St. Patrick's Day Grandstand tickets to giveaway!

St. Patrick's Day is something special and spending the day in Dublin is on most people's to do list. The Dublin Parade is always a spectacular event and this year the theme is 'Extraordinary world'. Scenes from the Dublin parade are broadcast throughout the world and thousands come to the city to see for themselves how the Irish celebrate being Irish!



The biggest problem on the day is trying to find the best vantage point to view the parade. That's where we help out! We have two pairs of VIP Grandstand tickets to give away to the first two people who book into Temple Bar Hotel for March 16th and 17th. Just email me on sales@tbh.ie or call me (01) 612 9286 to book your room (€80 per person per night) and claim the tickets! The tickets are worth €60 each! For more information on the hotel see http://www.templebarhotel.com/.

We also have 10 tens of tickets for the City at Play fun fairs for the 10 best comments that describe their best St. Patrick's Day in 30 words or less!

Jameson International Film Festival Dublin

The Jameson Film Festival which takes place from February 18th to 28th is one of those festivals which is going from strength to strength. There will be over 120 film and documentary works screened over the 10 days. The popularity of the festival is due mainly to the fact that it offers in a lot of cases the only chance for people to see the film and many of them are Irish premieres. This year there are a few films that have caught my attention including Ondine which was shot in my home County of Cork and stars the handsome Mr. Colin Farrell. It also happens to be the Opening Gala film. There is also a chance to see a number of classics, most notably La Dolce Vita. For more information see www.jdiff.com. All the venues are within walking distance of Temple Bar Hotel.

Picturing New York @ the Irish Museum of Modern Art

I was very excited to see that the Irish Museum of Modern Art is displaying a photo exhibit called Picturing New York. I just returned from New York City on Thursday morning so with the energy of the city still pulsing through my veins I immediately summoned my fellow New York loving friends to an afternoon of indulgence! It’s one of those cities that I can never get enough of and the queue of people (or the line as the Americans like to call to it!) was testament to the fact that I am not alone in my love of the Big Apple.

The Picturing New York photo exhibition in the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) features a collection of 145 black and white photographs from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. The photos capture everything that symbolises the diversity of New York from its architecture to its people but all portraying the vibrancy and velocity of the city. There were moments when I was captivated by an image of an iconic building and moments where I smiled at simple human interactions captured by the camera lens.

Admission is €5 so it won’t break the bank and the collection can be viewed in about 40 minutes so there’s not enough time for museum fatigue to set it. Like the city itself, it leaves you wanting more. It runs until 7th February.

From Temple Bar Hotel, take the Luas (Red line) to Heuston Station, 5 mintues walk from here to entrance on Military road.

Temple Bar TradFest coming up

Temple Bar TradFest was launched yesterday. It takes place over 5 days and nights from January 27th to 31st. Try to pick up a Programme of Events which will give you a good guide to all the performances in Temple Bar.

Is there anything more magical than a pub filled with the sound of traditional Irish music? It is at the very core of the Irish culture. There's an energy in traditional Irish music that attracts people of every nationality and makes them want to get up and dance a jig! Irish music sessions keep Irish music alive right across the globe. For visitors to Ireland that are seeking out Irish cultural experiences, a traditional Irish music session is highly recommended. But also for locals who have experienced extreme weather conditions lately, it is the perfect way to raise your spirits and celebrate being Irish!

Temple Bar Tradfest 2010

I was delighted to receive my invite for the launch of the Temple Bar Tradfest this morning. The Tradfest runs from January 27th to 31st. It is Dublin's biggests and best Irish Music and Culture Festival. It will be the fifth year of the Tradfest and there are some great performers lined up including the legendary Finbar Furey. There's also Film Screenings, Workshops, Street Theatre and Markets planned for the festival.

Buskers Bar will have the Electric Ceili band playing on January 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th. It's great to have something to look forward to in January and the Tradfest always offers a buzzing atmosphere along the cobbled streets of Temple Bar.

Christmas Markets in Dublin's IFSC

I was so excited to hear Dublin's Christmas markets are back on December 10th. Last year we went there for our Christmas party (a budget alternative to the big sit down meal party) by walking down there (just 10 mins walk from the hotel) in the afternoon and strolling around the stalls. There was plenty of food vendors serving delicious hot food and mugs of mulled wine to warm us up. There is a fantastic festive atmosphere around the markets with everyone in the Christmas spirit. It's a great place to get some stocking fillers with lots of quirky gift ideas. There's no charge and it's great for children and adults. It could also be added to the list for anyone doing the '12 pubs of Christmas' in Dublin. On that note, if anyone has established a good list of pubs....do leave a comment and let me know!

Warning! If you are walking down to the markets with a gang, expect to lose some on the way to the many inviting bars you will pass!!

Dublin Beer Festival! A Great Night Out!

Well I took my own advice yesterday (and suffering for it today) and I gathered the troops after work and headed down to Oktoberfest in the IFSC. There are numerous food stalls serving a variety of German foods. I had a tasty German sausage which had been cooked on the charcoal bbq followed by a Baileys and Banana Crepe for dessert. And then for the Beer!! I went for the smaller jug of Paulander Beer as I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to lift the larger one. Most of the drinking goes on in the large tent with wooden benches and seats. The atmosphere was fantastic with plenty of beer mug clinking and lots of beer loss in the process! The Bavarian band played traditional German music which is quite lively and calls for plenty of beer mug raising! There were German girls in the traditional Dirndl dress and you can purchase the dresses, but be warned that while it may seem like a good idea after a few beers, you won't be wearing it on a regular Saturday night out!

There's still over a week left to go so get yourself down there.