Top picks of quaint Irish places to see

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  • #705949
    sherrioverseas
    Participant

    Being new to town (Dublin), and not entirely consumed with where the tourist board is steering me – What are your top 4 or 5 places to see, that are…unusual…bizarre…thought provoking?

    #723938
    urbanisto
    Participant

    Sherri – I suppose tops for unusual and thought provoking would be The Burren and the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare. Also the Aran Islands and the Conemara seaboard.

    Ireland is not very blessed with extremes of landscape….though that is maybe part of its charm.

    #723939
    Desmund
    Participant

    Quaint?? Please!!

    There’s nothing quaint about Dublin. If you want to see quaint, hire a copy of the ‘quiet man’ on video or dvd;-)

    My top 5 interesting places to visit would be
    (1)The house of Lords chamber of the bank of Ireland building on Dame street. On Tues and Thursdays there is a free lecture on the history of the place. (2) Trinity College. (3)Grafton street. The only street I’ve ever walked, where you can hear Jaz music at the beggining and a string quartet by the time you reach the end. In between, you’ll probably have heard rendtions of beatles songs, seen a crazy bloke swallow fire and witnessed some nutters walking on glass. (4) For a change from the predictable, visit pooebeg power station (The really tall chimneys) You can go on a tour and it’s located smack bang in the middle of the industrial docks area. (5) The Masonic lodge on Kildare street. (6) (OK, I said 5, but I’m being greedy!) Up the top of Graton street is Stevens Green. A nice respite from a tiring day. It’s a city park with a sculpted landscape. It includes 2 lakes with an abundance of bird life which you can feed – to your cat! It also contains a statue of Oscar Wilde, who you can go up to and tell about the interesting tiring day you’ve had!

    Regards,

    D

    #723940
    sherrioverseas
    Participant

    Ah, StephenC and Desmund, thanks for the posts. I also received some tips about Busaras and the Barracks among other things scattered around town.

    Surely some other folks will pitch in as well? Anyone else out there? Hello?

    #723941
    ew
    Participant

    The casino at Marino. A truely unique building and overlooked by too many – tourists and locals alike.
    It’s a 3 story summer house (guest house?) cleverly fitted into what looks like a little greek temple

    http://www.iol.ie/~stdavids/pictures/marino_small1.jpg

    http://www.iol.ie/~stdavids/Marino_contents.html

    #723942
    alastair
    Participant

    Oscar Wilde is in Merrion Square, not Stephens Green.

    my suggestions: go up to the chester beatty library behind dublin castle. go out to powerscourt estate. check out the casino in marino. get the dart out to dunlaoghaire and walk down to the fortyfoot.

    #723943
    Murpho
    Participant

    My suggestions:

    Ballymun Towers
    Sherrif Street flats
    The Roundabouts with sculpted burnt out car art in Jobstown
    The innovative housing in Finglas
    Tayto Crisp Factory in Coolock.

    That will bring you a new definition of quaintness.

    #723944
    urbanisto
    Participant

    aaah Murpho…. no wonder poor auld Bord Failte is having such a hard tiem with people like you around

    #723945
    JJ
    Participant

    I’d recommend Iveagh GArdens behind the National Concert Hall, theres an access from one of the lanes off Harcourt Street

    ST Michans for the mummified bodies
    JJ

    #723946
    emf
    Participant

    Killiney Hill gives you a great view of the city and a nice walk to boot. Get the Dart to Dalkey, walk around by Coliemore Harbour out Vico Road, up one of the paths to Killiney Hill, down the other side, lunch in Dalkey then back on the DART to town, Sunday morning is usually nice and quiet!!

    #723947
    sherrioverseas
    Participant

    taytos, mummifed bodies, half day DART tours, casino – now we’re talkin’

    as they say at home “thanks ya’ll”

    This will keep me walking and busing for a few days, yes?

    #723948
    GrahamH
    Participant

    Bank of Ireland/Old Parliament House is on College Green, just to be a pedant.

    City Hall on Dame Street is Dublin’s hidden treasure & is a must visit.

    Also, to transport yourself back nearly 300 years, (and take your life in your hands) Henrietta Street on the northside is quite extraordinary.

    #723949
    kefu
    Participant

    Blessington Basin in the North inner city and the linear park above it.
    The walk from Phibsboro along the Royal Canal is nice especially if you went as far as the M50 aqueduct at Blanchardstown, but you won’t because it’s about a five-mile walk.
    The suspension bridge in Dundrum is worth seeing as is the Herbert Park in Ballsbridge.
    Both North and South Wall of Dublin Bay are lovely walks.
    Hill of Howth is as nice if not nicer than the walk around Killiney Hill.
    In one afternoon, you could go to the Museum of Modern Art in Kilmainham, the jail in Kilmainham and the absolutely beautiful War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge.
    Dublin Zoo and Botanic Gardens, even though they feature in every tourist guides, are both great.

    #723950
    notjim
    Participant

    don’t forget to go dog racing in shelborne park.

    #723951
    Desmund
    Participant

    Speaking of Phibsborough – An interesting area and home to the great Bohemian fc! Next game is on 26th Jan. Here you will be entralled by the sheer grace of Dublins and indeed Irelands finest exponents of ‘the beautifull game’!

    #723952
    crc
    Participant

    get on the DART and get off at Dun Laoghaire, go to the East Pier and take a long walk to the end and back – its a great way to forget about life.

    Also, the Bohemians game tomorrow (26th) is against Derry City, who will probably bring loads of fans (a: because they bring loads anyway, and b: because its the last game of the season and they’re in a bit of trouble.)
    Go to soccerbot http://www.soccerbot.com/fai/tables/irprem03.htm to see what the situation is.

    #723953
    WhiteCube
    Participant

    Sherri – The Saturday market in meeting House square in Temple bar is pretty nice – as is the Gallery of Photography beside it and the Irish Film Centre – you gotta spend some time on an Island – I recommend Inisboffin outside Clifden near Galway – you’re mobile phone wont work, the shop opens for about 2 hours a day, the pub opens till 3 in the morning (or later) – great music, lovely people – spectacular scenery – theres also a horse riding school that will bring over hills and along a fantastic white sandy beach…no one mentioned any of the pubs in Dulblin did they? Try Keoghs, The Stags Head, Grogans, The Long Hall, The Gravediggers up in Phibsborough (after you’ve been to the Botantic Gardens – or instead).. avoid any pub within Temple Bar like your life depended on it unless you want to meet an English Stag Party or the type of tourist who sits over a glass of Guinness for 3 hours… – enjoy anyways!

    #723954
    Papworth
    Participant

    By the way kefu that afternoon walk around Kilmainham and its environs should I would suggest, also include after leaving the War Memorial Gardens that one enters the old swinging gates of the Park and walk up the old steps and view what has to be Dublin’s finest monument the Wellington Monument and then walk down Chesterfield Ave’ and have a few pints in Ryan’s of Parkgate St.

    CRC- The best of luck to The Gypsies in EUROPE you had a great season. I’m really looking forward to seeing Bohs carrying the flag of the National League afar but St. Pats will be hot on your tails next season and despite Brian Kerr being a saint himself I feel the FAI should have gone for Bryan Robson. I really hope I’m wrong.

    #723955
    notjim
    Participant

    well the palace is in the temple bar but worth a visit.

    #723956
    sherrioverseas
    Participant

    Missed the game, drat, but will print out all of this now.

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