First Thursdays Dublin

If you are planning a trip to Dublin it might be an idea to plan it around the first Thursday in the month so you can take advantage of the 'First Thursdays Dublin'. This initiative sees a number of the city's cultural spaces and venues open their doors after hours (6-8pm).

Click here for a list of participating venues.

Most of the venues are walking distance to Temple Bar Hotel.

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

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.

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.

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!

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!!

Getting ready to Bloom!

The highlight of my recent Ulysses walking tour was witnessing one of the greatest supporters of all things Joycean (Senator David Norris) roar a string of expletives as he chased an ‘Out of Service’ Dublin Bus down North Great Georges Street. Apparently the buses are banned because of their potential damage to the underground wine cellars that stretch out underneath the street.

The irony of witnessing such a humorous scene while on a Ulysses walking tour did not escape us as the epic novel is based on humorous observations in Dublin city. Every year on June 16th, Bloomsday is celebrated as it marks the day when all the action in Ulysses took place, when the fictional character, Leopold Bloom wandered Dublin city.

This year the Temple Bar area will host a number of events on June 16th to celebrate the day. Buskers Bar will have a jazz band from 5-7pm and will be serving a Blooms day breakfast all day as well as the famed Gorgonzola sandwich with burgundy wine. Sounds blooming amazing! (sorry, I couldn’t resist!!!).

For more information on events in Temple Bar on Bloomsday, click here.
To download a free iWalk podcast click here
Distance from Temple Bar Hotel to Temple Bar - 0 minutes!