Our music tour specialists, Delphine and Chris, have just returned from a familiarisation trip to Dublin. What an atmosphere! The music scene there is thriving and bursting with traditional Irish charm.
Day 1:
Chris had an early start to catch his East Midlands flight to Dublin, but it was worth it, as having arrived early he was able to take a car to Howth located on the coast some 30 minutes outside Dublin. Concerts can take place here along the picturesque promenade and in the local church, where youth performers are always welcome.
I, Delphine, flew from London Gatwick with Aer Lingus and after a smooth flight was met by Chris at Dublin International Airport, and from there we drove to Dublin city centre and dropped the car off before checking into our accommodation - the Jacobs Inn Hostel.
The Jacobs Inn is a great central hostel with en suite rooms, situated north of the river, and only a 10 minute walk away from the heart of Dublin. After a warm welcome from the hostel reception, we walked to Christ Church via Templar Bar where we had a spot of lunch before arriving at the church where we met Lesley Ann, the concert organiser.
Christ Church is one of the most magnificent churches in Dublin. The church holds regular lunchtime concerts and with a great acoustic and the possibility to use the choir organ it is an ideal venue for choral performances. A quirky feature of the church is the underground vaults where a café, shop and toilets are found together with the mummified remains of a cat and a rat who managed to trap themselves in the organ pipes!
The church is linked to one of the most famous museums in Dublin- Dublinia (Viking and Medieval Dublin). It is a historical museum detailing Dublin’s development over the centuries and has special educational programmes based on primary and secondary curriculum making it very interactive!
After visiting the museum, we walked to St Patrick’s Cathedral, also known as the National Cathedral of St Patrick. The cathedral is keen to support choral and orchestral groups and as such hold’s lunchtime choral concerts. This is an amazing experience and with many tourists visiting the Cathedral choirs are sure to receive a good lunchtime audience.
Finally, we had a nice and “well deserved” evening meal at a Traditional Irish Restaurant called Boxty Gallagher’s in Templar bar. Then it was time to walk back to the Jacobs Inn for an early night.
Day 2:
After a welcomed breakfast at the hostel (tea/coffee, toasts, butter, jam, juice and cereals) we walked to St Stephen Green via Grafton street (famous for its shops) and passed by the famous Trinity College (Books of Kell). The park is located in the heart of the city with a large bandstand where concerts take place regularly. Appreciative audience guaranteed!
We then made our way passed the lovely St Ann’s Church (Anglican church) off Grafton street. Unfortunately it was closed, but we did learn that the church regularly holds concerts and is happy to accept bands as well as choirs. Another one to add to our growing list of Dublin concert venues.
Later that morning we met our local agents Nicola, Willemein and Sarah from Celtic Budget Accommodation. They invited us to lunch at the popular O’Shea restaurant where our groups often have their evening meals (and traditional Irish Breakfast if required) when staying at the Jacob’s Inn. We had a delicious meal, Chris went for an old favourite Fish and Chips and I opted for a chicken Cesar salad and the portions were so huge I couldn’t even finish mine! After our meal we were shown the room where the Ceilidh dance sessions take place and O’Shea’s explained to us how groups thoroughly enjoy the experience and how at the end of the session nobody wants to leave the room, even the boys!! Many famous musicians have performed in O’Shea’s including Bono from U2. This is definitely an experience not to be missed!
Before our flights back we visited more accommodation centres suitable for youth and adults groups. We even had our last drink in a church bar!
Dublin is a charming city with great character where a warm welcome is guaranteed!
To find out more about a music tour to Dublin please contact us:
0115 9404303
enquiries@halsbury.com