Dublin Guide.indd

OFFICIAL LEINSTER SUPPORTERS CLUB
Guide to Dublin and the RDS
2010/11 Season
Welcome
Céad míle fáilte romhat go
Laighainn - welcome to Leinster.
We would like to extend a warm
welcome to all rugby supporters
visiting Dublin. In between the
rugby, we hope you will have an
opportunity to enjoy some of the
many wonderful activities our
capital city has to offer. To assist
you with your travel plans and to
help you make the most out of your
time in Dublin, we have compiled
some basic information that you
may find useful when making your
travel plans.
Getting to Dublin
Dublin is served by Aer Lingus, Ryanair and Aer Arann, all have direct
flights from a number of UK and European airports.
On arrival there are a number of ways to get to the city centre, all of the
below are easily accessible from outside arrivals.
Aircoach: The Aircoach service departs every 10 minutes and costs from
€8 single or €14 return. The aircoach will take you to a number of hotels
on the southside of Dublin, it passes through the city if you are staying in
the centre and also serves the RDS. Tickets can be purchased at the time
of boarding. For further information visit www.aircoach.ie
Taxi: A taxi trip to the city centre will cost somewhere between €20-25.
Arrival by sea
Ferry: If you arrive by Ferry you will find yourself either in Dun Laoghaire
(Stena Line) or Dublin Port (Irish Ferries). Dun Laoghaire would be the
recommended option as the harbour is located beside a direct train link to
the city which passes Lansdowne Road and serves Ballsbridge where the
RDS is located.
Things to do in Dublin
Outside of the rugby, there is much to see in Dublin. We suggest you
venture outside of the traditional tourist haunt of Temple Bar to expand
your view of the capital, as it can be very touristy on weekends.
Our top five must see sights on any visit are:
1. Guinness Storehouse, home of ‘the back stuff’ – www.guinness.com
2. Trinity College
3. Dublinia viking heritage tour – www.dublinia.ie
4. Shopping in the city centre – Grafton Street or Henry Street
5. An open-top deck bus tour a number of companies operate from
O’Connell Street
Getting to the RDS (Royal Dublin Society)
By bus: The RDS is served by a number of different buses operated
by Dublin Bus. Any route that serves the area of Ballsbridge would be
ideal for getting to the ground and surrounding pubs and restaurants.
Buses 4,5,7,7A,8,18 and 45 will bring you to the Ballsbridge area where
there are a number of establishments for pre and post match beverages.
See www.dublinbus.ie for further information. As mentioned before the
aircoach serves the RDS directly from the airport.
By local train: Dublin DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) service also
operates from the City Centre to Ballsbridge. Travel southbound to
Lansdowne or Sandymount stations; from there the RDS is about 10
minutes’ walk.
By taxi: A taxi from the city centre will cost in the region of €10 however
there may be traffic restrictions around the RDS on match days.
On foot: The RDS is about a 25-minute walk from the city centre.
The most straight forward way to get to stadium from Grafton Street
is to walk along Nassau Street and keep going straight passing the
Schoolhouse Bar and continuing into Ballsbridge (maps.google.com).
After passing over the river Dodder, the entrance to the RDS is to the
right on Angelsea Road.
Further information and a route planner can be obtained from www.
aaroadwatch.ie
Meeting Point
Leinster Supporters meet at various establishments close to the RDS,
the two most popular being the Horse Show House, which is located
opposite the RDS on Merrion Road and Kielys of Donnybrook on Main
Street, Donnybrook (continues from Morehampton Road as approaching
from the city centre). Kielys is about a 10-minute walk from the RDS but
next door to our former home, Donnybrook Stadium. We look forward to
meeting many of you around RDS.
Both pubs serve food on match days and have a number of screens.
Accommodation
We can recommend the Burlington Hotel (www.burlingtonhotel.ie) – and
can offer supporters of both teams a B&B rate of €85 per room per
night, simply call the hotel reservations team and quote ‘OLSC’ to avail
of this or click on our logo on their website.
Wining and dining
The Ballsbridge area is home to a number of dining establishments
whatever your price range, and of course its only a short taxi ride
away from the city centre where plenty more restaurants and pubs
can be found. There are a number of stalls selling food in the RDS but
these can be expensive. We recommend Eddie Rockets and the Bagel
Factory. There are also bar facilities throughout the RDS.
We suggest you have a look at the below websites:
www.menupages.ie, www.tripadvisor.com, www.dublintourist.com
OLSC Souvenirs
The OLSC committee can normally be found in the programme hut at
the back of Angelsea Stand (Gate E) after the final whistle selling club
merchandise. Why not come and see us to pick up a souvenir.
Leinster supporters
A supporters discussion site can be found on an unofficial forum
located at www.leinsterfans.com
Find us on facebook.com at ‘Official Leinster Supporters Club
Follow us on Twitter at ‘OLSCRugby’
email: [email protected]