Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Activities
Public sporting facilities are limited - there is only a handful of public tennis courts, for
instance - so most visitors have to make do with their hotel gym or a run in the park.
GOLF
A round of golf is a highlight of many an Irish visit. Dublin's suburban courses are almost
all private clubs, but many of them allow visitors on a pay-to-play basis. Tough times
means reduced green fees, especially if you book online beforehand. You'll generally
need your own transport if you wish to head to any of the major courses.
The best courses within easy reach of the city are
Killeen Castle
(
www.killeencastle.com
;
Dunsany,
Kildare; green fees Mon-Thu €60, Fri-Sun €70)
, just outside Maynooth in County Kildare;
Portmarnock
( 01-846 2968;
www.portmarnockgolfclub.ie
;
Golf Links Rd, Portmarnock; green fee €175)
, by the sea in
north county Dublin; and
Druid's Glen
(
287 3600;
www.druidsglen.ie
;
green fee €180)
, 45km south
of the city in County Wicklow.
Spectator Sport
Sport has a special place in the Irish psyche, probably because it's one of the few occa-
sions when an overwhelming expression of emotion won't cause those around you to
wince or shuffle in discomfort. Sit in a pub while a match is on and watch the punters
foam at the mouth as they yell pleasantries at the players on the screen, such as 'they
should pay me for watching you!'
GAELIC FOOTBALL & HURLING
Gaelic games are at the core of Irishness; they are enmeshed in the fabric of Irish life and
hold a unique place in the heart of its culture. Of the two main games, football is by far
the most popular - and Dublin (
www.hill16.ie
)
is the second-most successful county, after
its great rival Kerry. Hurling has traditionally never been as popular, but in recent years
the Dublin team has done very well.
The big event in both sports is the All-Ireland championship, a knockout contest that
begins in April and ends on the first (for hurling) and third (for football) Sunday in
September with the All-Ireland Final, played at a jam-packed
Croke Park
(Clonliffe Rd; 3,
11, 11A, 16, 16A or 123 from O'Connell St)
, which is also where the Dubs play all of their champi-
onship matches. The All-Ireland's poorer cousin is the National Football League (there's
also a National Hurling League), which runs from February to mid-April. Dublin plays its
league matches at
Parnell Park
(Clantarkey Rd, Donnycarney; adult/child €10/7; 20A, 20B, 27, 27A, 42,
42B, 43 or 103 from Lower Abbey St or Beresford Pl)
, which is smaller and infinitely less impressive
