Dublin & Belfast

[Virginia Gentleman]

So I am heading to Dublin and Belfast for a week. Any advice?

[Aidan]

Bring a raincoat...

Actually, the weather is very nice here in Dublin at the moment - 27 C yesterday.

For whskey related activities, there's The Temple Bar, in Temple Bar. Very large selection of all types of whisk(e)y. Jameson's old Bow Street Distillery Museum is just north of the Liffey. And the Celtic Whiskey Shop is on Dawson Street, right in the middle of town.

Other good pubs in Dublin are Doheny and Nesbitts on Baggot Street, The Palace Bar in Fleet Street, and the Brazen Head (near the Bow Street Distillery). There are lots and lots and lots more pubs around the centre of town.

In Northern Ireland, you can visit the Bushmills Distillery. There's also the Crown Bar in Belfast... The north Antrim coast is beautiful.

Eating out is expensive in Dublin. Shanahans on the Green is excellent, but very expensive. As are Thorntons, Roly's Bistro and Patrick Gibaulds.

For activities, you could go to the races or to a hurling or GAA match in Croke Park. If you like golf, there are lots of options north and south. ...

[whisky man]

You could also try Brooks Hotel on Drury Street the have a certificate for "great whisky bar of the world" there collection boast over 80 whiskies(reasonably priced) from 8 countries and they have a special 8 page whiskey menu. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable too.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

So I am heading to Dublin and Belfast for a week. Any advice?

Just whiskey advice or advice in General? I think Aidan gave you a nice little run down on Dublin... I'll just add The Guinness Hop store is well worth a visit. A self guided interactive tour which I have done 4or5 times as I always used to bring visitors there when I was living in Dublin and I never got tired of it. The sky bar is at the very top where you get your pint of Guinness and it has great views of Dublin, but it only serves Guinness.

Bring a raincoat...
Eating out is expensive in Dublin. Shanahans on the Green is excellent, but very expensive. As are Thorntons, Roly's Bistro and Patrick Gibaulds.

..

I concur.... see http://www.shanahans.ie/

Shanahans actually have their own labeled whiskey a blend and a single malt. It is available in the Celtic Whiskey SHop but I don't know for how long. The Celtic Whiskey Shop is well worth a visit as Ally has probably the largest selection of Irish Whiskies & Irish rarities you can find under one roof as well as a fairly decent selection of Scotch but expect to pay a bit more than in the states for some.

[Virginia Gentleman]

Thanks gentlemen. That gives me some good advice to start with. I am staying at the Fitzsimons Hotel in Temple Bar so it looks like I am in a good location in Dublin. I was looking for any advice but whiskey advice in particular. One more question. I will probably only have time to visit one distillery other than the Old Jameson in Dublin. Which would be a better tour? Bushmills to the North or Jameson in the South? Does the Cooley distillery give tours?

[Aidan]

Thanks gentlemen. That gives me some good advice to start with. I am staying at the Fitzsimons Hotel in Temple Bar so it looks like I am in a good location in Dublin. I was looking for any advice but whiskey advice in particular. One more question. I will probably only have time to visit one distillery other than the Old Jameson in Dublin. Which would be a better tour? Bushmills to the North or Jameson in the South? Does the Cooley distillery give tours?

Remember that Temple Bar can be very noisy, full of stag nights and hen nights. Not everyone's cup of tea. Look up the hotel on http://www.tripadvisor.com and see what it's like.

I'd go to the Bushmills distillery, as it's a working distillery. I think you may be able to organise a tour of Cooley, but they don't generally do them. Also, it's not the prettiest distillery.

Anyway, I hope you have a good time.

[Deactivated Member]

If you go to Bushmills, go on a weekday as the stills and bottling hall are empty at the weekend. The best way to get either to or from Bushmills is the coast road (A2) and take every scenic detour you are offered. Whilst on the north coast, you can visit the Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, various ruined castles on rocks, Mussenden Temple, etc. There is also an excellent forest park in one of the Glens of Antrim.

In Belfast, the best whisky shop is The Vineyard on Ormeau Road - but it would be eclipsed by even a modest whisky shop in Scotland. You must visit the Crown Bar in Belfast - a C19th Gin Palace owned by the National Trust. Kelly's Cellars, Pat's Bar or Maddens offer good basic bars - sometimes with music in Maddens. I have not been back to Belfast since they tore down the old Kitchen Bar, but people have said the new one is worth looking at.

You can take a trip out to Stormont, which is an impressive sight but you won't get into the building. The river area has improved greatly in recent years. Also worth going to Botanic Gardens and seeing the Tropical Ravine, Palm House, etc.

If time permits, you can also have a very nice drive down theArds peninsula to Portaferry and get the ferry across to Strangford - and thence to the Mourne mountains and Carlingford, where there is a spirit grocer (PJ O'Hare). Alternatively, a day trip to the Marble Arch Caves and Fermanagh Lakeland is good. Visit Blakes Bar in Enniskillen.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Forgot to mention... if going to the http://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com/ in Dublin don't forget that you may be able to post home your bottles and get a better deal by not paying the VAT. Check you local laws about importing and talk to the guys in the shop and between ye, ye might be able to sort something out. If you are buying a few bottles you will hopefully save money.

I concur with the others Bushmills is probably the best tour and looks well.

And as Nick said the coast road from Belfast to get to Bushmills is the way to go it is really beautiful as you can take in all the major sites... Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge , Giants Causeway & Dunluce Castle are some of the attractions

See this driving tour guide for a taste....

http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/causeway_geological.aspx

[Deactivated Member]

I'm not sure I could string out a drive from Belfast to Derry for five days. I once managed to do Foyleside Shopping Centre (Derry) to Stormont (Belfast) in 70 minutes!

In a Nissan Micra.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

I'm not sure I could string out a drive from Belfast to Derry for five days. I once managed to do Foyleside Shopping Centre (Derry) to Stormont (Belfast) in 70 minutes!

In a Nissan Micra.

I know what your saying ... easily do-able in 1 day or 2 comfortably but just depends if you want to hang around or not.

[Mr. Hoop]

A few pubs for your consideration:

Mulligan's - Poolbeg St.
Grogan's (Castle Bar) - Sth. William St.
The Long Hall - George's St. South
The Oval - Abbey St. just off O'Connell St.

I would avoid Temple Bar, but that's just my personal preference. There's probably good pubs there too, I just don't know any!

If you've time and you're heading out of the city, you could do worse than takehte DART (light rail) down the coast to the south, Fitzgerald's in Sandycove used to be my local and is a fantastic pub.

[Aidan]

Another Irish member - welcome to the forum, Mr. Hoop.

I'd agree with all that, but I think the Long Hall smells of, well, not very nice.

I wouldn't stay in a hotel in Templebar either.

[Mr. Hoop]

Thanks for the welcome, I know what you mean about the Long Hall. That's an original Victorian toilet for you!

I'm not strictly speaking Irish, actually an expat Scot, but married to an Irishwoman. Moved over here 6 years ago and can't leave.

[Aidan]

Thanks for the welcome, I know what you mean about the Long Hall. That's an original Victorian toilet for you!

I'm not strictly speaking Irish, actually an expat Scot, but married to an Irishwoman. Moved over here 6 years ago and can't leave.

No arguments, you're Irish.

You're like John Jameson, then. Or was it James Jameson? Anyway, he was a Scot who did well in Ireland.

Anyway, I'm babbling now, so welcome again.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Thanks for the welcome, I know what you mean about the Long Hall. That's an original Victorian toilet for you!

I'm not strictly speaking Irish, actually an expat Scot, but married to an Irishwoman. Moved over here 6 years ago and can't leave.

I thought you were a shamrock rovers fan by you name. But living in Dunlaoghaire I had my doubts. And yes your Irish now too late you can't do anything about it now

[Mr. Hoop]

Ah yes, the Hoop comes from a misspelling of my actual name.

More of a Coventry City fan, I'm afraid, but that's a discussion for another forum.

http://www.desperatelosers.co.uk

[Mike O'Neil]

For advice on bars in belfast, have a look at http://www.belfastbar.co.uk

[irishwhiskeychaser]

For advice on bars in belfast, have a look at http://www.belfastbar.co.uk

Welcome Mike good have a few more Irish men on the board whether from north or south.....

[JCSkinner]

For advice on bars in belfast, have a look at http://www.belfastbar.co.uk

Welcome Mike good have a few more Irish men on the board whether from north or south.....

Thought I'd resurrect this thread as there isn't any mention in here about the Duke of York Bar in Belfast - one of the city's oldest as well as having what is highly likely to be the largest collection of limited Bushmills bottlings in the world as part of their extensive whisk(e)y selection.

[Deactivated Member]

The Duke of York is a great bar - it has a back room that is invariably locked, although I did once have the pleasure of sitting in it.

Belfast pubs I used to know and love included:

The Crown (of course)
Maddens
The Hercules
Kelly's Cellars
The Kitchen Bar (the original one)
The Lifeboat (full of postmen - but nobody else liked the bar)
The Mermaid
The Morning Star

There were plenty of others, including a couple on the Upper Ormeau Road whose names escape me.