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Welcome to the Celtic Group Hostel Blog

We will be the eyes and ears on the ground about all the latest happenings in Dublin and Cork - there is so much to do, see and experience all within easy access of our Dublin and Cork Hostels. We will bring you the best ideas and suggestions at the cheapest group prices. You will also find some useful planning tips. Follow us now.

Day Trip from Dublin on the DART

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The Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) commuter train service in Dublin runs right along the coast, so it’s like a cheap tourist train, with breathtaking views and fabulous places to visit along the route.

One of our favourites is the pretty fishing village of Howth (rhymes with ‘both’), a twenty minute DART journey along the coast north of Dublin city centre.

Howth Favourites

Howth has a pretty harbour, which is used by both working fishing boats and pleasure craft – but did you know that it also has a beach? Shhh! Don’t tell anyone, but when you come out of the DART station, walk about 100 meters towards Howth village, take a left then walk down the little alleyway to your left – and you come out on Claremont Beach! It’s right beside the pier, but you could easily miss it – it’s a great place to take a stroll, building up an appetite for… (more…)

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Day Trip from Dublin: Wicklow, The Garden of Ireland

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Glendalough monastic settlement

Dublin is the ideal destination for a mixed city and seaside/countryside break: within an hour of Dublin city you can be on a deserted beach, hiking unspoiled hillsides or exploring perfectly preserved megalithic sites.

Our favourite day trip from Dublin is a visit to County Wicklow. Known as “The Garden of Ireland”, it is renowned for its lush countryside, abundant trees, spectacular waterfalls and interesting places to visit.

In a one-day trip, you can visit the Sally Gap (location for The Tudors, Braveheart and P.S. I Love You), pretty Avoca village, the spectacular Powerscourt House & Gardens and Glendalough, a 6th Century monastic settlement in such pristine condition that it looks like a Hollywood set. (more…)

What a Line-Up! Ireland’s Music Festivals

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Music festivals in Ireland

Missed out on Glastonbury? No worries – there’s a fantastic choice of music festivals coming up over the summer in Ireland, whether you’re in to ‘glamping’ at a posh castle festival, or admiring the lovely girls at Ted Fest.

The fantastic Slane Castle festival is over, and Take That have packed their bags and left us, but there are lots of great gigs and festivals to come – and the weather experts say we have a hot summer coming up!

Live At The Marquee, County Cork, June-July

This festival has attracted iconic acts over the years, with this year’s line up including Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and The Frames. It’s on right now, but there’s still time to see Elton John, Bell X1 or Jedward, who are performing at the Marquee over the next few weeks (but not together…).

Oxegen, County Kildare: 8–10 July

With an average of 90,000 attending each day, Oxegen is the biggest music festival in Ireland. Twice voted Best European Festival, it is a 100% carbon neutral event and features a silent disco, campsite funfair and great food. (more…)

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Take That, Dublin!

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Croke Park, Dublin Ireland - venue for Take That concert

Earlier this month, Nicola in our office was being teased about going to the Take That concert in Croke Park, Dublin this weekend.  Now it turns out that EVERYONE in the office is going, along with husbands, boyfriends, kids, mammies and grannies!

So now we’re fessing up: we’re Celtic Group Hostels and we can’t wait for the Take That concert!!

Yes, we were tweeting live from the fantastic Kings of Leon concert in Slane a few weeks ago, but Take That is a trip down memory lane for us – we loved them first time around, and come on, who didn’t fancy Robbie Williams back in the 90s? (more…)

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Taste of Dublin Festival

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In case you hadn’t guessed by now, we’re big foodies here in Celtic Hostels, so we’re thrilled that one of our favourite Dublin festivals is on right now: Taste of Dublin.

Taste of Dublin celebrates the best of Irish food, with demos from celebrity chefs, loads of artisan food and fabulous wines on show – not to mention the opportunity to sample the delights of the best restaurants in Dublin. Perfect for those commitment-phobes out there – why go to one restaurant when you can visit lots of them all at once?

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Guinness: Favourite of Royalty and Presidents!

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Guinness Storehouse Dublin

Follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II – and over 1,000,000 visitors annually – to the Guinness Storehouse. Learn the secrets of creating and pouring the perfect pint of the black stuff, the long history of the Guinness product and the fascinating family behind it.

Best of all, the bird’s eye view of Dublin City from the Gravity Bar at the top of the Guinness Storehouse is so spectacular that, when it was impractical for Queen Elizabeth II to visit the whole city, she was given a ‘virtual’ tour from there. The captivating story of the emblematic beverage unfolds over the seven floors of the Guinness Storehouse, culminating in a free pint (over-18s only) of the black stuff itself in the Gravity Bar.  (more…)

Top Irish Food in Dublin and Cork

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Fresh Irish seafood from Howth

Before finishing her trip to Ireland, Queen Elizabeth II made sure to visit the English Market in Cork, a gourmet haven since 1788. Other Irish gastronomic delights enjoyed by the royal visitors were freshly poured Guinness and a sumptuous state dinner of fresh Irish produce.

Ireland’s reputation as the ‘good food island’ is growing, so be sure to sample some of our culinary delights when you visit. The fabulous Taste of Dublin festival is on from 9th to 12th June, so no excuses!

The Best of Irish Food

The rolling green Irish countryside is not just nice to look at; it also produces the best dairy and meat products you will ever taste. Being an island, we also have fantastic fresh seafood and fish, so there is something for all tastes in Ireland.

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Another World Entirely – Dublin’s Leprechaun Museum

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storytelling-circle-leprechaun-museum
We’re just back from a very entertaining – and educational – visit to the the National Leprechaun Museum.

The museum tells the story of the leprechaun, a mythical Irish character said to live stealthily in Ireland to this day. Along the way, we also learned about the fairy folk (called “sí”) and the great figures of Irish mythology such as Cúchulainn and Fionn Mac Cumhaill.

On the visit, we even walked underneath the Giant’s Causeway, through a rainbow and into the house of a giant! (more…)

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5 Things to Know About Dublin Zoo

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Dublin Zoo Celtic Group Hostels

We went to visit Dublin Zoo (again!) recently, and it really is a great day out for all ages – not surprising that they attract almost one million visitors each year.

Here are five interesting things you may not know about Dublin Zoo:

1. It’s Old
Opened in 1831, Dublin Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the world. It has changed radically from the days when animals were caged exhibits, and now the focus is on conservation, animal welfare and authentic recreations of habitats.
This makes for a wonderful visitor experience, as a walk around the different areas is like walking around the planet, with changing vegetation, animals and atmosphere. Even the area names, such as “Kaziranga Forest Trail”, “Fringes of the Arctic” and “African Plains” evoke the exotic.

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Top Tips for the Gig of the Year: Slane Castle 2011

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We’re getting VERY excited about the gig of the year: Kings of Leon in Slane Castle on 28th May. So excited that we’re giving away tickets! Enter Competition

KOL follow acts such as U2, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Queen and REM, who have performed in this stately venue. In fact, U2 lived briefly in Slane Castle! Check out our top tips for attending the gig of the year – and find out how to see the Kings in the Castle!

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