Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [84]
Sandeman’s New Dublin Tour (Map; 878 8547; www.newdublintours.com; City Hall; admission free; 11am) A high-energy and thoroughly enjoyable three-hour walking tour of the city’s greatest hits – and it’s free: tip only if you enjoyed the tour. Spanish-language tours are also available.
* * *
A WORD IN YOUR EAR
If you fancy a go-it-alone guided walk, why not download one of Pat Liddy’s excellent iWalks (www.visitdublin.com/iwalks/), which you can play on your iPod or equivalent MP3 player. You can download them from the website or subscribe to them in iTunes. There are a bunch available, from tours of the city’s different districts to walks tailored to historical, architectural and activity themes.
* * *
Boat Tours
River Liffey Cruises (Map; 473 4082; www.liffeyvoyage.ie; Bachelor’s Walk; adult/student/child €14/10/8; 9am-5.30pm Mar-Oct) Experience the city from the river aboard the (all-important) all-weather Spirit of the Docklands. The history of Dublin is told from a watery point of view, from the Vikings to the recent developments of the Docklands.
Viking Splash Tours ( 707 6000; www.vikingsplash.ie; adult/child/family from €20/10/60; 9am-5.30pm Mar-Oct, 10am-4pm Tue-Sun Nov, 10am-4pm Wed-Sun Feb) Patrick St (Map; 64-65 Patrick St); St Stephen’s Green (Map; North St Stephen’s Green) It’s hard not to feel a little cheesy with a plastic Viking helmet on your head, but the punters get a real kick out of these amphibious 1¼-hour tours that end up in the Grand Canal Dock.
Carriage Tours
You can pick up a horse and carriage with a driver-commentator at the junction of Grafton St and St Stephen’s Green (Map). Half-hour tours cost up to €75 and the carriages can take four or five people. Tours of different lengths can be negotiated with the drivers.
Return to beginning of chapter
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
It wasn’t so long ago that a few trucks dressed up as floats, stilt walkers and a flat-bed loaded with peat briquettes were all you’d expect of Dublin’s St Patrick’s Day Parade. If you wanted a bit of festive glamour, New York’s famous parade was the place to go. But then came the economic boom and the realisation that the event was a tourist bonanza waiting to happen. Now 17 March is just part of St Patrick’s Festival, a four-day extravaganza of activities ranging from street theatre to fireworks, all fuelled by lots and lots of booze.
And therein lies the secret to Dubliners’ love of festive events: sure, officially it’s all about celebrating the city’s rich cultural heritage, but really it’s an excuse to go a little bit mad.
The following list is by no means exhaustive; for more details check out the website run by Dublin Tourism (www.visitdublin.com). For information on special events in Ireland as a whole, Click here.
Temple Bar Trad Festival ( 677 2397; www.templebartrad.com) Traditional music festival in the bars of the cultural quarter over the last weekend in January.
Jameson Dublin International Film Festival ( 872 1122; www.dubliniff.com) Local flicks, arty international films and advance releases of mainstream movies make up the menu of the city’s film festival, which runs over two weeks in mid-February.
St Patrick’s Festival ( 676 3205; www.stpatricksfestival.ie) The mother of all festivals; 600,000-odd gather to ‘honour’ St Patrick over four days around 17 March on city streets and in venues.
Convergence Festival ( 674 6415; www.sustainable.ie; 15-19 Essex St) Ten-day green festival in late June on sustainable living, with a diverse program of workshops, exhibitions and children’s activities.
Dublin Writers Festival (www.dublinwritersfestival.com) Four-day literature festival in early June that attracts Irish and international writers to its readings, performances and talks.
Women’s Mini-Marathon ( 670 9461; www.womensminimarathon.ie) This 10km road race