I used to live in Smithfield and unfortunately the sound of the fans keeping the ice up and running used to keep me awake some nights, but as retribution for my sleepless nights all residents of Smithfield were given free tickets to the rink.
The rink itself is quite small and is often very crowded, so if you are planning on going I suggest you pick a time that would be less crowded, i.e. 3PM on a Saturday afternoon would be less than ideal. In order to combat overcrowding, they do request that you reserve a space on the ice. For a list of available times and prices you can visit their website.
The rink is very convenient as it is literally a two minutes walk from the Smithfield luas stop, which is only a short ride in from city centre and actually is quite a reasonable walk from O'Connell street as well.
If you're feeling a bit peckish after your skating there's always the concessions offered at the rink, but may I also suggest that Fresh market is literally a few steps from their entrance and there you can find tables and pastries and hot drinks at more of a value. read more