Dublin Ocktoberfest is back!

Dublin Ocktoberfest starts this Thursday, 30th September and runs until 10th October in the IFSC. The event is well worth a visit...at least once! It was a huge success last year with big beer loving crowds filling the wooden benches in the large tents. The energic atmosphere in the tents is created by the Bavarian music as well as the beer. A friendly vibe is created by the clanking of beer mugs with anyone within arms reach. There is plenty of traditional tasty German food on offer. For more information on the event click here. The IFSC is just a 15-20 minute walk from Temple Bar Hotel.

Free Open Air Opera Performances

Well it's back this August, Dublin City Council will again host a series of lunchtime performances in their Amphitheatre (Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8) at 1pm for every Thursday in August.

The line up includes:

5th August: Don Pasquale (Donizetti)

12th August: Ariodante (Handel)

19th August: Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagan)/Paglicci (Leoncavallo)

26th August: Don Giovanni (Mozart)

I went along to one last year and really enjoyed the ambiance of a unique outdoor Opera performance. The audience were well prepared with picnic baskets and the sun shone! The events are free so do take a trip over. The Amphitheatre is approximately a ten minute walk from Temple Bar Hotel.

Point Village Market

I am a HUGE fan of markets. I just love to potter around the colourful stalls smelling the aromas and listening to the banter and chatter between the vendors on the various stands. In Dublin we are fast becoming spoilt for choice with markets popping up all over the city. The newest addition being The Point Village Market which is open every Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm. I took the Red line Luas there last Saturday which is very convenient. I was impressed with the amount of stalls. I had one of the best Lattes I have ever had from one stall (the one that is a miniature lorry). I was slightly amused to see the amount of 'cupcakes' on sale, which seems to be the latest phenomenon sweeping the city. Although in many cases (excuse the pun!) they appear to be nothing more than a bun/queen cake that we had when we were young, but now they are called cupcakes and we've all been sucked into the Americanism and paying €2.50 a pop!

My one criticism of the Point Village Market is I feel the area itself. Not that it's a bad area, but I enjoy markets more when they are in a more intimate setting such as a park (Marley Park) and maybe I'm being biased but Temple Bar Markets in Meeting House Square. I would definitely recommend that Dubliners take a trip to these markets but if you're pushed for time and just on a short visit I would take a trip to Temple Bar Markets on Saturdays.

Sensational Summer

I'm very excited about The Summer Sensational happening in Temple Bar. Organised by Temple Bar Cultural Trust; it's a 4 day festival with events for all ages to participate in and enjoy.

I'm particularly interested in Movies on the Square. Where Dirty Dancing, Jaws and Stand By Me are all being show out doors on big screen. Free admission of course but you need to book tickets here.

For full information click here and don't forget to swing by the Temple Bar Hotel for a cold drink after all the excitement!

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.

Volcanic Ash Charter

At Temple Bar Hotel we are committed to ensuring our guests have an enjoyable and memorable stay with us. Due to the recent volcanic ash cloud disruptions we have developed a charter which we hope will reassure our guests.

If your flight is canceled due to the volcanic ash cloud, we will offer you the following:

· The normal 24 hour cancellation fee is wavered, there will be no charge for cancellations due to the volcanic ash cloud.

· If you do cancel your reservation with us we will guarantee you a rate of €59 (room only) if you re-book with us. You can use this rate at any time in the future (subject to availability).

· If you need to extend your stay with us because your flight is cancelled, we will offer you this rate of €59 room only for the remainder of your stay with us.

· We will be happy to assist you with your onward travel arrangements by contacting airlines/ferry companies/airports for you.

· If you need to extend your stay by two nights or more we will offer a complimentary ticket for a walking tour of Dublin.

· We will offer you 30% off our laundry facilities.

· We offer a €5 main course lunch in Buskers Bar and we will also offer a 10% discount on evening meals in the bar.

· There is complimentary WiFi access available throughout the hotel and bar.

· We will offer complimentary access to the nearby Health & Fitness club.

· Complimentary tea/coffee and newspaper will be made available throughout your stay with us.

· We will provide a 15% discount on Aircoach tickets to Dublin airport.

· We will offer our Full Irish Breakfast for a reduced price of €7.95.

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

Handel's Festival Dublin, April 13th

As I have said in many posts, Temple Bar is a great area for hosting free events. Coming up on Tuesday, 13th April is 'In Handel's Day' which is a one day event run by Temple Bar Cultural Trust. The famous Handel's Messiah was first performed in Temple Bar (on Fishamble Street) on April 13th, 1742 and on April 13th this year there will be lots of free activities from 10am to midnight to commemorate it. Some of the events include:

Let's Walk & Talk: Handel's Dublin - Then & Now (11am)
This is a historical walking tour with Pat Liddy. It is free and no booking is required.

Messiah on the Street (1pm)
A unique choral performance of excerpts from Handel's Messiah on the original site on Fishamble Street, Temple Bar where Messiah received its world premiere in 1742. Again this is free and no booking is required.

Fishamble Street is a 5 minute walk from Temple Bar Hotel.
Check out www.templebar.ie for a full programme of events.

Free Travel for Tourists!

Are you a tourist visiting Ireland? Are you aged 66 or over?

If you said yes to both questions you are entitled to a free Golden Trekker ticket!

Golden Trekker tickets entitle you to free rail travel when in Ireland. The scheme which launched today provides free rail travel to all tourists to Ireland aged 66 and over. There is no restriction on nationality or country of residence.

You can access your tickets on www.discoverireland.com. The tickets will take the form of a four day Trekker ticket or a sequence of four day tracker tickets depending on the length of stay, providing visitors with unrestricted rail travel for a set period. Each four day ticket is worth €100.

Irish senior citizens can currently avail of free travel and every time my mother who lives at home in West Cork comes to visit myself and my two sisters in Dublin she likes to remind us that she used her free travel pass. I witnessed her producing her pass to the train inspector recently and the look of apprehension on her face expressed the fear that he would demand she pay up! But the scheme is genuine and hopefully our Golden Trekkers will help strengthen Irish tourism by encouraging visitors to move around our beautiful countryside and cities. Check out routes and times on www.irishrail.ie. Unfortunately I have to wait another 36 years to avail of free travel!!

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.

Festival of Russian Culture

Dublin continues to amaze me! The amount of festivals and events in this city is just fantastic. Well I do come from rural West Cork where the only event was the annual Festival with the 'Rag' as the main event!! I've just found out about the Festival of Russian Culture started on February 15th and continues until February 21st. There will be a collection of informative films on Russia screened in Meeting House Square, Temple Bar this evening and tomorrow evening. If I hadn't made plans already I'd love to go along to the Pepper Canister Church to see the musical 'To Russia with Love'. Click here for a full list of events for the festival.
Most of the festival events are walking distance from Temple Bar Hotel.

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!