Why Choose Dublin

Why choose Dublin
Why choose Dublin
Effortlessly combining the traditional with the modern, the historic with the contemporary, and the dynamic with that famous Irish laid-back quality, Dublin is an exciting and inspirational city eager to extend a warm welcome to business tourists from across the globe. Scoring high on essential criteria such as accessibility, facilities and service, Dublin delivers in its own inimitable way.

Captivating experience:
Dublin is a breath of fresh air, a truly unique capital that’s steeped in tradition yet young at heart. In the historic, compact city centre there are lots to do and see, and visitors will love the rich selection of galleries, museums, restaurants, pubs and shops, not to mention the traditionally warm welcome from Dubliners.

Traditionally high visitor turnout:
World-renowned for our warm welcome and genuine sense of fun, the Irish people’s enviable passion for life promises to entice colleagues and peers from around the globe, guaranteeing high attendance at any international event.

Easy access:
Ireland ideally located on the edge of Europe, is less than an hour from London, less than two hours from Paris or Brussels and just six hours from the east coast of the US by air. Dublin Airport is Ireland’s busiest airport, with over 98 airlines flying to over 185 destinations, including direct scheduled daily flights from North America, mainland Europe, Britain and regular flights from the Middle East. Dublin International Airport is only 12KM from the city centre and the city itself is small and compact, and is tailor-made for carefree exploring by foot. It also has an excellent transport system, which includes anurban rail system (DART), a stylish new tram network (Luas) and an extensive citywide and national bus service. Taxis are plentiful and reasonably priced by international standards.

A proven track record:
A proven track record in Handling Major International events Dublin hosted the 2003 Special Olympics (the first time it was held outside the US), the 2006 The Ryder Cup (at the K Club in Kildare, just outside Dublin) and the early stages of the 1998 Tour de France, the world’s best known bicycle race.

Safety:
Dublin is a safe and welcoming city with a strong, stable economy. Over the last fifteen years, Ireland’s rate of economic growth has been the highest among member nations of the European Union. The city is one of the friendliest in Europe and maintains a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere

Professional, creative and experienced suppliers: DMCs can add creative flair to your event along with providing invaluable local knowledge, experience and practical solutions.

City, sea and countryside all within easy reach means activities such as golf, horse riding, hiking, 4×4 offroad driving, teambuilding, surfing, sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, hot air ballooning, car racing to name but a few are at your fingertips.

A wealth of cultural visitor attractions such as Trinity College Dublin & the Book of Kells, The Guinness storehouse, Dublin Castle, The Old Jameson Distillery, National Art Gallery, Dublinia, St. Patrick’s Cathedral are all in the heart of the city within easy distance of each other.

Unique Transport Options – Get a different view of Dublin with a tour of the city by horse & carriage, eco bike, high speed ribs around Dublin Bay, by land and water with the amphibious Viking Ducks or by vintage bus or car –all take group bookings.

Unusual venues from castles to hospitals, stadia to vaults and breweries to colleges are all available as conference and dining venues and will guarantee the WOW factor for your event.

Price/Value Relationship – Dublin offers wonderful hotels, unique venues and fantastic food, all at competitive prices. Add to this breathtaking scenery, lively cosy pubs, friendly locals and foot tapping, hand clapping traditional music and you have unbeatable value for money.

Unesco City of Literature – with writers such as James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw, WB Yeats, John Synge, Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift and Bram Stoker all hailing from Ireland’s capital, Dublin was awarded the Unesco City of literature in 2010 for its’ ongoing contribution to the literary world.

The Dublin Pass includes access to over 27 of Dublin’s top attractions as well as over 20 added value facilities plus a one way ticket on the Aircoach – available at a discounted price to conference delegates!

Knowledge Capital – Experienced professionals, world-class researchers, multi-national organisations and innovative start-ups have all made Dublin their home. Over 1,200 overseas companies have chosen Ireland as their European base and are involved in a wide range of activities in sectors as diverse as e-Business, ICT, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, financial and international services. Half the world’s top fifty banks have operations in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in central Dublin. In total, there are almost four hundred and thirty international institutions directly operating from Dublin with a further seven hundred managed entities carrying on business under the IFSCprogramme. Ireland is a key location for the pharmaceutical and chemical industry in Europe. Nine of the top ten companies in the world have operations in Ireland. Ireland is also home to thirteen of the world’s top twenty medical device companies. There are eighty three overseas healthcare companies and over half of these companies are involved in research and development, with a number of companies having dedicated research and development centres. The top ten independent software companies in the world all have significant operations in Ireland.

Dublin is European headquarters for many major ICT, financial, manufacturing and pharmaceutical companies such as Google, Face book, Mercke Sharpe & Dohme, Intel, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, FI-Tech, HVB Bank, Populis, DEPVA Bank, DTS, Kelloggs and Aviva. Other companies with a strong presence in Dublin and its environs include Pfizer, Astrazenica, United Drug, Ernst & Young, Accenture, Citi, Glaxosmithkline to name but a few.

Free Wifi For Dublin Travellers

Free Wifi for Dublin travellers
Free Wifi for Dublin travellers
 Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) and eircom are delighted to announce that they are now offering unlimited free WiFi at Dublin Airport for all users without registration.

The eircom WiFiHub service was launched at Dublin Airport in December last year and more than one million passengers have so far availed of the service. The enhancements to the service being announced today see all charges relating to the service waived, making it easier for passengers to avail of free WiFi at Dublin Airport.

To access free WiFi at the airport, passengers simply need to log on to either the Dublin Airport Free WiFi network or the free eircom WiFiHub network and click the “continue to surf” button on the homepage. Users can also download the free eircom WiFiHub app which is available from the Android and Apple stores. There is no signup or logon process and consumers can surf for free for as long as they wish.

“Dublin Airport is one of the few capital city airports in Europe to offer its customers free WiFi and this move puts us well ahead of the vast majority of our peers,” said DAA commercial director, Maurice Hennessy.

“eircom has worked closely with the DAA to deliver a high quality WiFi service at the airport and we are delighted that DAA in partnership with eircom can now offer this service for free to all airport users in a user friendly manner,” said Elaine Robinson, eircom’s director of products and strategy, consumer and small business.

In July alone, there were more than 600,000 WiFi sessions at Dublin Airport with customers spending 218,680 hours accessing the internet. “That’s equivalent to one person spending almost 25 years online,” according to Mr Hennessy.

The WiFiHub service at Dublin Airport originally offered free WiFi for 10 minutes, with a €1 charge for a full day’s access, once the free period had expired. DAA and eircom have now agreed to waive all charges and remove the sign-up process.

Most European airports still charge for WiFi (see table below). It costs £3 per hour at London’s Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports, €4.50 for 90 minutes in Paris Charles de Gaulle after an initial free 15 minutes, and €4.95 per hour in Frankfurt after a free 30 minute period.


Dublin Airport Figures

Dublin airport figures
Dublin airport figures

Over 2m Passengers Use Dublin Airport In August

September 13 2012

Just over 2 million passengers passed through Dublin Airport in August, an increase of almost 2% on the same period last year, according to the Dublin Airport Authority.

Passenger volumes to and from continental Europe increased by 2.5% with more than 1.1 million passengers travelling to European destinations during the month. UK traffic declined by 3% with just under 635,000 passengers travelling in August.

Transatlantic traffic to North America increased by almost 4% with just over 193,000 passengers travelling on this route sector last month. Traffic to other international destinations, which covers mainly flights to the Middle East and charters to North Africa, increased by 78%. More than 47,000 passengers travelled on these routes during August.

Passenger numbers on domestic routes declined by 21% with just over 7,000 travelling on domestic flights last month. So far this year, almost 13 million passengers have travelled through Dublin Airport, which is flat when compared to the same period last year.

New Dublin Flight Connections

New Dublin flight connections
New Dublin flight connections

Dublin Airport Welcomes Ryanair’s Plans For New Service To Lublin

September 20 2012

Dublin Airport is delighted to welcome Ryanair’s recent announcement to commence services to Lublin in Poland from December 18 next.

This is Ryanair’s sixth new service from Dublin Airport this year and one of 15 new services overall starting this year.

This brings Ryanair’s winter schedule to 54 routes from Dublin Airport.

Welcoming the announcement a spokesperson for the DAA said “We are always delighted when an airline announces a new service which leads to new opportunities for both leisure and business travellers.

“We look forward to the launch of the new service in time for the Christmas holiday season on December 18,” the spokesperson added.

New services launched from Dublin Airport in 2012:

Bournemouth Aer Lingus Regional
Budapest Ryanair
Copenhagen Aer Lingus
Chisnau Air Moldova
Dusseldorf Lufthansa
Dubai Emirates
Lublin Ryanair*
Maastricht Ryanair*
Palermo Ryanair
Southend Aer Lingus Regional
Stockholm Aer Lingus
Verona Aer Lingus
Verona Ryanair
Warsaw (Modlin) Ryanair
Washington United

* Starts December

Industrial Action In Dublin May Affect Travellers

Industrial action in Dublin may affect travellers
Industrial action in Dublin may affect travellers

DAA Statement Re Potential Industrial Action on October 1

September 25 2012

Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) regrets to inform passengers that operations at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports may be affected by industrial action on Monday, October 1.

DAA has been served with notice of potential industrial action for October 1 by SIPTU and Mandate and in recent days, SIPTU has indicated that its members plan a series of rolling work stoppages at the three airports on that day.

DAA is deeply disappointed that trade unions have embarked on this unwarranted course of action and is exploring every option available to avert potential disruption to its operations. The planned industrial action, which relates to pension issues, is needless and will cause unnecessary worry and inconvenience for the travelling public.

DAA is currently in a conciliation process with trade union representatives in relation to the pensions issue under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC). These negotiations are ongoing and the decision to persist with notice of industrial action, while the industrial relations machinery of the State is fully engaged with this issue, is unwarranted. DAA remains committed to the LRC process and is working alongside all other stakeholders to find a resolution to the pension issue.

DAA has today been granted leave by the High Court to seek an injunction against SIPTU in relation to the planned work stoppages, as they are contrary to existing agreements between the company and the trade union. A full hearing on the case has been set for Friday, September 28.

DAA is working on a potential contingency plan should the industrial action proceed and will update passengers further in the coming days. Unfortunately at this stage, due to the manner in which SIPTU has decided to act, it is impossible to predict what action may be taken and DAA is therefore not currently in a position to accurately gauge the impact of any planned dispute.

DAA will continue to explore all options available to attempt to avert potential disruption to our customers and urges trade union representatives to engage with the current conciliation process rather than take needless industrial action.

DAA will update customers further in the coming days.

Dublin Rate Offers

Dublin rate offers
Dublin rate offers
Delegate Discounted Offer

Venue : Carlton Dublin Airport Hotel

Valid from 3rd March 2013 to 7th December 2013

 
    
Price
   

€95.00
        

Carlton Signature Bedrooms with full Irish Breakfast, Car Parking and Wifi – €95.00

48 cancellation applies – rate available to room blocks of 1 to 25 rooms.

Carlton Dublin Airport Hotel

Welcome to the newest hotel at Dublin Airport. Enjoying a fantastic location overlooking the runways and with direct access to both the M1 and M50 motorways.

The hotel has 2 modern conferencing centres offering a variety of suites catering from 1 to 500 people. All our meeting suites have the very latest in room technology with LCD projectors and screens as standard.

We have 118 modern and spacious bedrooms and rooftop suites all offering every modern in room hospitality service.

Our famous Kitty Hawks bistro serves delicious food all day and offers a fabulous carvery each lunch time with evening specials and early bird menus

Dublin Calendar

Dublin calendar
Dublin calendar
Dublin has a year long events calendar that will keep you coming back for more!

1. St. Patrick’s Festival
15th – 18th March 2013

St. Patrick’s Festival is hands down the most anticipated Festival of the year in Dublin and happens annually in March. The Irish national holiday, St. Patricks Day 17th March, is celebrated globally and a 4 day St. Patrick’s Festival transforms the streets of Dublin into an energetic, vibrant celebratory party! Fun fairs, live music, walking tours, street performances, ceilis and of course the St. Patrick’s Festival Parade takes centre stage on the 17th!

2. Culture Night
21st September 2012

For one night only the city’s museums, galleries, churches, historic houses, artists’ studios, and cultural centres open their doors late for a free night of entertainment, discovery and adventure. There are talks, tours, performances and events for you, your family and friends to participate in and enjoy on the night. Culture Night occurs annually in September.


3. Bloomsday Festival
10th – 16th June 2012

Experience Dublin as it turns Bloom mad! Joyce fans dress in Edwardian costume to conjure up the atmosphere of the period in which Ulysses was set – 1904, Bloomsday readings and dramatisations take place and fans follow the route around Dublin taken by Bloom. Much of the Bloomsday celebrations are hosted by the James Joyce Centre in North Great Georges St Dublin. The Bloomsday Festival takes place annually on, 16th June.
You can also explore Ulysses through Visit Dublin’s In the Steps of Ulysses iWalk.


4. Temple Bar TradFest
23rd – 27th January 2013

Dublin’s biggest and best festival of Irish Music and Culture, the Temple Bar TradFest takes place annually the last week of January. Each year, the TradFest brings Ireland’s top traditional musicians and overseas musicians to play at the festival weekend. There are over 200 free events including music trails, singers clubs, open sessions, Celtic Irish Dance show, gigs for kids, streets performers, a rural Irish village in the city and much more! See Visit Dublin’s Traditional Irish Music and Dance listings for year round Irish Dance and Music events.


5. Dublin Horse Show
15th – 19th August 2012

The Dublin Horse Show is one of Dublin’s best loved events, which has attracted generations of visitors over the years. Experience the excitement of this five-day show, from the thrills and tension of international show jumping, including the Aga Khan Nations Cup and Grand Prix competitions, to the daredevil Ukrainian Cossacks, one of this year’s visiting attractions. This year’s Dublin Horse Show is taking place from 15th – 19th August


6. Dublin Writers Festival
4th – 10th June 2012

Dublin Writers Festival, Ireland’s premier literary event, gathers the finest writers in the world to debate, provoke, delight and enthral. With readings, discussions, debates, workshops, performance and screenings, the festival creates a hotbed of ideas. Whether it’s the mix poets, writers of fiction and non-fiction, lyricists, playwrights and screenwriters, Dublin Writers Festival brings new faces and house-hold names together in ways that surprise and inspire. Dublin Writer’s Festival is taking place this year on June 4th – June 10th. To discover Literary Dublin, see all of Dublin’s literary listings.


7. The Tall Ships Races 2012
23rd-26th August 2012

Witness the awesome International Tall Ships Races, which will make its final port in Dublin this August. Watch Dublin transform as 100 Tall ships from Chile, Mexico, Argentina, the US, Italy and Norway sail into the capital for a four day festival from the 23rd-26th of August 2012.

Experience sailing yourself in Dublin and hop on a DART along the coast out to Dun Laoghaire and sail a 54-foot ocean going yacht around the Bay with Go Sailing. Or if you miss out on The Tall Ship Races and visiting Dublin in July, check out The ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships, another unique sailing event in Dublin!


8. Dublin Theatre Festival
27th September – 14th October

The Dublin Theatre Festival, the oldest dedicated theatre festival in Europe, presents a world class programme showcasing both national and international renowned productions from 8 different countries. This year’s Festival will present 29 productions from awe-inspiring large scale productions to smaller, intimate events. Perfect for Theatre enthusiasts! This year’s festival will be taking place on 27th September – 14th October. If you’re not around for the Theatre Festival, see other theatre events taking place in Dublin.


9. Arthur’s Day
20th September 2012

Arthur’s Day is the celebration of the remarkable legacy of Arthur Guinness, the creator of GUINNESS. Arthur’s Day has an incredible line up of Irish and international music stars raising a glass to Arthur in a series of intimate gigs in select venues and pubs across Dublin on a day of music and celebration. Arthur’s day takes place on the 2nd last Thursday of September and happens on the 27th September this year. If you’re a fan of the black stuff, make sure to check out the Guinness Storehouse while in Dublin.


10. NYE Dublin
30th December 2012 – 1st January 2013

The outdoor concert New Year’s Eve features pyrotechnics, special effects and performances to celebrate New Year 2013 in style. The concert is part of a larger three day festival taking place from December 30th 2012 – 1st January 2013.

Dublin Hotel Sector Passes Test

Dublin hotel sector passes test
Dublin hotel sector passes test

A leading international consultancy has given Ireland’s hotel sector a clean bill of health — at least within the main city centre locations — but has warned current growth levels are unlikely to be maintained.

Christie + Co, the London-based international hospitality sector consultancy, has published a Dublin city centre hotel review.

It said double-digit percentage “rev-par” (revenue per available room) growth is likely to be seen in 2012 for a second consecutive year and that prospects for the capital remain positive.

That said, rev-par growth of 11.6% in 2011 and 10.7% for the first eight months of 2012 are well below peak levels seen in 2007 and are being compared with severe declines in 2008 and 2009.

The study said Dublin has suffered in recent years due to the global recession, the weak local economy, and “a severe over-supply” of hotel stock in parts of the city’s outskirts.

It does not deem the city centre area to be suffering from over-supply.

While a number of hotels have closed in the city, room stock is up by nearly 40% on 2005 levels.

No new openings are expected — save for the partially completed ‘Marker’ hotel due to open in Dublin’s docklands next spring. But Christie’s agrees with Irish Tourism Industry Confederation suggestions that another 5,000 rooms should be needed in the capital by 2020.

“Prospects for Dublin remain positive, with indications that the city’s hotel market will continue to strengthen as a result of ongoing growth, investment and enhanced visitor numbers,” said Maureen Doyle.

However, she said annual revenue growth levels are likely to reach more “normalised” levels, linked to inflation.

Christie’s is planning to publish more Irish-focused hotel surveys, including a focus on Cork in the coming months.

Irish Caterer Wins Award

Irish caterer wins award
Irish caterer wins award

Compass Group Ireland, the Aviva Stadium foodservice providers, has received an industry award for its exceptional catering at last year’s Europa League Final which was held in the Aviva Stadium. The Final, which was a sell-out, attracted worldwide television coverage with over 100 countries taking the pictures.

Compass received their “Best Event Caterer” award in the annual Irish Event Industry Awards which were presented in Dublin, on Thursday evening (21 June). There were over 150 entries for the awards which were presented in a number of different categories. The awards celebrate excellence in the Irish events industry.

In handling the catering for the Europa League Final Compass had not alone to design, prepare and deliver menus with a local influence for all of the VIP areas but had also to cater for an additional 45,000 fans throughout the Stadium.

Speaking of the Award, Stadium Director, Mr Martin Murphy, said that both Compass Group Ireland and the Stadium had received great praise from UEFA for what had been a wonderful sporting occasion. This was the first time that a European football final had ever been played in Dublin. He said that the award was well deserved and highlighted the standard of excellence provided by Compass Group Ireland on a daily basis.

Dublin Event Breaks Records

Dublin event breaks records
Dublin event breaks records

Summer 2012 was a record breaking summer for the Association of Irish Professional Conference Organisers AIPCO.

 

Approximately 50’000 delegates attended AIPCO organised conferences between May and June worth an estimated £72.50 million to the economy. Over 32’000 visitors came for the ‘Eucharistic Congress’ alone;  a joint venture between Keynote PCO and Conference Partners.

 

Conference Partners ran ‘The Euroscience Open Forum (ESOP) 2012’ along with three major conferences in the Convention Centre Dublin during the month of June. Dublin saw a significant increase in business tourism over the same time with MCI running two major conferences – the ‘International Conference on Emergency Medicine’ and the ‘Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution Annual Meeting’ – back-to-back.

 

At the ‘World congress on Water, Climate and Energy’, 77% of the 1150 delegates came from outside Ireland, reported Keynote PCO. Abbey Conference & Corporate reported similar figures for the ‘Northern European Conference on Travel Medicine’, with 90% coming from outside Ireland.

 

These Figures are a great indicator of where Ireland is at the moment in terms of business tourism. ‘Our investment in facilities is really paying off’ commented Jean Evans, Chair of AIPCO.