Dublin Gospel Choir

If you are a sufferer of 'the Sunday night blues' then I have the cure! Dublin Gospel Choir perform the first and third Sunday of every month at the 7pm mass in St. Mary of the Angels Church on Church Street.

The music is so uplifting that it's near impossible not to clap and sway along with them. Their powerful voices are exhilarating and roof raising! The choir are a good mix of ages and gender. The music will transport you from Dublin city centre to another world!

The Church is a 20 minute walk from Temple Bar Hotel or 5 minute in a taxi.

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/

Girls Night Out

Food, Drink and a Bit of a Singsong...

I am now officially a pro at making Dublin's best cocktails! Myself and my work mates hit the town last Thursday night to soak up the city atmosphere after a hard days work.

We started off by going to Salamancas Tapas Bar for an Early Bird meal, which was really good value. I got a glass of wine, a steak and dessert for only €15; it was the perfect portion size too as I wasn't too full or any bit hungry after it.

We journeyed on then to Buskers bar afterwards for our cocktail lessons which were great craic! We got loads of attention from Emre (the guy who gave us the lessons) and we made up some really tasty concoctions. The lessons lasted for two hours, we got two cocktails and one shot and it only cost €25 each!!

Rock Star Karaoke followed after that then which was loads of fun! We got to sing with a live band instead of just singing on stage on your own in front of a tv screen.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable night and I'd highly recommend it to any of you who are in dire need of a fun night out!

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