The Dublin Community Blog

The Rathmines Festival kicked off on the 14th of this month and will pick up again today, finishing late on Sunday night. The festival features a variety of events, workshops, and galleries, all happening along Rathmines Road (Upper and Lower) just south of Grand Canal. Most events are free and those that come with a price tag (like some music performances) never rise above a tenner. Dance, theatre, literature, music, photography, film, sports, history – there really does seem to be something for just about everyone!

For more, including a downloadable schedule, surf over to the festival website at www.RathminesFestival.com. Alternatively, the good folks at Cafe Moda have agreed to allow the use of their coffee shop as the festival club house, so if you happen to be in the area, stop by for brochures, booking, or any other information.

Following the success of their first event on Grafton Street last month, the folks at Dublin Improv are planning another public “freeze” tomorrow, Saturday March 21st. The venue this time is Dundrum Shopping Centre.

If you’d like to take part, please make your way to the Dundrum or Ballally Luas stops at 2pm sharp tomorrow. A Dublin Improv agent will be on hand to give out further instructions on the freeze, including the exact location (which is being kept under wraps for now to maximise the effect!) The freeze may happen indoors or outdoors so come prepared for either.

And, if you happen to be shopping in Dundrum tomorrow afternoon, keep your eyes peeled for unusual goings on!

There’s certainly something for everyone in Dublin for this year’s St. Patrick’s Festival – even for parents who miss their clubbin’ days! I took my daughter to SS Michael and John in the West end of Temple Bar yesterday for her first rave party, where ‘the only drug is calpol,’ according to the group’s MySpace page. The Baby Rave is being put on by Belfast arts charity, Young at Art.

If you’re a parent of a child 0-4 years old, I would wholeheartedly recommend taking him/her/them to this multi-sensory experience. Even at five-and-a-half months old, my little girl was wide-eyed in wonder as she watched the colourful flower-shaped lights float up the walls and across the ceiling. The music was just the right volume to “thump,” but not so loud that I felt my little one’s ears were at risk. The staff were also very helpful, friendly, and sensitive.

The Baby Rave continues today and tomorrow. Be sure to visit the St. Patrick’s Festival site for details (CLICK HERE). You can pay the EUR 8.50 charge (per person) at the door like we did, but to guarantee your entrance, you’re better off booking in advance the day before. So book now for one of the three raves happening tomorrow. Given the wet weather Dublin seems to be getting, an indoor event such as this is sure to be very attractive for young families!

You have another opportunity to participate in a great show ‘Pearl’ in George’s Dock. It starts tomorrow at 7.30. Official Festival’s website requires (free) tickets for that show, but no one was checking them.

Take your children, they will love it.

I hope that this year St. Patrick impersonator will be the same person that last year. I call him ‘de Niro’

This year, I will actually be away for Paddy’s Day but wanted to share things that I have learned from previous Paddy’s Days experiences:

• If going to the parade, I would suggest getting there about two hours before it starts if you don’t want to be trying to see around lots of people.  Take some warm beverage with you as well since it gets cold standing around for two hours.   If you are standing near the barricades for the parade, children and  adults will try to push their way in so they can see better.
• Dress in layers.  The weather is every changing here in Dublin.  You need the warmth when outside, but not inside. 
• Bring rain and sun gear.  You’ll probably need both.
• Face painting, dressing in all green, or other forms of costumes makes it more likely that your picture will be taken many times, maybe even published on a blog. 
• After watching the parade, duck into an out of the way little cafe for lunch.  Most places along the parade line will be packed but if you go off the parade line, you can frequently find a little place to eat. Or just go to the pub (also probably very busy) and get lunch there.
• Go to the pub!!!!  Our first Paddy’s Day, we ended up at Cafe En Sein because it is a nicer place and wasn’t packed full of people.  We were rewarded with a Ceili band.
• A lot of places will have traditional music during Paddy’s Day weekend.  Check them out.  Just duck into a pub or two to feel the atmosphere and then move onto another if you don’t like the one you’re in (Dublin has enough pubs that you are sure to find one you like)
• Just wander around and see what you see.  Many of the windows in Temple Bar are decorated for the Six Nations and Paddy’s Day.  Have a wander around and you just may learn something while being entertained. 

Other people have posted about the official events.  I would highly recommend the Ceili Mor in Earlsfort Terrace.  It was fun last year to see people jumping around and dancing to the songs, even if you don’t know how to dance, it is still good fun!

The ever-popular Porterhouse microbrewery and bar is currently holding its annual Stout Festival, nicely timed to coincide with the St. Patrick’s festivities. Their city centre bars on Nassau Street and Parliament Street, as well as Porterhouse North in Phibsboro, are all taking part, and full details can be found here.

The various Porterhouses will also be showing the final round of Six Nations matches, which includes England vs Ireland in Twickenham at 3pm. Not a bad way to get the party started!

With St Patrick’s Day (March 17th) coming closer and closer, the question is what on earth are you going to do over the five-day festival?

Whether you are from Dublin, living in Dublin or just coming for the craic there is bound to be something for everyone. Now an annual feature the funfair in Merrion Sq will run from Friday March 14th until Monday March 17th, there is a Babyrave in Temple Bar running from Friday till Sunday and the Ceili Mor will be held in Earlsfort Terrace on St Patrick’s Day itself.

But there is more, Kila play the Olympia on St Patrick’s Day, Mary Black is in the National Concert Hall. There are various Irish language and culture workshops and Irish language tours as well as speed dating As Gaeilge so brush up on your coupla focal.

You can find out lots lots more on the Festival website. You can book tickets for different events on the website though some things are already sold out. However don’t worry about not getting tickets for something you wanted, there will be something else to take its place. And let us not forget the stalwart of every St Patrick’s Day, the parade, two hours of fun and frolics and a long way away from the parade that used to happen when I first moved to Dublin 17 years ago. Then it was just groups of tourists with shamrock hats walking in formation waving, marching bands and being very very cold looking at the back of the people in front. Trust me it is a lot more fun now The festival map is located on the website at this link.

All of this is of course only a fraction of things that are taking place, different things will be happening all over the city and they will be hard to miss, just follow your nose.

Last year some of the Dublin Blog contributors were out and about taking pics and here is what we had to say last year. No doubt you can expect more of the same and probably even better this year. You can also see lots of images of St Patrick’s Day from all around the world on Flickr and don’t forget to keep an eye out over the festival on photographs as they are uploaded to our own Dublin Blog group on Flickr.

Going to the movies for free sounds too good to be true, eh? Especially in Dublin, where I know the prices of going to the movies are just crazy! But, it appears, based on the email that’s just landed into my inbox that you can in fact go to the movies for free….if you are interested in providing some feedback on the experience as well. This comes in the form of a mystery shopping service. More details here:

I am just browsing the net, looking for suitable places to contact
people in Dublin.

Basically, I am looking for mixed couples who like to go to the
cinema – specifically I am looking for new Dublin Mystery Shoppers
for the following areas……

Tallaght, Coolock and Blanchardstown.

The visitors get to see a film of their own choice and receive a
refund of the price of two adult tickets plus E20 fee to include the
purchase of some refreshments of their choice. Following the visit
there is a feedback form to complete online.

I am wondering if maybe you could point me in the direction of anyone
who may be interested, please?

Our website is www.marketchecker.co.uk – there is a registration form
on there if anyone would like to apply.

This clip has been doing the rounds recently and is proving extremely popular (on YouTube, at least).

If you like what you see, be sure to get down to Grafton Street this coming Saturday afternoon, when the Dublin Improv Movement will be attempting a similar feat on the stretch between Marks & Spencers and Brown Thomas. The fun starts at 4:30pm, and if you’d like to take part yourself, details can be found on this Facebook group. Definitely not one to miss, as a spectator or a participant!