Dublin - The Review Part 2

Dr Fox

New Member
Friday 20th June 2003

Got picked up from home around 11am along with Doogal, Sideshow Rodger and the Crane. The flight was not until 1.40pm so this gave us plenty of time to relax in the airport. Once there, we teamed up with Gino, Flash, Sgt Cartwright, Stingray, the Brain, Robbie G, Dan the Man, the Lyons, the Walker, Satan, BeerMatt and Sickboy Robin, whilst The Big ‘un would already be there and Davey and Grogie were to join us the following day. Needless to say they were all drinking when we got there…we joined in as it would be rude not to. Bought a cheese and ham sandwich which cost £3.80!!! :eek: I think the handling charge to pass it over the counter was to blame. Made our way to the nearest bar and fired in the Stellas until we could go through to departures. Once through, we again hit the Stellas in T2’s biggest pub….the carnage had definitely begun.

On the plane Gino, the Crane and myself sat in anticipation of the drinks trolley, only to find that the other beer monsters in our party had ran it dry….we were only about 5 rows from were it started! :cry: The Crane and I are not the kind of people to be disheartened so we opted for a couple of double vodkas and orange. :D Let me just say that no sooner had we poured our drinks than the plane started it’s descent. Arse. We were forced to neck our drinks and pour out the 2nd. After that went down we were starting to feel a little jovial. We got into taxis, no doubt a little worse for wear, without having a Scooby Doo where we were staying and all our Mobile Phones changing service more times than the average girl changes her clothes before going on a night out, we were not a good advert for organization. However we finally made it to the Four Courts Hostel, situated somewhere on the Liffey directly opposite what resembled St Paul’s Cathedral….a good reference point for any lost squadron members I thought. BeerMatt wasn’t too impressed when he realised he must have left his wallet including 60 quid on the plane….doh! :oops: Fortunately we rallied around and made sure he didn’t go short. After ditching our bags we headed off to the nearest pub and began our love-hate relationship with the Guinness. We met Brad in a traditional Irish pub and commenced the footy presentation, stopping a while to fill up on a Maccie D’s before heading off to get changed at the hostel. With the best intentions of visiting a club, we made sure we were all scrubbed up well and highly presentable.

First stop was Bono’s hotel The Clarence, which was a couple of minutes walk away from our hostel. On walking in, I can only describe it as being classy but not too highbrow. A circular bar with a couple of annexes branching off it to the left, dim lighting and wood panneling all over. Now Guinness is a fine drink, make no mistake, that is, as long as it’s cold……the Guinness in there tasted as if the barman was trying to hatch it. :( Not good. Resident Irish Legend and all round ladies man (no not me) Colin Farrell, casually mixed with the locals and seemed oblivious that the squadron had entered his airspace, that was until StingRay introduced himself. U2, Arnie Schwarzenegger and Nelson Mandela would join him, the following night we believe due to being guests of honour at the Special Olympics. With no music to be heard in the Clarence, we decided to press on to Fitzsimmons bar. To be fair, it’s a bar that wouldn’t look out of place in any English city or town, nothing to get your heart racing. What did set it apart was however that it served Vodka Ice on draught!! :eek: :eek: Oh dear….Power Shandies on draught :eek: :eek: . Of course we got stuck in like kids in a candy store, which in hindsight was not the best idea as we were all tired and had been drinking like Olympic sprinters run 100m, so you can imagine the state we were getting into. The dj was about 12 and had a PC Cd system and basically played anything you could think of. I only recall Tim Deluxe’s just won’t do, worthy of anything to start a stir in my trousers though. To be honest I can’t remember much about the pub but the club is a different matter. Once outside we turned right and got lured to a club directly under Fitzsimmons…name?….not a clue. The bouncer said it would be 6€ entry. The cashier said that would be 13€ each….obviously a little worse for wear, we regarded this great value and were more than happy to shell out the dosh. :idea: Planks. :rolleyes: Only myself, StingRay, Doogal, Robbie G, Walker, BeerMatt and The Crane made it in. The rest? Who knows? A small club, too bright for my liking but had a good layout…I asked the CD dj for about 10 different songs but he hadn’t a clue who half of them were……who’s Shakedown??? Muppet. Anyway I digress, all was going swimmingly – made some shapes on the dance floor, spoke to loads of people and was getting on particularly well with Helen from Castleford when out of my eye, I notice the dreaded sight of the Brain with his arms aloft on the dance floor. How he found us only he knows. The Brain after a few beers means one thing – unequivocal carnage!! First he commenced to grind Helen from behind (to be fair she was a top girl and took it in good spirits) and then any girl in the vicinity of 2 yards….his new nickname is Party Boy off Jackass after that night….I know, I know, this sounds like your stereotypical night in the West End, but believe you me we don’t act like this at all…normally…honest. The place seemed to be full of people who were just out to have a good night…hen parties and the like. Not ideal but perhaps it was what was needed after the day we’d had. No “decent” club but hey, we had a good craic……and to think, I’d put my funky trousers on for the occasion. 8)

Saturday 21st June 2003

Must have surfaced around 9am after coming home to find Sickboy Robin’s bunk empty and literally hovering about a foot in mid-air! Basically the Guinness had come back with furious anger and he’d barfed all over his bed and bailed from the top bunk. The hovering bed will have to go down as one of life’s mysteries, along with crop circles, Bermuda triangle and why milk runs down the outside of the bottle when you first try to pour it. As each member came to scoff at our room’s god-awful stench and to witness the state of each other we all traipsed to the nearest restaurant come pub. The waitresses face was a picture when we asked for a table for around 20. :D As if using the art of mind reading, full English breakfasts (or should that be a full Irish?) appeared from nowhere. Nobody had even mentioned food! As we all finished eating some bright spark asked if anybody fancied a Guinness? To which Stingray requested 16 of the black rascals, only to say that we all had to down one in one to get rid of our hangovers – hair of the Alsatian and all that. Deep joy. One turned into six down in one…the Big ‘Un ended up downing 13 in one by the end of play that day, including 3 hat-tricks. Carnage ahoy! Somehow 18 of us made it to another pub in the heart of ****, a cracking pub with an open-air section right in the belly of the building. Hen parties seemed to be everywhere but we weren’t complaining. I managed to get Guinness down my Diesel t-shirt and somehow ended up with the nickname Diesel Weasel….Go figure? We basically spent all afternoon there before deciding to go back for a power sleep. I wanted to go to a club desperately even if nobody else was arsed.

I was woken up around 8pm absolutely on a different planet, showered, got all jeaned up and met up with the others at Fitzsimmons. My mates are like homing pigeons...some may misconstue this as pridictability ;) . Watched Colin Farrell, bladdered presenting an award at the Special Olympics on a big screen TV and set to work at the power shandies. In 4 separate visits to the bar I was charged 4 separate prices and the Fox can only take so much piss taking before he has to lay down the law :evil: . Got a couple of free drinks for my endeavour. Like a glove! :lol: As the night wore on a hen party we had seen in the previous pub made it’s way in and all mayhem broke out. Office Pest Sideshow Rodge had told them I was a stripper and all I can say is velicoraptor’s do not attack as quickly or as vicious as they did. :eek: All I could think was to keep a firm grip on my gruds. Had my photo took and they let me go…hahaha :lol: . Allsorts of shenanigans went on in the pub, many I cannot type but I had a good chat with a gorgeous local Irish girl fo hours and convinced her to take me to Spirit. Again I tried to rally the troops but only managed to coax the Brain and BeerMatt (Kevin and Perry for the night) to the club. A brisk walk by our tour guide and we were soon there. The exterior didn’t overly impress me but on entry, via what seemed an eternity to get there, I was blown away. There are clubs and there are clubs…Dublin should be proud of Spirit, it’s up there with the best ot them, easily :D . Complete with fire-eaters, stilt walkers, dancers and a seriously mad black guy with blond dreads, I was, as we say in Manchester, avin’ it!! Tunes that were firin’ on all cylinders that night, were Clocks, Shake it and more notably Sweet Dreams mixed into Love Story. Although not there for as long as I would have liked, I really came away with a sense of fulfilment. If you visit this beautiful city, visit Spirit. Please.

As for Dublin as a whole…..I love it. Great people – Brits, Irish, American, Dutch etc, etc. Great vibe, hardly any trouble and a constant feeling of safety and finally Great hospitality. Will I go back…..too right people

Apologies for not going into more detail and not remembering most of the places names :oops: ...Guinness will do that to you...strip your memory and render you useless for the following week.....Guinness = Carnage.
 
Well Doc, what can I say. I'm a Dub and your giving me goosepimples reading you review. I love it when foreign people get the whole Dublin thing. This little city really is rockin if you know where to go. The next time your coming over, let me know and we can hook up and I'll show you the real sights. U seem really up for a laugh and I'm chuffed with the write up you've our little town. Respect to the Doc. Are u from Manchester. if so, which team do u support?
 
I have one question. Why do guys always give each other such silly nicknames? Every guy I know has ridiculous names for all his friends.

Sickboy Robin and Sgt Cartwright! Quality. :lol:
 
Kiefer - u lucky b....if I lived there it would be carnage every week! :lol: You will be pleased to hear that I'm actually a red, not of the Manchester variety but of the Liverpool variety. I'm as they say all Charlie Bronsoned up......ie i've got a Death Wish. :D :eek:

DB - I'd have loved to have seen Mr Carter but, as you rightly pointed out, I was superfunked :confused: and the prospect of not getting in was too much to handle. I'd seen on the Redbox site that it was going to be hammered. Craickin night all the same ;)

K - you mean you ladies, I take it you are a lady (but of course), do not have such names for your friends??
 
Dr Fox said:
K - you mean you ladies, I take it you are a lady (but of course), do not have such names for your friends??

Can’t say I do. All my guy friends have silly names for each other like that though.
 
Believe you me Beebs it was difficult.....I reckon I must have lost a fair few brain cells over that weekend. Had to overcome my fears last night.....fired in a cheeky black rascal and necked it in one...it was that extra cold version.....ii needed a glass of antifreeze as a chaser :lol: Not recommended!

Trace....if you get the chance to go....get your arse over there, you won't regret it.

Just remembered what the bar with the open air part is called. Ingeniously it's situated in the Temple Bar district of town and is called The Temple Bar. How clever is that :?: :eek: 8) :D You have to admit, It takes some doing to forget the name. :lol:
 
Don't waste your time

**Before I rant, these are my thoughts and my thoughts only... don't want to offend any Irish**

Dublin is (in my opinion) the most overrated city in the world... 100% of London's cost with about 10% of its social scene. Some general characteristics:

1) 1 proper club - Spirit, plays Ibiza 2001 tracks and filled with hairdressers and average Irish gals with love handles, wearing clothing that is too tight and kicking attitude
2) Ridiculously expensive
3) General dearth of attractive women
4) Horrible, horrible climate - rains 300+ days/year or something like that
5) Did I mention the outlandish cost of living yet?
6) Crap, overppriced shopping
7) Smells
8) Puke in the streets courtesy of Northern/Central England's finest


If it weren't for the laissez-faire economic/tax regime, no one in their right mind would live there. I suppose it CAN be fun IF your idea of a good time is drinking 15 pints of Guinness alongside 15 English guys wearing football jerseys or the latest hen party of some fat cow from Manchester.

-Hoping to relocate soon (or at the very least have an expanded Ryanair route network so I can escape on weekends)
 
Easy tiger...granted its a while since I lived in Dublin but I do get back quite a bit...if yuo know Dublin then it shouldnt be too easy to get away from the Stags\Hens...What are you there for if you dont like it :?:
 
I sold out for money (here for work-related reasons)...

I suppose Dublin is a massive disappointment to me in the relative sense as my last 2 places of residence were Toronto and New York - truly world class cities.
 
Soz mate for rattling your cage. I've heard the introduction of the Euro has upset a lot of people, not just in Ireland.....I know it would me.

As for the idea that hen parties, stag do's, footy do's or whatever are detrimental to the Dublin scene, that's your opinion, but I agree with Saucer in that you can quite easily find places out of the way of such groups, as you can in most major cities. Not everyone that goes on these expeditions are out to spew, brawl or blatantly cause trouble. We had a great time, met some fantastic people of all nationalities and have some tremendous memories to cherish for a long time. If that's a crime, we're guilty and proud to be.

I can whole heartidly understand if you don't want to live there, if it's as bad as you believe.

Feel free to bring your love beads n peace pipe and come over with the rest of the commune to Manchester anytime you feel...we'll greet you with open arms my friend ;)
 
awww dr foz that review has given me goose pimples all over.
things like that just make me sooo proud to be irish!!
yes we all moan about dublin, overpricing lack of good clubs. i wouldnt call spirit a good club. spirit is more of a club to be seen in more that going for the music. its a big let down to be honest
best club in dublin imo tivoli (r.i.p)
 
Re: Don't waste your time

djcherni said:
**Before I rant, these are my thoughts and my thoughts only... don't want to offend any Irish**

Dublin is (in my opinion) the most overrated city in the world... 100% of London's cost with about 10% of its social scene. Some general characteristics:

1) 1 proper club - Spirit, plays Ibiza 2001 tracks and filled with hairdressers and average Irish gals with love handles, wearing clothing that is too tight and kicking attitude
2) Ridiculously expensive
3) General dearth of attractive women
4) Horrible, horrible climate - rains 300+ days/year or something like that
5) Did I mention the outlandish cost of living yet?
6) Crap, overppriced shopping
7) Smells
8) Puke in the streets courtesy of Northern/Central England's finest


If it weren't for the laissez-faire economic/tax regime, no one in their right mind would live there. I suppose it CAN be fun IF your idea of a good time is drinking 15 pints of Guinness alongside 15 English guys wearing football jerseys or the latest hen party of some fat cow from Manchester.

-Hoping to relocate soon (or at the very least have an expanded Ryanair route network so I can escape on weekends)

Thats just about spot on there. A cesspit.
 
djcherni
Dublin is (in my opinion) the most overrated city in the world... 100% of London's cost with about 10% of its social scene. Some general characteristics

The reason why Dublin has about 10% the social scene of London is because it's about 10% the size. More people live in London than the whole of Ireland.

djcherni
Spirit, plays Ibiza 2001 tracks and filled with hairdressers and average Irish gals with love handles, wearing clothing that is too tight and kicking attitude

If you don't like Spirit don't go there - you are wrong about the Ibiza 2001 tracks - Spirit has had some wicked line-ups in the last year - Morillo/Sanchez/Moralles/Maas etc. etc. and in my opinion there are better clubs in Dublin than Spirit.

If all you come across is Hen/Stag parties then yr obviously staying down the Temple Bar - Dublin does not only consist of Temple Bar there are much better places to socialise than Temple Bar.

At the end of the day, Ireland is a drinking nation. You should have known that before you came here. We like to let our hair down and enjoy ourselves, probably more that most nationalities. If you dislike it so much, then why are you living here.
 
Re: Don't waste your time

djcherni said:
**Before I rant, these are my thoughts and my thoughts only... don't want to offend any Irish**

Dublin is (in my opinion) the most overrated city in the world... 100% of London's cost with about 10% of its social scene. Some general characteristics:

1) 1 proper club - Spirit, plays Ibiza 2001 tracks and filled with hairdressers and average Irish gals with love handles, wearing clothing that is too tight and kicking attitude
2) Ridiculously expensive
3) General dearth of attractive women
4) Horrible, horrible climate - rains 300+ days/year or something like that
5) Did I mention the outlandish cost of living yet?
6) Crap, overppriced shopping
7) Smells
8) Puke in the streets courtesy of Northern/Central England's finest


If it weren't for the laissez-faire economic/tax regime, no one in their right mind would live there. I suppose it CAN be fun IF your idea of a good time is drinking 15 pints of Guinness alongside 15 English guys wearing football jerseys or the latest hen party of some fat cow from Manchester.

-Hoping to relocate soon (or at the very least have an expanded Ryanair route network so I can escape on weekends)

Ok djherni lets go through these points 1 by 1.
1. Spirit has had the creme of world djs over the past few months, as has Red Box/POD. Lillies and Spy are also proper clubs and the newly open Traffic. You are obviously stuck on the tourist route into Temple Bar to mix with the larger drinkers. Every city has this area. Its an area for tourists and people on the pull. If thats what your looking for, its the place to be.
2. Dublin is expensive but as you said you sold out for the money so one obviously economically cancels out the other. If you want to exploit people, go to the 3rd world and live like a king. I live in Dublin and get by quite well and find it a fairly reasonably priced place to live. House prices are a little high, but its a boom town and people have a lot of cash thus forcing up house prices etc.
3. Do me a favour mate. maybe you have problems finding attractive women but I never have in Dublin. Maybe its you and not Dublin.
4. Got me, although Toronto and New York can have quite severe climates. Uncomfortably hot and cold depending on season. So that does kind of level things out a little.
5. Are u a gold fish?
6. Shop around, every city has its expensive shops and its place for bargains. NEWYORK, NEWYORK...
7. Every city has smelly places, again NEWYORK for example. Generally, Dublin dosen't have a smog or smell problem. Maybe your just drawn to smelly areas with ugly women which would make me question your directional sense and taste.
8. You can't blame us for the English puking over here, they've been puking all over the world for centuries. We're just the nearest....

I've never drank Guiness once and would never be able to down 15 pints of anything let alone alcohol but have no problems drinking with people of any nationality no matter what they are wearing. We are a fun loving people who tend to look on the bright side and get on with things rather than complaining and welcome all people to our country and that is why our country and capital city is so popular worldwide. Maybe you need to think more before typing and if you think you stupid insulting comments won't offend any Irish people, it does make wonder how bright you are. Maybe its because of your personality that no person took you under their wing over here and took you to the right places. I know I wouldn't want anything to do with such a negative complaining person such as yourself.
Sorry if you find my comments condescending but they are meant that way....
 
Dr Fox - great review! shout next time you're over, we'll get a bit of a welcoming crew together! :D

Djcherni - what can I say? I completely disagree with your comments, I love living in Dublin, but I suppose we're all entitled to our own opinion. I'm not gonna get into why I disagree with ya, that's been done already - good man Keef, my question is why oh why if you dislike the place so much are you still here??? You shouldn't waste your time anywhere you're not happy, especially not for money - life is too short. My advice is either get out there + start enjoying Dublin or move on..
 
Kiefer, sorry about us English puking everywhere.... :oops: :lol: That made me laugh out loud especially your comment about bad luck being the nearest country to us.....I myself have a phobia of puking so you'd be ok in my company. I think your City is a fantastic place and i agree with a lot of your comments. Like I mentioned before, I don't think it's any different than any other major City concerning Hen/Stag do's. If you don't like that scene, there are plenty of other places to visit.

As for Spirit, I reckon you can't go wrong with the place. That's my opinion, although saying that, it was only after one visit. A thumbs up from the Dr.

Kell- you never know we I may take you up on that offer....yo have been warned!! :lol: :eek:
 
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