earlier. Please let us have your flight/arrival details, so that we can plan our day around being here to greet you. The house is perfectly located for exploring the city; all of the city's cultural institutions are within walking distance and the transport connections are excellent. Airport bus (41) passes door, 8 min. walk to LUAS Red line, DART, (Connolly and Tara) and city busses. Dublin Bikes stand opposite house. KARIN'S GUIDE TO THE CITY LOCAL GROCERY SHOPPING, SERVICES AND BREAKFAST OPTIONS In general, shopping hours are 9.30-6pm, with late-night shopping till 8pm on Thursdays. Sunday opening is from noon. BREAKFAST The Kingfisher Café, a Dublin institution, on the corner of Parnell Square and Parnell Street West is great for a 'Full Irish Breakfast', and numerous variations, including porridge. Everything is cooked to order and the sraff are professional and friendly. Breakfast served 9am-12:30, 7 days a week. Later in the day they have excellent fish and chips. Koffee and Kale, on the corner of Hill Street and Gardiner Place, two blocks away has great coffee and pastries, and soup/salad/sandwiches at lunchtime. LOCAL GROCERY SHOPPING Tops in Pops, just down the street to the right, for fresh local produce and basic groceries, 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. They are a fourth-generation local business, who have been trading on the site since 1931. The Londis corner store next door opens 8am to 10pm, but charge for privilege. There is an ATM machine at the back, right hand side of the store. Dunne's Stores, is the indigenous supermarket and department store chain, and has branches in every sizeable town throughout the country. There are two local branches. In North Earl Street, opposite O’Connell Street’s Spire, the Off-Licence (liquor store) is in a separate premises, a few doors apart - look for the James Joyce statue. You will find a bigger branch in the ILAC Shopping Centre, flanked by Henry Street, Moore Street and Parnell Street West . There is Metro Tesco on Parnell Street West, just past the Rotunda Hospital. A main branch is to be found in the basement of the Jervis Centre, off Henry Street. Carney’s Butchers, is another multi-generational local family business, which prides itself on the quality of its meat. In keeping with local tradition, they sell fresh fish on Friday’s. F.X. Buckley’s Butchers have two local branches; Moore Street and Talbot Street. This is a very old Dublin business and they have everything; free-range pork, beef and lamb from their own herds, poultry, game in season and fish, and, in the Moore Street branch, a deli counter for cooked meats next door. They are very obliging, and the lads have a great line in smart (sassy) chat. PHARMACIES Foley's Pharmacy on Parnell Street East is a 100+ year-old family business; they are very helpful. Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 9am 6pm. Michael recently (May 2017) won the National 'Community Pharmacist of the Year' award, and a nicer, kinder, or more helpful man you will never meet.... There is a late-night pharmacy, Hickey’s at 55 Lower O’Connell Street, (west side, within the block closest to the river). Opening hours: 8am -10pm M-F, 8.30am-10pm Saturday. 10am 10pm Sunday. Web: (EMAIL HIDDEN) POST OFFICES Nearest Post Office is Parnell Street East, at corner of Marlborough Street, but much nicer is the GPO, O’Connell Street. 1828 façade, but badly damaged in the 1916 Rising, and largely rebuilt in 1928. The main hall is beautiful, with its entire original, 1928, fittings intact. It also contains the iconic statue, by Oliver Shepherd, The Dying Cuchullin. You will find a booklet with postal rates in the black folder. BANKS Allied Irish Bank has a branch on O’Connell Street, at the SW junction with Parnell Street, opposite the Rotunda Hospital. ATM in the wall. Bank of Ireland has a branch at Lower O’Connell Street, on the east side of the street, between Middle Abbey Street and Ashton Quay. ATM inside, opens MEDICAL AND DENTAL PRACTICES Mountjoy Medical Practice, Dr. Gerry Roebuck, Dr. Holly Porter (female) Dr. Colm Killeen. 2-3 Baker’s Yard, Portland Street North. Tel (PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN). Opening hours 9-1.30 and 3.30-5.30. You can just drop in. €50 per visit. (Five blocks away, going North East) Frederick Dental Clinic, North Frederick Street. The dentist is happy to see people on an emergency basis. Call for appointment. Tel:(PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN) blocks away, going West) NORTHSIDE LOCAL RESTAURANTS: 'The Cobalt Cafe', in a beautiful Georgian house on North Great Georges Street, which doubles as a gallery, is great for lunch. Parnell Street, Dublin's emerging 'Chinatown' is just a half a block to the south. Newly opened, on Parnell Square West is 'Mr Fox', serving modern Irish food in a smart and comfortable setting, by the same team who operate Dublin's much lauded 'The Pig's Ear' on Nassau Street, overlooking the Trinity College playing fields.. '147 Cafe' at 147, Parnell Street East, opp the Marlborough Street junction, serve good Illy coffee, and great sandwiches, daytime hours. Nearer the river, 'Le Bon Crubeen' (crubeen=pig's trotter- it's a modern Franco-Irish restaurant) is on Talbot Street, as is the venerable and immensely popular 'Talbot 101'. It is packed to the gunnels with locals between 5.54 and 7.15, enjoying their pre-theatre supper before the Abbey curtains rise at 7.30, when they relinquish their seats for the rest of us! On the riverfront, I love Panem, facing the Millennium Bridge, for a quick coffee and a delicious Sicilian almond biscuit, baked on the premises. A few doors down, you'll find a cluster of Italian bars, cafes and restaurants serving good quality food. Half a block to the east is the trendy 'Winding Stairs' restaurant, with its book-lined walls (relics of a former second-hand bookshop-cum-cafe of the same name); The woollen Mills on the corner of Liffey street does great casual food, including excellent brunch. Back on Capel Street, locals rave about Brother Hubbard, and the Soup Dragon, for lunch. Blas cafe in the Chocolate Factory, on Kings Inn Street, off Parnell Street West has an interesting, casual menu, in a bright, spacious and funky former factory (daytime). LOCAL PUBS include the 'Hill 16' just opposite the house, on Gardiner Street - very popular with the GAA crowd on match days (the Gaelic Athletic Association Stadium, Croke Park, is just 3 blocks to the east), they pull a superb 'pint'. ‘The Heritage Parnell’, on Parnell Street West, just around the corner from O’Connell Street, does 'pub grub'. 'The Flowing Tide', on the corner of Marlborough Street, opposite the Abbey Theatre, is one of my favorites - after the curtain goes down in the Abbey, half the cast are likely to be at the bar. A few doors closer to O’Connell Street is Mulligan’s, another very nice pub, dating from the Edwardian era. 'The Church' on Mary Street, in a converted 1720's church, is another fine place for a drink; the former owner won many accolades for the high quality of the restoration. Capel Street has many typical local pubs, which have the added benefit of serving a largely local population. They include 'O’Neill’s' and 'Slattery's which is good for music. 'The Black Sheep' has the local craft beers covered, and does good bar food, (as does its sister pub, ‘The Brew Dock’, on Store Street, at the bottom of Gardiner Street. The north side traditional music 'musician’s' bar is 'The Cobblestone', at the top of Smithfield, and is suitably grungy. DEPARTMENT STORES AND FASHION Henry Street, off O’Connell Street, at the SPIRE, is the premier shopping street on the north side of the river. Here you will find Arnott’s the local department store, which highlights Irish fashion and design, throughout the store, and has several nice cafes. Henry Street also contains large branches of Debenhams and Marks&Spencers, as well as branches of most of the high street fashion chains. There are two large shopping centres, the Jervis, with a large branch of Tesco’s in the Basement, and the ILAC, which has a Dunne's Department Store, with a Food Hall in the basement. (You can shop for fresh produce on adjacent Moore Street, Dublin's oldest street market, now also home to a thriving cluster of ethnic food markets and restaurants.) NORTHSIDE CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS The North side of Parnell Square is home to the city's Hugh Lane Gallery of Modern Art; we share a significant collection of Impressionist painting with the Tate Gallery in London, part of the Hugh Lane Bequest, which is rotated in seven-year cycles. (The cafe, overlooking an interior garden, is called 'Hatch'; the original is in the basement of the 'Little Museum of Dublin' on St. Stevens Green). Next door is the Writer's Centre, and next door again, is the Writer's Museum, with a Michelin-starred restaurant in the basement, the amazing Chapter One. Down on the East side of Parnell Square is the beautiful jewel-box that is the Gate Theatre - part of the 18th-century entertainment complex established by the entrepreneurial Dr. Bartholomew, to help support his new Rotunda Maternity Hospital (the oldest purpose-built such hospital in the world, and still delivering babies on a daily basis, 270 years later (9000 in 2012). You could be seated in either the Abbey or Gate Theatres within 10 minutes of leaving the house, and the James Joyce Cultural Centre is even closer, on North Great Georges Street (don't forget to check out the Cobalt Cafe, opposite). Hop on the Luas Red Line, going west, in Abbey Street, halfway between Mountjoy Square and the river, and alight ‘Museum’ stop. The National Museum, Collins Barracks, housed in an old military barracks, dating from 1702, contains the Decorative Arts Collections, (basically, everything post 1700). Descend at the next stop, ‘Heuston’ for IMMA, Ireland's National Museum of Modern Art, housed in the old Kilmainham Hospital, built in the1660’s. It pre-dates its more famous sibling, the Chelsea Hospital, in London by several years. Not to be missed is the Old Jameson Distillery, in Smithfield. Jameson was distilled here until 1971, when three historic distilleries amalgamated, and centralized distilling in Midleton, Co. Cork. The Museum is very well presented; one is guided around the distilling floor, among the huge old pot stills before retiring to the Bar to sample the goods. Nearby is one of the oldest churches in Dublin, St.Michan’s, on Church Street, dating from the mid-11thC. There are several mummified bodies in the basement, thought to be Crusaders. When I was a child, one was allowed to shake their hands….. SOUTHSIDE In the south city centre, the RESTAURANT HUB is in the pedestrian streets to either side of Grafton Street, and in Temple Bar. Particular favourites of mine include: * The Pig's Ear, Nassau Street * Nede, Temple Bar Square * Eden Bar and Grill, South William Street * The Green Hen, Wicklow Street * Fallon and Byrne, Exchequer Street, basement wine-bar, full service restaurant first- floor, and coffee bar within the food-hall on the ground floor. * Fade Street Social, Fade Street, tapas bar and full-service restaurant. * The Rustic Stone, Exchequer Street, upmarket, sophisticated and healthy ‘fast food’. * Cornucopia, Wicklow Street- vegetarian café day, full service by evening. * The Port House, South William Street, wine bar and tapas. * Stanley's, St. Andrew Street, off Wicklow Street- wine bar and full service * Pinxto, Crowe Street, Temple Bar, as above, same management. * Cleaver East, Clarence Hotel - chef Oliver Dunne had a Michelin star in the parent restaurant, Bon Appetit, Malahide village, until he decided to hand it back and get a life Southside city-centre TRADITIONAL PUBS we like are: * Mulligan's, Poolbeg Street * Neary's, Chatham Street * Grogan’s, South William Street * International Bar, Wicklow Street * O'Neill's, Suffolk Street * The Dawson Lounge, Dawson Street * The Stag's Head, Connaught Court * The Long Hall, South Great Georges Street * Doheny and Nesbitt’s, Merrion Row * Kehoe’s, South Anne Street * The Duke, Duke Street Fronting the river, TEMPLE BAR, with its vibrant mix of independent shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs, markets and cultural institutions occupies an area three blocks deep and ten blocks long. At the western end, look out for the two branches of the Queen of Tarts- a wonderful tea shop that offers really good home baking and teas and coffees, all served on mismatched antique china (Lord Edward Street and Cow's Lane). Piglet Wine Bar, on the same pedestrian street had a lovely wine selection and great tapas, at good prices. TEMPLE BAR FARMERS MARKET, is held every Saturday in Meeting House Square, 9-4.30, now has a smart new tensile roof for wet days, and is a good place to rub shoulders with the locals, whilst sampling local food culture. Don’t miss the Oyster Stall, , or David Llewyllan’s fantastic ‘Double L’ local cider- 100% apple (not even water), and the two local cheese stalls, among others. Don’t’ forget to check out the overflow stalls on Curved Street, where Rossa Crowe’s fantastic bread is on offer- Rossa took himself off to France for two years to train, and now produces slow fermented breads, made with the very best organic flours. SOUTHSIDE CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS TRINITY COLLEGE is a good orientation point; from here it is easy to find the mediaeval core, the cultural/political hub of the country around Kildare Street, and the Grafton Street fashion hub. The campus occupies a 40-acre (16ha.) site, and is over 400 years old, though what one sees today are mainly beautiful eighteenth-century buildings. It is worth a wander around, after a visit to spectacular Long Library, to see the Book of Kells and other illustrated Celtic manuscripts. From Front Gate, look south to Grafton Street or west up College Green and Dame Street, which lead to the mediaeval core. At the brow of the hill you will find: * Dublin Castle (visit the State Apartments, the Chester Beatty Library and the lovely garden in front (which is actually the helicopter-landing pad for the Castle). * The City Hall with its 'Museum of the Capital' in the basement is worth a look- the Hall is free, and there is a nominal charge for the Museum. * Christchurch Cathedral * Dublinia-in the Christchurch Chapterhouse (Viking Exhibition). * Old Saint Audeon's Church, built almost into the city wall. * St Patrick's Cathedral, and historic park beside. * Marshe's Library-the oldest public library in these islands, 1701. * Francis Street- the Antiques Quarter. * Thomas Street/Meath Street, for a touch of 'Old Dublin'. * The Guinness Storehouse. * Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, (IMMA) Ireland's National Gallery of Modern Art, with its wonderful, recently restored formal garden. KILMINHAM GAOL is worth a visit, and tells the story of Irish Nationalism. It can be reached via the grounds of IMMA, passing Bully’s Acre, and old graveyard, where Brian Boru was reputedly rested on his way to his final burial place in Armagh. Alternatively, exit onto Nassau Street, with its cluster of high-quality shops showcasing the best of Irish crafts - fashion, knitwear, weaving, glassware, ceramics and contemporary jewellery - the Kilkenny Shop has a great cafe upstairs, with views over College Park. The Pig's Ear restaurant is one of my all-time favourites. Continue along the College Park railings till you reach Kildare Street, the cultural-institutional hub of the country. All of our national cultural institutions have free admission. Here you will find the National Library, and the National Museum, facing each other over the forecourt of Leinster House, home to the Oireachtas, our National Parliament. The National Library has a lovely exhibit on the poet, W.B. Yeats, and the Treasury, in the National Museum houses both the Bronze Age and Early Christian collections. On the opposite side of the block, on Merrion Street/Merrion Square, you will find the National Gallery, and the Natural History Museum (known to Dubliner's of my father's generation, as 'The Dead Zoo’. This is a very refreshing look to the past, with absolutely no interpretation, and nothing, not even a postcard, to buy). The National Gallery is almost through a four-year renovation programme; in the meantime, the Millennium Wing, on Clare Street, has a ‘highlights of’ exhibition, and the Café and Gift Shop are also accessed via the Clare Street Entrance. GETTING AROUND Two operators offer Hop-On/Hop-Off tours: (URL HIDDEN) (URL HIDDEN) They both offer a 2-day ticket, and cost roughly the same price - check them out online before you make up your mind. One can buy an integrated LEAP card in most newsagents, at train stations, and in the Dublin Bus Head Office at 42 O’Connell Street (on the west side of the street, just north of the Spire). This can be used on the LUAS, DART, some suburban mainline trains, and on Dublin Bus routes. There is also a 3-day tourist pass, the Freedom Ticket, which provides good value. €28 will give you 72 hours transport, starting at the Airport; Airlink from the airport, the Hop-On-Hop –Off tourist bus and all local bus routes. Web: (URL HIDDEN) •The DART, the local electric commuter train, runs north/south along the coast. The north-side city centre station is Connolly, on Amiens Street, facing Talbot Street, but I usually suggest people use Tara Street, as Connolly is also a mainline station, and is very big, and a bit confusing. Tara is purely a commuter station, and is about the same distance. It is on George’s Quay, just south of the Custom House. The other south-side city centre station is Pearse, on Westland Row, at the south end of the Trinity campus. •The LUAS Red Line runs east-west through the north side of the city, as far east as the docks, and serves both Connolly and Heuston mainline stations. The nearest stop to Mountjoy Square is Abbey, on Middle Abbey Street, opposite the Abbey Theatre. The LUAS Green Line serves the south suburbs; Ranelagh, Dundrum, Leopardstown Racecourse, and on out to Cherrywood, on the county boundary with Wicklow. •Main cross-city bus routes run north-south through O’Connell Street. The No.7 terminates on Mountjoy Square North, and there is a ‘shopper’s fare’ of 50c, to Grafton Street- alight at Trinity. On the return journey it skirts the Trinity campus and comes along Pearse, to the east of the campus - catch it on Clare Street, at the Millennium wing of the National Gallery. •DUBLIN BIKES are free to use for the first half hour, and have a stand on Mountjoy Square West, but one needs to go to the Princes Street stand (to the right hand side of the General Post Office (GPO)), to purchase a short term card. It costs €2, and is only available to credit card holders. SHOPPING WITH A DIFFERENCE Those interested in the local fashion, art and design scene should look out for the following addresses (in no particular order): •Designist, South Great George's Street (stock chosen for good design) •Irish Design Store, Drury Street •Article, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre (housewares) •Irish Designer Store, Top floor Powerscourt Townhouse Centre •Cow's Lane Gallery, Temple Bar (artist’s collective) •The Jam Factory, Nicholas Street (artist’s collective) •Avoca, Suffolk Street •Kilkenny Shop, Nassau Street •Designyard, South Frederick Street (jewellery) •Louise Kennedy, couturier, Merrion Square, and Tipperary Crystal •Gallery Zozimus, Francis Street (art gallery and carefully chosen crafts) •Graphic Studio Gallery, Temple Bar (artist-printmaker’s gallery) •Malthouse Design Centre and Shop, Distillery Court, 537 North Circular •Magee's of Donegal, Wicklow Street, and, •Kevin and Howlin, Nassau Street have hand-woven tweeds covered. •Dubarry's, College Green produce wonderful, country-style outerwear, including the most perfect alternative to sweaty, waterproof Wellington boots… •Monaghan's, Hibernian Way, the House of Ireland on Nassau Street and the Sweater Shops on Wicklow Street and Nassau Street has the best selections of traditional knitwear. Monaghan's specialise in cashmere. •The Cloth Shop, St. William Street, for interesting designer fabric, including a good selection of Irish Linen, and Liberty of London INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOPS and MUSIC STORES Eason’s, O’Connell Street, is a Dublin institution for over 100 years. It encompasses a large stationery department, a branch of Tower Records on the top floor, academic books in the basement, a nice café and two floors of general books. It is a good place to browse books of Irish interest, and they have a really good Information Desk. Chapters, Parnell Street West is my ‘local’. John Gannon is one of the best booksellers in the business, and his staff are hand-picked enthusiastic bibliophiles, one and all. Stock is a mixture of the latest releases, and carefully chosen remaindered books. Their ordering service is superlative, and they ALWAYS know exactly what one is talking about, even with just the vaguest, half-remembered clues from a newspaper review. Very strong on contemporary fiction, natural history, non-fiction and books of Irish interest. Extensive second-hand section upstairs. The Secret Bookstore, Wicklow Street is another favourite. It’s tucked away down a passage, near the L’Occitane shop and often throws up gems among its large second-hand stock. An eclectic music store occupies the rear of the shop. Cathach Rare Books, Duke Street, specializes in Irish first editions, and have an interesting selection of Irish maps and prints. Stokes Books is another interesting antiquarian/secondhand shop, specializing in books of Irish interest. You’ll find it in Georges Street Arcade. Claddagh Records, Cecelia Street, Temple Bar, is primarily a music publisher, but they have a retail outlet in Temple Bar, which is the oldest independent music shop in Dublin, and specializes in traditional Irish music, with some interesting World Music additions. PLACES OF WORSHIP: Roman Catholic: Many Catholic churches have Mass on Saturday evening, in addition to morning Masses. •St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, Upper Gardiner Street. Gospel Mass, 7.30pm Sundays, September to mid June. •St. Mary's Metropolitan Church - the Pro-Cathedral, Marlborough. Sung Mass, 11am, Sundays, with the Palestrina Choir. •St. Joseph’s Church, Berkeley Road, Dublin 7. •St. Teresa’s Church, Clarendon Street Church, choir sings at 11 o’clock Mass, Sunday’s •St. Peter’s Church, Phibsborough, Dublin 7, has wonderful Harry Clarke ((PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN)) stained glass windows. •Whitefriars Street Church, Aungier Street, church has relics of St. Valentine. Church of Ireland: •Christchurch Cathedral, Christchurch Place, sung Services Sundays, •St. Patrick's Cathedral, Nicholas Street, sung Services Sundays. •St. Anne’s Church, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 Jewish: Dublin Hebrew Congregation (URL HIDDEN) Daily services in Synagogue at 32a Rathfarnham Road, Public Transport: Buses: (PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN). Get off at Terenure Cross (road). Walk up Rathfarnham Road, pass AIB Bank and one row of terraced houses; shul is next building, with wooden/metal security gates. Across the street is a shop called Window Fashions. Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation (DJPC) Website: (URL HIDDEN) Email: (EMAIL HIDDEN) Postal: PO Box 3059, Dublin 6 President: Mrs. Hilary Abrahamson Muslim: Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) 19 Roebuck Road, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14, Tel: (PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN) Islamic Foundation of Ireland (IFI) 163 South Circular Road, Dublin 8. Tel: +(PHONE NUMBER HIDDEN) Anwar-up-Madina Moore Street, Dublin 1. SHORT TRIPS OUTSIDE THE CITY BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT NORTH: Catch the No.46A bus, (heading north on O'Connell Street to the Phoenix Park- the largest enclosed urban park in the world, 1750 acres behind a seven-mile-long stone wall. Ashtown Castle Interpretive Centre, with its wonderful walled garden and café is a good place to orient oneself. From here, on Saturdays, it is possible to visit Aras an Uachtarian, the official residence of our President. One can also visit Farmliegh, the Official State Guesthouse, a former Guinness mansion. Among it’s attractions are an art gallery, café, occasional free concerts, and regular weekend Farmer’s Markets. The Park also houses the Dublin Zoo, (1827, the second-oldest Zoo in the world, after London’s Regent Park Zoo). Several herd of Fallow Deer roam at liberty. Many sports are catered for; there is Polo ground, a cricket club, and lots soccer pitches. The Duke of Wellington is commemorated by a marvellous Sobelisk, and the Forty Acres affords superb views over the city, with the Royal Hospital and Guinness Brewery in the foreground, along the south side of the River Liffey. Phoenix Park can also be reached via the LUAS Red Line, direction Tallagh, heading west. Alight at 'Museum' and take a detour into the National Museum-Collins Barracks, which houses the Decorative Arts, post-1700, wonderful collections of silver, furniture, glass and other artifacts. Just up the road, in Glasnevin, there are three worthwhile attractions: Glasnevin Cemetary, was founded by Daniel O’Connell as one of his first initiatives, post Catholic Emancipation in 1829, to provide a dignified place for Catholic burial. The Glasnevin Museum is new, and has superlative displays of Nationalist history. They also have a very good Geneology Department. The National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, date from the end of 18thC. Though relatively small, they contain an internationally-aclaimed collection of plants and three iconic Glasshouses, by Turner of Dublin, which have all been restored in the recent past. There is a nice café in the Gardens, and entry is free. The Gravedigger’s Pub, over-looking a Green, is not to be missed. It acquired its name from the fact that there used to be a hatch in the rear wall, through which the gravediggers were served. They do nice simple pub food, and one can sit outside on sunny days. Walk back into town, and stop at either the The Botanic Bar at Harte’s Corner or the Brian Boru, typicl local bars. The Whitworth, at Cross Guns Bridge, with nice food, is on the corner of the Royal Canal. Take a stroll east down the canal bank, and you will see swans, and moor-hens going about their business. At the next bridge, at Dorset Street, look out for the lifesize bronze statue of Brendan Behan, a local author. From here is just a few minute’s stroll up Belvidere Place, with its charming stepped terraces of tall Georgian houses, to Mountjoy Square. Another favourite is the Marino Casino, in Fairview/Clontarf, an early 18th century pleasure house, built to the design of Sir William Chambers, for Lord Charlemont, purely for entertaining, also just a few miles by bus, north of the city centre. Catch the DART, the coastal commuter train, heading north, at Tara Street Station, on the South Liffey quays, at Butt Bridge, and take a short ride. You have the choice of Howth (a working fishing village) or Malahide. Howth Demesne or Howth Head, behind the village will both afford walks with great views; the Harbour has a dozen restaurants along the quay- ranging from take-out fish and chips to the very upmarket. Book an early-evening window table at Aqua, and be astonished by the sunset over the coast, looking north-west. Another favourite of mine is Deep, midway along the quay (and do watch out for the local tame and greedy Harbour Seal, who begs shamelessly from the trawler men, who tie up alongside). Malahide is a charming village, with some of the most expensive urban residential properties in the country. Good food and good shopping are to be had here. On the edge of the village you will find Malahide Castle and Demesne, open to the public, which includes a renowned private Arboretum, as Milo de Malahide, the last of his family, (who had occupied the castle continuously since Norman times, in the 10th-12th centuries) was a significant plants-man. The Castle contains the National Portrait Collection, as was as magnificent furniture and other contents. There is a smart new branch of the AVOCA Shop and Café in the Courtyard. Oliver Dunne's restaurant, Bon Appetit, on St. James Terrace, has superb food in elegant, relaxed surroundings.(This restaurant had a Michelin star for years, but the chef/patron decided to return it, and simplify his life - a case of 'been there-done that'.) SOUTH: South of the city you will find Rathfarnham Castle, and its Berkeley Costume and Toy Collection (No. 16 bus). Marley Park is a little further, just at the foot of the Dublin Mountains. It has wonderful parkland with easy walks, and a magnificent walled garden with a nice cafe. The No.16 bus, from O’Connell Street will leave you close by. Powerscourt is at the edge of Enniskerry, its associated estate village, at the end of the No.44 bus route, which winds its way through the south side suburbs, into Wicklow, through the Scalp, a deep and picturesque glacial valley. The 19th century gardens are fabulous, and make great use of the 'borrowed landscape' beyond. The terrace and Nepture fountain are centred on the Sugarloaf mountain, which marks the beginning of the Wicklow Mountains. The Powerscourt Waterfall, part of the same estate, is a few miles further on, and there are beautiful, way-marked, woodland and moorland walks in the hills nearby. Do be mindful; these ‘mountains’ can be deceptive- while not high, they can be treacherous, as weather conditions can change in minutes. Stick to the way-marked paths, and do keep an eye on the weather. Take the DART south to Bray and Greystones - via Dun Loughaire, Dalkey and Killiney - all interesting villages, with many cafes and restaurants. Killiney Hill, with its eighteenth century obelisk at the summit, is a short climb that results in amazing views over Dublin Bay, and down into the Wicklow Mountains beyond. There is a nice pub in in the ‘village’- ‘The Druid’s Chair’. Dalkey is a charming village with old-fashioned shops and lots of nice pubs, cafes and restaurants. The local Dalkey Castle Heritage Centre, is worth checking out, and in the summer run a theatre programme, and walking tours. Bray Esplanade is a classic Victorian seaside amenity, sturdily built from local granite - the perfect place to enjoy an ice-cream. Campo di Fiori, either the Restaurant or the Café, both near the train station and the north end of the Promenade, are particular favourites of mine. If one is feeling energetic, one could contemplate the Cliff Walk from Bray to Greystones - 4miles/6km along the rough cliff path. Lots of nice pubs for a pint of Guinness at the other end, The Hungry Pear is my favourite café, among many. The DART will take you straight back into the city. But.. make sure to do it in the morning, as by mid-day the path is in shade, and it can be windy and cold. WEST: Travelling into the rich plains of Kildare, by the No. 67 bus route, you will come to the historic village of Celbridge, just twelve miles from the city centre. Castletown House is Ireland's finest Palladian mansion, and was saved from destruction by Desmond Guinness, in the early 1960's. He purchased it from the construction company who had acquired it. They intended to demolish it, to make way for a vast suburban housing estate. The Irish Georgian Society, founded by Desmond Guinness, restored the house and furnished it with the help of many volunteers and sponsors, and opened it to the public, a heroic task for a small membership conservation society. Today, it is in State ownership, and it is the flagship Georgian heritage property of Ireland. It is beautifully presented, and the parklands are undergoing restoration. A local bus, or the commuter train from Connolly Station in Amiens Street, will take one to Maynooth, a charming University town, with another magnificent Palladian mansion, Carton House, now operating as a very upmarket hotel and golf club. Lots of companies offer day-long coach tours. Some involve very long days, i.e, Cliffs of Moher in Clare and the Giant’s Causeway on the Antrim coast. Two more local, and very worthwhile ones are either: The Boyne Valley Tour (Newgrange Neolithic ( 5000 yr old World Heritage Site) / Mellifont Cistercian ruins- (12thC.)/ Monasterboice Early Christian (6th-8thC.) The Wicklow-Glendalough Tour (Powerscourt / Wicklow Mountains National Park and Glendalough (Glen of the Two Lakes) a 6thC. Early Christian site, in beautiful wooded valley. Details of both of these trips, and others, are available in the big black folder in the apartment.

A beautiful, historic residential square, built in 1790's, within 5-10 minutes walk of the city centre. Elegance and convenience combined with a bit of inner city grittiness. I have loved it all, since 1978!

The following is what past guests have said that they love about this property; Guests commented on how old world and elegent it looks. You have a sense of being in the country with birds and squirrels in the trees but yet you are only 10 minutes to the airport and 10 minutes to the city centre. Everyone adored our closeness to the phoenix park - the pool room looks into the park.There are many activities in the park including the zoo, the hop on hop off bus, segways, rent a bike to name a few.

The apartment is a 4 bedroom 2.5 bathroom home separated by the swimming pool from our own house around a courtyard near the world renowned Phoenix Park, home to the President of Ireland and the American Embassy. The park is very historic with several interesting building to explore and it is home to Dublin Zoo and also home to Cricket, Polo, and a great park to rent bikes and meander around. About our home: Our home is special as the atmosphere is relaxed,friendly and we will endeavour to help our guests have the best time possible. We have a separate self contained sauna all year round and a heated swimming pool at your disposal. There are 4 bedrooms; bedroom 1 & 2 have king size beds and are ensuite. Bedroom 3 has a double sized bed and bedroom 4: King size bed and single bed. In total beds for 9 people. Only 5 km from the centre of Dublin. Dublin is an intimate city with a bustling night life with a great choice of good restaurants. In our welcome book we have suggestions for restaurants in Dublin. Suitable for Business travellers, couples and families of up to 9 who are intending on discovering Ireland. Also suitable for events such as the Bloom Garden Festival, The Royal Dublin Horse Show, Dublin Marathon and many more events. Public transport is 50 meters from the house and by car, Dublin Centre is 5km.aaww

Our house is located at the gate of the famous Phoenix Park. The house has a beautiful country feel about it but yet it is 10 minutes from the City Centre. We are within 10 mins drive of 5 golf courses, so we are ideal for golf enthusiasts. We are only 20 minutes drive also from the Dublin mountains again ideal for hill walkers,and those that like horse riding.The village of Castleknock is 8 minutes walk from the house. Here you have 5 restaurants 3 pubs and all local amenities like hair dressers, dry cleaners, beauticians etc. As we are at the Phoenix Park gate, our house is ideally situated for any event being held in the Phoenix park, like Bloom in June, Iron Man in August and motor racing and Dublin Marathon

Fantastic Apartment in the heart of the city with river views. Refurbished by award winning A2 architects, this unique space offers modern, bright open plan accommodation with amazing views of the Ha'penny Bridge, one of Dublin most famous landmarks.

Fantastic Apartment in the heart of the city with river views. Refurbished by award winning A2 architects, this unique space offers modern, bright open plan accommodation with amazing views of the Ha'penny Bridge, one of Dublin most famous landmarks. Recently renovated by award winning A2 Architects, my 2nd floor, open plan studio apartment offers the perfect location to stay in Dublin. Situated right beside the symbol of Dublin, the Ha’penny Bridge, you are in the beating heart of the city. Everything is within walking distance, with Temple Bar and Trinity College for example just across the bridge and most other major sights a few minutes away . The airport bus is only 100 metres away, not to mention all the bars and restaurants just outside the door. Experiencing the true essence of Dublin couldn’t be any easier. Previously a 66-metres (710 sq ft) two-bedroom apartment, it was renovated to an open plan, creating a large space that allows full access to natural light. From the window overlooking the river Liffey, you get a great view of the sunset and the feeling of the city passing you by. It’s deceptively easy to just sit at the window and watch as people cross the Ha’penny bridge. I have Wi-fi, a great bathroom and fully functioning kitchen including a Nespresso coffee machine. Dublin is a conveniently compact city and my apartment is nestled right in the centre of it all, allowing for a hassle free, thoroughly enjoyable place to experience it to the full. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Location cannot be better. You are overlooking the River Liffey and directly above the beautiful Ha'penny Bridge. Cross the bridge and you are in Temple Bar with its numerous bars, restaurants, vintage clothes shops, Project Arts Centre, Gallery of Photography, Irish Film Institute and many other attractions. Dublin two main pedestrian shopping streets, Grafton and Henry St are about 5 minutes away. Trinity College with its famous Library is 3 minutes walk. The Aircoach bus from the airport drops you 5 minutes away. The LUAS tram stops in Jervis St 2 minutes away but the apartment is so central you probably won't be using public transport at all. I personally wouldn't recommend car hire as a lot of the streets are one way and it can be tricky to drive around if you are not familiar with the city. Notes: -The sofa bed in the pictures is BoConcept Melo 6070 Double Sofa with reclining and sleeping function. Size as double bed is 173cm wide x 197cm long so suitable for one or two people but not as comfortable as a bed. -The Bed is King Size (150 x 200cm) and has a memory foam mattress

Location cannot be better. You are overlooking the River Liffey and directly above the beautiful Ha'penny Bridge. Cross the bridge and you are in Temple Bar with its numerous bars, restaurants, vintage clothes shops, Project Arts Centre, Gallery of Photography, Irish Film Institute and many other attractions. Dublin two main pedestrian shopping streets, Grafton and Henry St are about 5 minutes away. Trinity College with its famous Library is 3 minutes walk. Dublin is experiencing a Renaissance after a long recession and every week a new exciting restaurant, cultural space or play is opening. It is a great time to be visiting!

Superb city centre location within walking distance of all major tourist attractions (see below for times). Located just outside the noisy pub and nightlife areas and overlooking a private roof garden for a peaceful nights sleep. Elegant, designer and upscale apartment with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom and a balcony. The apartment contains everything you could expect for your stay and includes tasteful designer furniture and interiors. The space and high quality interiors are kept immaculately clean.

This fantastic 1 bedroom modern apartment is ideally located in Dublin city centre within walking distance to all Dublin's major tourist attractions and 1 minute walk to Smithfield central tram station. The bedroom and living room overlook a private roof garden which ensures a low level of noise and a safe/peaceful nights sleep just outside the noisy pub and nightlife areas (e.g. temple bar, along the Quays, etc). The apartment itself contains 1 spacious double bedroom, 1 bathroom with shower and toilet facilities, a fully fitted modern kitchen (dishwasher, microwave, large fridge freezer, crockery, glasses, all utensils, etc.), a large living room/dining room area with floor length windows leading onto a balcony with a view of the private roof garden. We have carefully crafted detailed arrival instructions as well as a wide variety of tips/advice for the apartment, local area and Dublin city in general! We have put a lot of effort into these documents and improve them on a regular basis. Bedroom 1 - Double bed for 2 persons Living room - Double Sofa Bed for 2 persons The apartment has plenty of space for you to relax in peacefully with Dublin on your doorstep. An elevator takes you up to our apartment. Parking is available in the large public underground car park (prices vary). Major attractions walking time: > The river Liffey, Smithfield Tram station, Jameson Distillery, Smithfield Square, Dublin Tourist Bus Stop - 1 minute > Christchurch Cathedral - 7 minutes > Temple Bar, Henry Street - 10 minutes > O'Connell Street & Dublin Visitor centre, Phoenix Park, Guinness Storehouse - 12 minutes > Grafton Street - 15 minutes The apartment is professionally cleaned after every guest and freshly laundered bed sheets and towels come as standard with each booking. The bedroom has a brand new deep fill, hotel grade mattress and the bed sheets are 100% cotton with high thread count of minimum 200 threads per square inch. Duvets and pillows for all beds are hotel grade and a comfortable mattress topper ensures a good nights sleep.

Smithfield is a trendy inner city area just north of the river Liffey. Some local Artisian highlights of the Smithfield complex include the Light House Cinema/Gallery, the Generator Hostel, Third Space Cafe, Oscars Bar & Restaurant and the Fresh Good Food Shop. Despite the excellent location, the area is very quiet and removed from the bustling nightlife districts of Dublin city centre. Furthermore, the area is very safe and the building is secure.

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Relaxing in our cosy comfortable master bedroom is the ideal start to your stay . Our home is a good base to explore Dublin city and 11 mins by car to the airport and only a bus trip away to the city. The 41 bus brings you to the airport and city . Check out what’s happening in the city . On Dublin online . Reviews

My neighbourhood is quiet there is a local park also a local supermarket And plenty of walks to explore. There is also parking outside the house on the street It is safe and secure

Cosy room in modern home, near swords town . 3 km from airport. Bus stop 2 mins walk Ideal for early/ late flights and layovers

Small quiet bedroom with bathroom shared with no more than two others

Only 3 km from airport but not on a flight path. In quite estate no traffic noises either

A cosy single room in a family home only7 kms and 5 minutes drive from Dublin Airport and only 2 minutes from the centre of Swords with,Bars,Restaurants shopping and much more we also have an excellent bus service to and from Dublin Airport and an express bus service into DublinCity Centre it takes approximately 30 minutes to the centre An ideal room for a stop over between flights touring Dublin and Ireland a place to rest after or before your flight

A nice cosy single bedroom suitable for guests looking to stay close to the airport and within close proximity to Dublin City centre via a superb bus service that your journey will only take 30 minutes Within walking distance to the centre of swords with restaurants, bars,shopping etc

A nice quiet estate just 2kms from the centre of swords with easy access to Dublin Airport only 10 minutes away and Dublin City around 30 minutes away

Modern family home , ideal for somebody that just wants to drop there bags when checked in only we cant store bags before or after stay , and visit dublin,swords,malahide,howth,all a bus journey away, walking distance to ryanair office, airside retail park and short distance to dublin airport perfect if you want to be near the airport for early flight , no showers after 10pm or before 9am the next morning bedroom / bathroom use only, large cases must be left in a Hall overnite if staying 1nite

This room has bunkbeds but priced for 1 person to stay ,but if second bed needed the extra charge is 25 extra person paid to us on arrival just make sure to let me know before arrival if 1 or 2 people due to arrive , perfect to go out to explore dublin, swords malahide , or for stay over the nite before or after the airport 5 mins by taxi to and from the airport , bus outside estate , perfect for Ryanair training in airside swords it would only be a 10 min walk to Ryanair HQ, must let me know when booking or asap of arrival time to ensure sonebody here to check u in as not alway here

Very safe quite area near swords village, airside retail park , ryanair HQ , and near bus stop to dublin city centre and malahide quite house so only suitable for quite people

A warm bright and modern home with all mod cons. To suit one person, large single bed. Local bus routes to the city and to train lines (Dart)and to Dublin airport. Walking distance to Airside retail Park and Ryanair HQ. Close to Swords business park & campus. Close to Pavilion Shopping Centre and Swords Village. 15 minutes drive or local bus to Malahide Castle and Village and the coast. Close to M1 and M50

Warm, cosy single room, spacious home.

Near to local stores and walking distance to retail park, shopping centers and main motorways, Bus routes to city, village, dart station and airport.

My home is 5 mins walking distance to Swords Main Street where there are Shops Restaurants Pubs , Beauty salons Hairdressers you name it Swords has it (From Dublin airport to house get the 102 bus from Zone 15 and get off at stop 4926 called Highfield Green Stop and is the stop just before Eddie Rockets Diner and Lord Mayors Pub Walk away from that bus stop the opposition direction and Highfields is on your right

DOUBLE ROOM WITH 1 DOUBLE BED Double Room with Wardrobe Space Available TV in Room Free Tea coffee Snacks and Light Breakfast in morning should you want tea toast cereal or similar

Mature neighbourhood very quiet and so convenient to swords main street. Literally 5 mins walk from my home . Parking is available in driveway Airport 7 mins drive from house

Family home !! a warm comfortable homely house with all mod cons..suits one person or two sharing.a local bus at bottom of road takes you right in to airport.. bus starts at 6.10 am .or a taxi to airport cost 11/12 euro.. its 8 minutes by car to the airport..close to .ryanair HQ,,.swords business campus.and the wright venue.also a bus to malahide castle goes from end of the street..bus to city centre goes every 20 mins..its approx 35 mins to city..

would suit anyone with early flights and layovers cos its 8 minutes to the airport.. most off my guests only stay one night. so rooms are basic with a bed..and table in the room. you are welcome to use the kitchen and make tea or coffee and can use the cooker or microwave to make food..

Very quiet reserved neighborhood . In walking distance to large shopping center and less then 10 minutes on a bus to Dublin airport. Regular bus service to city center and all surrounding areas including malahide , lusk , Sutton , howth

4 city bus routes and the train are 5 minutes away. Free parking and Wi -Fi are available. A grocery store and fast food are 3 minutes away. The grocery store is open 07:30 to 21:00, tea, coffee, sandwiches, hot food is sold until 3:00 pm. The coast is 25 minutes walk. Mediterranean, Chinese restaurants and breakfast cafe's are near. Weekend reservations must be for 2 people. Another 2 bed double room is available. The bathroom is shared. Tea, coffee and water is available.

Quiet, clean, bright and comfortable . Double bedroom for 1 or 2 with 2 single beds, towels, shower mat and extra blankets. There is a table, chars, wardrobe, bedside locker and a lamp. The window has closable blinds and a wooden floor. The shower has instant hot water. Guest can have tea, coffee water from the kitchen and store drinks in the fridge.

There is a Mediterranean restaurant called 53 Avenue 15 minutes walk away. The Beachcomber pub is a great to have a Guinness and cooks wonderful food at good prices and is nearby. The Nuthouse Bistro serves a tasty breakfast and lunch. Insomnia serves great coffee, breakfast and lunch. Take a walk in Saint Anne's Park and admire the view of Dublin Bay. The beautiful fishing villages Howth and Malahide are twenty minutes drive from the house and are accessible on the metro. The coast is twenty minutes walk or two stops on the metro. Talk a walk on the beach and see a great view of Howth and South Dublin.

St. Endas flat is entirely private for you to enjoy a peaceful break away in beautiful Co Dublin :-). Ideally located 10 minutes from Dublin airport via taxi and only 25 minutes to Dublin City Centre via Dublin bus/taxi. We comfortably cater for 2 guests. Offering a self contained fully equiped living space, ideally based to explore Dublin's Fair City, with easy access to the M50/M1 (if driving) for further exploration. Free on street parking available.

You are sure to feel at home from the moment you arrive at St. Endas. Fresh milk and cookies await, for a hot cuppa tea after your long journey! Not to mention fresh eggs and Irish bread for breakfast ;-) Nearby (5 min walk) there is a mini shopping mall, which houses a number of grocery supermarkets, eatery's, pharmacy's, clothing outlets and many more, for those of you who enjoy a home cooked meal or for those of you who enjoy being wined and dined we'd recommend the local hot spot- The Cock and Bull Bar and Grill. The bus stop is a short walk from the flat (5 minute walk) The 27bus is a direct bus route into the city centre! ( 25 minute journey ) Easliy accessable to the M50/M1 for drivers

ST ENDAS is situated in a quite mature neighbourhood in north county Dublin, you are sure to find peace and tranquility within the flat! This atmosphere is perfect for guests looking for a quite get away or business guests wanting to use it as a base to work. We have free WIFI ;-)

There are many nice restaurants and shops near my cottage. Free breakfast consisting of cereals, tea and coffee is available. You might need to get your own milk in the shop just across the road.

This is a spacious bedroom with plenty of space to run around and dance when you come home drunk. The room has a door lock so you can go out and be assured that all your valuables are safe inside the room. The bedroom has a double bed and a wardrobe cabinet so it is perfect for 2 people to sleep in comfortably. There is a fully equipped kitchen in the house that has the basic ingredients you need to prepare a meal. There is a dining table and chairs you can use to prepare a meal or eat dinner. During hot Irish summer evenings, there is a really cool backyard where you and your guests can chill, chat and sip on some fine Irish whiskeys.

My home is located in North Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland. It is a good home and very handy for the airport as well as the city. There is a bus stop just a little to the side of the cottage. It is also a short bus ride from Croke Park, which is the biggest stadium in Ireland, this is were the national sports of Ireland are played, such as GAA and hurling. There is a Texaco Garage across the street and Airside Retail Park is just down and is great local place to shop.

A quaint single bedroom which is bright and sunny in the front of the house. Has a built in wardrobe and chest of drawers .Very comfortable room with bedside lamp for reading.

we are only 15 minutes from the AIRPORT.

We have lived in our house for the last 27 years and it has been wonderful, it's a quite neighbourhood and you'll have no problemgetting a good night's sleep. If you come by car your car will be safe outside under the tree. If you have to use public transport the bus stop is 5 minutes from our house into the city centre.

Welcome to our family home! Fully refurbished,bright,cosy and very clean room with a comfortable single bed,dressed with fresh bedding and soft pillows for our guest comfort and great sleep. Double Wardrobe, a desk table with a chair and a free stand unit with shelves.Shared bathroom facility for guests only(pumped & electric shower) Locking door option Fresh towels and toiletries provided Perfect for short and long stays Free Wi-Fi Free filtered drinking water provided Complimentary tea&coffee🤗

Very quite and safe neighbourhood. Gym/Fitness centre with swimming pool, sauna, steam room facilities available just 5min walk. Convenience supermarket, Chinese restaurant and take away, Fish and chips and pizza take aways, Pharmacy, Off licence, Irish pub, Dry cleaners, Coffee shop serving Irish breakfast, French Boulangerie , all only 3 min walk! Bus stop 4 min walk with regular bus operation into Dublin City centre(20-35min) as well as Dublin Airport.

Comfortable private double bedroom at just 10 minutes walking from the city centre, window with a beautiful view to George's Dock and ensuite private bathroom. Enjoy your stay with easy access to supermarkets, take-aways and beautiful walking areas.

Spacious Double Bed, beautiful view to George's Dock, private Bathroom (sink, toilet and shower), Wifi connection, hair dryer and fresh towels available.

Cozy double bedroom at 10 min from city centre. Enjoy Dublin in one of the best located and nice areas of the city. 10 min walking to the spire, 4 min walking to the central train station and bus station. 1 block from the city tram stop and many amenities and touristic spots near by.

Myself and my wife and our baby daughter live in a quiet residential area that’s close to the airport (8 mins from T2) and close to local villages of swords and Malahide. We are 7 mins away from Malahide Castle. Both villages have many restaurants, bars and shops. There are also excellent bus services and express services to the city centre.

A bright clean private modern bedroom in a quiet residential area. Very Clean and welcoming. We also have free parking

We live in friendly and quiet neighborhood, close to malahide castle and swords. There is also a regular bus and an express bus that takes you direct to city centre a couple of minutes walk away. Express bus takes 15 mins to city centre. Single off peak is €3.50 +

Private kingsize bedroom in beautiful clean home with guest parking and a private bathroom. Free Wifi and access to a lounge area to relax during your stay. Close to Dublin Airport, on the 500 route for the city centre in 20 minutes by bus, also other bus routes include 43, and 41 that can take you to howth and the city centre.

Please note there is no access to cooking facilities in the kitchen, you may however use tea and coffee facilities as you please. Towels and bed linen are provided. There is no breakfast included.

7 minute drive to dublin airport, 7 minute drive to Malahide and Portmarnock beach. 20 minute walk to swords village with lots of bars. 20 minute drive to howth head for a beautiful scenic walk.

Large Family run guesthouse beside Dublin Airport offers a great value place to stay. We have a mix of Single, Double, Twin, Triple, Family room types, All rooms have private en-suite bathrooms, some wooden floors, some carpet.Breakfast is included in your stay. No restaurant or bar but just 5 minutes walk to food and drink options. 5 minutes to Dublin Airport by shuttle bus and the bus to Dublin City Centre picks up just 1 minute walk away. Free fast WiFi, Free parking and luggage storage

The property is age and spacious guesthouse with plenty of free parking and gardens. Friendly and informal, 24 hour staff on premises, safe, secure and so convenient for Dublin Airport

We are about 1 mile from Swords village, about 15 or 20 minute walk. There are bus stops nearby so you can go into city centre etc. Swords Express also about 10 minute walk which is a great bus service. Shop 5 minute walk from house. Also Pavilions Shopping centre in swords which also has a cinema. We are a 5 minutes drive from Dublin Airport which is very convenient. We have a nice warm welcoming house.

We have a 4 bedroom house so there are a couple of bedrooms which we could use for accommodation. We also have a separate TV room with SKY TV which is available for guests to watch tv or to read etc. This would be perfect for anybody working in Dublin Monday to Friday also. Looking for minimum 3 - 4 nights accommodation

There are lots of green areas in the estate for walking and also a park nearby.

2 minute walk from a bus stop that connects you with Dublin City, Dublin Airport, and the rest of Ireland. The space is shared with two residents and there are other Airbnb guests in the other rooms from time to time, but it is a quiet house where you can expect privacy. When you book this room you will have access to the full house, with your own cupboard space and your own fridge. It's a very beautiful and comfortable house to stay in.

You can make yourself at home when you stay here. The price is not just for the room, it's for all the common areas where you can relax, watch Netflix, or set up a desk and do some work.

The local town has lots of places to eat and also a lot of history, with a castle, monastery, and round tower to view.

The apartment is located in the heart of Dublin (right next door to Google HQ). It is a safe area with lots of nearby restaurants, cafes, parks and Grand Canal. The apartment is shared with one person (female late 20's) and looking for a long term tenant for 6 months to a year minimum. The apartment is very clean and newly furnished. Available immediately. If interested please send a message.

Ideal for Dublin Airport (7min drive away). Bright comfortable double bedroom with own bathroom I quiet neighbourhood. An excellent bus service to and from Dublin Airport and City Centre. Walking distance to Swords Village, bars, restaurants, shopping centre.

Large bedroom with double bed and own bathroom in duplex type apartment.

My space is located near supermarkets, night life (good places to relax and have a proper Guiness), transports, banks and a shopping mall. It's a quick 15 minute bus drive to the airport or a 7/8min by taxi and 30/35 minute bus drive to city centre.

Our space is perfect for young adventures travellers. We provide a warm welcoming home different from a hotel experience.

Comfortable and peaceful place. Short steps to city centre and a big bed room for you!

It is a spacious bedroom with plenty of space to run around and dance when you come home drunk. The room has a lock for the door, so you and your guests can go out and rest assured that all your valuables are safe behind a locked bedroom door. The bedroom contains a double bed, a bedside locker and a wardrobe.

Spacious Guesthouse with beautiful views of Dublin. You will have your own Large Bedroom, Bathroom, Kitchen and lounge area. 15 minutes from Dublin International Aiport. 15 minutes from Swords & 30 minutes from Dublin City

Beautiful view of Dublin city & Mountains

Country setting with the convenience of Dublin Airport/ City & surrounding towns close by.

Great space to call base when in Dublin, close to all bus routes and DART, 15 minutes from Dublin Air Port, 15 minutes to Dublin Sea Port, Shops, Parks, Beach, Harbor, Cinema, on the door step, Local Fact, U2 Drummer Larry Mullen JR, was born on my road, Secure Parking for Bikers. As a biker myself I know how important the security of your bike is on a trip. Airport and Seaport drop off anytime 15 euro Breakfast 6.50 euro PP if requested.

We are central to City Center, St Annes Park, Howth Harbour, Malahide Village, Dollymount Beache, Shops and Shopping Centers, Convenient to bus and DART stations, Very quiet location, you will love it.

We are within walking distance of Dollymount Beach, ST Annes Park, this is a quiet residential area nice to walk around