This was really cool!…read more They have a huge archive of classic English surnames. Mine, Saunders is an English/Welsh name derivative of Anderson. I was able tot get a plaque with my last name, which had history and other cool information and our family crest. I also got a pin for my brother with the coat of Arms. If you have a surname of English lineage, this shop is really cool!

Amazing service, nothing was too much trouble for the Team. I was absolutely delighted with the…read morerefurbished plaque and the amazing painting of the armorials by the heraldic artist. The attention to detail was incredible. I also have to mention the kindness and consideration shown to me when I discovered my wallet was missing from my handbag as I went to pay going so far as to call the Resturant I had recently left to enquire if it had been found. I cannot recommend House of Names highly enough for their professional service/ attention to detail and a "caring" attutide towards their customers.

So glad that we ended up being in Dublin during the night market, and that we happened to see a…read moreflyer about the night market. Although it's very small and not so many vendors, I thought it was great, and the vendors that were there were really nice. I ended up buying something from 3 vendors, and as a bonus, knocked out some souvenirs. Personally, I'd rather support the local vendors rather than the shops around Temple bar.

Thought I would check this out last Thursday, as I had been looking for some cheaper things to do…read morethat could get me out of the apartment during the week. I have to say this was a lot of fun! There was loads of booths selling everything you could think of, from picture frames, to statues, to scarves! Live painting (which was REALLY interesting to watch) and live music. Definitely great craic for a thursday night. Can't wait to check out the next one!

Dublin Tourist Guide: Trinity College - the Long Room…read more If you're traveling to Dublin you must make a few hours to walk Trinity College. I'll share more about the college itself on that yelp page but this review is strictly for the library at Trinity college with an emphasis on the Long Room (one of the most famous views on the campus). Built in the 1700s this library has been used in reference in so many movies and many people will recognize these photos from social media, as it's a highly photographed spot from the college. I was extremely lucky that despite coming in the summer we came on a weekday and it wasn't as packed as most people's own pictures seem to reflect. So my pro tip of course would be to come off season, but if you can't - even us coming in peak tourist season a weekday mid afternoon was a great time to come. The library is literally stunning. I'll honestly never forget it and for as simple as a library may seem, it was one of my favorite historical spots (indoors) that I had seen. The library is roped off on the sides so you don't have full access which makes sense as they don't want people touching the books. Being in the center though you still got great views and I was also lucky to come when they weren't doing maintenance on the library. Something to keep in mind as I've seen they sometimes remove the books for cleaning and maintenance, so something to look up before coming. 5/5 would recommend coming to the long room at the library, a great spot to check out.

Must-visit part of Trinity College in Dublin - we stopped by after The Book of Kells…read more The long room is a library with tens of thousands of books and busts of famous men and women (like Socrates and Shakespeare) lining both sides. It also houses the Brian Boru Harp, which is the oldest surviving Irish harp and a symbol of Ireland. Other notable artifacts include The Irish Proclamation of 1916, and various books and letters of scientific and cultural significance - from botanical drawings to world maps to metal coins. Wish I had taken more time to browse - will be back!

Jeebus... where to start on this one!? Newgrange is a 5000 year old tombe and religious site...erm…read morewe think! As with all such sites (the pyrimids in Egypt and Stonehenge in the UK are comprable examples) we can only guess at what the builders had in mind. To say we are lucky to have a site as impressive and important as this on our doorstep (about an hour and a bit from Dublin) is a huge understatement, it looks as impressive is it should be after a reconstruction some 30 years ago by a bunch of very very clever archaeologists. the results can be viewed by booking in advance and putting your name down for the 3 year waiting lists to be there at the summer and winter solstices. Opening times February - April: Daily 09.30 - 17.30. May: Daily 09.00 - 18.30. June - Mid September: Daily 09.00 - 19.00. Mid - End September: Daily 09.00 - 18.30. October: Daily 09.30 - 17.30. November - January: Daily 09.00 - 17.00.

If you come to Dublin this UNESCO world heritage site is a "must see". Everything I want to say…read morewill just be repeating the many good reasons to come here so read beyond my post and I'll keep mine short. - 5,000 year old tombs (New Grange, Knowth & Dowth) that are older than the pyramids and you can actually go inside New Grange. - 60% of Western Europe's neolithic art is found in the area. - inside the New Grange tomb is like going back in time, keep in mind these tombs were built with no modern tools at all and yet they knew how to build them and align the entrance on some, so they light up during the solstice. - friendly, knowledgeable guides. - well organised, small groups are taken in by bus rather than a mob of people overrunning the place so you can actually see and take it all in. - buy your tickets online and go early - a great Visitors Center gives you the backstory of the tomb's history before your tour.

As Dolmens go, this is a pretty good one!…read more I might have been overawed a bit because the setting was so lovely - it was surrounded by a field of bright yellow rapeseed flowers. With the sun out and the sky blue, it was a sight to behold. And it was the first proper summers day in about two months! There is a handy purpose made carpark on the side of the road and there is a proper path to lead you to the Dolmen. If you do happen to be in Carlow, take a look. It's not too far out the Hacketstown Road.

this dolmen is about 4000 years old and is holding up well. to get to it you walk up a little…read morefenced path and then you will find the dolmen in a clearing in the middle of a field. surrounded by fields its really peaceful and a bit of history on your doorstep. they have a big sign full of information for the tourist or for the interested. beneath the dolmen apparently has never been excavated so it may be interesting to wonder what is down there among the rocks and soil. the dolmen is made up of two stones which are the entrance to a tomb, possibly the buriel place of many people. its amazing to wonder how they managed to get such large stones in place and to remain that way for so long.

This is the type of place you see spring up in New York, where a load of amazing and quirky and…read morecreative people get off their amazing and quirky and creative asses and do something amazing and quirky and creative. Nestled away just off Queen St and Benburb St, with buildings all around, and the Luas running right next to it, is the Art Tunnel Smithfield. A 70m long narrow strip of garden slash art gallery slash park slash community area. It's truly amazing what's been done here in I believe about 10 months. A narrow, derelict site has been changed into something truly wonderful for the community to own and be part of and use to enrich their lives. The space is divided into a few sections - 1) A wild section out the back that hasn't been leveled or 'done' in anyway - just allowed to grow and be a home for local flora and fauna 2) A community art section that will soon be encased by gorgeous creepers, making it feel nearly like a secret garden art gallery. Any member of the community can ask to put something up here - at the moment it's full of small canvasses made by eight year olds, and they are fab! 3) A small seating area where you can sit with your book, or chat to others who are using the space 4) A curated arts section for more large scale pieces by emerging artists. You will need to come down to really see what these wonderful pieces are about This is all housed amongst flowers and greenery not normally seen in areas like this. Anyone can become a key holder - just contact the guys through the Facebook page, or get down there yourself and have a chat. I'm delighted I've found it and will certainly be making the most of it!

Stumbled across this place the other day on my way somewhere else…read more It's like finding a Narnia-like garden in the middle of the city. It is there for any local residents to use. You can go in and garden, create art, or just admire what's already there. This is the type of place that makes Dublin the unique city it is.

The revamp of the Docklands has been one of the better things to come from the economic fortunes,…read morealthough I worry that socially it may become a ghetto type scenario with the lack of buyers for the apartments or people defaulting. For now it is still a busy part of the city, especially amongst the workers there as there are many multinationals and design firms in the area. So as a result it has a very modern feel with a lot of upwardly mobile eateries. I am a fan of the sculptures in the area, they really make the quay a pleasant place to amble through or to sit and relax. Worth the walk to this side of town.

It's hard for me to diss the Docklands because I live here and I have to be proud of my…read moreneighbourhood. I know that this area is going to get better and better and in one year it will be unrecognizable. Most of it is still under construction. With the extension of the Luas and the new apartment blocks that are being built, the neighbourhood will soon become the next Smithfield, meaning that it will be filled with young professionals and become an international ghetto. Right now, there are some amazing sights from the top of the existing apartment complexes. I can see all of Dublin from my roof: Howth Head, the Dublin Mountains, Croke Park, Lansdowne Park, the Spire, Clontarf and East Wall. The boardwalk along the Liffey also has some historical sights too. Walking along the river, you can see the Jeanie Johnson, a replica of a Famine boat, and these haunting statues of Famine victims. There are a number of mobile cafes and restaurant a long the river too. The boardwalk is also a way to avoid some of the rough people who live behind the IFSC. But even the rude children who shout abuse at you add charm to the Docklands.

A hidden little gem of Swords only the few will find this. Beside Airside retail park it is what…read morethe local apartments and houses were named after (i think) holywell. Somebody has carefully put up some prayers and a little shrine and little stones around the little well. The thing missing is a bench to sit on and relax and pray if you like that kind of thing.

I found this on yelp thought I would give it a shot since my hotel is withing walking distance of…read moreit. It was a cute little walk and a nice little set up. Although there was a lot of trash there such as beer cans and stuff. Other than the trash it was a nice little hidden gem to walk to and explore.

Third and final stop of our Culture Night was the Freemasons Hall which is in a Victorian building…read more It looked to me like this had the biggest queue and wow oh wow I can see why! Where do I even start with here? The building is pretty spectacular yet I've never paid it much attention!!! There was a guide advising us to start upstairs. First stop was the Grand Lodge room. The ceiling was something else!!! It was just incredible. The next highlight was the Knights Templar room. That is really something. Took a seat along the side of the room to just take It all in. We then wandered through the rest of the Hall before visiting the museum. It felt a little like walking in history - don't think I'll forget my visit here anytime soon.

Visited here for the Caxton's Christmas Carol event this year... Wow, the main hall is just…read morestunning. Steeped in history, this grand room is an amazing display of fine building/artwork. The room was perfect for the Christmas Carol event, the acoustics where on point and the singers made the most of the space as they split up at times and made the hall come alive. Was able to go view the museum after the show which brings you on a little journey of old Ireland. The most interesting piece was seeing the orphanage box, where there was a boy section and a girl section, in the past when donations where being collected for orphans you could decide if you wanted to give to boys or girls - shocking and yet truly reflective of our history. I don't often observe culture or the history of Dublin, it's my home city after all but every now and again, I do and when I do... I always enjoy it. This one too, if you can go and visit do, they often are part of the annual open house event, definitely worth a look!