Congratulations your going to visit Ireland!  First of all we are the only English speaking Euro zone country in Europe which makes it easy for companies working and selling to mainland Europe. Secondly we are only a 2 hour flight from mainland Europe and 1 hour from London which means Ireland is just like taking a bus to another European city! Thirdly we are a very friendly city with a big welcome (Failte in Irish) for visitors!

We have covered 6 things to consider when travelling to Dublin; transport; restaurants; culture; shopping; pubs; and visit the IDA Ireland Team! 

1. Transport in Dublin

From the airport; Aircoach provides a good service around Dublin City Center & suburbs; http://www.aircoach.ie/.  You can buy tickets online from as little as€12 return.  Just tell the driver what hotel you are staying in and he will drop you at the closest bus stop.

Dublin Buses require exact change, no paper money is taken and no change is given back! You can buy a cost effective travel ticket called a leap card (Dublin’s equivalent of the London Oyster Card) http://www.irishrail.ie/fares-and-tickets/smartcards These can be bought at most newsagents. Average bus journey in the city center is approximately €2.50 one way.

Hailo and Uber are used in Dublin but Hailo is more popular. Download the app here; https://www.hailoapp.com/

2. Restaurants

Cheap & Cheerful places to eat

• Neon, Camden Street; Asian Fusion Canteen Style Restaurant food ~ €12 for main meal and free pull your own ice cream.
• Green 19, Camden Street; Burgers, salads, fish and chips, cocktails; most meals are ~€10 good food- may have to book! 
• Whitefriar Grill, Whitefriar street; Variety of food. Good pre theatre menu 2 courses €20 get in before 5pm- 6pm.
• BUNSEN, Camden Street; Burgers, fries and milkshakes 
• Market Bar- Pub & tapas food, across the road is a cool secret bar, called the No name bar, there is no sign, it's next door to Fade Street Social, there is a sign with a snail hanging outside it! 
• Jo Burger- tasty burgers in town!

3. Culture

Tours & Museums:

The Guinness Storehouse:  Guinness is still being brewed in #Dublin 8 today! There is a great observatory tower called the Gravity Bar where they serve the obligatory black stuff.  Guinness storehouse €20pp – book online for a cheaper price it will take about 2-3 hours to do the whole tour, but it’s at your own pace!  

Located in a neighbourhood called the Liberties. The Guinness Storehouse is beside the Digital Hub which provides serviced office space to Digital companies at a fraction of lease hold office costs. Check out the companies that are using the Digital Hub as their starting office. Many companies have located their business to the Hub when they move to Ireland first as it’s a great plug and play solution to allow them to grow at their own pace. Amazon started their Irish office in the Digital Hub, so too did Etsy, Havok, Gala Networks Europe, Slack and many more. 

Around the Guinness Area Museums:

• Irish Modern Art Museum: Admission FREE! 
• Collins Barracks Museum Admission is Free!! 
• On the way back into town  view ChristChurch Cathedral. It’s a 15 min walk from Guinness storehouse.

 Trinity College; Book of Kells:

Walk around Trinity College where you can view the Book of Kells costs from €10pp – watch out for the queues! Visit the library, it's very impressive and has been used in a number of movies. Trinity has been Voted the 2^nd top thing to visit in Ireland. Find The Long Room, this is a stunning room which was built in 1712!!

Art Lovers (free admission to all):

• The National Gallery holds Irish and European fine art including Yeats, Turner and Caravaggio. 
• If you like Francis Bacon’s art you can go and see his studio.
• Royal Hibernian Gallery

 4. Shopping

If you are a Non – European citizen, get a Fexco Horizon Card for tax free shopping - you can get this in certain Department stores. Then simply register online and get your tax back at the Airport on your way back to your destination.

Irish Shops

• Butlers Chocolate Shop; Grafton Street, Wicklow Street, Nassau Street; Best combination of Chocolate, Coffee and hot chocolate in Dublin all in one little shop!
• Kilkenny Design; Nassau Street; This shop is dedicated to Irish designers for clothes, furniture, art and jewlery. 
• Avoca Sussex Street (continuation of Nassau Street); Clothes, jewlery, books, nice house wear. Really nice food. Café downstairs and take out food and top floor has nice restaurant.
• Brown Thomas Department Store, Grafton Street; Luxury Store International Designers e.g. Chanel, D&G. If you like this place get a loyalty card!
• Penny's/ Primark has  cheap clothes/ accessories based in Mary Street and O’ Connell Street. 
• Dunnes Stores St. Stephens Green/ Grafton Street/ Henry Street; Irish Department Store 

5. Pubs

Cocktail Bars/ Cool places in Dublin:

• Sams- Cocktails Dawson Street
• 37  Cool bar, expensive Cocktails, Dawson Street
• Café En Seine, Cocktail bar, Dawson Street also night club
• Peruke & Periwig, Dawson Street
• Vintage Cocktail club- Temple bar
• Liquor Rooms
• No Name Bar; cool bar cocktails on Fade Street
• House, Leeson Street, Dublin 2

 Traditional Irish Pubs in Dublin 

• O’ Donoghues Baggot Street
• Doheny & Nesbitts also on Baggot St.
• Kehoes 9 South Anne Street (just off Grafton St.) 
• Staggs Head  Just off Dame Street, place called Dame Lane

 Music Venues

• Whelans; live music venue. Whelans is a good pub if you like live music.
• Anseo : dive bar
• The Temple Bar Pub- in temple bar, touristy but you gotta do it! Live music at 1pm and 8pm! Expect to pay a bit more for your pint here! Stay for one and take a picture at the bar!

 Nightclubs 

• Dicey Reilly's; Russell Court Hotel, Harcourt Street Dublin 2
• D2, 60 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2
• Kyrstle, Russell Court Hotel, Harcourt Street, Dublin 2
• Everleigh Gardens, 33 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2
• Bucks townhouse, Leeson Street, Dublin 2

 6. Visit IDA Ireland

 IDA Ireland  has supported and assisted many companies establish a presence in Ireland.  When in town, use the time to meet the inbound investment experts who have worked with Facebook, Twitter, Google, Dropbox and Airbnb. 

Check out www.twitter.com/@idaemergebiz or www.idaireland.com

 Kathleen Bohan

 IDA Emerging Business Team