CNN - WHAT NOT TO DO IN DUBLIN - OLLIE RESPONDS

So CNN have compiled a list of 10 things NOT to do in Dublin when visiting Dublin. It has caused quite a little bit of controversy on the emerald isle. For those looking for a Dubliner's opinion on CNN's verdict read on!!!
1. Don't get lit in Temple Bar
Ollie says - There a many reasons not to visit Temple Bar. The fact that a pint of Guinness still costs €150 and may even increase further if the pub you are in has a late licence or that you'd be hard pressed to find an Irish person among the throngs of tourists sort of back up the argument...but it is still worth the visit. Beautiful coble stone streets, nick nack shops, the best buffalo wings (the Elephant and the Castle), buskers and the atmosphere make it a must see when visiting Dublin. Just don't over stay you're welcome or you'll find you may need to hit the IMF for a loan.
2. - Do not expect to drink all night
Ollie says - While we can't condone drinking to excess there are always places in Dublin where you can drink all night. Late bars, Leeson Street and hotel resident bars all offer plenty of opportunities for late drinks. My advise - don't. Too much Guinness will mean that the following day the hotel toilet is where you'll be spending most of your time...not a pleasant experience.
3. Don't... try to get inside Oscar Wilde's birthplace
Ollie says - Never tried it myself but I'd always advise against trying to break into someone's property.
4. Never call an Irishman (or Irishwoman) British
Ollie says - goes without saying!!! Same could be said for calling a Canadian an American, a New Zealander an Australian or a Corkman a Dub...particularly after 10 €150 pints of Guinness in Temple Bar:)
5. Don't dismiss the food
Ollie says - couldn't agree more. Did you ever try the meat balls in Gasworks Bar?
6. Don't... stick to British Colonial and Irish Civil War historical sights
Ollie says - very good point. Although it could be handy for understanding why to avoid number 4!!!
7. Don't.... attend the St. Patrick's Day Parade
Ollie says - Once again CNN are on the ball. Have attended the parade many times and each time I ask "why am I here again". You can barely see a thing, it moves at -8 kilometres per hour and it nearly always rains. I'd suggest hitting the normally busy tourist sites while the rest of the tourists get cold, wet and board. Sky Plus the parade.
8. Don't order a Murphy's
Ollie says - The guys from CNN suggest this on the basis that Murphy's is from Cork, but there are many pluses for the tourist trying Murphy's. Firstly its cheaper, but more importantly if you're not used to drinking stout then you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Murphys and Guinness anyway. While I'm a big Guinness fan...a nice pint of Irish stout is...a nice pint of Irish stout.
9. Don't... expect an "authentic" trad music session
Ollie says - they have a point again. While there are some genuine trad nights in Dublin, indeed it is becoming more common as people have more time on their hands, most of the trad nights advertised for tourists in Dublin are very staged. That said they are still a great experience and certainly not worth avoiding. If you're intending on catching one drop us a line and we'll tell you where to go.
10. Don't... take a photo next to Molly Malone
Ollie says - Ah poor Molly. She never gets a moment of peace. Try getting the picture on the way back from Temple Bar...there shouldn't be too many people around at that stage. But CNN have it right there are plenty of sculptures to get you're picture taken with in Dublin.

So there you have it. CNN's 10 things not to do in Dublin. The one thing it says about Dublin is that if they are the best/worst things to do in Dublin you can't really go wrong.

Check out the CNN article here. If you want to book a room in Dublin to avail of some of Ollie's 10 best things to do in Dublin then click here.

Cheers,

Ollie McGrath.

DUBLIN TAXIS GO ELECTRIC

We know that Dublin taxi drivers are some of the most friendly and indeed talkative on the planet but they are about to add "most green" to their growing repertoire.

Two electric taxis have hit the streets of Dublin, offering Irish customers a chance to travel the city under electric power for the first time. The new taxi's, which can comfortably achieve 100 mile range between charges, will easily fit the Dublin taxi drivers programme which currently averages 74 miles per day.

The service is offered jointly by Ireland’s Electricity Supply Board (ESB) and National Radio Cabs (NRC), with two vehicles available for general hire – a Nissan LEAF and a wheelchair-accessible Peugeot Expert.

The Dublin service is one of the first working electric taxi schemes in Europe and is part of a wider EU research programme that includes gathering data on the performance of electric transport in an urban setting.

Dublin currently has just five on-street charging points, but 30 fast-charging points, which can recharge a car to 80% capacity in 30 minutes, are due to be installed along inter-urban motorways by the end of the year.

Well done lads. I wonder though, will these new cars reduce the cost of getting a taxi. They'll be saving on the extortionate diesel and petrol prices.

The Grand Canal Hotel are offering a shuttle service to the airport hourly between 6am and 12pm daily. Alternatively Aircoach stops outside the Schoolhouse Hotel which is located just a minutes stroll from the hotel.

Talk soon,

Ollie.

10 TEN THINGS TO DO IN DUBLIN THIS SUMMER

Summer has finally arrived and the numbers are coming back to the beautiful city of Dublin in there droves.

Theatre, gigs, museums, festivals, comedy and attractions...there is no shortage of things to do in Dublin. With so many things to do I've decided to put together a top 10 things that you can't miss this summer.

1. Failte Dublin Horse Show at the RDS - the country's premier horse event takes place in the RDS from the 3rd to the 7th of August. A celebration of Ireland's affinity with the horse, from the best show horses to the best international show jumpers. It is one of Ireland's largest events, a highlight of the summer, each year welcoming tens of thousands of people from Ireland and all over the world. Special discounted offers are available, with up to 20% discount on longer stays.

2. Riverdance - one of Ireland's greatest exports, Riverdance, kicks off its annual residency at the Gaiety Theatre on the 28th of June and runs till the 28th of August. This show has evolved over the years so even if you've seen it years ago it is probably very different. The hotel are offering theatre packages to include pre-show meal, ticket to show, night's accommodation and full Irish breakfast from just €109ppps.

3. Bloomsday - a celebration of one of world's greatest writers, James Joyce, Bloomsday, runs from June 16th - 19th in various part of Dublin city. June 16th is BLOOMSDAY, the day in 1904 on which all the action of James Joyce’s novel Ulysses takes place. It is celebrated every year on 16th June by Joyceans all over the world. In Dublin, where the novel is set, Bloomsday celebrations go on for a week from the 16th to the 19th June, with most of the attention on the day itself. It is traditional to dress up and go out for the day, visiting the locations of the book and taking part in readings, walks and convivial activities of all sorts which in some way connect with Ulysses, its author and its world.

4. The Script - Ireland's golden boy's of pop-rock RnB return to their home town for the biggest show of their impressive career. The Dubliners are set to grace Aviva Stadium on the 2nd of July for a once off show. The "Breakeven" stars have had a remarkable career thus far but this will surely be the highlight.

5. Rugby Internationals - After a very mixed autumn series and start to the Six Nations Irish rugby finally found its voice with a stunning victory over England at the Aviva Stadium. The provinces maintained the momentum with Leinsters' amazing Heinekin Cup victory in Cardiff and then Munster's Magners League triumph in Thomond Park. Now we are all excited about our prospects in September's World Cup in New Zealand...the dream is still alive. Brian O'Driscoll, Paul O'Connell and the lads have two warm up games in August with France (27th) and England (20th) both visiting the Aviva Stadium.

6. Dublin Super Cup - Without meaning to offend any of our Portuguese friends out there we were all a little dissapointed with the finalists of the Europa Cup Final in May...or at least all the Manchester City and Liverpool fans were. But there is light at the end of the tunnel with a new two day international club tourmanent taking place at the Lansdowne Road venue at the end of July. Inter Milan, Manchester City, Celtic and an Airtricity League Selection will all battle it out for the Dublin Super Cup on July 30/31.

7. Dublin Zoo - It is one of the oldest and most visited Zoos in Europe and for good reason. Located in the largest city centre park in Europe this zoo is a stunning site. Every kind of animal imaginable, bar the dinosaurs, are in here and there is plenty of picnic areas and things to keep the children, and adults, busy. Well worth the visit.

8. Grease - Dust off your leather jackets, pull on your bobby-socks and take a trip to a simpler time as "bad boy" Danny and "the girl next door" Sandy fall in love all over again. It’s the original High-School musical, featuring all the unforgettable songs from the hit movie including You’re The One That I Want, Grease Is The Word, Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted To You, Sandy, Greased Lightnin’ and many more. So throw your mittens around your kittens and Hand Jive the night away with the show that’ll make you want to stand up and shout, “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop A-wop-bam-boom!” Package includes pre-show meal, ticket in teh Upper Circle, night's accommodation at the Grand Canal Hotel and Full Irish Breakfast from just €119pps. The show runs from August 9th - 27th in the Grand Canal Theatre.

9. Cricket International August 25th - Ireland v England. After the heroics of the world cup the star studded English cricket team come to Dublin to play their Irish counterparts. Cricket is not exactly a major sport in this country but if we were to put Ireland's victory over the English into context it would be like Andorra beating Ireland in Gaelic football. Interest in the sport is on the rise and over 2000 people attended the recent clash with Pakistan. The game takes place in Clontarf. If the weather holds up this could be a very enjoyable occasion.

10. All Ireland Hurling Final Croke Park, September 4th - Concluding on another sporting theme this really should be the first thing on the list to do this summer. Having attended the 2010 final between Kilkenny and Tipperary I can attest to the awe inspiring site of 30 amateur sports men slamming a tennis ball sized sliotar around the hallowed turf of Croke Park in front of 82,000 people. There are not too many places in the world where you would see such an event. The Hurling Final really epitomises what it is to be Irish...and you don't have to be Irish to appreciate it.

Feel free to let me know what I've left out.

Enjoy the sun.

Cheers,

Ollie (OMG).

SUMMER IN DUBLIN - GREASE, RIVERDANCE AND MORE

President Barack Obama and her Majesty the Queen are not the only visitors to Dublin this summer, with a host of international musical and drama events arriving in the next couple of months.

As the city returns to normal following the two very high profile visits, the Grand Canal Hotel, located in the leafy Ballysbridge area of Dublin City, are offering superb packages for all music and theatre lovers. The hotels theatre packages are hugely popular an include per-show meal, ticket to show, night's accommodation and full Irish breakfast the following morning from just €109 per person sharing.

First up comes the Westend hit musical, Joseph and His Amazing Techinicolor Dreamcoat which runs in the stunning Grand Canal Theatre from May 31st till June 11th. Around the same time the Gaiety Theatre welcomes Blood Brothers, the Hailed as one of the best musicals of all time. Blood Brothers has triumphed across the globe, scooping up no less than four awards for best musical in London and seven Tony Award nominations on Broadway. The show runs from June 7th to the 25th.

The end of June see's the return of Riverdance for its annual residence in the Gaiety Theatre from June 28th - August 28th, while over the same period a stunning new production of Peter Pan starring Les Denis (June 15th - Aug 6th) and Grease (Aug 9th - 28th) visit the Grand Canal Theatre.

Click here for further details on up and coming show's including Mamma Mia, Sister Act, Thriller, Annie and Dirty Dancing. The hotel is also offering packages including return rail from just €139pps.

If theatre is not your thing, The O2 plays host to some of world's biggest international acts including Rihanna, Duran Duran, James Taylor, Journey and Def Lepard to name just a few. The Grand Canal Hotel are offering a special O2 package which includes pre-show meal, return transfer to the O2, night's accommodation and Full Irish breakfast for just €79pps.

Keep an eye on the blog over the next week as Ollie is going to inspire us with his top 10 things to do in Dublin this summer.

EUROPA CUP FINAL DUBLIN - OLLIE WELCOMES YOU

The largest ever audience for a soccer match played in Ireland will tune in today to watch Portuguese teams Braga play Porto in the Europa Cup Final.

It is believed that 20,000 Portuguese fans will arrive in Dublin today for the clash. You can imagine the fans of Porto and Braga looking at all the garda and barriers on the streets of Dublin and thinking..."are they not going over the top with their security...our fans don't hate each other that much." Fear not our Portuguese friends...it is all for her Royal Majesty the Queen.

On my way to Belfast yesterday I had a quick look at the stadium and noticed that the normally stand out sign for Aviva was covered with a banner saying "Dublin". I later read that we are not allowed call it Aviva Stadium due to the sponsors of the cup not wanting any shine to be taken away from them...they didn't have to worry about Irish supporters as most still call it after it's real name...Lansdowne Road.

What a couple of weeks it is going to be for Dublin and Ireland. The capital is plastered all over most major networks in the world showing images of the Queen laying a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance. This comes just days after Jedmania overcame Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest. The lads song Lipstick has gone number one in for countries this week. Next week the President of the World...Barack Obama arrives in Dublin to woo us.

But first things first. The Europa Cup Final will be the biggest televised event to date in Ireland with 40 cameras worth €75m in place. A total o 54 different international broadcaster will b covering the game.

No disrespect to the finalists but the game will not be a sell-out. There are still tickets available but today will till be the busiest day in the history of Dublin Airport as the Portuguese invasion takes place.

It is estimated that up to 80pc of the visitors will fly into Dublin today and head home tonight, however the match will be worth €20 million to the city.

On the football front, it appears that Braga don't have chance in the game. Porto are unbeaten and most footie pundits I've read or heard say that Braga will have to play out of their skin to have any chance.

We'll I'm a lover of the underdog...so Ollie will be shouting for Braga.

That said both fans are all very welcome to drop into the Grand Canal Hotel and Gasworks Bar for a pint of Dublin's finest. Just ask for Ollie.

Ollie McGrath (OMG).

SOME TRIVIA FOR THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO DUBLN

Firstly a very warm welcome to her Majesty the Queen. It is great to finally welcome you to Dublin.

I've been scrolling through the pages of today's newspapers and came across some interesting trivia about the Queen in the Belfast Telegraph.

Ten Queen facts:
1. She is a qualified car mechanic dating back to her wartime service in the Women's Royal Army Corp.
2. Her principal Lady-in-Waiting is Lady Farnham, widow of Co Cavan landowner Lord Farnham.
3. Her funeral procession is rehearsed once a year on the route from Buckingham Palatce to Westminster Abbey.
4. She has 200 racing pegeons ketp in a special loft in Norfolk.
5. She owns one-third of the swans on the Thames river between Blackfriars and Hendon.
6. The poor of Windsor recieve a cwt of coal each from her at Christmas.
7. Her handbag contains a collection of good luck charms given to her by her children, including minature dogs, horses and saddles - plus family snaps, the most treasured of which is is a photo of Prince Andrew on his safe return from the Falkands in 1982.
8. She has two birthdays: April 21, marking the anniversary of her birth in 1926; and the second Saturday in June, her official birthday, marked by the Trooping of the Colour.
9. She's Britain's biggest landowner with 250,000 acres of agricultural land and 15,000 acres of forest in England and Scotland. She also owns huge swatches of Kensinton, Victoria, Millbank and the City as well as half the country's forshore.
10. She owns the copyright of the King James Bible and gets royalties for its use.

So there you have it.

NEW VISA WAIVER INITIATIVE FOR VISITORS TO IRELAND

It has been a very good week for tourists hoping to come to Ireland and by extension the beleaguered Irish economy.

Not only will the Airport tax be withdrawn, VAT in tourism is to be reduced to 9% and arguably more significantly, from July, tourists from 14 nations, that up until now required a visa to holiday in Ireland, will not need one as long as they hold a visa to enter Britain.

The change to Ireland's visa regulations will encourage tourists visiting Britain for the Olympics next year to travel on to Ireland. The programme will last from July 2011 until October 2012. It will be reviewed and more countries may be added to the list.

Some of the countries that will be able to avail of the waiver from July include: Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, India, China and Uzbekistan.

The government have stated they expect the new initiative to see an increase of 30,000 visitors to the country.

Currently tourists must fill out forms and this will avoid delays and costs.
Minister Shatter said the visa waiver scheme alone would not transform the tourist industry in Ireland.


Under the programme, nationals of 14 countries - who would normally have to apply and pay for a visa to enter the state at a cost of EUR60 – will be allowed enter Ireland if they have already obtained a short-term visa to enter the UK.

The initiative is expected to come into effect on July 1st, running until the end of October 2012.

Some good news indeed. There has NEVER been a better time to visit Ireland. Everything is cheaper...even the Queen is dropping off in the markets when she visits Dublin next week.

Added to the hottest April since records began, this has been a good couple of months for people visiting Ireland. Check out www.grandcanalhotel.ie for best rates online.

Talk soon,

Ollie (OMG).