I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview with Yelp of the Open House Dublin tour of 9/9a Aungier…read moreSt, a house built in 1664 and one of the oldest surviving domestic dwellings in Dublin. We often think of Dublin's Georgian past when it comes to the architecture of the city but Aungier st. as part of the Aungier Estate was the first planned street outside the old medieval city walls. It was a very fashionable address and home to nobility, aristocrats and well-to-do merchants. No. 9/9A was discovered as still having its original structure despite its purpose and its living accommodation changing considerably over its 350 years and MESH architects have taken on a massive, time consuming restoration work here. We started our tour outside the Chester Beatty in the grounds of Dublin Castle where we were given a historical overview of medieval Dublin and the event that led to the laying out of Aungier St. We then proceeded out the Ship st gate and turned left up the cobbled street to Stephens Street Lower. We stopped and had a quick look in above The Central Dairy building which is also a restoration project in progress before heading to 9/9A. One of the architects involved in restoring this fabulous old building gave us a tour discussing the structure, how it has been altered and what they can learn from the way the house was built and from analysing the materials used. I unfortunately had to leave the tour early but before I left I learned how the craftsmen often used superstitious markings on the rafters and joists to bless the building and that by analysing the plasterwork an paint they can tell what was burnt in the fireplaces and can deduct from this how the rooms were used. How cool is that? It was amazing to see the house stripped back to the bare bones so that you could see how it was built and see how much work goes into a restoration project such as this! This is not a tour for little ones, this house is a building site right now. ******* I also did a tour of the Grand Canal Dock area yesterday with one of the architects who was involved in designing a number of blocks in the area, which was very interesting. My only criticism would be that he didn't have a great speaking voice, too low for a tour. ******** I also gave tours as part of Open House yesterday. I volunteer at Marsh's Library and while I am definitely biased ( I'm also a librarian) it's a great place to visit at an event like this as they often include the garden which visitors don't normally get to see!

Seeing the bones of the oldest intact house/dwelling place in the city is an extraordinary…read moreexperience. The Yelp Elite Open House tour of 9/9a Aungier Street started at the Chester Beatty Library to give us a visual overview of the masterplan. Aungier Street is apparently the oldest planned street in the city, ending at the now-vanished St George's Church which faced Dame Street. We 'processed' out the back of the Castle, as one does, along Stephen Street, where in some waste ground, the medieval ditch of Dublin is still apparently visible. How cool is that? It reminds how every corner of Dublin has a history, sometimes several histories. The Central Dairy shop on Stephen Street, which used to be a defunct newsagents, now hosts a lovely designer shop on the ground floor, and the upper floors are being restored. I think it's amazing to be able to see an old house stripped back to the bare essentials. The tour of 9/9a was the highlight, the guides from Open House had their work cut out for them getting people to move on the next part of the tour, so fascinating was each room. Such a privilege to be shown around by people whose knowledge is driven by a passion for Dublin's history which I suspect in neither profitable nor popular. I hope the Open House event this year (17-19 October) is a success and is a showcase for the great work that's being done by the Irish Architecture Foundation. A big thank you to Emily for organising this event. Another quirky idea from the ever-creative Yelp CM!

Great Boxty. I saw this place on YouTube. Also, I noticed everyone there was from the United…read moreStates as well, hrmm... but overall, clean food good stuff and enjoy their home brewed dark beer!

Cozy place with fast and friendly service. We only got the boxty platter, which was really good,…read morebut the food at the other tables looked solid. They also have their own beer, which is decent.

Best Design Studio! Love it! Different than anyone else,…read morenever know what COHN will do. COLOURFUL DESIGNS and fantastic use of materials. Lovely service from Garry Cohn and the team!

I would highly recommend Paul Redmond Architectural Services LTD. Paul surveyed the second hand…read morehouse I'm purchasing and provided me with a very detailed report. He also provided me with letter of exemption in relation to a porch I had built onto the property I was selling. I rang around a few architect's to get prices for survey & letter of exemption and found Paul Redmond to be reasonably priced compared to the others I got quotes from. I found Paul to be accommodating, easy to get on with & very helpful. I have no hesitation in recommending him to friends & family & would use his services again.

Do not under any circumstances hire this man. You will not get what you paid for. He is quick to…read moretake your money but you'll be waiting a ridiculous length of time for your report.

We had the best experience with Dublin House plans and their amazing team. The attention to detail…read moreand care was impressive. The best thing we ever did was use Kevin to design our new home. We can't thank Kevin and his team enough for everything they've done to make our dream house into a reality!. And at great value too

Used these chaps recently and was very happy with the service…read more We required a survey for an apartment and as I detest ringing around, I found 3 local surveying companies online and sent them emails. ABL responded within 2 hours, another responded the next day, and 7 weeks later I'm still waiting on the last one to reply. The seemed quite knowledgeable, and sent me a quote and example reports to show me what they cover. Everything was arranged through email, and once the survey was complete, they rang me and I got a verbal account of what they did, then they sent on the report. The report was clear and detailed, with plenty of photos. They emailed the invoice, we paid by bank transfer and everyone was happy. Why can't all companies make it so simple and easy to do business with?? Kudos to them as I know there was some messing around trying to get access to the place due to tenets and estate agents! Last week I emailed them asking some questions, and saying that we needed some advice. I fully expected to maybe have them out again, or pay for their services, however they rang me back and spoke at length with me and I was satisfied with the info I was given. Quick, painless and pleasant to deal with!

Today I was craving a new cafe experience and found myself on Kildare street, so I popped in here…read moreout of curiosity. I ordered a hot chocolate and chocolate fondant...yup one of those days! I sat down in a stylish canteen style table. (There are couches available too) and tucked into my hot chocolate which was quite average. But then I got my chocolate fondant! Oh sweet lord! This beauty was perfectly made with hot chocolate oozing from the middle, fresh cream and a dash of blackcurrant.Homina. Perfect for any chocolate fan! While there I found out that the building does French classes and love people who try out some French when ordering from the French speaking staff.

Although a Dubliner I had never been into this cafe/restaurant before, and was suitably impressed…read moreby the selection of lunchtime main courses - the quality and flavour of the food was very good. I had the beef bourguignon with dauphinois potatoes - both delicious and my friend had the cod and mussels in a very nice sauce together with dauphinois potatoes and it too was delicious. I have knocked one star off a potential 5 star rating as my pet hate in restaurants are the communal drinking glasses for table water were a tad grubby & in need of a good dishwashing......an easy one to solve

Calling all you postgrads out there - this is a great place for thesis binding. I had time to I…read moresearched around for the cheapest price and it turns out that it's Duffys - the same place I got my masters thesis bound many years ago. Hardbinding goes as low as 22 euro a copy when you get three or more copies and they currently have a further 10% discount if you connect with them on facebook - not to be sniffed at. It's a bit off the beaten track and they can't print the thing for you, but they offer a great service and the quality is as good as (and in some cases better) than a lot of other binders. They have all the usual unversity specs on hand and the staff are really nice. Great value for money!