RAMBLIN’ ACROSS THE EMERALD ISLE: NEW YEAR’S IN IRELAND 2010
Fri 25 Dec 2009 through Sat 2 Jan 2010
OVERVIEW
For our week exploring Ireland between Christmas and New Year’s 2010, we’ll start in the west, on the Atlantic, and work our way east, to Dublin City and the Irish Sea.
Our first stop will be a small town, Ennis, County Clare, a bustling town of 18,000 people (about the size of Highland) dating back to the 13th Century. Ennis is County Clare’s main town, located just 15 miles from Shannon Airport, a good first or last stop in Ireland. A workaday Irish town, we’re visiting Ennis to get the feel of small-town Ireland, without a lot of tourists. In Ennis for 2 nights, we’ll take a guided walking tour with a local resident, see a live show featuring traditional Irish music and dance at our hotel, stroll the town, and dine in local pubs. We’ll also do some shopping and get adjusted to the time change in this, our first stop.
After two nights in Ennis, we’ll head north to Galway by taxi (departs 8:00 AM, about an hour ride) for a one-night stay in a larger city and a guided day trip to see the beautiful and famous Cliffs of Moher that tower above the Atlantic in a nearby by national park, as well as the moon-landscape area known as The Burren, two Irish castles, ancient cave dwellings, the charming town of Doolin, and the beach along the Atlantic Ocean. Then we’ll return to Galway, exploring the town at night and the next day. Galway is a college town of 65,000 with a famous bay. We’ll stay at an Irish Guest House 5 minutes from Eyre Square, the center of town. We’ll walk the town’s Medieval Latin Quarter; visit the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, built in 1320; shop for Claddagh rings (which originated from the fishing village that once thrived in Galway along the river); and eat at a place called Busker Brownes.
After exploring Galway, we’ll leave the Atlantic coast and head east to Dublin City, on the Irish Sea, via afternoon train. We’ll spend four nights in Dublin, including New Year’s Eve 2010. Dublin is the capital of Ireland and its largest city, with 1.5 million residents; the city is over 1,000 years old. In Dublin we’ll tour the 700-year-old Dublin Castle and the old jail (opened in 1796, now a moving museum on the suffering of the Irish); walk Trinity College; tour the Guinness Brewery at St. James Gate; stroll and shop Grafton Street and the area called Temple Bar (especially at night, for people watching); explore O’Connell Bridge over the River Liffey and O’Connell Street; take a guided tour of the city via double-decker bus; visit St. Stephen’s Green, the city’s version of NY’s Central Park; see a live production of A Christmas Carol; go ice skating at the city’s Christmas market; be there for the traditional ringing of the bells at Christchurch Cathedral at midnight on New Year‘s Eve; and enjoy the Lord Mayor’s New Year’s Day Parade and a short day trip to the fishing village of Howth on January 1st. On Saturday January 2nd we’ll fly home direct from Dublin to Chicago, arriving at 1:00 PM, giving us a day and a half to recover!
ITINERARY
- Fly to Shannon Airport, 25-12-09 (Fri), departing O’Hare Terminal 3 at 5:05 PM on American Airlines Flight 86, arriving in Ireland (Shannon Airport) at 11:25 AM on 26-12 (Sat); we change planes at London-Heathrow en route, arriving in London at 6:35 AM after a 7.5 hour flight, and departing London at 10:05 AM on Air Lingus Flight 381, with a 1 hr 20 min flight to Shannon
- Bus to Ennis, 26-12 (Sat), a 30 min journey
- 2 nights in Ennis, 26-12 (Sat) & 27-12 (Sun), with a day trip to Bunratty Castle
- Bus to Galway, 28-12 (Mon 7:10 AM), a 1 hr 20 min journey
- 1 night in Galway, 28-12 (Mon), with a guided day trip to the Cliffs of Moher, The Burren and Doolin Town
- Train to Dublin, 29-12 (Tue 3:05 PM); a 2 hr 50 min journey
- 4 nights in Dublin, 29-12 (Tue), 30-12 (Wed), 31-12 (Thu) & 1-1 (Fri), with a day trip to the fishing village of Howth on New Year’s Day
- Fly home to Chicago, 2-1-10 (Sat),
departing Dublin at 10:35 AM on American Airlines Flight 93, arriving at Chicago-O’Hare at 1:05 PM on 2-1 (Sat) – an 8 hr 30 min, non-stop journey home
Arrival at Ireland’s Shannon Airport; Transfer to Ennis via Coach Bus
We’ll arrive at Shannon Airport at 11:25 AM on Saturday, and after clearing customs, use the restroom and then take either the 11:55 AM (preferred) or 12:55 PM bus to Ennis (then walk to The Old Ground Hotel). We have booked our bus tickets in advance at www.buseireann.ie; about e5 each). Drive time from the airport to Ennis will be about 30 minutes; the bus makes one stop in Clarecastle; the Ennis bus station is the next stop. The bus number we want is number 51 toward Galway. Simply show the counter or driver our confirmation email.
Arrival in Ennis; Check in Hotel
We’ll arrive in Ennis around 12:30 PM, if we make the first bus at the airport. The Old Ground Hotel is located just a few blocks from the combination bus-train station, straight up Station Road, on our right, across from Sts. Peter & Paul Church, at the intersection of Station Road and O’Connell Street (see map in Steves, p. 242). We’ve reserved two rooms, a double for Dana & I and a triple for the kids, each including breakfast, an en suite bath/shower and wireless Internet access (we should request wireless upon check-in). The Old Ground Hotel is a stately, ivy-covered 18th Century building, very near the town center. Our rate is e200.00 per night total for 2 nights (TOTAL will be e400.00): telephone is 065-682-8127; http://www.flynnhotels.com/Old_Ground_Hotel/index.htm
reservations@oldgroundhotel.ie
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Confirmation email for Ennis hotel:
Dear John,
Thank you, you now have 2 bookings
1 room for 3 people at 40.00 each bed and breakfast x 2 nights 8385 and 1 room for 2 people at same rate for 2 nights
Mary, Reservations
Old Ground Hotel
OConnell Street, Ennis, Co. Clare
Tel: 065 6828127
Fax: 065 6828112
Email: reservations@oldgroundhotel.ie
Online reservations: www.flynnhotels.com
Cancellation policy:100% charge for non arrivals and any rooms cancelled less that 24 hours prior to arrival.
Afternoon & Evening
Once we check-in the hotel, get settled, and freshen-up a bit (probably about 1:30 PM), we’ll checkout the town and have lunch at one of the following (we could also visit these restaurants tonight or tomorrow, too; since 26.12 is a holiday in Ireland—St. Stephen’s Day—we’ll go with whatever’s open today; Mary at our hotel said that some businesses will definitely be open):
The Poet’s Corner Pub at our hotel (pub grub)
The Town Hall Bistro at our hotel
Numero Uno Pizzeria on Old Barrack Street, off Market Place
After lunch, we’ll walk the town (see map p. 242), checking out the River Fergus, the Friary ruins, and O’Connell Street Square, as well as identifying places we want to visit tomorrow or know more about on our walking tour of Ennis with a private guide, Jane.
After lunch and our exploration of the town, we’ll take a late afternoon siesta at the hotel (personal time for all, to do what they want).
Tonight, after our siesta, we’ll see the music and dance show in the Banner Room at our hotel (will be about e15 each). Then we can check out the town at night, grab a sandwich somewhere open, and return to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.
DAY TWO (SUN 27.12): ENNIS - 9:30 AM TOUR; BREAKFAST AT 8:45
Today in Ennis: Walking Tour; Bunratty Castle
After a late breakfast at the hotel, we’ll meet Jane of Ennis Walking Tours for a private 1.5-hour tour of the town (e60.00). We’ll meet Jane at our hotel at 9:30 AM.
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Confirmation email for Ennis walking tour:
Hello John,
Many thanks for your interest in Ennis Walking Tours! I would be happy to do a private tour for you during the holiday season; there is a minimum charge of 60 euro for a private tour. We can meet at 9:30 AM at your hotel for a 1.5-hour tour.
Best regards
Jane O’Brien
Director Ennis Walking Tours
St Brendans Lifford Rd - Ennis Co Clare, Ireland
Tel: (087) 6483714
www.enniswalkingtours.com; info@enniswalkingtours.com
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After the tour, we’ll grab a drink or a snack, do some shopping, and then head back to the hotel to meet our driver, Tony Woods (actaxis@eircom.net; www.actaxis.net), for our day trip to Bunratty Castle & Folk Park departing from our hotel at 1:00 PM. Bunratty Castle is open on 27 December from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. We’ll visit the castle from about 2:00 PM until 3:30 PM, and then have lunch at a nearby pub or restaurant, returning to Ennis with Tony by about 5:30 PM. The rate is e40.00 per hour (x 4.5 hours), or about e180.00 for this excursion. Bunratty’s admission fee will be about e34.00 total, for the family rate.
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John,
That’s no problem. I’ll see you at 13:00.
Regards,
Tony Woods
A&C Taxis / Tony Woods Chauffeured Tours
Email: actaxis@eircom.net
Web: www.actaxis.net
Phone: +353 87 2547511
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Upon our return we’ll take a siesta at the hotel, and head out for our last night in Ennis (personal time for all, to do what they want).
Tonight in Ennis: Cruise’s Pub
Tonight we’ll have dinner in a local pub (Cruise’s on Abbey Street) with live music afterward, before returning to the hotel to pack for our morning departure for Galway and our day trip to the Cliffs of Moher (tomorrow is a very long, full day). We’ll also take one last look at Ennis, since we leave very early in the morning. We’ll checkout of the hotel tonight and pickup continental breakfast at a grocery for the morning (or ask our hotel), since we‘ll leave before breakfast is served.
DAY THREE (MON 28.12): TRANSFER TO GALWAY VIA TAXI AT 8:00 AM; TOUR CLIFFS OF MOHER, THE BURREN & DOOLIN TOWN AT 10:00 AM - RISE AT 7:00 AM TODAY
Rise at 7:00 AM; 8:00 AM Transfer to Galway
We rise at 7:00 AM, checkout if we haven’t the night before, and meet Tony Woods outside our hotel at 8:00 AM for the hour ride to the Ardawn Guesthouse in Galway city (e100.00 cash for this transfer).
Arrival in Galway; Day Trip to the Cliffs of Moher
Upon arrival at the Ardawn Guesthouse, we’ll check-in (we’ve arranged for an early check-in, about 9:00 AM), and have breakfast.. We will be picked up at our hotel at 9:50 AM by O’Neachtain Tours for our day trip to the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, and the Burren (e110.00 total booked online in advance of our trip at http://www.ontours.biz/index.html; naugtour@iol.ie). Our online confirmation:
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Please print out this E Ticket Confirmation.
Dear John,
Thank you for booking our Cliffs of Moher Tour at 10:00 AM on 28/12/09. We look forward to seeing you and we confirm your booking. Your card will be charged .In the meantime we wish you a safe and pleasant journey and if we can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us, assuring you of our best attention at all times.
Kind regards
Michelle Ryan
Customer Service Manager
Please note that coach departs from the new Coach Station in Fairgreen Road, just across from the Tourist Office.
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Upon our return to Galway at about 5:30 PM, we’ll check-in to our B&B, and then take a much-needed siesta (personal time for all, to do what they want).
The Ardawn Bed & Breakfast, where we’ve reserved two rooms, a triple for the kids and a double for us, including en suite bath/showers, wireless Internet access, and breakfast at a rate of e80.00 per night for 1 night per room, with breakfast (TOTAL will be e160.00): http://www.galway.net/pages/ardawn-house; ardawn@iol.ie; telephone is 091-568833.
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Confirmation email for Galway hotel:
John,
I can provide you with 2 rooms, a triple and a double for the night of the 28th. I will only charge you a room rate of Euro 80.00 per room per night. This will include breakfast and all taxes. Your reservation is confirmed.
Our cancellation policy is 50% charge if cancelled within 7 days prior to arrival and 100% charge if cancelled within 72 hours of arrival.
Regards,
Mike and Breda Guilfoyle
Ardawn House
31 College Road
Galway
Tel 091 568833
Fax 091 563454
ardawn@iol.ie
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Our Night in Galway
After a siesta and freshening up (personal time for all, to do what they want), we’ll walk Galway town at night (probably around 7:30 or 8:00 PM), including Eyre Square, the Medieval Latin Quarter, the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas (built in 1320) and the path along the River Corrib. If open, we’ll also shop for Claddagh rings (which originated from the fishing village that once thrived in Galway along the river)—if not open, we’ll do so right after breakfast in the morning. We can eat at a place called Busker Brownes tonight (three popular eateries in a sprawling place with very good but inexpensive food). It’s at Cross Street and Kirwan’s Lane (enter on Cross Street and walk to the back for better seating; open 10:30 AM-9:30 PM). See map p. 259. We could also see some Trad music at a pub--see p. 264 in Steves for recommendations.
Then we’ll call it one long day—and a night!
DAY FOUR (TUE 29.12): GALWAY; TRAIN TO DUBLIN - LEAVE HOTEL BY 11:00 AM TO VISIT GALWAY IN THE DAY
Morning & Early Afternoon: Galway
We’ll sleep in a bit, checkout of the hotel after breakfast, store our luggage, and then spend about three hours exploring Galway during the day, shopping and browsing, from around 11:00 AM until about 2:00 PM. We should walk down Galway’s main drag; see map/explanation in Steves, p. 260. This could also be personal time for all to do what they want; break into two groups, or go together - everyone chooses what they want to see and do).
Mid-Afternoon: Train to Dublin
Then we’ll collect our bags from the hotel and head to the train station by 2:20 PM for the 3:05 PM train from Galway to Dublin (2 hours and 43 minutes to Dublin’s Heuston’s Station, arriving at 5:48 PM; e125.00 total for five passengers). We’ve purchased tickets in advance online at http://www.irishrail.ie.
To collect our tickets at the station in Galway:
You have chosen to collect your tickets at Galway station. Please ensure that you have your reservation number (PRN) with you.
For fast ticket collection at Galway, you can use the Ticket Collection Machines. Just swipe the credit card you made the booking with and your tickets will be printed.
When collecting at a Booking Office the tickets may be collected by the credit/laser card holder on presentation of the credit/laser card used for the booking and the
Booking Reference Number (above). If the appropriate credit card is not presented, then the ticket(s) may only be collected by presenting one of the following: a form of identification such as a valid driving license or passport, or an alternative credit/laser card to the one used for the booking, provided, however, that Iarnród Éireann reserves the right, at its absolute discretion, not to furnish any ticket to any person other than the holder of the credit/laser card used for the booking. Please take your seat 20 minutes in advance of departure.
Evening: Arrival in Dublin
Upon arrival at Dublin’s Heuston’s Station at 5:48 PM, we’ll take a taxi directly from the station to our hotel, The Fitzwilliam Townhouse, at 41 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, near St. Stephen’s Green, and check-in around 6:15 PM. Dublin’s cabs have a reputation for being affordable and quick, with very friendly drivers.
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Confirmation email for Dublin hotel:
The Fitzwilliam Townhouse Confirmation of Reservation
We are pleased to confirm your reservation as follows:
Guest Name: John Novick
Arrival Date: 29th June 2009
Departure Date: 2nd January 2010
Dear John,
Thank you for your confirmation. I confirm that we amended your reservation into a Double Room at EUR85 per night and a Triple Room at EUR110 per night for 4 nights starting with the 29th December 2009.
The rooms are next to each other. Should you require further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Best regards,
Laura in Reservations
Total w/out Breakfast: e$780.00
Time of Arrival: Between About 6:00 PM
Guaranteed by your credit card will be preauthorized and not charged prior to arrival. In the event of non-arrival, please be aware that a charge of one night's accommodation will be made. In the event that the booking needs to be cancelled, please advise us 48 hours prior to 4:00pm the day of arrival. Please note our latest check-in time is 10:00pm and our time of departure is 11:00am.Thank you for choosing the Fitzwilliam Townhouse and if we can be of any further assistance, please let us know.
We very much look forward to welcoming you to Dublin.
Kind regards,
Paul
The Fitzwilliam Townhouse,
41 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
T: +353 1 6625155 F: +353 1 6767488
info@fitzwilliamtownhouse.com; www.fitzwilliamtownhouse.com
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Tonight
After getting settled in our hotel by about 7:30 PM, we’ll checkout the area around St. Stephen’s Green, near our hotel (note the Yeats statue and Famine Memorial on the Green; see p. 57 in Steves), walk Grafton Street (one of Europe’s great pedestrian walkways; see p. 57, and notice the Molly Malone statue, “The Tart with the Cart”), and take the O’Connell Street stroll (p. 60), seeing the River Liffey, O’Connell Bridge, sites we’ll visit tomorrow, and the city center. It’s about a 15-minute walk from our hotel to O’Connell Street. For dinner, we’ll walk or taxi to the Temple Bar area (p. 58), and dine at Luigi Malone’s, with “a fun atmosphere and a varied menu of pizza, pasta, ribs, sandwiches, and fajitas”; located on the corner of Cecilia & Fownes Streets, and open until 11:00 PM. This area, Temple Bar, is known for its party atmosphere, so people watching will be abundant.
After dinner we’ll head just about two blocks away to Gogarty’s Pub (Fleet Street and Anglesea Street); we’ll go to the upstairs music room, featuring trad sessions until 2:30 AM, with no cover charge.
Then we’ll head back to the hotel on foot or via taxi for the night.
DAY FIVE (WED 30.12): DUBLIN - LEAVE HOTEL BY 9:00 AM FOR DOUBLE-DECKER BUS TOUR; BREAKFAST AT 8:15
Morning-Afternoon: Double-Decker Bus Tour with Guinness Storehouse and Kilmainham Gaol; then Shopping on Grafton Street
For breakfast, our hotel recommends Puffer Bellies Café, which is attached to our guesthouse on the lower ground floor. Breakfast is served as follows:
:From 8 AM-Noon Monday - Friday
:From 8 AM-10 AM Saturday & Sunday
:Traditional Irish breakfast is €6.95 and continental is €5.95.
Also note that Dublin does have Starbucks! A little taste of home. (:
After breakfast we’ll take the 90-minute Irish City Tours double-decker bus tour, departing from Upper O’Connell Street outside the Dublin tourism office at 9:30 AM (north of our hotel, across the River Liffey, and just before Parnell Square). We purchased tickets in advance at http://www.irishcitytours.com/index.htm; the online price was 63.00 Euros total for all of us. We could also board the bus at stop 7, St. Stephen’s Green, right near our hotel, instead (all depends if we want to start the tour at the beginning, or if we don’t mind jumping in mid-stream). The tickets are good for 24 hours. Note the following stops: stop 14 is the Guinness Storehouse/Brewery; and stop 15a is the old jail, called Kilmainham Gaol. In the winter, the bus stops running at 4:30 PM—and begins each day at 9:30 AM.
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Please print and retain this receipt as proof of purchase.
Booking date16/10/2009
Travelling date30/12/2009
TourDublin City Tour
PUP09:30 Stop 1: 14 Upr. OConnell Street
No Ad2
No St/Sr3
Client InformationCustomer nameJohn Novick Jr
Cost 63,10 EUR
Desk 1, Dublin Tourism Centre, Suffolk Street, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 1 6057705
Tel: +353 1 4580054
Email: info@irishcitytours.com
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We’ll hop-off the bus/tour at stop 14 for the Guinness Storehouse tour (about an hour; www.guinness-storehouse.com; see p. 69 in Steves). If we’re hungry, we could eat something at the Storehouse’s Brewery Bar on the fifth floor. The self-guided tour of the site ends on the seventh floor, at the Gravity Bar, with panoramic views above Dublin and a free pint of Guinness for all! Note: a well-hidden secret: Budweiser is also brewed at the Guinness Brewery! Ugh.
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Mr John Novick Jr,
Thank you for purchasing tickets to GUINNESS STOREHOUSE® - you're now on your way to an unexpected adventure.
Please print this email and bring it with you when you visit us so that you can enjoy fast-track entry - your ticket is valid for 12 months from now and you can visit us any time between 9.30am and 5.00pm seven days a week (we're open until 7pm in July and August). Check the website to find out how to get here.
Once you arrive, simply pass through the front entrance and go straight to the Pre-paid ticket machines. You should make sure you have your order reference number below. Then you're ready to begin your journey to the heart of GUINNESS®. It's like nothing you've ever imagined.
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Details
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Name: Mr John Novick Jr
Country: United States
2 x Student under 18 @ 9.00
1 x Student over 18 @ 11.00
2 x Adult @ 13.50
Total: Euro 56.00
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REGULAR OPENING HOURS:
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Monday to Sunday
9.30am - 5.00pm (last admission 5.00pm)
Public holidays: Normal opening hours apply
During your visit to the home of Guinness® why not plan a relaxing lunch in our award winning Restaurant - the Brewery Bar on the 5th floor.
Lunch served daily from 12 noon - 4pm
Our Coffee Bar on the 1st floor is open daily from 10am - 6pm
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WE'RE HERE TO HELP!
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Any queries about your visit? Please e-mail us at customer.service@guinness.com or call Customer Care at: Tel: +353 1 4084800. The Information Desk is open 9.00am - 6.00pm daily.
For directions and a map click here:
http://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/GettingThere.aspx
www.guinness-storehouse.com
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Then we’ll board the bus again for stop 15a, to visit Kilmainham Gaol (1 hour for a tour; about e6.00 each; see p. 68 in Steves).
Note: We’ll pass Dublin Castle on this bus tour, but we’ll visit the castle tomorrow, since it’s open on 31.12.
Afterwards, probably at around 2:00 or 2:30 PM, we’ll board the next available bus, and hop off at our starting point this morning on Upper O’Connell Street, and then walk back toward our hotel, but stop at Grafton Street to shop and explore (see p. 57 in Steves).
If we haven’t eaten yet, this would be a wonderful main street area for lunch in the city center. Restaurants to consider for lunch near Grafton Street include the pubs The Duke and Davy Burns, both on Duke Street, Bewley’s Café at 78 Grafton Street, and the chain Wagamama Noodle Bar, on South King Street, underneath the St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Center. We won’t eat dinner until after the play tonight (a late dinner).
After strolling, shopping and lunch, we can return to the hotel anytime this afternoon for a siesta (personal time for all, to do what they want).
Tonight: Evensong at Christchurch Cathedral; A Christmas Carol at Gate Theatre; Late Dinner
After a siesta, we’ll attend the 6:00 PM Evensong choral service at Christchurch Cathedral (walk, bus or taxi, depending on weather). Then we’ll head back to the hotel, buying a quick snack at Dunne’s Grocery Store to eat on-the-go, near our hotel and St. Stephen’s Green, on South Great George’s Street, across from the gate to St. Stephen’s Green (see map p. 81).
Then we’ll proceed to The Gate Theatre by taxi (1 Cavendish Row, Parnell Square), for the 8:00 PM performance of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (already secured tickets, 100.00 Euros total for 5 seats):
_________________________________
Hi John,
I have processed your booking and your new confirmation number is below. Kind regards, Derek
Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' Adapted by John Mortimer
Wed 30 Dec 09 08:00 PM GMT
Seat Numbers: D/8 D/9 D/10 D/11 D/12
TTL: €100.00
Derek Kelly
Box Office Manager
Gate Theatre
1 Cavendish Row
Dublin 1
01 874 40 45
boxoffice@gate-theatre.ie
WWW.GATETHEATRE.IE
Box Office: 01 874 4045 874 6042
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After the show we’ll walk back, crossing O’Connell Bridge and seeing the city’s main drag at night from start to finish (see p. 39 in Steves). If we’re hungry, we could also stop for a bite to eat before returning to the hotel to crash.
DAY SIX (THU 31.12): DUBLIN - LEAVE HOTEL AT 11:00 AM FOR DUBLIN CASTLE, KILKENNY‘S; ICE SKATING, CHRISTMAS MARKET
Until 11:00 AM: Personal time for all, to do what they want, sleep, take a walk, etc. Everyone on their own for breakfast today, at their own pace.
Afternoon: Dublin Castle; Kilkenny’s Department Store; Ice Skating/Christmas Market
Then at 11:00 AM we’ll head to Dublin Castle on foot (just over an hour with 45-minute tour, about e5.00 each, opens at 10:00 AM; www.dublincastle.ie; see p. 53 in Steves). If time afterward, we should visit City Hall and the basement museum next door to the castle.
Then we’ll visit the popular Kilkenny Department Store on Nassau Street just south of Trinity College, not far from our hotel.
Then we’ll proceed no later than 3:30 PM via taxi, bus or train to Smithfield Shopping Center for ice skating and browsing the Christmas Market there: we have purchased our skating tickets in advance, and need to bring them to the rink (an outdoor but covered rink). Our time begins at 4:15 PM and ends at 5:15 PM.
Then back to the hotel for a few hours of personal relaxation time for all to spend any way they choose.
NYE in Dublin; Dinner at Good World Chinese Restaurant; Bells of the Cathedral at Christchurch
At about 7:45 PM we’ll walk to the nearby Good World Chinese Restaurant for our 8:00 PM dinner reservation. It’s located at 18 South Great Georges Street, close to our hotel.
After dinner, we could explore Temple Bar or the area around Christchurch Cathedral, before we join the crowds that traditionally gather outside Christchurch beginning at 10:30 PM for the ringing of the bells as the New Year begins; the festive spirit is fueled by live music and street entertainment (no fireworks). Afterwards, we’ll head back to the hotel.
DAY SEVEN (FRI 1.1): DUBLIN - NEW YEAR’S DAY PARADE; DAY TRIP TO THE NEARBY FISHING VILLAGE OF HOWTH; SLEEP IN; BREAKFAST AT 10:30 AM
Until About 10:30 AM: Personal time for all to do what they want. Breakfast at 10:30 AM.
Afternoon: Lord Mayor’s New Year’s Day Parade; Dinner and Walk in the Fishing Village of Howth
This morning we’ll sleep in a bit, and after a late breakfast, we’ll find a good spot in the city center (we’ll ask our hotel for a good spot to be) to watch The Lord Mayor’s New Year’s Day Parade (probably about 11:30 AM). The Parade will begin on Parnell Street North and go up O'Connell Street where all of the bands will stop and perform a medley for the Lord Mayor outside the General Post Office. The bands will then continue up Westmorland Street, onto Grafton Street and finish at St. Stephen’s Green—near our hotel—where they will all perform together before dispersing.
Then we’ll take the 2:58 PM DART train to Howth (from Pearse Station, will be marked HOWTH, not Howth Junction), a 25 minute ride to this quaint fishing village just eight miles north of Dublin (return tickets will be e4.20 each). We’ll taxi to Pearse Station in Dublin to catch our train. We can catch our return train to Dublin in Howth at 5:45 OR 6:25 OR 7:05 PM. On our return, we may want to exit in Dublin at Tara Station, not Pearse, since we’ll have better luck with a cab there if the weather is foul (see Mapeasy map).
In Howth, we’ll walk the promenade along the harbor to the Irish Sea, and walk both piers into the harbor (see map in Steves p. 93). The West Pier has the footprints of King George IV carved into stone in 1821. The East Pier has a 200-year-old lighthouse at the end and the closest views of Ireland’s Eye, a rugged nearby island. Note that the tower on a bluff overlooking the harbor was built to protect the port from Napoleon (it was never needed). In the early 20th Century, Irish rebels smuggled German guns to Dublin through this village, helping arm the Easter Rising of 1916. Abbey Street runs uphill from the harbor, south, becoming Main Street (we’ll walk this, too). For dinner, we have a 4:30 PM reservation at The Abbey Tavern (www.abbeytavern.ie); The Abbey Tavern, from Howth Dart Station, is just a short walk along the promenade.
Tonight: Our Last Night - Temple Bar
Tonight, after our return from Howth and a brief siesta, we’ll do some last-night shopping at anything open and if we’re up to it, see some Trad music at a Temple Bar pub, before we return to the hotel to pack and prepare for our flight home tomorrow. While not everything in town will be open tonight, the Temple Bar neighborhood will be hopping. We could also walk to visit a site any of us wish to see again before leaving Dublin in the morning.
When we return to the hotel to pack, we should order a taxi to the airport for five persons for a 7:30 AM pickup (the journey takes about 45 minutes, and our flight home departs Dublin at 10:35 AM).
FLIGHT (SAT 2.1): DUBLIN TO CHICAGO O’HARE; LEAVE HOTEL AT 7:30 AM; BREAKFAST AT THE AIRPORT; DEPART DUBLIN AIRPORT AT 10:35 AM; ARRIVE HOME IN CHICAGO AT 1:05 PM
We’ll checkout of the hotel by 7:15 AM and meet our 7:30 AM taxi to Dublin Airport (ordered by our hotel for us last night, arriving at Dublin Airport at about 8:00 AM) for our 10:35 AM flight to Chicago: American Airlines Flight 93, arriving at Chicago O’Hare on Saturday at 1:05 PM (flight time is 8 hours, 30 minutes). After checking-in for our flight and clearing security, we’ll have breakfast.
Upon arrival at Chicago-O’Hare at 1:05 PM we’ll either take a taxi back to the city (about $45.00), or be picked up by family at O’Hare, tba.
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