Monday 30 September 2013

Top 5 Tweet Pics - September 2013

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30/09/2013 - Top 5 Tweet Pics of the Day

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Sunday 29 September 2013

The Curragh Racecourse Co. Kildare, Ireland

The Curragh Racecourse in Co. Kildare is an excellent day out for all the family. Today was the Juddmonte Bereford Stakes and the Irish Pony Club. The sun was beaming which made it all the better! A Google maps link to the Curragh is provided at the bottom of this post.

Entrance to the Curragh Racecourse

The Irish Pony Club day showcased young horse riders from around the country. There was a Jockey Skills Training Course which took place the previous week. There were 12 participants who took part and the winner was Conor Houlihan from Waterford. There was also demonstrations from these young riders throughout the day.

Demonstration by Members of the Pony Club
Members of the Pony Club Race on the track

There are many places to bet in the Curragh, whether you fancy the Tote, Paddy Power or the various bookies which are located outside, under the stands. If I am placing a bet on a single horse - win or each way, I usually venture out to the bookies. As I know what horse I want to pick, I look for the best price for that horse. Most of the time I pick the wrong horse but its all a bit of fun!

Bookie Stalls at the Curragh

There are several bars scattered across the Curragh so getting a drink is never an issue. If you do get peckish during your visit, there are also many dining areas. These dining options are available to suit everyone's taste and the Curragh offers a wide range of dining and hospitality packages including the Balcony Restaurant, Horseshoe Suite and Champagne Bar. During my visit I got sausage and chips for €5.50 from one of the fast food outlets which filled the gap.

Enjoying a pint and watching the races
  
Parking is free at the Curragh but if you don't have a car you can also travel by Dublin Coach. They provide an additional stop at the Curragh on race days on their N7 service. Check out their website for more details. There is also the option of getting the train to Kildare town via Irish Rail.

Have a great day and please do let us know how you get on. More pictures of the Curragh are below:
 
Racing Action
Parade Ring
The Finishing Post
The Starting Post
Halfway there
Anyones Race
Statue


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Top 5 Tweet Pics of the WEEK (23/09/2013 - 28/09/2013)

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A visit to Russborough House, Co. Wicklow Ireland

Russborough House is located 4.5km from Blessington Town in Co. Wicklow and is a great day out for the entire family, whether you are visiting Ireland or have been living here for years! A google maps link is provided at the end of this post.

The best way to get to Russborough is to drive, but if you dont have private transport available, you can get the 65 bus from Dublin City to Blessington and order a taxi.

The front of the house measures 210m and is an example of Palladian architecture, which is a European style of architecture. The house was built between 1741 and 1755 for the 1st Earl of Milltown, Joseph Leeson.

Front View of Russborough House

Today the house comprises of beautiful gardens, set out walks and a tea and coffee room where you can get a sandwhich or piece of cake with your cuppa. There is also the famous Russborough Maze, which costs €2 entry. It took me about 10-15 minutes to find my way out of there! There is no charge for parking, but there is a box for a voluntary donation.

The house was built for the 1st Earl of Milltown in the 1700's but buried in the Gardens is the graves of the 6th Earl of Milltown and his wife.

Graves of the 6th Earl of Milltown and his Wife

Moving on with our walk, we continued around the perimeter until we reached the lakes. There was some great views from this vantage point of Russborough house through the trees.

View of Russborough House from the Lakes

When we reached the lakes we were greeted by two swans, one was a beautiful white colour and the other was her cygnet. There was some decking at the lake view and would be ideal for a picnic.

Swans at the Lake in Russborough

If you have visited the Japanese Gardens in Kildare before you will be familar with the red Japanese style bridge. Russborough also has one of these Japanese style bridges. I did not venture too far over the other side of the bridge. If you do go, let me know if there is anything interesting on the other side!

Japanese Bridge at Russborough

After we finished our walk we headed up to the tea room for a cup of tea and a bite to eat. It was a very enjoyable day and I will be back soon. Guided tours of inside the house are also available and these can be booked with Russborough House.


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Saturday 28 September 2013

28/09/2013 - Top 5 Tweet Pics of the Day

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Woodlands Falconry in Rathwood, Co. Carlow

Rathwood in Co. Carlow consists of an extensive garden centre, restaurant and also the Woodlands Fanconry. It was only through the grapevine that I learned about the existence of Rathwood and put it on my bucket list for a visit.

Located approximately 5 km east from Tullow, Rathwood is easily accessible from Dublin using the M9, pretty much all the way. You will probably want to have your GPS to hand to avoid getting lost. A google maps link is provided at the end of this post.

Entry to the Woodlands Falconry was only €6 per person. During our visit it was not very busy which was great. The staff were very friendly and you could see their genuine interest and care for all the birds in the Falconry.


There was also a baby owl which we got to pet. He was hiding on top of a cabinet, looking down at us when we arrived into the Falconry for the first time.


The wife asked the lady could she pet the baby owl. When the owl was called she flew straight down on to the counter and was more than happy to be petted!


Holding the bigger birds for photographs was no issue and the staff were very accomodating. This was my first time in a Falconry and to my surprize there were so many different species of birds. My favourites are the eagle and the owl. The birds were very calm and you could get very close to them and they did not seem to mind!

 

There was also information posters for each of the birds in the Falconry, which gave the average Joe, like myself some insight regarding where the birds originated from etc..

Some more pictures of the various birds in Rathwood are below:
















Google Maps Link to Woodlands Falconry in Rathwood

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Friday 27 September 2013

27/09/2013 - Top 5 Tweet Pics of the Day

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Thursday 26 September 2013

A trip to Dublin Castle

Living in Ireland all my life I have never been to Dublin Castle. This week I finally got to go for the first time. My experience included an evening guided tour of the castle, along with an exceptional dinner.

 
The castle has been at the heart of Irish history for over 800 years and hosts prestigious events like the Irish Presidential election since the foundation of the Irish State in 1922.
 
It is very grand inside and in my opinion extremely well maintained considering the age of the castle.

I had never seen a real throne before and the size of it was just overwhelming. This throne is located in the "throne room" in Dublin Castle and was made to size for the visit of King George IV to Ireland in 1821.
 
 
The picture does not really portray the size of this throne and would fit three average size adults on it comfortably.
 
We were also informed that the throne was actually taller for George IV and the throne that stands today in the "throne room" in Dublin Castle has had its legs cut compared to the original. This was done for Queen Victoria's visit in 1849. The footstool as shown in the picture was also for Queen Victoria.
 
This is the ladies room in Dublin Castle. Our guide informed us that after dinner the ladies and men would typically split up. The ladies would be guided to the ladies room for light entertainment.
 
 
The men would go to the men's room at the other end of Dublin Castle. They would smoke cigars and play billiards. A bit of an awkward situation, but that was the way things were done back then.
 
Unfortunately we did not get the chance to see the men's room, maybe next time. A game of snooker would have been good!
 
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26/09/2013 - Top 5 Tweet Pics of the Day

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Wednesday 25 September 2013

Authentic Burittos in Dublin City

The buritto is a popular lunch time option amongst college students and the Dublin workforce. Over the past few years many buritto shops have popped up all over the city. It is essentially an entire meal in one handy tortilla wrap with rice, veg, cheese, beans and meat of choice.

There are endless options and you can also select your spice level depending on your tolerance. With the vast amount of buritto bars now in Dublin, I have tried the majority of them and have to say that Little Ass Buritto bar on Dawson Street is superior.

Their lunch time deal is €7 which includes any buritto from their menu and a can of minerals or a bottle of water. I usually go for the beef or chicken buritto, both of which are excellent. The beef is slow boiled for hours which gives it a very soft texture.

Depending on your spice level you have 5 different options. For flavour and enjoyability I recommend 2 or 3, but if you are daring you can try their spicy option called "picante".


In my opinion, in the food business you have to be consistently good, as punters want to know what they are getting. To sum things up, this is what Little Ass is and I have not had a bad buritto yet. Let us know how you get on!
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25/09/2013 - Top 5 Tweet Pics of the Day

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Monday 23 September 2013

Lidl Ireland - Structured Food Donation Programme

Supermarkets in Ireland have to dispose of food each day when it goes past its sell by date. You will often see food reduced by 90% on the day it is going off. Some supermakets do donate food to charities, however this might be on an informal and irregular basis.

Lidl Ireland have introduced an excellent idea, a food donation programme, which aims to donate food to charity centres in Ireland on a regular and structured basis. In order to do this they will use a chilled van which will collect the food from several stores in the evening and deliver it to the charity.

This is an excellent idea and really shows how much Lidl are engaged and interested in the community.  One such charity who will benefit is Cross Care Ireland. They have 3 food centers in the Dublin City region - Portland Row,  Holles Row and Longford Lane. They provide healthy and affordable hot meals to the entire community.

Hopefully other supermarkets follow suite and take on this excellent example. It is essentially the people who keep supermarkets in business and this is something they can do to give back to the community.

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23/09/2013 - Top 5 Tweet Pics of the Day

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Sunday 22 September 2013

Top 5 Tweet Pics of the WEEK (16/09/2013 - 21/09/2013)

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Pollardstown Fen Bird Sanctuary - A hidden gem in Co. Kildare

It was only until somebody told me about Pollardtown Fen in Co. Kildare, I would never have known about it. I had never been to a fen before and with this new information to hand it was time to pay a visit.

The fen is of international importance and both rare in Ireland and the West of Europe. It is run by the National Parks & Wildlife Service and 60% of the fen is state owned.

Located approximately 3km from Newbridge the fen is 220 hectares in size. A google maps link is provided at the bottom of this post to help you get there. You will have to drive to the fen as it is located in a rural part of Kildare. If you are in Ireland on holiday, rent a car if you are planning to go. Parking is free and there is no cost associated with visiting the fen which is a great added bonus, especially if you are bringing the entire family.

I would not consider myself an avid bird lover and am not able to recite the different species etc. The fresh air and the walk around the custom build wooden footpath is what did it for me. These wooden footpaths, like decking are suspend in the air, hovering over the marsh land. I have never seen anything like this before and it was great for pictures.


Posters stands are scattered around the fen which provide information on the different birds and wildlife that you may encounter. There is also a nice little half way point as shown below. This provides some lovely views of the surrounding Kildare country side.
 

If you are visiting the fen, it is best to allow between 1-2 hours. A picnic might also be an option when you reach the half way point. Remember if you are bringing the kids, just ensure they don't run off the wooden foot paths as they are not guarded.

It is a great day out for all the family. Do let us know how you get on in Pollardstown Fen.





Google Maps link to Pollardstown Fen
http://goo.gl/maps/zRO5U

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Saturday 21 September 2013

21/09/2013 - Top 5 Tweet Pics of the Day

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The Viking Roar in Dublin City

You would often be walking around Dublin City and in the midst of no where you would hear a roar. This would not just be any roar, a Viking roar to be more precise. Turning around to investigate further you would be presented with one of these, the Viking Splash Tour bus.


Filled with a mixture of children and parents mostly, all Vikings on the tour wear a Viking hat. They also roar when requested by the driver! This tour looks like great fun, but because I'm a local and its on my doorstep I have never been. One day I will pluck up the courage to go and might even bring the wife with me. They also cater for large groups, including stag and hen and also birthday parties.

The tours leave from St. Stephens Green and go around the main sights of Dublin City, passing St. Patricks Cathedral, Trinity College and also Christchurch Cathedral. One of the exciting things about this tour is that you also get to travel on water and the vehicles go to Grand Canal Harbour to do this! This is the part I look forward to.

The vehicles that are used are called DUKWS and were used in the war to transport soldiers and weapons. You are going to experience a piece of history while seeing all the main sights in Dublin city.

 
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