Dublin, Ireland

Dublin has undergone a dramatic amount of change in the last decade during what has been called “The Celtic Tiger”. In the early 90’s, visiting the city was like taking a step back in time, even more so if you ventured outside the capital! Today, Dublin is a thriving cosmopolitan city on a par with many European capitals. While not everyone agrees this is a good thing, it does affect what you should expect from the city. Having lived in Dublin for some time here are what I would consider to be the best and worst aspects of the recent change and how they would affect the experience of anyone travelling to Dublin for a trip:

The Bad

• Inflation has really taken hold and prices in Dublin rival those of London. It is still possible to find good value but Dublin is not a cheap place to visit.
• The traffic. The population is increasing rapidly and the resulting number of cars on the (pot-holed) roads has led to near gridlock at rush hours….so leave plenty of time to get to the airport
• The traditional Irish experience (“craic”) and land of 1000 welcomes is harder to find

The Good

• The craic and 1000 welcomes still exists and just has to be experienced
• The nightlife is hard to beat whether you are looking for a place to eat or a place to party ‘til the wee hours
• Dublin has not lost touch with its cultural roots and there are hundreds of tours and exhibitions to spend your daylight hours on

My top tips for a weekend break to Dublin would be:

• Shop around for a great flight deal. Most airlines flying to Dublin are really aggressive on price so wait until you find a good deal. There are no specific months to avoid travelling to Dublin. If you see a really good price just book it.
• Don’t spend all your time in the pubs. There are lots to do and see. But do make sure to try the Guinness while you are there.
• If you are staying for anymore than 3 nights get out of the city and explore the surrounding towns like Howth and Malahide to the north and Dalkey and Dun Laoghaire to the South. If you are staying any more than 4 or 5 night then hire a car and experience rural Ireland. Galway on the West cost is 3 hours away as is Waterford in the south.

I would recommend the following links if planning a trip to Dublin:

What’s on in Dublin: http://www.indublin.ie/
Travel Agency - http://travel-agents-uk.blogspot.com/
The official Dublin website http://www.dublin.ie/
Good link to get you started with the main attractions: http://www.dublintourist.com/popular_dublin/
The definitive Dublin pub crawl: http://www.dublinpubcrawl.com/
The best pay and play golf course in Dublin: http://www.portmarnock.com/golf.php

That’s it from me, have a good trip.
Ciarán