Dublin Marathon

I've noticed lots of enthusiastic runners around Dublin city and suburbs over the past few months, no doubt a large share of them are in training for the Dublin city marathon which takes place on Monday, 31st October 2012.

My three brothers are taking part this year. One is flying in from Chicago, one from London and my little brother is coming up from West Cork to take part. The rest of the family have been summoned to Dublin to cheer them on! The competition between them is beginning to intensify but with a few injuries being mentioned it's hard to know which brother will 'win'.

There is a great atmosphere around Dublin every year for the marathon. All the Dublin hotels are busy and most including Temple Bar Hotel serve up a healthy, carbohydrate rich breakfast on the morning.

Best of luck to my three brothers and to all those taking part in the marathon this year.

Dublin Gospel Choir

As strange as it may sound, St. Mary's Church of Angels was the place to be last Saturday night! One might think a church would be the last place you'd want to spend your Saturday night but between the disco lights, the smoke effects and the dancing crowd, some might say it would beat Dublin's club scene any day!

Dublin Gospel Choir (or DGC as they like to call themselves) belted out an array of tunes that carried on for over two and a half hours last Saturday night in aid of a fundraiser for the church's local charity. Tickets were only €10 for a student/with a concession and €15 for adults. 'Aint't no Mountain High Enough', 'Oh Happy Days' and 'Lifted' were among the many songs that graced the stage that night as part of their set list. The choir were bursting with energy throughout the whole night, encouraging the crowd to get up, dance and sing along to the songs.

The show was finished at a reasonable hour-10.30pm- so a trip over to Temple Bar to continue the nights festivities was the perfect way to follow on the night. A quick drink in Buskers Bar before heading to Alchemy nightclub was the ideal Saturday night adventure.

The MC for the night (who was a monk) was brilliant! He was funny and really got the crowd involved. He was delighted with the turn out and thanked us endlessly for our support. DGC have taken a break for the summer but usually sing in this church on the first and third Sunday of each month. They are definitely a must see, Click on the link here to go to their webpage.

Nice Italian Restaurant in Temple Bar

There are many Italian restaurants in Dublin city centre but if you're looking for one of the best then I would look no further than Toscana on Dame Street. It is approximately a ten minute stroll from Temple Bar Hotel. They do an excellent lunch value menu as well as a pre-theatre menu. I would strongly recommend the meatballs and the vegetarian lasagne is one of the best I've tasted, served with fabulous home-made chips! The service is friendly and most importantly Italian! Toscana really is a genuine Italian restaurant.

The New Theatre in Temple Bar

I never thought watching a play that only consisted of two people, in a theatre that was hidden within a bookshop would be so entertaining! Last Wednesday night, myself and my friend attended a play called Ergophobia in the New Theatre in Temple Bar, Dublin. It was a play that told the story of two men-one with the potential to lose,the other a loser with potential. The two actors were great and really held the audiences attention throughout the evening. It was an interesting play that was funny, heartfelt and definitely worth the €15 entry fee!

The theatre only has about 70 seats in total which created a very intimate setting. The play lasted for 90 minutes and there was a 15 minute break in the middle which allowed us to get a glass of wine/tea/coffee in the bookshop outside. I thought it was a great idea to build this theatre in conjunction with the bookshop as it combines two businesses together allowing one to enhance the other. The theatre is located on Essex Street which is just down past Temple Bar square. The play was over by 9.30pm so it's definitely a great way to either start an evening or finish it. A quick drink in Buskers Bar before or after is the perfect solution for a night out!

Midsummer Madness

Facebook fans, brace yourselves for a great deal!...







For the months of July and August, we are providing our Facebook fans with a great deal that cannot be missed. Our Midsummer Summer deal currently offers our guests a one night, room only stay in the hotel for €79 per room when you book and pay in advance (Sun to Thurs only). Whats extra for you guys is that if you mention when booking that you are a fan of ours on Facebook, then you'll get the choice of a free ticket for you and your guest to the Dublin Walking Tours or else you'll both get a free cocktail..what more could you want from an offer?





Call our reservations team now to book your Midsummer Maaaadness offer and don't forget to tell her that you are a fan of ours on Facebook!



Tel: 01-6773333
Email: reservations@tbh.ie
Web: www.templebarhotel.com
Fax: 01-6773088

Blood Brothers at the Gaiety

Blood Brothers is a captivating musical telling the story of twin brothers who were separated at birth and brought up in two completely different environments. Somehow fate and the bond of brotherhood intervened to ensure the brothers got to know each other from a young age, much to the distraught of their mothers.

Rebecca Storm is the lead and her incredible voice will stay with you for days after especially in 'Marilyn Monroe' and 'Tell me its not true'.

Blood Brothers runs in the Gaiety Theatre until 25th June 2011. It is definitely worth seeing and it will appeal to young and old, male and female.

The Gaiety Theatre is a 10 to 15 minute walk from Temple Bar Hotel. For our best available rates check out http://www.templebarhotel.com/.

Barrack Obama's Visit

Is Féidir Linn!

These wise words were spoken yesterday by the American President Barrack Obama when he encouraged us in these hard, recessionary times that 'Yes We Can!'. Grinning from ear to ear yesterday in College Green in front of Trinity College, Barrack reached out to thousands of admiring, Irish followers. He was charming, polite and as expected, a true gentleman. People of all ages had queued since the night before to come see this inspirational man and listen to his heartwarming speech. He mentioned our country's great relationship with America, the historic connection between the two countries and his Kearney ancestors from Moneygall. He spoke about his hopeful belief that this country can battle through this terrible recession and come out of it as good as we were before it hit. He only graced our Irish soil for a mere 24 hours but it was enough to bring hope and spirit back into the hearts of our people.

Barrack and Michelle visited Moneygall in Co. Offaly on Monday afternoon before the big gathering in College Green. While there they met Barack's cousin 'Henry the 8th', had a quick pint of Guinness in Hayes' pub, took a trip into the local shop and chatted timelessly to the local villagers. They were greeted with enormous welcome from the locals and were treated as one of their own.

May the 23rd 2011, is a date that will surely go down in history for Dublin, when the American President brought hope and life back to the Irish people. It will certainly be a while before Dame Street, Temple Bar and the areas that surround it will see such an iconic figure in its midst which will atract such an enormous adoring crowd.

President Obama..after your visit, it is without a doubt that the thought on every Irish mind today is the creed: Is Féidir Linn!

Bridges over the Liffey

Dublin City is divided by the River Liffey and while there is the obvious need for bridges to transport traffic, the most important function of bridges is to link and connect people according to Michael Phillips, City Engineer with Dublin City Council. In a recent talk at the Central Library, The Ilac Centre, Dublin entitled ‘Bridges over the Liffey’ Michael gave listeners a historic insight into the 20 bridges that connect North and South Dublin city and as he explained the erection of bridges has a lot to do with what is going on at that current time. With just a lunch time hour Michael gave a brief yet interesting overview of each bridge.

Some interesting snippets:

• The current width of the River Liffey is about three times shorter than back in the 13th Century due to land reclamation
• The iconic Ha’penny Bridge got its name from the fact that is was originally built as a toll bridge and yes you guessed the price of the toll!
• O’Connell Bridge is unique in that it’s width is nearly the same as the length

The Central Library is a ten minute walk from Temple Bar Hotel.

Facebook Competition

Introducing, the Temple Bar Hotel's best competition to date! This is a prize not to be missed. It includes the very best elements of a city break...with no expense spared.

A two night weekend stay in our lovely three star hotel which is located right in the middle of the city centre. Along with this we are offering a free lunch in Buskers bar, a lovely meal in the Terrace restaurant, tickets to the Guinness Storehouse AND the Dublin Bus Tour, along with cocktails to kick-off your night and then free club entry into Alchemy Nightclub and Venue. What more could you want? Oh ya, a late check-out time on the day of your departure, so you can rest that sore head of yours after your wild night out in the town:)All you have to do is log onto our Facebook page, 'like' us and then answer one simple question. You should tell your friends too because if they win, they might just bring you!!

Competition runs until April 27th, the winner will be announced shortly after this. Good luck and get liking!!

Grand Canal Theatre-Sound of Music

The Hills are Alive...The Grand Canal Theatre

Firstly, i must say...what a great spot! The amazing architecture of the building, the beautiful views of the city and the selection of great restaurants located nearby with well-priced dinner offers really made this night out a great experience. My first impressions of the theatre itself were that is was very clean, the staff were well groomed and polite and the great views you get of the stage from your seat were great( and i was seated up high).

Apparently you can't bring your drinks into the theatre which is acceptable i suppose(i didn't know this at the time though so i successfully brought my glass of wine in with me).They do have a brilliant service to compensate for this as you can pre-order your interval drinks so when you come out your drinks are waiting for you with your allocated number alongside it. Genius:)

The musical itself was outstanding. The voices of some of the actors were unbelievable, especially the Mother Abbess. The children were so cute and really good at their parts. Maria was very like the character she was playing and had a lovely voice also.The props and stage settings looked very realistic and kept changing in every scene so not to get boring.

Tickets only cost €25 for an adult or €20 for an OAP or student. Upcoming acts are: Sicter Act, Mamma Mia, Dirty Dancing and many more. Overall, i would definitely advise anyone to go to this musical for a bit of fun and uplifting.

1916 Rising Walking Tour

One of the best things I’ve done in this city I’ve learned to call home is the ‘1916 Rebellion Walking Tour’ with Dubliner Lorcan Collins as the tour guide. Lorcan is a gifted story-teller with a fantastic enthusiasm for this specific and pivotal time in Irish history. In the two hours I spent in his company I learned more about 1916, or perhaps I gained a deeper understanding of it than all my years in school. The tour will appeal to a large audience as Lorcan makes an asserted effort to engage with everyone in the group.
As Lorcan brought the group along the route he pointed out numerous historical interest points that are not obvious to the uninformed as well as the more obvious landmarks such as the GPO and James O’Connell’s statue. Lorcan does not adhere to the ‘pretty’ areas of Dublin as he escorted us down some of the more ‘local’ streets to learn of their relevant to the Rising. However I felt this added to the authenticity of the tour. I must say I felt a sense of privilege to be on the tour when I became aware of some puzzled stares from passersby who must have been intrigued at the attention our group were giving to Lorcan with his larger than life personality.
Lorcan’s knowledge, passion and sense of humour makes this tour a must for both locals and tourists. The pace is very manageable for all ages.
All tours leave from the International Bar, Wicklow Street (10 min walk from Temple Bar Hotel). Monday to Saturday at 11.30am and Sunday at 1pm. The price is a very reasonable €12.

Election Day

Election Day Dawns...

It's that crucial time again folks! Nerves and excitement fill the country today as citizens flee to their nearest polling station to vote for their choice of parliament. Workers are rushing out on their lunch break, parents are sneaking out when the kids are gone to bed and the newly turned 18 years old are bravely experiencing their very first public vote, all in an attempt to make our country a better place.

You'll be interested to know that President Mary Mc Aleese and her husband Dr. Martin Mc Aleese both voted in St. Mary's Hospital in the Phoenix Park earlier today. Polls are due to stay open until 10pm tonight so make sure you take a few minutes out of your day to vote for the party you think will do our country the most justice.

The parties running for election today are Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Green Party, Sinn Féin, The Socialist Party, Labour Party, People Before Profit, Christian Solidarity Party, The Workers Party and the South Kerry Independent Alliance.

Lets make the country a better place by voting for your chosen party today!

For more information on the election updates, please click the following link http://www.rte.ie/news/election2011/

Jameson Film Festival

Not long to go now until the Jameson Film Festival kicks off in Dublin. The festival runs for ten days from February 17th to 27th and presents over 120 films.

There is a wide range of flims to choose from including categories such as Irish Cinema, Latin Cinema, Real to Reel, French Cinema, First Look...to name but a few.

For more information on the festival and the films check out www.jdiff.com

Taste of Dublin

Taste of Dublin is back on June 10th - 13th in the Iveagh Gardens. The food and drink festival is one of the most popular events of the summer with upto 30,000 visitors expected to attend. For some reason the sun always seems to shine for Taste of Dublin (I hope I haven't jinxed it now!). Dublin's top restaurants will display their finest cuisine samples and it's always a good idea to have a good look around before deciding on which to choose.Well known chefs including Darina Allen, Kevin Dundon, Donal Skehan Gino D'Acampo and Rachel Allen will be present and even offering cooking demonstrations.
Taste of Dublin is a great day out for family and friends and if you don't live in Dublin we highly recommend you stay over and make a weekend of it. Temple Bar Hotel is a 20 minute scenic stroll from the Iveagh Gardens.

Top 10 things to see & do in Dublin!

Many Irish people are opting for the staycation option this year and the big dilemma will be where exactly to holiday at home! A few days in the capital offers visitors not only a wealth of things to do but now there is really good value for money to be got here too!

Guinness Storehouse
The Guinness Storehouse is Dublin's most popular visitor attraction. Here you will discover all there is to know about what goes into the making of 'the black stuff'. You can conclude your visit with a complimentary Pint in the stunning Gravity Bar which offers panoramic views of the Dublin skyline.

Book of Kells
The Book of Kells is a 9th Century illuminated manuscript on permanent display in Dublin's Trinity College. Over 500, 000 people come to view this ornate historical book each year.

Dublin Bus Tour
The Dublin Bus Tour offers visitors a convenient way to see Dublin city and its tourist attractions. You can hop on and hop off the bus as often as you wish and the tour guides will ensure you are both well informed and entertained while enroute.

Jameson Distillery
The Distillery was built in 1780 and the tour brings you on a complete tour of whiskey making and ends with a whiskey tasting in the Jameson bar. A visit to the distillery is a truly unforgettable experience as visitors can get a true sense of Ireland and its history.

Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle is one of the city's most historical attractions. Built in 1204 it is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city. It now houses a new visitor centre in its vaulted basement.

Dublin Zoo
Dublin Zoo is the third oldest zoo in the world (after London and Paris). The zoo has over 240 species of wild animals and tropical birds. It is a popular attraction for both locals and visitors. It is located in Phoenix Park, fondly known as Dublin's playground, it is the largest park in Europe and offers a welcome retreat for city dwellers looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.

Kilmainham Gaol
Kilmainham Gaol is well worth a visit as it provides an insight into the history of Irish Republicanism. It is one of the most famous disused prisons in Ireland.

St. Stephen's Green
This city centre park is beautifully landscaped with flowerbeds, trees, lakes and a fountain. It is a popular spot for office workers at lunch time, especially during the summertime.

Trinity College
Trinity College was founded in 1592 and among its most famous students to attend the college were playwrights Oliver Goldsmith and Samuel Beckett. Trinity College is home to the Book of Kells.

Temple Bar
The Temple Bar area is a must see for everyone visiting Dublin. This cultural area of Dublin has become known as the Old City and it possesses a unique and wonderful atmosphere and buzz. The bars and restaurants are alive with music and dance every evening and numerous festivals and events take place here throughout the year.

Temple Bar Hotel is currently offering a special rate of €79 per person sharing for two nights B&B, a complimentary drink on arrival, tickets to either the Guinness Storehouse, Jameson Distillery or Dublin Bus Tour. An optional third night is available for just €30 per person sharing. To book call (01) 677 3333 or email reservations@tbh.ie

Dublin Convention Centre

I am just back from a site visit of the Dublin Convention Centre and I am very impressed! The Convention Centre is due to open on 1st September and it will bring a lot of business for Dublin hotels. Myself and my colleague walked there this morning from Temple Bar Hotel and it took us just over fiftheen minutes. The other option is to walk five minutes to the Luas stop and it would be just another five minutes on the Luas.

What I loved about the Convention Centre it is the glass fronted atrium. The idea being that when you are moving around the centre itself you can actually see panoramic views Dublin City! The taxi fare from the Dublin Convention Centre back to Temple Bar Hotel was €7.30 which is very good! I think a lot of visitors will want to stay city centre and especially in the Temple Bar area where they can really relax and experience Dublin after a long day in a meeting. There are so many bars, restaurants and cafes in the area that visitors will be spoilt for choice.