Fun spot and a connection point for the Dublin tech crowd…read more Had a conference event at Google Ireland and The Foundry. Thoroughly enjoyed the architecture, people, and setting. The Docklands are amazing and something the community can be proud of with its history and success as a startup incubator for some awesome companies. As much as anything, the location and event were defined by superb people keen on collaboration and making communities thrive through technology and connection. It's an energizing setting. The Google Store there-- while pricey-- has some cool stuff you can pick up for your collection of clothing, journals, stickers, backpacks, toys, and the like.

You've heard about Google Mountain View, the HQ in Silicon Valley. This is like the European…read moreequivalent in Dublin - it has the ultimate campus feel with lots and lots of Googlers (that's what the employees call themselves!) working on some pretty cool stuff. There's free breakfast, lunch and dinner served in the numerous cafes scattered through the four buildings. There's also a micro kitchen on every level which stocks everything from fresh fruits to to-go salads and even a sushi bar that is made on the spot by very talent chefs. Inside you'll also find an array of amenities including a swimming pool, well equipped gym and lots of break out spaces to grab a snack and chill out or catch up with colleagues. Overall a really amazing work space! Definitely worth the visit if you're in town.

I am pretty much obsessed with Totally Dublin, a free monthly newspaper that is chock full of great…read morestuff. The publication is aimed at a hip crowd that goes on often and always wants to know what events are around the corner. It's been around for 5 years, and I hope it lives to see many more milestones in years to come. The listings are broken up into categories like live gigs, theatre, weekly clubbing and one-off clubbing, so you'll have no trouble finding something cool to do each month. They also have venue, club night and restaurant reviews that are humorous and informative. While Totally Dublin is essential for finding out what's going on around the city, it's also a great read otherwise, with lots of well-written content, articles, band/artist interviews and more. The staff is probably young and doesn't take themselves too seriously, and this is reflected in the style and content, which is funny and interesting. It's the kind of cultural newspaper that I actually read cover to cover and sometimes even keep (it's that good!). It's distributed at businesses around the city and if you spot on, do not hesitate to pick it up!

Every cultural city needs a magazine like Totally Dublin. A free, independent paper, written and…read moredesigned by a team of in-the-know Dubliners who bust their asses just so we can pick it up at the local shop and have something fun to read while waiting for our pizza or drinking our coffee. Each issue features interesting interviews, event picks, reviews and travel pieces, music/culture/art-related stuff and plentiful samplings of local flavour and is therefore useful for locals and a fine introduction to Dublin for visitors. Their listings section comes in handy when in the pub with friends who want to check out a gig but don't know where to go and their website is a great addition to the printed publication with its easy-to-use listings calender. If you join their facebook group you'll get the newest issue in the mail, even before it hits the streets, so you'll never have to miss out on any Dublin event. Whether the issues covered fit your areas of interest or not, the staff deserves a big pat on the back for delivering a cool-looking issue every single month. Hope they'll manage to keep up the good work for years to come!.

I've been very fond of the Phoenix for some years now. It's Ireland's own Private Eye, and since…read morePolitics can be extremely silly in this country it is important to have a political commentary that acknowledges and revels in the silliness. There's serious reporting here too, but I have to confess I always skip to the funnies section first. Their cartoonist usually manage to capture the particularly ridiculous and lampoon it well, so you can't help but giggle.

Phoenix was the magazine that my Dad read with seemingly comical captions over the heads of…read morepoliticians on the cover of this particular political satire magazine that befuddled me as a wee lad. My Dad's sense of humour isn't entirely refined and definitely very bloke-y. His favourite show is Only Fools and Horses. There's nothing wrong with Only Fools and Horses, in fact I like it a lot myself, but it's not exactly high-brow humour, and even my Dad thinks the humour is a bit lackluster. But Phoenix is Ireland's only political satire magazine and there's something to be said for that. It's not going to have you ROFLing, but you might get a titter out of how much Brian Cowen likes jelly and ice cream from one of the covers when picking up Grazia. I have been dying to use the term 'ROFLing' in a review for ages now. Success.

Since going national in 2006, Newstalk has gathered steam -today delivering programming that's…read morevaried, entertaining and (mostly) thought provoking. Politics, sport, economy -no topic is safe as Newstalk's stable of bright minds make the sort of radio programmes that are alternately a relief and a challenge to listen to. While George "Hookie" Hook keeps drive-time listeners on their toes with his 4.30 - 7pm "The Right Hook", the station's more recent acquisition of former TodayFM muso Tom Dunne has added a refreshing counter-beat to the staid march of some longer running programmes. Once a great alternative to the repetition of some Dublin music stations, Newstalk is now the national answer to Top 40 blues.

At Newstalk the rich are rich and the poor are poor…read more The presenters are lauded and held on a plynth, kings of Dublin City, respected for anything they say and for whatever donut crumbs they spout while concocting ad libbed nonsense. As long as it's being heard on channel 106 -108fm, it may as well be gospel. Like priests, the presenters on Newstalk; George Hook, Bobby Kerr, Pat Kenny and the Off the Ball team are unmatched at convincing others that their word is the singular and definite one. At the other end of this scale, working the Titanic's engine room are the research interns who do most of the behind the scenes work, get paid a paupers wage and are treated as readily replaceable drones. This leads them morosely to Grogans every evening to have just 2 or 3 pints. All their wages will allow them. Basically, their entire stipend is washed away in a sea of Smithwick's Blonde Ale. Obviously they'd prefer to go to P.Mac's but would likely run into their bosses and they'd prefer to leave feelings of inadequacy to the office and not let it spill over into their social scene. The pretty ladies of P.Mac's are fodder for the Presenters of this world. While the homeless drunken hags of Grogans are a Newstalk interns best chance.

The management at this station haven't a clue about .... music !! They have had the opportunity to…read morehave a monopoly on Dance/RnB listership over the past few years, because all of the other stations are even worse than Spin - but they've blown it. I could give you quite a few good reasons, but the main ones that have mattered to me, and probably many others, are :- 1. Playlist content : the same 50 songs are played every day, week, month - for the whole year - why !!! - a shocking policy - there are 10's of thousands of great Dance/RnB songs from the past 30 years to choose from - but instead, Spin chooses to bore the life out of it's loyal listeners ... especially the musically-educated ones .... and 2. Playlist realtime : you can spend all day searching for one as you listen to Spin online - but trust me and save your time - a Spin Playlist for every [or ANY] show, does not exist [it's standard practice on any other properly managed DAnce station worldwide...] 3. Morning show : get rid of the three annoying eegits Emma,? Dave? and Ashling ? and their excruciating canned laughter, and play some MUSIC instead :) Thanks for reading

Spin 1038 is a 'young people's radio station…read more Playing all the latest chart, dance, pop, indie and any other kind of music, it's definitely a cool station to listen to. It started a number of years ago and has grown hugely in popularity, particularly with young people. It has a great breakfast show, lunchtime, afternoon and the evening show 'the zoo crew' is hugely popular with kids, particularly those who listen to it when doing they're homework! You'll no doubt se they're popular 'spinnies' floating around Dublin - pink mini's with loads of branding.

Dublin's 98 FM is addictive: the more you listen to it the more you like it. At the moment, I've…read morebeen tunning in to listen to the morning crew: Dermot, Dave and Siobhan. Their show runs from 6 am to 10 am and it consists of chart music and jokes. Their banter can actually be funny and the perfect way to make a long walk into town shorter. They also do this thing called the Toll Trolls which I find stupid. Toll Trolls are these two fabricated nasally voiced characters that make fun of stuff that's in the news or being talked about around town. Their voices are so annoying and they use all the really stupid Dublin slang. Besides this small segment, the rest of the show is entertaining.

Very organized station and train staff. I was impressed at the lunch and snacks menu. A lady came…read morearound taking everyone's orders. Just light cold snacks and refreshments for our trip but that's ok. Comfortable seating and we were able to reserve a table for four. A nice fast way to travel through Ireland. My first trip on a train in Ireland!

Most of my travels in Ireland were with the rental car but for the first couple of days in Dublin,…read moreit was Iarnród Éireann which in English is Irish Rail. The train operator for the Republic of Ireland with its main hub in Dublin but spokes leading out to much of the Republic. I did not take any of the long distance trains, just commuter hops on the line between Connolly Station and Maynooth (Maigh Nuad in Gaelic). Most of the time, the trains were on time. Smooth running, clean, efficient, with wifi on board. Never completely crowded except the rush hour schedule which is understandable. I did once almost miss a train because it's nearly time to depart but the track is empty. I learned from one of the staff in Connolly Station that the app might indicate one track number (in this case, Track 4) but the displays in the station show a different track number (Track 7). And it's the ones in the station that you should believe. Thankfully, I rushed over to Track 7 and boarded with a minute to spare. [Review 1813 of 2024 - 74 in Republic of Ireland - 22835 overall]

So what's up in Dublin for the weekend? LeCool has your answer…read more Filling the space where EventGuide left with it's January 2009 departure, this online local mag is the best place for offbeat events happening all around the City Centre. There's hot links for blogs and online art, real life shows and exhibitions, plus great ideas for stop off points if the Dublin touring excitment is wearing thin. What really rocks your humble reviewer's socks here is that LeCool covers the week, with great recommendations for cinema, kareoke and more from LeSunday to LeSunday. Event prices do vary but it's all as set through the venue itself. Forget the usual Friday night pub thing, LeCool has something better in mind for you!

Yep, this is what you've been missing. Been a subscriber of…read moreother city's lecool for several years now and even if you dont live there it s still a decent read and wonderful insight into any city. It' cherry-picks the bestest of the best each week in Dublin and points you on your way to cultural, hedonistic, gourmet or just damn fine nirvana. Subscribe and feel better already