The Dublin Community Blog

RECENTLY myself and The Boyfriend went to Dublin Zoo for the day and I was so impressed with the experience that I thought I’d share it with you here and recommend it for both natives and tourists alike.

First off I will say that for many years I was suspicious of zoos, I did not like the idea of animals being caged into a small compound in drizzly Dublin when they’re used to the scorching heat and space of the Serenghetti. I thought that they must have an awful life and be terribly depressed and suffering. Truth be told, I hadn’t been to Dublin Zoo or indeed any zoo since I was very very young, so I thought I’d go along and see what was what, before I made up my mind.

Currently Dublin Zoo can be divided into about three areas – the main zoo with animals such as tigers, monkeys and sea lions, the African Plains with animals such as giraffes, zebras and hippos and then the part almost on the way out with some restaurants, the petting zoo and the gift shop.

In the first part of the zoo, most of the compounds have literature and signs outside telling you about the animal and the area in which they are housed. You are informed that staff at the zoo have conferred and worked with animal experts in designing larger more comfortable compounds so that no animal suffers or is in any danger. Several of the animals in the zoo are endangered species and would not be alive were it not for zoos and I was even more impressed to learn that other animals are hopefully scheduled for release back into the wild as soon as they are ready.

The sea lions are currently being trained by staff to respond to a red marker on a stick, being rewarded with fish, meaning that if they have to be transferred or have medical assitance it’s easier for them, as they trust their trainers. We were lucky enough to see the sea lions being fed and the trainer in charge mentioned that recently a sea lion was sent to London and in the past she would have had to be sedated or bundled into a crate causing her undue distress, but thanks to the new training technique she simply hopped into her crate when prompted with the red marker and went to London with no difficulties at all, happy as Larry.

In the African Plains (I think about 13 hectares) I was impressed by its sheer vastness and the acres of fields the animals have to run around in. We saw hippos bathing and then being fed, zebras munching lazily while eyeing us, giraffes wandering around in the manner of supermodels with their fantasitc legs and even an unblinking lion, lounging in the sunshine.

Towards the end of the day we headed for the petting zoo (actually I think it’s called the Farm or City Farm) where we saw and petted cows, horses, goats, pigs, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, dogs and cats. Some of the animals, such as the cats, have the full run of the zoo and all those we saw seemed to have plenty of room, food and water and responded well to the children and adults cooing at them. Equally as impressive were the large signs all over the place reminding us to wash our hands on the way out, accompanied by several sinks boasting hot water and soap.

Which leads me on to general impressions of the zoo. Overall it is superbly clean and tidy with loads of different plants, trees, flowers and shrubs. There are litter bins and picnic tables at every turn and dotted throughout are toilets (with wheelchair access) which, while basic and functional, are clean with toilet paper, soap and handdryers. There are also a number of cafes and restaurants and even vending machines selling snacks and drinks. You’re also free to bring a packed lunch with you if you’re trying to save some cash, though it’s important to clean up after yourself. We left it too late to get into the gift shop, but I understand there are loads of souvenirs available from posters to stuffed toys to keyrings.

Adult tickets cost 14 euro per person, which you may think is a bit steep, but you can literally spend the day there for that price and when you think that cinema tickets cost about a tenner each, for just two hours maximum, it’s a small price to pay. Children under three go free, and those under 16 pay 9.50 euro. There are various other prices for the unwaged, students and OAPs, all available at www.dublinzoo.ie which also gives you admission times and other information about the zoo, as well as directions.

We spent the entire day there, from about noon til around 5.30pm and really enjoyed ourselves. In addition to the zoo itself, just outside is the magnificant Phoenix Park and the area where the zoo is boasts fantastic scenery, a lake, stream, a playground and gorgeous walkways. So the fun doesn’t have to end when you leave the zoo!

All in all, we had a wonderful day and judging by the amount of couples, families and students there, we weren’t the only ones. In order to be balanced, I did try to find some negative aspects to our visit, as I didn’t want this to come across as a puff piece but in all honesty our experience was entirely positive, as I hope it will be for you. As we went in off-season time, we didn’t have to queue and had plenty of space to view the animals, but I suspect during the summer things get extra busy, so maybe try to get in early if you’re visiting on holidays.

I had inteneded to post some pictures but I recently got a new phone and lost all my pictures on that and a disposable camera I had with me went awol, so my apologies for that. The pic of the lion accompanying this is taken from Dublin Zoo’s website www.dublinzoo.ie where there are many more splendid pictures to browse through.

I hope you all enjoy the zoo as much as I did. I was certainly reassured about how they work and how the animals are looked after and I intend to visit again in the near future. 

BEFORE I start, I know it’s been an absolute age since I posted here (work literally crazy) but I haven’t forgotten about the writers or readers here and check in regularly.

When the nominations for the Irish Blog Awards began I nominated this blog as Best Group Blog because of all the hard work and dedication that has gone in to keeping it up and running from Daragh and everyone else. (Perhaps others nominated too, hopefully, as it’s a great blog)

So while I personally have fallen by the wayside, I still thought this blog deserved a mention so I’m delighted to report that we’ve made the long list for Best Group Blog and now all we need is for our readers to vote for us, to ensure we make it to the short list and be in with a chance to go before the judging panel.

We need your help. Please visit http://www.awards.ie/vote/ and vote for us in the Best Group Blog category. Whatever you do, don’t spam as that will result in your votes being discounted and us getting into trouble with Mr Mulley. Keep it to one vote each and everyone will be happy. The writers here all have ‘day jobs’ and so fit this blog into their spare time so I think they deserve some acknowledgement and I hope you’ll agree with me. If you’ve found this blog helpful, amusing, interesting or even just plain good then get your clicking finger out and vote for us.

While you’re there check out the other categories such as Best Personal Blog, Best Photo Blog and Most Humourous Post where some contributors here such as Red Mum, Rick O’Shea and myself (links in the sidebar) have also been nominated. If you could see your way to voting for us as well as this blog, that would be great.

As always, everyone is welcome to attend the Irish Blog Awards which will take place on March 3 in the Alexander Hotel. More details from www.awards.ie and www.mulley.net

Many thanks for your support and help over the past year and hope to see you at the Blog Awards. For now though, get a-voting – or I’ll send Twenty Major around!

EDIT: Also, could you maybe drop us a comment here when you’ve voted, so we’ll have an idea how well we’re doing? Cheers!

(Note to other contributors: The techies among you might be able to stick up an oul Blog Awards button or something? It’s beyond me but it might help to have it up in the corner there where the polls usually are. Cheers!)

LUCAN councillor Fintan McCarthy of the Green Party has died during a freak accident while on holidays in China with his girlfriend.

Further details here

SO the sun is out, the kids are off school, neighbours are playing their music VERY BLOODY LOUDLY (ahem) and there’s a hint of ’something’ in the air. Yes, mid-summer sale season is upon us again! (Work with me here.)

Most of the shops are frantically selling off their itsy-bitsy bikinis and summer stock, and getting ready for autumn, or fall for all of our visitors from across the pond, so now is the time to strike.

Of course, much of the stuff on offer is either a size 6 or a 24, or in a lovely shade of orange, but if you can bear rummaging through mountains of clothes, there’s bound to be a gem or two in there.

Last week I had occassion to visit the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Clondalkin in the west of the city with my sister and baby niece and found it a good alternative to shopping in the city centre, particularly with a baby on board.

First off, there is ample parking and it’s free for visitors of the centre (though I don’t recall if there’s a time limit, so maybe check that out when  you get there) which is a welcome change from paying huge prices to park in town. Just as an aside, most people who go to Liffey V tend to park either at the front entrance, or at the cinema entrance, but here’s my little tip, the Mark’s and Spencer entrance (Purple car park) usually has loads of free spaces, just follow the signs.

Liffey Valley is all on one level, except for the food court and one or two shops upstairs, meaning it’s buggy and wheelchair friendly (there’s a lift to the food court) and very easy to get around.

We started out at the far end of the centre, Marks and Spencer (where there’s a secret ATM in the men’s department), and had coffee in the Cafe Revive there which is very tasty and clean, with a plethora of staff on hand to man the till and clear tables; mothers and children are made to feel very welcome.

From there we mosied on down the centre, passing well known shops such as River Island and Principals until we got to the main concourse, which has the escalators to the food hall. Here is where you’ll find the Customer Service Desk, juice bar and where most charity stalls etc (say if someone was selling pins or buttons for cancer, this is where they would be) are set up, meaning everything is contained in this one area, not scattered about the rest of the centre. You can also hire fun car shaped buggies to transport your little ones around, costing just a few euro. (They don’t let adults get in them though, no matter how much you beg, harumph.)

The food court features the usual fast food outlets such as McDonald’s and Burger King but there is also a Bagel Bar, Cafe Kyelmore and baked potato shop, if you happen to be watching your waistline. I wasn’t, so gorged myself on lard. Mmmmm, lard.

We then hit Sasha, A-Wear and various sports shops until we got to a big Dunne’s Stores about three quarters of the way down the centre. There are large ladies and gents loos too in this area, along with pay phones and disabled toilets, as well as baby changing facilities. Any time I’ve visited, the loos been clean and tidy with plenty of paper and soap.

After this it was the home stretch to Eason’s, Boots and the cinema (Vue) where there is also an Eddie Rockets, Pizza Hut and steak house. So if you fancied doing a little shopping, having a meal and then hitting the flicks, this would be the place to do it. Be warned though, all three restaurants beside the cinema are usually very busy so be prepared to queue at peak times.

The cinema itself is large with a good number of screens and offers the usual movie fare, such as popcorn and nachos. Prices are similar to the city centre, though if you’re a large family it might be worth looking into a yearly pass or membership if it’s available.

While shopping in the city centre has its charm and offers a wide variety of shops along with tourist attractions, Liffey Valley is a great alternative on days when you can’t face the hassle of parking, you have the kids with you or you just fancy some retail therapy and the movies without traipsing about for miles, or indeed if you’re a tourist looking to get out of the city for a bit. Dotted throughout the centre are carts and stalls offering everything from new mobile phone covers, to sweets, to gorgeous jewellrey, so you could easily while away a couple of hours. On the day I was there last week, many of the shops were having sales and my little niece got a gorgeous brand-name coat for just 11 euro in Ladybird. Bargain!

To find out more about Liffey Valley including opening hours and directions, bus routes to and from the city centre and special offers vist www.liffeyvalley.ie

Anyone else hearing that Eamon Dunphy is to leave Dublin’s Newstalk 106? Or is this old news/a total lie by now?!

Sorry Eamo if it’s untrue!

I’VE been meaning to write this post for a while, but I thought it might be too much information, but then I thought, meh, feck it.

I have Crohn’s Disease, a chronic disorder of the bowel and digestive tract which causes me all sorts of problems, not least that I have to run to the loo on average nine times a day.

And not just for a wee either.

Now that I’ve grossed you out totally, allow me to explain, there’s method in my madness:

Seeing as I don’t stay indoors, in my own house all day, I frequently need to use public/pub restrooms (or toilets as we say here in Dublin) and because of the Crohn’s I have developed an almost radar-like instinct for finding a clean one.

I can find you a loo, with paper, soap and hot water anywhere in Dublin’s city centre, north or south of the Liffey and I can also pick out with laser-beam precision those which aren’t up to scratch at all.

No Trainspotting moments for me, thank you very much.

So, for all you tourists, visitors and just plain Curious George’s out there, I present to you Karen’s Ultimate Guide to Dublin Ladies Toilets, The Good, The Bad and The Smelly. (Apologies to the blokes, I haven’t done a tour of gents toilets – yet!)

Readers should also note that many of the loos I’m going to list are in pubs, which aren’t strictly public toilets, so I’m not advocating an abuse of these facilities, I’m just saying they’re there and I’ve used them in an emergency. But do stay and have a drink in the pubs I list too, they’re generally lovely. (God I’m gonna get sued aren’t I?!)

Neary’s on Chatham Street, just off Grafton Street. This is a lovely little ‘old men’ pub with dickybowed staff and a gorgeous atmosphere. The lounge and the ladies loos are upstairs (away from the men who have serious business to discuss you see) and they’re usually fairly empty during the day, should you need some privacy. They’re usually clean, with paper, soap and mirrors and the best bit is that they’re situated outside the door of the lounge, so you can run up the stairs and you’re straight there. Genius!

St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre. Situated on the top floor, you have to pay 20 cent to use these facilities (bit of a cheek if you ask me) but they’re generally clean with soap, mirrors and hand dryers. There are a good number of cubicles but the whole restroom is pretty small so there’s very little privacy as there is usually a queue, meaning people stand waiting directly outside your cubicle. It’s usually noisy though, if that’s any consolation!

The Left Bank Pub, in Temple Bar. Now this is one of my favourites. It’s clean (though personally I think it could do with a bit of a décor revamp) and there’s usually loo roll etc, but the absolute best thing is that the entrance leading down the stairs to the ladies, is off the street. Meaning you can literally duck into a doorway, down the stairs and into the ladies with no delay or hassle at all. Take a bow Left Bank, you deserve it!

The Mint Bar in the Westin Hotel, Westmoreland Street. Pure luxury. The only thing is, you must pass by a doorman, receptionist, concierge and down some stairs to get to them, but they’re fabulous. Lots of cubicles (on the tiny side though) with all the amenities you need and during the day they’re fine on the privacy front. The Molton Brown hand soaps and hand cream are a bonus!

Roches Stores, Henry Street. Ah, bliss. These have to be the best shopping centre toilets in Dublin, I really believe this. The genius thing about these loos is that the mirrors, hand dryers and sinks are situated away from the cubicles, through thick glass doors, SO when you’re in…doing your business….people chattering, applying make-up and washing their hands aren’t standing directly outside your door and can’t hear anything that’s going on. There also seems to be a staff member permanently cleaning here and though there can sometimes be a queue, there are enough cubicles that you shouldn’t be waiting too long.

The Epicurian Food Hall at the Hapenny Bridge. You have to pay 20 cent also here to open the doors of the cubicles (there’s a little slot) but each cubicle is a self contained restroom, in that there is a sink, hand dryer and mirror in there. I’ve rarely queued here and you can simply close the heavy black door behind you and not worry about how long you’re going to be or people outside, as there are several little rooms.

John Keating’s Pub (the one that used to be a church) at the bottom of Mary Street. Big toilets, lots of cubicles, clean, gorgeous soaps and again sinks and mirrors far enough away from the loos to allow for some privacy.

Jervis Street Shopping Centre. Bit of a walk to these loos on the second floor and like Stephen’s Green they’re not great for privacy at all, but they’re clean with paper, soap and hand dryers.
Other emergency loos of note include FitzSimons in Temple Bar, the Foggy Dew beside the Central Bank, the Mercentile on Dame Street and the toilets downstairs in Brown Thomas, (though this one only has a couple of cubicles and there’s an attendant there so NO privacy as she can hear EVERYTHING!)

I feel I owe it to you readers (thanks for sticking with me thus far!) to mention two bars which I frequent (er, frequently) where I believe the toilets need some improvement (here comes the litigation!) Whelan’s on Wexford Street and Pravda at the Ha’penny Bridge.

Whelan’s has two cubicles upstairs and two in the venue area and both are tiny tiny tiny with NO privacy, it’s hit and miss whether there’s paper or soap and in fact in the upstairs loos the doors are so old and splintered that you can almost see straight through them.
In saying that, the pub itself is lovely, great craic and great music, it’s just the loos that let it down.

Pravda is also a great pub, with a lovely atmosphere, delicious food and attentive staff, but again the loos let it down severely, because quite frankly, they smell. It’s an overriding damp, musty smell, there are only three cubicles, again the loo roll is hit and miss and they’re just generally a bit dingy.

Clean up your act lads!

My experience with Crohn’s over the years and in fact, even writing this post, has made me realise that there is a severe lack of public facilities in Dublin, those not located in a pub or restaurant. Your only choice really is to use loos in shopping centres, but surely there should be toilets available for all, as there used to in years gone by?

Any one got any more to add to the list?

…With coffee at eleven and a stroll, through Stephen’s Green…

OR, a bottle of West Coast Cooler cunningly disguised as a 7Up bottle, in Stephen’s Green.

When the sun is shining, Dublin really is at its best and it’s so lovely to sit in any of the many parks (Stephen’s Green, Wolfe Tone Park, St Patrick’s Cathedral Park, Tymon North Park in Tallaght, Corkagh Park in Clondalkin, the Phoenix Park the list goes on) and just soak up the rays and relax.

In about 10 minutes, I’m leaving work, jumping on the Luas and heading in to meet friends in Stephen’s Green to catch the last of the sunshine, eat ice-cream and certainly NOT drink illegal alcohol from a plastic bag.

Ah but seriously, bye-laws prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in our parks and green areas are in place and carry a hefty fine if you’re caught, so if you’re a visitor to Dublin and fancy a beer in the sun, just be aware of that and perhaps stick to beer gardens. If however you do have a crafty tipple in the park (as many Dubs do if I’m honest), be sure to clean up after yourself and not overdo the booze and we should all be happy. Bins are provided all over most parks, so do use them and leave our greens as you would like to find them. (That applies to Dubs as well as visitors, we can be a filthy lot when we want to be.)

Enjoy the sun!

I KNOW, I know, it’s been a while since I posted, forgive me, I’m throwing myself on your mercy.

Anyway, as it’s now almost the weekend, I thought I’d alert you to a real little gem of a pub that you might like to visit one of these days.

Based on Rathmines Road (Tesco end) Mother Reilly’s is not just a pub, it’s a religious experience. There’s the bar food from the restaurant upstairs, reasonably priced (though a tad more than usual bar food, but it’s worth it) and by all accounts delicious. I haven’t actually eaten there yet, but the stuff I saw whizzing past me on plates looked good enough to…well, eat!

The bar is well stocked serving the usual Guinness, beers and ciders along with spirits, a good selection of wines and alcopops, for those of us that way inclined. The loos are clean with plenty of soap, hot water and hand dryers (though could do with a couple more mirrors and stalls in the ladies!).

The bar itself decor wise, is all wood, with lots of little booths, nooks, crannies, tall stools, smalls stools and a mid-sized beer garden/smoking area which has a televisions, heaters, tables, chairs and even some plants!

But now we come to the best bit – the staff. I have to say, without a doubt, the bar men in this pub are the best looking in Ireland. And here’s the thing, they’re nice too. I’ve been in many bars in the city centre where the bar men are cute…but they know it so are arrogant and rude. In Mother Reilly’s the bar men are very polite, nice and chatty and most times remember your order. They seem to have a laugh amongst themselves and the atmosphere is very laid back and friendly. In fact, on several occasions I’ve seen off-duty barmen come in with their mates for a few scoops, so they obviously like it there too.

Oh, and for the lads out there, the bar women and female lounge staff are pretty hot too!

All in all, Mother Reilly’s is fast becoming my favourite pub in Dublin, no matter which night of the week I go in. Check it out!

WHILE out and about at the weekend, it struck me how visitors and tourists to our shores could benefit from a little insider knowledge about how to avoid various pitfalls and mistakes in Dublin, which will ensure them an enjoyable stay.

I’m not talking about ‘don’t wander around with five massive cameras and a wallet full of 50s cos that’ll get you killed’ or ‘taxis are a rip off, get the bus’ advice, because everyone knows that by now, I’m talking about the subtle hints and tips that everyone should know.

For example: 1. When you’re walking from Dame Street to Temple Bar through the Central Bank, don’t walk by the side where the gold ball is, as there’s a bit of a bottleneck passageway there and there is ALWAYS a do-gooder charity person trying to get you to give away your moolah. Instead walk through at the other side, beside the Foggy Dew, and you’ll avoid the chugger [charity mugger] and also the smell of wee in the passageway.

2. Up until very recently Ireland only had two types of hot drinks: tea or coffee both of which were made with boiling water. Now of course we’re much more cosmopolitan and we have our share of half-fat, de-caff, cap lattes and frappachinos and the whole lot BUT we’re not entirely sure how to make them. So, to this end, whenever you get a takeaway fancy coffee, I guarantee you it’ll only be half full, topped up with lots of fancy foam, so always ALWAYS ask them to ‘whack in a tad more milk there’ so that you get your money’s worth.

3. Near Bad Bob’s nightclub in Temple Bar there is a missing cobble stone right smack bang in the centre of the street. Step into it at your peril. Trust me, it really really really hurts when you fall!

4. There is a ’secret’ ATM machine in Tesco in the Jervis Centre, just off Henry Street and also downstairs in Debenhams in the same centre. Before you join a massive queue for some cash out on the street or in the middle of Jervis, check out both of these. Sometimes they’re out of order, but more often than not they’re working with no queue and it’s happy days!

5. The toilets in The Mint Bar in the Westin Hotel on Westmoreland Street are gorgeous. Plenty of cubicles, clean, fabulous Molton Brown soap and hand cream and perfectly located if you’re dying to go and your only other option is a fast food dive (don’t go into the dive toilets, you’ll catch the syphallis). You’ll have to go in through the main door of the hotel and waltz past the doorman with a bit of purpose and then downstairs to the bar and the loos, but if you stick your nose in the air and give off an air of ‘daaaahling, yars, let’s do lunch’ you’ll get in no probs.

6. Dublin has probably one of the worst chewing gum/litter problems in the world. Don’t sit on the ground/steps,  you’ll get gum on your ass. We also have a problem with public urination, so you’re likely to get that on your ass too. Carry a plastic bag with you at all times and if you’re forced to perch on a wall or a step you can whisk it out and sit in comfort.

7. Any member of the Garda Siochana, security staff at the door of a shop/bar or ordinary citizens strolling around window shopping, will give you directions with a smile. Honestly. People rushing to work, soaking wet after forgetting their umberella and talking ninteen to the dozen on their phones trying to assure their boss they’re ‘two seconds’ away will not. Choose your battles well!

8. You’ll know you’re getting a good deal on a meal in a decent restaurant if a starter costs between 4 and 7 euro, a main course between 11 and 16 and a dessert costing around the 4 mark. Anything very over that and I firmly believe you’re being ripped off. Try Trastevere in Temple Bar, prices generally around that mark and the food is exquisite. Also Gruel on Dame Street. Out of this world and very reasonable.

9. Towards the end of the day on Grafton Street, some of the flower sellers tend to take a little off the price of their very-high-quality blooms, just in case you wanted to brighten up your hotel room.

10. And finally, the question I get asked most often by visitors and tourists: Dublin city centre can roughly be divided into two sides, northside and southside. The River Liffey divides the two. Northside has O’Connell, Henry and Jervis streets while southside has Temple Bar, Trinity College, Grafton Street and St Stephen’s Green. Now, don’t make that mistake again!

Anyone any more they’d like to add?

If you’re out and about in Dublin’s city centre this Saturday then you could do worse than drop by the food market in Temple Bar’s Meeting House Square between 10am and 5pm. This weekly market offers the most tempting, delicious, fresh, wholesome, and indeed home made food in the world and the atmosphere should be bottled.

As this Saturday is Easter Saturday, I’m sure there’ll be plenty on offer to get you over the Bank Holiday weekend and there are several sweet and confectionary stalls, should the Easter Bunny be a bit behind in his egg shopping.

Foods such as breads, vegetables, jams, pastries, chocolates, meats, fish, fruit, tapas and crepes are available along with I’m sure a plethora of others I’m leaving out. There’s usually a busker or two adding to the festivities and most of the stalls allow you to either bag up your food or eat it right there and then (trust me the crepes will have you on your knees begging for mercy…and don’t start me on the creamy chocolate..and the cheeses, oh Lord above the cheeses!) so you can munch as you wander.

(I’ve just had a horrible thought that because this is a Bank Holiday weekend that perhaps the market might not be open? I’ve checked the website http://www.temple-bar.ie/culture_markets_food.asp and it doesn’t mention that, but just be aware anyway. If it’s not open this weekend though, don’t despair, do drop in for a visit another time, it’s well worth it.)

Bon Appetit!