FREE VISITOR ATTRACTIONS IN DUBLIN

The Office of Public Works are introducing a very interesting new concept for visiting some 750 attractions across the country.
Access to most historic sites managed by the Office of Public Works will be free today and on the first Wednesday of every month for the rest of this year.
It is part of a new initiative to encourage more national and international visitors to sites such as the Rock of Cashel, Clonmacnoise and the State Apartments in Dublin Castle.
The decision was made by Minister of State responsible for the OPW Brian Hayes who said it was done to stimulate interest in the built heritage of the country.
Access to most is free but for some sites such as Kilmainham Gaol, Kilkenny Castle and Newgrange adult visitors pay a fee of between €3-11 each.
The offer will run until the end of the year, when it will be reviewed...hopefully with the intention of maintaining it!!! Keep an eye on www.grandcanalhotel.com for more information.

THE DUBLIN PASS

One of the beauties about Dublin is that, as cities go, it is rather compact and easy to get around.

For those visitors hoping to get the most out of their visit the Grand Canal Hotel would make the following suggestion. Buy the Dublin Pass and a Dublin Tour ticket. The two combined gives you transport and access to 27 top attractions in the city.

The Dublin Pass is your passport to Dublin that gives you FREE ENTRY to over 27 favourite attractions! Not only does The Dublin Pass offer great value and convenience, it also allows you to be a VIP and skip the queues at Dublin's major attractions.

Travel hassle-free to the city centre by using your Dublin Pass. From the minute you arrive in Dublin Airport, you can avail of this pass by travelling FREE to the city centre with Aircoach. From there, experience the delights Dublin has to offer for a fraction of the cost.

OK those last two paragraphs were Dublin Tourism spin, but it rings true. The Dublin Pass may cost €35(1day), €55 (2 day) and €65 (3 Day) but if you consider the cost of entering attractions such as Dublin Castle (€4.50 for the tour), Dublin Zoo(€15 for adults), Guinness Storehouse (€15 for adults), Kilmainham Gaol (€6 for adults) and the Old Jameson Distillery (€10 per adult) you can save a fortune plus you get discounts on shops and restaurants associated with the pass.

From personal experience the Dublin City Tour buses are well worth the €14 cost. It is the full experience. Similar to their New York counter parts, the drivers are full of chat and humour and give a fantastic local insight into the real Dublin.

Check out www.dublinpass.ie for more details. You can also get discounts when booking online. For information on attractions in Dublin check out www.grandcanalhotel.com.