Dublin Wet Spot rather than Hot Spot!

Flooding in Dublin - Dun Laoghaire last night.

Picture: Stephen Collins.

Yesterdays weather was unbelievable and brought Dublin to a standstill and probably a lot of other parts of the country! It took me a couple of hours to get across one side of the city to another and then a further couple of hours to get home!!

Across the capital it was a similar situation to many and some people left stranded completely!

                                                                             

 Luas Lines flooded and closed!

There were a number of cars left abandoned on my journeys and chaos everywhere!

But I was among one of the lucky ones if you could call it that! Some people were left with no power or water, others had their homes flooded, and it's only October, we haven't even had winter yet or snow!

Dundrum Shopping Centre.

Shopping Centres were left in pools of water and banks of rivers and canals burst, all contributing to the chaos and ending up with roads closed and traffic at a go-slow or complete standstill!

Watch these links they are unbelievable!



Check out these links below for amazing footage:

BreakingNews.ie:

Link:

Transport services returning to normal following Dublin floods | BreakingNews.ie

FM 104 Photos & Videos:

Link:
http://www.fm104.ie/galleries/gallery.aspx?id=101002


What was your experience? 
Leave a comment or post your Photos / videos!!

Transport services returning to normal following Dublin floods | BreakingNews.ie

Transport services returning to normal following Dublin floods | BreakingNews.ie

Bar / Restaurant - O' Neills.

 O' Neill's Bar.

 O' Neill's bar on  Suffolk Street Dublin 2, is a great place to visit for a bite to eat and a pint!

But it's also a very atmospheric pub to go to to watch your essential sports events and have great craic with the vibe that is always present during those big events!

They have plenty of TV screens to watch all the big events and usually have something going on to watch!

They have an extensive fresh carvery each day and also a very varied menu available for to cater to all tastes!
There is also music from 9pm every night from May until the end of September, and then they have live Irish music from October to May on Sunday and Monday nights.







Suffolk Street Dublin 2
http://www.oneillsbar.com/

Adding Elements!

Hi All,
I'm testing some elements on the page as I'm going along, to test out programming so bare with me if some elements don't work as you would expect! It's all new to me but learning!!
Please send comments for feedback on items and anything else!
Mark

Visitor Site - National Art Gallery.

National Art Gallery.

The National Art Gallery on Merrion Square, is always a most welcome retreat to a quiet, relaxing break away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life!

 I used to work quite near the gallery many moons ago and often liked to wander up during lunch break and immerse myself into the bliss of a cultural experience on a par with the most famous Art Galleries in the world!

It has extensive collections including masterpieces from past masters known throughout the world such as Caravaggio, Titian, Rembrandt, Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Gainsborough, Vermeer, to name but a few of the fantastic artists works which adorn the walls of this historic building.

The Gallery has two dining options with a Café and a Restaurant with daily specials and treats.

Refurbishment and restoration of the main building is currently being carried out and access is currently through the Gallery via the Millennium Wing at Clare Street.

Merrion Square West,
Dublin 2,
Ireland

http://www.nationalgallery.ie/

Pub - Mac Turcaills.

Mac Turcaills.

Great pub with a good atmosphere, very friendly staff!
This family run Pub is one of the good ones to visit for a night out in Dublin, and a great spot to hold your party with plenty of space!
They have an extensive bar menu with plenty of tasty dishes!
They also have a carvery on weekdays at lunchtime which is second to none!
It's very reasonably priced and even has good beer prices! Friday & Saturday nights are lively and offer a good atmosphere with good music!

It's also a good spot to watch sports with plenty of big screen TVs throughout the bars.
A good place to visit for a pint and some grub!

The staff are all very friendly and helpful and give an exellent service!
15 Townsend St
Dublin 2
(01) 6790981 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (01) 6790981 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Bar / Grill / Club - Odeon.

The Odeon.

The Odeon is a great contemporary Bar with an Art Deco feel and has a comfortable Grill Restaurant which offers a great lunchtime menu at very reasonable prices!

The menu has a flavour for everyone and & offers a great range! The unique setting in the old Harcourt St., Train Station, offers an interesting experience and adds to the atmosphere of the place.

It is a great use for the building which revives the old building into a bustling atmospheric bar / grill restaurant.

At night it transforms to a tranquilly lit bar, but also offers some unique events such as 'Latin Beat Club' and 'Movie Club' which have a different vibe for a different experience all of which are free of charge!

A very good spot for Lunch / Dinner / and a drink or a dance, check out their site and visit for a nice experience!

The Odeon Bar & Grill
Old Railway Station
57 Harcourt Street
Dublin 2
http://www.odeon.ie/

Visitor Centre - The Guinness Storehouse

The Guinness Storehouse.
The Guinness Storehouse is a wonderful place to visit and is really one of the best attractions of Dublin City in my opinion! It is set in the old distillery Hop Storehouse and the old building and structure is amazing! The whole experience is a walk through time and back to an era where craftsmanship was next to no other here in Dublin.

The exhibition of how the Guinness brand and the process involved in making the world famous drink 'The Black Stuff' itself is really very well done and very informative! It is a joyful experience to wind your way around the exhibition through the amazing engineering structure of the building itself to the modern adaption of it to today's use as an exhibition and visitor centre!

This is really a tremendous tribute to the craftsman and to good engineering alongside good architecture culminating in a combination of all those aspects marrying the old and the new, past and modern!! Being from and Architectural background myself it was a pure joy to see the first time i witnessed it for myself and that was only the structure! I have been many times now and have brought visitors from overseas to this exhibition and all have wondered at the great experience!

You are taken on a journey of how Arthur Guinness first devised the brew and signing the lease right through the processes involved and the ingredients and the to have a pint at the penultimate end to the satisfaction of the tasting of 'The Black Stuff'!!


Right at the top of the Storehouse in the 'Gravity Bar', you can enjoy your pint with breathtaking views of Dublin City and further! The views are incredible with floor to ceiling glass windows and a almost 360 degree view.

As I said I have been a number of times and highly recommend it as one of the best exhibition experiences and good value! There is also restaurants and a merchandise shop for souvenirs!
A must for visitors to experience one of our National Treasures!!


GUINNESS STOREHOUSE®
St James's Gate
Dublin 8

http://www.guinness-storehouse.com

Restaurant - The Cliff Townhouse

The Cliff Restaurant.

Another reasonably priced restaurant on St. Stephen's Green, where it's elegance is reflected in the good food! As I said this is a reasonably priced restaurant and has a great menu with pre-theatre and lunch specials.

It's a nice place to dine in this Georgian building in the heart of the city with its elegant feel but meets modern twist! In the current climate it is a nice treat to endulge in a little extravagance yet it wont break the bank!! Rather its the opposite with good food and wine at good value prices!

Restaurant.

Restaurant Menu Samples

Lunch/Pre Theatre

One Course - €14.50

Two Courses - €19.50

Three Courses - €24.50

Dinner

Dinner Menu is a la carte

Sunday Lunch

Three Courses - €30.00

Two Courses - €25.00

Bar.

The Cliff Townhouse, Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland

T: +353 1 638 3939

F: +353 1 638 3900

E: info@theclifftownhouse.com

http://theclifftownhouse.com/

Pub - O' Donoghue's

O' Donoghue's.
A favorite spot for many a Dubliner with its tradition of music and craic for all! This Dublin pub is a very popular spot for visitors and for locals for longer than I am old!! Some would say it's had a hand in the birth of some of the best and widely know Irish bands & Entertainers over the years.
Probably its most famous of patrons being non other than the 'Dubliners' themselves!!

It's always been a pleasure to go in and have a pint of the 'Black Stuff' at anytime and find a cultural mix found probably nowhere else! The staff are always in good form and pleasant and depending on the time of day you may find yourself part of the audience of a free music treat brought to you by musical maestros and singers from all sorts of backgrounds culminating together in one common love! You never know who might join in and the talent is excellent!

One of the places known for 'a good pint of guinness' it certainly is up there! I myself am a Bulmer's cider drinker but when I visit O' Donohue's would feel it sacrilege not to have a Guinness out of shear respect!!

It's also a haunt where you never know who from the diaspora of Irish Celebrities, you may happen to bump into!
They also provide some food and the 'Toasted Special & a cup of soup' is a favorite lunchtime treat and really hits the spot at a very reasonable price!! Washed down with a pint and its heaven itself!! Great for those winter days approaching!

Cheer's!!!

 

15 Merrion Row Dublin 
Tel: +353 (0)1 6607194
Fax: +353 (0)1 6614303
E-mail: odonoghuesdublin@eircom.net

http://www.odonoghues.ie/bar

Facebook.Page Link

Restaurant - Hugo's Restaurant / Wine Bar

Hugo's Restaurant.

Hugo's is a lovely restaurant on Merrion Row, with an antique / chic decor, which gives an  ambiance of french bistro. It offers a French and International cuisine on its menu and gives good value for money with a moderate pricing, but has great deals for early bird and other specials.
Well worth a visit!

I have been to this restaurant on a number of occasions and always had a pleasant experience!

The staff are always very nice and try to cater for all your requests and aim to please!

It always has a very pleseant athmosphere and a favorite of mine and I'm sure if you visit it will also become one of yours!!

Open 7 days a week from 12pm - 11pm.

6. Merrion Row,

Dublin 2

Tel: +353 1 676 5955

Fax: + 353 1 676 1999

http://www.hugos.ie/

 Facebook.Page ~Link

Restaurant / Pub / Club - Cafe En Seine

Cafe En Seine.


A 19th century Parisian style bar / restaurant and club, on Dublin's Dawson Street, in the heart of the city. Cafe en seine is a nice place to have a bite to eat in the day or just a coffee and a sambo, and at night it is a cool place to go for a beer! It can seem a little expensive although from late night it has a club vibe with a DJ and dance area and is free in so hence its a good deal!

Very popular with the work crowd around Grafton St, and the local area and a place people tend to go to after a few drinks in some other pubs for a late night drink and a dance!

There used to be a sister bar/club called Zanzibar on the north quays which was the called Bondai Beach however it is no longer in operation.

CASUAL LUNCH MENU from 12pm daily

EVENING MENU from 4.30pm to 9pm Monday to Saturday

SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH from noon to 5pm

Café en Seine,

39 Dawson St, Dublin 2

Tel 01 6774567 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01 6774567 end_of_the_skype_highlighting / 6774549
Fax 01 6774488
Web www.cafeenseine.ie
Email info@cafeenseine.ie
Twitter www.twitter.com/cafe_en_seine

Welcome Note!

Hi all, this is my very first blog and my very first time to set up a blog!!
I thought it would be interesting to get peoples opinions of what they feel are good restaurants, clubs, pubs, venues, or visitor sites in Dublin which they consider to be "Hot Spots" or places people should go and experience!!!!
But if people have other places that may be outside of Dublin you are also welcome to mention them too!
I hope that this may be an informative view on the positive side of Dublin and offer people a 'from the horses mouth' view or opinion of places around Dublin from peoples experiences!!
Thank you for any contributions you may have!!
Mark