Guinness ‘n Trad in DublinBy Will Snyder
Dublin has kept its pub and musical scene very much alive as the economic boom of recent years has made it a pricey destination. Pubs have been gentrified, but promoters have profited from numerous new clubbing alternatives. There is music everywhere, leaning heavily toward the traditional Irish folk, but with a vibrant rock, pop, blues and jazz offering. In short, a music lovers’ paradise. One of the best places in town is the Porterhouse, a classical looking pub which is also a microbrewery. It offers almost nonstop music, with a small pulpit stage pitted between the second and third floors. Tables abound, with plenty of standing room when the crowds arrive. The pan-European staff (Hungarian, Greek, Swedish and Italian were identified) serves food as well as drinks. Dishes range from Irish stew to fresh pasta to hamburgers with Irish bacon and cheese. Unfortunately, Other throbbing venues include the quaint pubs in the Temple Bar area, quite touristy, where traditional Irish music can be heard nearly every night. Try Oliver St John Gogarty or the aptly named Temple Bar pub. For the rest of the ever changing alternative music scene, check out the following site of the weekly TimeOut magazine before leaving: http://www.timeout.com/travel/dublin. Where to stay? There are plenty of choices, from boutique Victorian to the U2- owned “The Clarence” (not as great as the snotty staff would pretend). There is one sure bet- the O’Callaghan hotels. This group, which also has renegade offerings in Gibraltar and Annapolis (!), has no less than 4 hotels in Dublin proper. Three four stars and a stolid three star enable the owners the volume to provide top of the range services to an upper middle-range type of accommodation and pricing system.
The clientele is a blend of upscale tourists and business people. Rooms are everything you would expect from a hotel of this quality: quiet, roomy and very comfortable. Wireless and wired internet is available for a daily fee of €15. I found the staff to be extremely helpful, offering valet parking to the hotel’s own nearby lot for a flat €10 charge. Room privacy must be posted: as in many hotels these days, one needs to hang the “do not disturb” sign on the door if you don’t want the maid to enter at 8:15am.
Earlier this year the Irish government banned smoking in all bars and restaurants, and the effect is wonderful. Clean air inside where all the action is, while the smokers are relegated to standing outside, frequently in the rain. Hopefully, the English and French and Spanish will join in this approach to clean living. Only the dry cleaners are complaining. Porterhouse Pub (16-18 Parliament Street, tel 353 1 671 5715, www.porterhousebrewco.com). Alexander Hotel, Davenport Hotel, Stephen’s Green Hotel and Mont Clare Hotel, The O’Callaghan Hotels, 353 1 607 3900, US toll free 1 800 569 9983, info@ocallaghanhotels.com, www.ocallaghanhotles.com. Will Snyder is a free lance writer living in southwest France. |
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TM
I came to Dublin for the Guinness and traditional music. But since I had been to Kilkenny, Derry and Belfast in the preceding week, I was also looking forward to a partying cosmopolitan crowd. I was not disappointed. 
Guinness is not sold here, so fans of the name brand original will have to try another of the dozens of pubs that carry the drink most associated with Dublin. Here there is a copycat beer called Oyster stout-excellent, along with a dozen other fresh house brews such as Brainblasta and Temple Brau. 
I stayed in the Alexander Hotel, one of the group’s 4 star facilities. The location is ideal, on a relatively quiet street just off of Merrion Square. It is a short walk to St Stephens Green and the shopping district that leads to Temple Bar. The hotel has an imposing stone facade with a round tower at the entrance. Inside it is all soft wood tones, “stylish contemporary” according to the brochure, with a modern lightness and accessible open spaces. The huge lobby serves as a point of relaxation, with drinks and snacks served throughout the day. Adjoining the lobby are the restaurant and the Winners Bar, both comfortable and classy with a sense of tradition.
Rates. These hotels do not have year-round rack rates for the rooms. There are seasons and events in the city that trigger premium rates to apply, and the only way to know the best rate is to decide on dates and try to reserve at the earliest possible time. Internet prices are significantly lower than those that are quoted by phone or over the counter, but with a proviso: the lowest rates (€120 or even lower) are non-refundable in the event of cancellation. Word of warning- Dublin is expensive, much more so than a few years ago (plus the pricing is more transparent with euros in force, as opposed to the Irish punt of recent past), and in most categories is right up there with London in cost.