Irish Bed & Breakfast
For those who don’t want to stay in a hotel –perhaps you feel they are too impersonal, or maybe, even if you have nothing against hotels personally, you simply want a place that has a bit more character to it– an inn or a bed and breakfast may be a pleasing alternative. Whatever your reasons for choosing to stay at an inn or bed and breakfast, Ireland will be able to offer you a wide selection of these all over the island for you to choose from.
If it is luxury you seek in your accommodation, you may not think that a bed and breakfast can provide it; after all, the idea of a bed and breakfast usually implies a much smaller scale, and fewer amenities as well. However, when one takes into account the fact that a smaller number of guests amounts to more individualized and dedicated service, luxury suddenly seems a reasonable expectation.
People often choose these small, cosy places to increase their privacy as well; if it’s a small, quiet inn with a high standard and great attention to service that you seek, you may want to try one like the Ashfield B&B in County Cork; set in secluded grounds with a private salmon stream and a high standard of furnishing in the guest rooms, the Ashfield is sure to delight.
There are a wide variety of other inns as well, some of them less luxurious but no less functional. If an inn still seems too aloof for you, you may even want to investigate the possibility of booking into a guest house or even a farmhouse; Ireland, the land of a thousand welcomes, has many residents who open their guest rooms to travellers for a small fee, and in return tourists get to see close to hand what life in Ireland is like. If it’s culture you want to soak up, then a stay in a guest house may be just the ticket.
Ten Things About Dublin
1. Dublin is called Baile Atha Cliath in Gaelic and dates back to the 9th century. It was originally a Viking settlement.
2. At one stage O’ Connell Street, the city’s main street was regarded as the widest street in Europe.
3. Dublin is also a county as well as a city but is actually one of the smallest of the 32 Irish counties.
4. The head of the Irish government is called An Taoiseach, which translated literally from Gaelic means “leader”
5. The home of the Irish parliament is in Dublin and is called The Dail. The three major political parties based in The Dail are Fianna Fail, Fianna Gael and Labour.
6. Dublin has less pubs per head of the population than any other European capital. Amazing but true!
7. The home of The Dubs, as they are fondly known is Croke Park. The Dubs are the Dublin Gaelic Football team. Croke Park is recognised as being one of the best Stadiums in the entire world due to its size and shape which creates a natural amphitheatre effect. 8. Dublin is home to the second largest outdoor park in the world-The Phoenix Park. This is the largest park in Europe and second only in the world to Central Park in New York.
9. The biggest crowd ever assembled in Ireland gathered in the Phoenix Park in 1819 to a rally led by Daniel O Connell calling for the freedom of Ireland from English oppression and rule. Over 1.5 million impassioned people gathered to hear O Connell proclaim “that the freedom of Ireland is not worth the shedding of one drop of blood”.
10. The freedom of Dublin city has only been bestowed on a small number of people including Nelson Mandela, U2 and Bob Geldof. This honour carries the unusual privilege of allowing its’ recipients to graze sheep free of charge in St Stephens Green, one of Dublin’s best known landmarks.
