Alive, alive o'...

I had a three day visit to Dublin, Ireland last week and as I live on the west coast of Ireland I decided that the best way to get to our sub-office was to drive. Silly me! There is a good intercity train system in place in Ireland, however once you get to Hueston Station, the main train station in Dublin, it will take you another hour (minimum) and approximately €30 in cab fare to get to the location of our sub-office. Bear in mind that the reason I would need to get a cab in the first place is because the divinely inspired engineering team that designed the Luas system in Dublin city (effectively the subway - only all above ground), did so without ever connecting the two trains that run the parameter of Dublin. Genius!

I left home at 6.30am for what should have been a 3 hour drive (door-to-door). I was very impressed by the fact that it only took me 2 hours to reach the Naas/Citywest roundabout – rotary for my American chums. Unfortunately the remaining 10+ miles to the sub-office took a further two and a half hours. Apparently there had been an accident earlier that morning that caused the delay. A huge note of thanks goes to the organisers of the Ryder Cup who progressed the completion of road works on the main road in to Dublin to facilitate the huge crowds travelling to and from the K Club for the event. Without their perseverance with the Irish Roads Authority my trip would have taken another hour on top of everything else. When there’s revenue generating events held in Ireland, things get done!

The hotel that I stayed in is the Radisson SAS St. Helen's Hotel in Booterstown on the Stillorgan Road. From the main road this former historic house which has been restored and adapted into a five star hotel is a magnificent sight. I was very excited at the thought of seeing the interior and spending 2 nights there. When I had parked my car I immediately had the services of a very helpful gentleman complete with top hat and tails to carry my suitcase and show me to the reception area. I already felt like royalty! The staff is very helpful and courteous and assisted me in every way during my check-in. The interior was impressive although a little bland. I expected more grandeur than what greeted me when entering the main building. This was more than compensated by a visit to the rear gardens, restaurant areas and banquet halls. LePanto is very tastefully decorated in period style with tapestry like curtains, crystal chandeliers and dark furniture with heavy upholstery. This contrasts well with the tile and glass conservatory area called St. Helen’s Pavilion which plays host to large events. Of course there are the usual meeting rooms and banquet halls, which are decorated in accordance with neutral hotel standards – boring but what would you expect for a meeting/conference room? A friend of mine recently attended a wedding reception at this hotel and said that although the service and setting were very high standard, the food was as you would expect at any large event, i.e. not overly impressive. Having said that, this is a hotel that only the rich and/or famous would be able to afford for a wedding reception (the bride wore Vera Wang….. need I say more?). All of my awe and enthusiasm for this hotel vanished upon entering my ‘standard’ room. Ok, so I did get an extremely good rate for the two nights (€100 cheaper than some of the three star hotels in the area). I certainly expected more than what I got. The room was clean and comfortable and suited my needs but certainly was not what I anticipated a five start hotel room to look like. Picture any hotel room you’ve stayed in when travelling to an ordinary Radisson, Starwoods, Mariott, etc. and hey presto… my room. The phrase ‘You get what you pay for.’, comes to mind. I skipped the *pay extra* breakfast and opted for a bagel and coffee from a Starbucks look-a-like on the way in to the office each morning. Trust me when I tell you that the traffic in Dublin is phenomenal at the normal congestion times. Makes you wonder why they didn’t rethink the Luas layout?!?!?

On the first night I went for an informal dinner with some friends to the newly refurbished Stillorgan Orchard. This is a contemporary bar/café with a very typical menu of standard European offerings – steak, chicken, fish, pasta, etc. The ambiance is warm and inviting and they have large outdoor seating areas with heat lamps to facilitate smokers. I had cod goujons with fried potatoes and tartare sauce washed down with a glass of crisp, medium-dry French Chardonnay. It is a great place to go for a bite to eat and a few drinks with friends.

The second night I ventured further in towards the city centre with a different set of friends to a restaurant called the Canal Bank Café. This is a very upmarket and trendy restaurant with a great menu, wonderful atmosphere and superb wine list all for very reasonable prices. On this occasion my two friends and I shared starters of buffalo wings (in the words of Jessica Simpson “How do they fly with such small wings?”), with celery and blue cheese dressing and a massive plate of calamari with lemon. For my main course I indulged in the char grilled prime beef burger with grilled bacon, fontia cheese and tomato relish. Not forgetting the rather nice couple of bottles of Di Lenardo Pinot Grigio, Vendemmia 2004 (Italy) – well there were three of us!!! There is a lot to be said for a really good restaurant that has reasonable prices in Dublin as it can be one of the more expensive European cities to go out and eat in.

It has to be said that the company I was in on both nights made them even more enjoyable. Good friends, good food and good wine make for the perfect evening.

My drive home took less time although at that point the tail end of a hurricane was sweeping in across the east coast of Ireland leaving the Ryder Cup golfers safely tucked up at the 19th hole, unable to practice. I’m sure they didn’t mind ;-)
I, on the other hand, felt as though I was piloting an aircraft for most of the journey!!! Very scary indeed.

I’m off to London again later in the week and back there again the following week for three more days. Needless to say…………………. I’ll be back.