Green but not black and white with some real colour
May 27 2009 By Andy Walker
Andrew was as passionate about his music as you could get; a man who lived and breathed his subject and had a genuine ponytail. During a laid-back hour-and-a-half, we travelled Dublin listening to tales of how so many musical greats had risen from this city. U2, Thin Lizzy (fronted by Black Country-born Phil Lynott, whose statue stands off Grafton Street), Sinead O’Connor, Andrew’s own personal hero Rory Gallagher and many more.
But the tour also touched on the forefathers of this genre. Oscar Wilde, James Joyce and Samuel Beckett, Irish writers whose work inspired a host of Dubliners to become guitar-wielding stars.
We stayed at the five-star Westin Dublin hotel, right in the centre of the city opposite Trinity College. Opened in 2001, the hotel is divided into six different buildings and was formerly the Allied Irish Bank.
The hotel is also home to the Mint Bar, located in what was formerly the bank’s vault and where we dined on our first night. This isn’t your typical soulless hotel bar, it has a city-wide reputation for its cocktails.
We sampled a unique Cadbury’s Creme Egg cocktail (sickly and strong) while we were also told that they once produced a €500 cocktail that came with gold flakes and included the glass.
It was fitting that we stayed in a former bank, as that is what you find yourself regularly visiting. European capitals are expensive, but the heaviest wallets are needed in the Republic of Ireland’s. Dublin has been severely hit by the credit crunch so maybe those sky-high drinks prices (one double vodka and coke cost €16) will start to creep down.
While I left with a dented bank balance, I had sampled a different side of Dublin. A side that didn’t venture down the tourist route but celebrated this city’s strong musical roots.
And I sampled a side of Dublin without Guinness.
Getting There
* Aer Lingus operate daily flights from Birmingham to Dublin airport. For more information on fares and schedules, and to book, log on to www.aerlingus.com
* Westin Dublin Hotel Accommodation at the Westin Dublin Hotel starts from €179 per room per night. For further information and bookings call Westin Hotels & Resorts on 00800 325 95959 or visit www.westin.com/dublin
* Dublin Tourism Board Dublin’s Rock n Roll, Writers Bus Tour runs four tours daily Tickets cost €15. See www.dublinrocktour.ie for details.
* The Dublin Pass is your passport to Dublin. With the Dublin Pass, you gain free entry to Dublin’s top attractions, free airport transfer, great special offers AND VIP status. Available for 1, 2, 3 or 6 Days with special offers running through2009. See www.dublinpass.ie for more.
* Musical Pub Crawl runs every evening from 7.30pm and lasts two hours. Tickets cost €12.00 adults, €10.00 concession. See www.discoverdublin.ie for details.
* The Church Café Bar and Restaurant also has a new late night club. See www.thechurch.ie for details.
* For more information on Dublin visit the official online tourist office at www.visitdublin.com.
