IN DUBLIN'S FAIR CITY
DESPITE the fact Dublin is only down the road from home I have never really been what you could call a frequent visitor to the city.
"What is there to do in Dublin that I can't do at home?" was the question behind my argument.
Well, it turns out there is plenty to see and do in and around the city. Myself and my girlfriend decided one day that we would go and investigate what the craic was. We got ourselves booked into the very plush Best Western Ashling Hotel located in Parkgate Street via Hotelopia.
This hotel has recently undergone extensive redevelopment and now incorporates 225 bedrooms. Guests also have the opportunity to use an Internet terminal and free internet access. Conference facilities are available. Parking is free to residents in the hotel's secure multi-storey car park.
The hotel is situated on Parkgate Street, across the River Liffey from Heuston train station. The centre of Dublin, as well as the famous Temple Bar district, is a 20-minute walk from the hotel. It is also a short distance to many of Dublin's premier tourist attractions, for example Guinness Storehouse, Dublin Zoo, Jameson Distillery, the Tower in Smithfield, Museum of Decorative Arts, Collins Barracks, Museum of Modern Art at the Royal Hospital Killmainham, and Killmainham Gaol. Dublin Airport is about 11 km from the hotel and is connected from Heuston Station via Dublin bus' airlink service, number 748. The Guinness Storehouse was our first port of call, and with it being just over the river from where we were staying it was also very handy for us to get to.
The Storehouse was originally built in 1904 to house the Guinness fermentation process. This incredible building was constructed in the style of the Chicago school of architecture, with massive steel beams providing the support for the structure of the building. The Storehouse building housed the fermentation of Guinness beer until 1988, and in November 2000 the new addition to the Dublin tourism offer opened its doors.
The core of the Guinness Storehouse building is modelled on a giant pint glass, stretching up from reception on the ground floor to The Gravity Bar in the sky. If filled, this giant pint would hold approximately 14.3 million pints of Guinness!
Now, my girlfriend would never confess to being the biggest beer fan in the world (although I would) but even she managed to find the exhibits very interesting. Mind you, while my favourite part of the trip was being able to pour my own pint of the black stuff she particularly enjoyed the view from the top of the building in the Gravity Bar.
There you can relax and enjoy the uninterrupted panoramic views across Dublin City - it really is one of the most spectacular places to visit in Dublin.
With all our walking and travelling by the time we got back to the hotel we were starving so we decided to try out the food in the hotel's top quality Chesterfield restaurant. I opted for the most beautiful beef stir fry while she went for the scampi. She assures me that it was the best scampi she ever had - high praise indeed!
Turning in for the night, we relaxed in one of the Ashling's spacious, modern bedrooms. All rooms are decorated to a high standard and are equipped with the modern essentials you'll need to ensure that you enjoy your stay and have a great night's sleep. The welcoming rooms are bright and have all been recently refurbished. They come with an en suite bathroom, double or twin beds, tea/coffee making facilities, spare pillows and blanket, hairdryer, safe, direct dial telephone, complimentary Internet access available and TV. Central heating comes as standard - although don't do what we did and leave the air conditioning on all night as it does get quite chilly!
On day two of our trip we headed for a guided tour around Croke Park. You would probably wonder what the fascination is with an empty sports stadium but it is a place which is proud of it's history.
The site upon which Croke Park now stands was originally owned by Dublin businessman Maurice Butterly. Known as the 'City and Suburban Racecourse' in the 1870's, his most frequent tenant was the GAA. In 1908 Frank Dineen of Limerick, a journalist and former President and Secretary of the GAA, bought the almost derelict site for 3,250. The GAA subsequently purchased the site in 1913 for 3,500 and renamed the ground Croke Park in honour of the association's first patron, Archbishop Croke of Cashel.
That afternoon was spent noseying around some of the excellent shops on offer in Dublin, and what choice we had! Quite easily my shopaholic girlfriend's favourite part of the trip, we were in and out of the likes of Brown Thomas, St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre and, for the more budget-minded of us, Penny's.
Our final night was spent with a friend of mine who moved down to Dublin recently as we sampled the craic and a few more pints of the black stuff in Sandyford, just outside Dublin.
After another night in the biggest, most comfortable bed I've ever had the pleasure of sleeping in we set off on our merry way back home. On the way back we discussed my earlier question - "What is there to do in Dublin that I can't do at home?"
The answer: Much more than my time in the city allowed!
For more information on the Great Western Ashling Hotel visit http://www.hotelopia.co.uk
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Weather for Banbridge
Friday 10 February 2012
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Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 9 C
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