After Liam and I were able to get our shifts changed in work, we decided to try visit some of the buildings that were open for Culture...

From the 22nd of August, there was a week of heritage events to celebrate Heritage Week. So I decided to try to visit as many buildings...

Not long after our parents left on the bus back to Clare, I was wondering what will I do with my week off. After a suggestion from +Niamh...

After a last minute swap at work, I was able to support  +Niamh , my mother and Clodagh, who were doing the VHI Women Mini Marathon. Before the start of the 10km, we went via the Mansion House, so Niamh was able to collect her t-shirt for Laura Lynn and also gave me a final chance to have a sneaky look inside. Of course the girls had to have a picture taken outside of the Mansion House before the race. Niamh and Clodagh had entered as joggers, so set off about 15 before my mo

My postal vote for the referendums arrived after my mother posted them up to me, so on my next day off May 12th, I went to the nearest...

After the holiday to Lanzarote, I decided it was about time to check off the remaining churches that I wanted to see and had eluded me so far, around the city. In particular the insides of the Pepper Canister church, St Paul's Smithfield which is the church Eamon de Valera got married in and  University church near St Stephen Green which I didn't know much about before hand. It was during lent when I was able to visit the church so waited until after it's lunch time service t

Friday the 6th of February, after work while waiting on our mother to arrive,  +Niamh  surprised me with an early birthday dinner at Jimmy Chungs on the quays, which was a great way to begin my holidays and 30th celebrations. After collecting our mother from Heuston station, we had a few drinks before I was yet again surprised with an early birthday Pizza. About lunch time the next day, we all decided it was time to head out and get a bite to eat. Our mother, kept asking wher

With life finally getting back to normal now, everything unpacked, settled into the new place completely, thought it was time to finally pay the donation I owed Padre Pio, that I promised him, during the stress of finding a place to live. Managed to find a Capuchin Order Friary on Church Street near Smithfield. As is usually my nature in the lead up to Christmas, I went Christmas shopping around the October mid term. As I am working in retail too long, that I won't think of d

With the excitement of Italy behind us, we came home to the joys of accommodation hunting  which was proving difficult separately  and +Niamh  starting her new college course in Healthcare Informatics. When we started to look for a place together, although still hard was more promising. We still had time to enjoy ourselves, with a reception at Harvey Nichols and cinema tickets to see Before I Go To Sleep in Dundrum. My weekend off, was a quiet affair, just spent watching Clar

After a tiring weekend working over the August bank holiday weekend, was great to have a well earned me day. Began the day with a short visit to the Irish Sand Sculpture 2014 at Dublin Castle, with a particular highlight being the sand sculpture of Albert Einstein. After putting it off for years, decided to finally  give Odessa a try for lunch. The one time I go, I had the whole restaurant to myself for the  entire time, which was funny but was nice. The food was what I expec

We began July with a touch of history and culture, with the Kilmainham Gaol Museum tour, which was free, thanks to the free Wednesdays events, that are run in conjunction with the Office of Public Works. Initially, we had to queue, to collect our tour time, due to high season and free admission. We were lucky enough that our tour was just an hour later. This gave  us plenty of time, to explore the collections of artefacts on the three flours in the museum beforehand. Our Tour

After a late shift change for Niamh, she was able to get the train home with me, on the Saturday morning 21st for one of our quickest...

The excitement for the Flora Women Mini Marathon, all started when Clodagh came up on the Saturday afternoon, we spent the rest of the day and night, shopping and catching up on all the gossip. It was really when  +Liam  met us in town after work, when things got fun, as we all had to trek out on the bus, to the RDS to collect race numbers and goodies and sample the food on offer. After all that, decided to check out the Dublin Port Riverfest, in the docklands. All 3 of us, w

On route to work whilst on Twitter and Facebook, I managed to get the details and then buy 2 tickets for  +Ed Sheeran  secret gig at Vicar Street on May Bank holiday Monday. As soon as I could managed to change my hours in work to leave a tad bit earlier. After work on that Monday, I met  +Niamh  on route to the gig, where we met mates Micheal and Sarah in the bar of course, after collecting the tickets from the box office first. When Ed came on stage, everyone went crazy, ou

After quite a long week, both myself and +Niamh  couldn't wait for Saturday and  +Miranda Hart . We managed to get tickets on Living Social for the +Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship and Famine Museum  for 6.50€ instead of 18 euro. I was lucky enough to get my bus to almost at the ship where I meet Niamh. There was a few people gathered outside the office, including ourselves, the door was locked, which worried a few of us, but the tour guide it seems runs the office and tour simulta

A great start to the St Patrick's Weekend, was watching the nail biting win of the Irish rugby team against France, to win the 6 Nations. The following morning, I went into town early to watch the Irish University Boat Races on the Liffey, between my Alma Mater UCD against bitter rivals Trinty. The 2km rowing course started at O'Connell Bridge at 11am and finished at St. James' Gate, I witnessed the race from the last bridge before the end. Unfortunately, however my Alma Mate

Although I got a phone call from work, for a last minute change of shift, I still met up with Niamh for lunch and culture with a difference before work that evening. After our lunch in Wagamama's, we strolled across Stephen Green towards The Little Museum of Dublin. The museum tells the story of the city in the 20th Century. The museum is still fairly new, only been launched in 2011, after a public appeal for historic objects, with the generosity of the public generating over

The season of giving seemed to begin early this year, when on Friday 22nd my mother rang to tell she just won tickets to see 30 Seconds to Mars, and then within minutes, managed to get Dublin Zoo tickets for just 5 euro each for myself and Niamh. I some how was onto a roll, as I got nearly all my Christmas Presents bought that afternoon too. So the following day, both Niamh and myself were excited as finally after months of waiting, the 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who,

To complete our Heritage and Culture tour of Dublin, we rounded off with political buildings. We commenced with Dublin Castle. The function which has changed through its history, from a defensive fortification, evolving into a royal residence and finally into of ceremony such as the inauguration of the President and hosting official State visits. The next political influenced stop and one of the historic buildings which has eluded us for years, was Farmleigh House and Estate,

Continuing with my tour of famous buildings of Dublin on my days off, the next port of call was the An Post Museum situated in a corner of the GPO, which houses the Letters, Lives & Liberty exhibition. This exhibition explores the influence and role in the development of Irish society over the years. From stamps to An Post's copy of the 1916 Proclamation and the story of the staff who were in the GPO on Easter Monday. The GPO is not just the headquarters of the post office, i