TheCity

Author: Fiona Hyland

  • Nights out in Dublin with a difference

    Nights out in Dublin with a difference

    With the holidays fast approaching, we are bombarded with invitations to work Christmas parties, to be the plus ones at other people’s parties who also don’t want to be there, and to catch up with friends whom we haven’t made an effort with all year.

    It’s a long and expensive month and can be quite repetitive if we end up going to the same place, sculling drink after drink. In order to combat this, we here at The City have tried and tested some of the best bars around that offer a little more than just alcohol, and will have something for everyone to enjoy. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it!

    First up, The Woolshed on Parnell Street; known as a Southern Hemisphere sports bar, they actually cater for a lot more than just sports fans. On Tuesday, they run a free table quiz, which they take pretty seriously as you have to hand over your smartphone so there’ll be no cheating. Grab four of your mates and head for the laugh. They also have some amazing drinks offers, so it won’t leave you afraid to look in your wallet the next morning.

    For those of you who can be found singing Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ at the top of your lungs on Harcourt Street on a Friday night, then karaoke is what you want. Ukiyo Bar on Exchequer Street, offer private karaoke parties. They cater for a range of party sizes and include party platters, wine etc. in order to make your night one to remember, or one you’d rather forget, depending on how good your vocals are.

    For craft beer and board game lovers, get yourselves down to PMacs on Stephen’s Street. The quaint, dully lit bar is a sister of Cassidy’s Bar on Westmoreland Street and offers some of the finest craft beers around. They also have poky little pods that can hold up to six people in them, so it’s like having a pint in the comfort of your own home. Also, no one else can see when a heated argument about what colour eyes John has in “Who’s Who?” breaks out.

    The International Comedy Club is a hidden gem in Dublin’s fair city. Located on Wicklow Street, above the International Bar, it has hosted some of the finest comedians around, such as Des Bishop, Neil Delamere and Ardal O’Hanlon. At just €10 in Thursday to Sunday, make sure you get down early, as it will sell out, and in such a small and intimate venue, you don’t want to be sitting right up the front. Trust me.

    For foodies, looking for something a little different, why not try out some Teppanyaki? Teppanyaki is a Japanese way of cooking meat with veg or fried rice on a hot steel plate, in the middle of the table. Not only is it incredible to watch, it’s also mouthwateringly good. Chai Yo, on Lower Baggot Street offer extremely high quality food and entertainment. And at the end, you’ll enjoy probably the strangest rendition of ‘Kiss From A Rose’ by some very friendly Asian people with guitars. What’s not to love?

  • A catch up with The Beer Market

    A catch up with The Beer Market

    The Beer Market was the first dedicated beer-only bar in Ireland. Up to 90% of the beer on tap is not available anywhere else in Ireland and they pride themselves on that fact.

    I caught up with Damian Breslim, from The Beer Market, to find out a little bit more about what they do.

    Tell me a little bit about The Beer Market?

    “The Beer Market is part of the Galway Bay Brewery Company, and we are one of their nine bars that they have in total.” (Others include Against The Grain on Wexford Street, and The Brew Dock, in the IFSC).

    “When we started off here, we had the idea that we would sell all twenty of our craft beers, while rotating the kegs every time one ran out. We didn’t want to do any other drinks, just beer, beer, beer!

    “However in the last couple of months, we’ve changed that slightly to suit a range of other people and we’ve since added wine. We used to just sell pies from The Pie Man in Temple Bar too, but now we’re open at 12 for lunch.”

    When did you guys open?

    “We opened our doors late last April.”

    Who drinks in The Beer Market?

    “I really couldn’t pinpoint just one demographic that drinks in The Beer Market, it’s a very mixed bag; from students, to professionals, to locals, and after work crowds.”

    Do you run any events or theme nights?

    “Not at the minute, although we do have tasting nights where people can come in, talk us through how much they’d like to spend, and we guide them through the different beers we have, where they come from, the brewing process etc.

    “As I said, we currently stock twenty beers, eight of which are from Galway Bay, while the others include a mixture of Belgian, German, American, English and so on.”

    Are there any future plans for The Beer Market?

    “Well, we’ve recently opened our kitchen, so that’s pretty much our biggest change. We’ll wait and see how that goes before we make any more plans.”

    To find out more about The Beer Market, you can find them on Facebook or you can log onto their website.

  • Alternative Halloween events

    Alternative Halloween events

    Halloween isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. While some people love the idea of fancy dress, for others, it’s just a night where you can’t move in your local pub for grown men and woman wearing outrageously wide costumes, and a nest of cobwebs to fight through to get to the bar.

    In order to get through this Halloween as painlessly as possible, and dare I say, maybe even enjoy yourself, we here at The City have put together a couple of alternative ways to spend your night.

    It’s Always Sunny in Phibsboro

    This year, The Back Page in Phibsboro, will be transformed into ‘Paddy’s Pub’ from the hit TV show, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. You can expect to see some of your favourite episodes on the big screen while enjoying red wine out of a diet coke can. What’s not to love?

    Check out The Back Page on Facebook to find out more about the event.

    Tayto Park’s House of Horrors

    Running from the 24th of October to the 1st of November is Tayto Park’s House of Horrors. While we know it’s a bit outside of Dublin, we reckon we can make an exception just this once.

    For just €18 per person, you can enjoy entry to the theme park, a night ride on the Cú Chulainn Coaster, a 5D movie and much, much more. It’s suitable for ages 14 and up, and there’s no need to pre-book tickets. However please note that there is no alcohol allowed on the premises.

    Night time tours at the National Leprechaun Museum

    Delve into the darker side of Irish folklore with the adults only nighttime tour at the National Leprechaun Museum on Jervis Street. They claim that their stories are so dark and twisted, that there’s no way they could possibly talk about them during the day.

    Tickets are just €15 which you can book here. However be warned, there’s no refunds for scaredy cats!

    Hidden Dublin Walks’ Halloween Haunted Spooktacular Event

    This year, Hidden Dublin Walks are running a terrifying bus tour of Grove Gardens in Kells, Co.Meath. Departing from St Audeon’s Church at the Cook Street entrance, the tour will take approximately three hours.

    For €30, you can expect to be truly terrified, with various attractions such as a mirror maze, ‘The Asylum’, ‘School House Massacre’, and many, many more.

    If you feel that you’re brave enough, check out their website to find out more.

    The Rocky Horror Picture Show in The Sugar Club

    It wouldn’t be Halloween without The Rocky Horror Picture Show, would it? This Halloween night, head down to The Sugar Club, where The Rocky Horror Picture Show Ireland, are celebrating their 10th anniversary.

    You can definitely expect one of the most outrageous, bizarre nights of your life, all while having that damn catchy ‘Time Warp’ song stuck in your head. Let’s Do The Time Warp Againnn…

     

     

     

  • Dublin Cocktail Festival

    The second annual Dublin Cocktail Festival is running from the 13th to the 18th of October.

    Showcasing some of the best bars around the city, this year the festival is putting an emphasis on Irish whiskeys and liquors, with each bar using an Irish spirit as the main ingredient in their drink.

    Each bar will be offering their cocktail at a discounted price to wristband holders for the week.

    TheCity.ie visited a handful of participating bars around the City Center to see what they have on offer.

    To further educate and inspire, Great Irish Beverages will also be running tastings, masterclasses and workshops.

    To find out more, visit their website.

  • Walk In My Shoes broadcasts from St Patrick’s Hospital

    Walk In My Shoes broadcasts from St Patrick’s Hospital

    This week, Walk In My Shoes (WIMS), a charity aimed at promoting mental health awareness, are running a pop up radio station, which is broadcasting from St Patrick’s Mental Health Services.

    The aim of the radio station is to raise €10,000 to help young Irish people with their mental health.

    WIMS Radio is hoping to encourage listeners to become involved in the conversation and stigmas that often surround mental health. It aims to get young people talking about their mental health, as early detection is key when it comes to dealing with it.

    This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and the motto of the charity is ‘a small step, a huge difference’.

    Stephen Cahill is a radio student in Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE), who is currently working on the research team for the Aiden Power and Andrew Stanley show in the mornings.

    “I’m really enjoying working on the show. I worked on it last year and already I’ve noticed a massive improvement in the quality of the show,” said Stephen.

    “It’s mostly run by students from BCFE, and we’re so lucky to get this experience.

    “I’m also a massive advocate for mental health myself, so even on a personal level I’m delighted to be involved in the show,” he added.

    WIMS radio aims to interview guests who may have previously suffered with their mental health, or that have a positive message that they could share with their listeners.

    “We had William Meara (former DIT Student), on the show on Monday morning, and he is running a two night retreat called ‘UnPlug’ which basically teaches you how to manage your social media rather than letting it managing you. It includes activities such as Yoga, and provides a full vegetarian diet to help you relax and unwind,” he said.

    “I think that’s definitely very important in today’s society as people don’t realise how dangerous social media can be for our mental health.”

    Other familiar faces on the station include Bressie,  Al Porter and Sile Seoige.

    “I remember Bressie being on our show last year, and I was just in awe. The way he spoke about his own battle with mental health really resonated with me. This was just before the launch of his book ‘Me and My Mate Jeffery’, which I’m sure he’ll be discussing later in the week,” Stephen said.

    If you’ve missed any of the shows on Walk In My Shoes Radio, don’t worry, as you can catch their podcast on their website or listen in live on 94.3FM.

    You can also donate €2 by texting ‘Shoes’ to 57802, or for more details simply visit their website.