Festive Cheer Begins Here!

Festive cheer begins here... Some recommendations from the team at Ariel House on how to spend Christmas week in Dublin and make the best of the build up !

The Docklands Christmas market 2010 is running until the 22nd of December 2010. This year the market is filled with brightly decorated wooden huts and chalets selling unique Christmas gifts, including beautiful Christmas decorations, hand made arts and crafts, and other unusual stocking fillers. The Docklands market also plays host to almost one hundred German traders as well as plenty of home grown Irish stalls. The market is open from 12noon to 8.30pm each day. So whether you're looking for that special gift, a seasonal snack or simply looking to soak up some festive feeling, The Docklands Christmas Market 2010 is the perfect injection of yuletide cheer with a beautiful German twist
The National Concert Hall Family Christmas Show will take place on the 22nd of December where this year they stage Howard Blake’s Christmas masterpiece ‘The Snowman Movie – Live Concert. The animated movie will play out on a large screen accompanied by The Orchestra of The National Concert Hall under the baton of conductor Fergus Sheil. Brian Ormond will tell the story of James and the flying snowman as you watch the film on a big screen. The Family Christmas show will also feature seasonal favourites by an all singing and dancing theatrical group, adding to the spirit and excitement of Christmas.
Now celebrating its 8th year, 7UP Christmas on Ice at the RDS Dublin offers all the fun of real ice skating on a spectacular covered rink. Ballsbridge and the RDS have a unique Christmas atmosphere with lots of festive fun to be found. There's something for everyone from families and school children to teens and social groups. Christmas on Ice at the RDS runs until the 9th of January 2011.
Christmas is not complete without a visit to the panto at the Gaiety! This year the story of Aladdin will be brought to life at the Gaiety Theatre. Starring Boyzones Mikey Graham in the role of Abanazar and the voice of X-Factors Louis Walsh as Master of the World. The performance runs until the 30th of January 2011 and tickets are available from the Gaiety Box Office.
Finally what will we be doing on Christmas Eve ? Ariel House will close for Christmas holidays on Thursday 23rd of December and will reopen on Tuesday 28th. Most of our overseas colleagues will fly home to spend Christmas with family and friends. Those of us who are staying in Dublin will take a trip into the city centre on Christmas Eve morning. Soak up the atmosphere of Grafton Street and the Brown Thomas window which is beautifully decorated this year and perhaps some last minute Christmas shopping or the odd impulse buy! Lunch at Pichet Restaurant followed by a visit to the Nativity Scene at the Mansion House. A quick Hot Port at Keoghs Heritage Pub and then its home on the bus to prepare for a visit from Santa. Happy Christmas Everyone!

31st Dublin City Marathon

Over 13,000 runners will descend on Fitzwilliam Square on this morning, 25th October for the 31st Lifestyle Sports-adidas Dublin Marathon ensuring Dublin’s status as one of the “friendliest” marathons remains intact. Despite the recession over seventy-four nations will be represented and the 2010 Irish field is the largest ever present.

This is the first time race organisers have exceeded the 13,000 mark. Race Director Jim Aughney says the key reason is the big increase in Irish entries. “Irish people are back running again, and it bodes well for the sustained growth of Dublin into the future”

Whether the other course records are broken in 2010 remains to be seen, but with current record holder, Russian Alexsey Sokolov making a return this year, organisers expect there to be a real challenge to the record held since 2007. In the Women’s Elite category, last year’s winner Kateryna Stetsenko (Ukraine) will be hoping for her second consecutive win in Dublin.

The Irish Elite field is strengthened by the presence of a number of the Marathon Mission 2012 candidates. The Marathon Mission Team was set up earlier this year to improve the competitive depth in quality of times being run by Irish Marathoners.

Joe McAllister is among the favourites to finish in a strong position whilst in the women’s field Gladys Ganiel O'Neill, Barbara Sanchez and Breege Connolly are also expected to make an impact.

While the elites will dominate the headlines on Tuesday, most of the 13,000 field today will be running for personal reasons. Among starters will be “The Oireachtas Team”, led by Fine Gael TD Jimmy Deenihan. Deenihan’s Leinster House running colleagues including Lucinda Creighton, Mary Upton, Barry Andrews, James Reilly, Nicky McFadden, Brian O’Domhnaill, Fidelma Healy Eames, Frank Feighan and Damien English, all of who are running on behalf of various charities close to their hearts.

Lord Mayor Gerry Breen will get the 31st running of the Lifestyle Sports adidas Dublin Marathon underway in Fitzwilliam Street Upper at 9am this morning, and the first runner home will be expected in Merrion Square North shortly after 11am. Regular race updates will be available on FM104 and all results will be available on www.dublinmarathon.ie after 5.30pm.

Something to do with the Family this Weekend!

To celebrate the extension of the LUAS green line to Cherrywood the RPA have organised a family fun day on Saturday the 16th October which is free of charge for all the family. The events run from 11am to 6pm. Entertainment includes a vintage tram and samba band at the St. Stephens Green Stop, face painting at the Balally stop, make your own instrument at the Sandyford stop, paint you’re your own canvas at the Leopardstown stop and storytelling and lantern making at Carrickmines stop. An organic food market will take place at Brides Glen the terminus stop where there will also be a teddy bears picnic and a toy swap shop. For times, details and lots of other events log onto www.luas .ie

Open House Dublin

This weekend is the fifth Open House Dublin organised by the Irish Architecture Foundation, where over 100 Dublin buildings from all eras open their doors to the public. free guided tours to each of the buildings are given by professional guides. Details of participating buildings can be found at the Architecture Foundation website.I think we will try to get Ariel House on the list for the 2011 event !

Michael Bublé Plays Aviva Stadium

Michael Bublé; If you “havnt met him yet” then maybe you can sort that out with a trip to The Aviva Stadium this weekend.
He’s the newly crowned Best International Male Artist from the 2010 Meteor Awards. He’s had his entire tour in May sell out in 55 minutes; he’s fast becoming one of the most popular artists in the music business. For all his top covers of classic tunes his song “just havnt met you yet” is the tune that has really put him on the map with immense radio play. He has 6 albums in the Irish charts at the moment and his current album Crazy Love has been certified platinum NINE times.
His concert will be the first live gig to be played at the Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Road where he will play to almost 100,000 over the two nights 24th and 25th of September 2010.
If you are going to the concert, enjoy! Being on the doorstep of the stadium, the Ariel House staff look forward to being serenaded as we work over the weekend!

Failte Ireland Horse Show Opens at the RDS

We all love the Horse Show. This annual RDS event is a Dublin institution. A celebration of Ireland's affinity with the horse, from the best show horses to the best international show jumpers. It is one of Ireland's largest events, a highlight of the summer, each year welcoming tens of thousands of people Ireland and all over the world.

From August, 4th to the 8th, 2010 the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show will take over the entire RDS complex in the heart of Dublin. One of the top international equestrian events in the world, the Show is a wonderful day out, offering something for everyone - whether you are a horse enthusiast or not!

The 5 day festival includes:

International show jumping
Live music
Blossom Hill Ladies’ Day
Over 300 shopping stands
Crafts & art exhibition
Restaurants & bars
Kids’ entertainment and magic shows

Aviva Stadium Kick Off

The first game to be played at the Aviva Stadium will take place today, Saturday 31st of July 2010. The game will be an historic rugby match between two composite provincial teams, Leinster/Ulster team against a Munster/Connacht selection.

As Ariel House is officially the closest hotel to the stadium we are soaking up the Lansdowne Road atmosphere already this morning!

Leinster and Ulster were the first representative teams to play at the old Lansdowne Road nearly 133 years ago on December 16, 1876.
Both provinces were also on hand to play the final game, 'The Last Stand', at the world famous stadium on New Year's Eve 2006, when Leinster beat Ulster 20-12 in the Magners League.

While they were rivals on both of these occasions, they will be joining forces as a Leinster/Ulster selection will play a Munster/Connacht team for the first ever game in the Aviva Stadium.
The game will form part of the provincial pre-season calendar and present Irish rugby stakeholders with the opportunity to be the first to witness rugby returning home to the iconic Aviva Stadium.

The Aviva Stadium will play host to some of the top teams in world rugby during the GUINNESS Series in November this year when Ireland are scheduled to play four internationals for the first time against World champions South Africa, followed by games against Samoa, New Zealand and Argentina.

KBC Music In Great Irish Houses

There is a saying that life begins at 40, but in the case of Music in Great Irish Houses, life actually began exactly 40 years ago when the seeds of the Festival were planted in one of the most iconic of Ireland‘s Palladian style mansions . Ever since that first concert in Castletown House, Celbridge, then the home of the Hon. Desmond Guinness, the Festival has attracted artists of the calibre of renowned guitarist John Williams who played in the first week at another historic Irish building, Carton House, setting the tone for the Summer musical celebration ever since.

Ariel House congratulates the Festival and its management on their 40th Anniversary. We are really proud to be associated with KBC Music in Great Irish Houses and the home from home for the musicians performing at the festival.

The Concert Schedule for this years Festival, along with booking information can be found on www.musicgreatirishhouses.com

Ariel House Homemade Brown Bread

Ingredients:

½ lb Wholemeal flour
¾ lb Self raising flour
3 oz oats
¼ oz sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bread soda
1 tsp salt
1 egg
Milk - enough milk to make a wet dough

Method:

Mix all dry ingredients. Add egg and milk ( enough to make a wet dough. Bake in loaf tin lined with parchment for 35-40 mins at 350 degrees F. Turn out and tap – should sound hollow if cooked

"A breakfast worth staying over for" The Irish Times 1st of May 2010

We are delighted to be tipped as " a breakfast worth staying over for " by journalist Sandra O'Connell in the Irish Times this morning. Below is what Sandra has to say about Ariel House. The entire article can be viewed online.

The phrase “guest house” has fallen out of fashion, usually in favour of “town house” or “boutique hotel”. Whatever appellation you use for Ariel House, on Lansdowne Road in Dublin, it’s a gem of a place for breakfast. For a start it’s all cooked to order, “so it’s not sitting on a buffet from 7am until someone eats it at 10am,” says general manager Deirdre McDonald. All jams, chutneys and relishes are home-made. The breads, including scones and banana bread, are freshly baked each morning. “We have been asked so many times for our brown-bread recipe that we put it on the website,” she says. Cereals and fruit salad come in Nicholas Mosse pottery, the organic yogurt is from a farm in Tipperary, the apricots and prunes are stewed daily and the French toast comes with creme fraiche. The porridge changes with the seasons. At the moment it comes with cream, honey and walnuts; in winter it is served with a warm berry compote or stewed apple and cinnamon. “We know from customer feedback that our guests come back to us specifically for our breakfasts,” says McDonald. “They get so much they can skip lunch.”

Ariel House, 50-54 Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4, 01-6685512, a guesthouse in Ballsbridge, Dublin. From €69 per room, including breakfast for two. Family rooms sleeping five cost €109, including breakfast

Alexej Gorlatch - A profile of an Interesting Guest

Ariel House are delighted to welcome Alexej Gorlatch, winner of the AXA International Piano Competition 2009 as a resident this week. Alex will tonight perform his debut Dublin recital at The National Concert Hall, in association with the AXA Dublin International Piano Competition. Winning first prize in the Dublin Competition in May 2009 has been the most significant achievement in his spectacularly promising career so far. Born in Kiev in 1988, Alexej began studying the piano at the age of seven. He is now a student of Professor Karl- Heinz Kammerling at the University of Music and Theatre in Hannover. He has been winning prizes since he was eleven in competitions all over the world and has also given solo recitals in the Carnegie Hall in New York, the Salle Cortot in Paris and the Kioi Hall in Tokyo and has played with orchestras such as the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the NHK Orchestra in Japan and the German Kammerphilharmonie. Further engagements include a return to Carnegie Hall, a recital in the Peoples' Symphony Concert Series, New York , the Wigmore Hall, London and also in Berlin with the Berliner Philharmonie.
This is a wonderful opportunity to hear this brilliant young pianist who stands at the threshold of his career.

Presented by Dublin International Piano Competition in association with the Friends of the National Concert Hall

Dublin Sightseeing Tour - Kids Go Free

One of the best ways to experience the attractions of Dublin City is to take a hop on hop off bus tour. It’s also a great way to get your bearings for a first time visitor to Dublin. At Ariel House we recommend the Dublin Bus Sightseeing Tours. All tours offer live commentary by our experienced tour guides

On Saturday 27th March 2010 Dublin Bus launched "KIDS GO FREE" on the Dublin Bus Hop on Hop Off tour. 2 children under 14 can travel for free with a fare paying adult. With many Irish Families planning a "Staycation" this summer Dublin Bus would like to encourage them to take the Hop on Hop off City Tour. Discover Dublin through the eyes of your children. Have a fun day out with all of the family.

For further information see http://www.dublinsightseeing.ie/

Grand Canal Theatre Dublin - Opening Today

Ariel House would like to send our warmest congratulations to all at the Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin on their opening night. This brand new 2,111 capacity purpose built theatre was designed by world renowned architect Daniel Libeskind and is an outstanding addition to Ireland’s Theatre world and to our locality.

The Opening Night on March 18th features the Russian State Ballet with stars from the Bolshoi. The new Season Brochure is available to view or download on www.grandcanaltheatre.ie

The Grand Canal Theatre will be presenting the best of National and International Theatre, Musicals, Drama, Opera, Ballet, Family Shows & Classical Concerts and will have the facility to accommodate world class West End and Broadway productions for the first time in Ireland. Shows already on sale include Whistle Down The Wind, the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Hairspray featuring Michael Ball and we have just announced that the Scottish Opera will visit Dublin for the first time with La bohème in June.

Ariel House is ideally located for those attending performances or events at the new theatre (20 minutes walking or 5 minutes by taxi!. Contact Ariel House for superior accommodation near Grand Canal Theatre and for the best rates available.

Lá Fhéile Pádraig

Happy St. Patrick's Day
Today promises to be a fun filled day in Dublin City with the Grand Parade kicking off festivities at 12noon. With the Parade theme being ‘Extraordinary World’, the much anticipated annual favourite, the festival Parade features newly commissioned, highly original and inventive street theatre troupes, artists, giant puppetry, dancers and marching bands from Ireland and across the globe.

We will be serving Irish Coffee's in the Drawing Room to warm up our Guests on their return.

Guinness Storehouse St. Patricks Day Celebrations 2010

CALLING ALL PATRICKS, PADDYS, PATS, PATRICIAS….

GUINNESS STOREHOUSE INVITES ALL PATRICKS IN FOR FREE TO CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK’S DAY


GUINNESS STOREHOUSE will once again present an exciting one day festival on St. Patrick’s Day. As well as a host of live music entertainment, food and a unique GUINNESS experience to enjoy, Ireland’s No. 1 visitor attraction is inviting all Patrick’s in free of charge. Patrick’s must present official photo ID at the point of purchase to gain free admission.

Highlights of the GUINNESS STOREHOUSE St. Patrick’s Day Festival will include live rock from U2 tribute band, Rattle and Hum, a traditional Irish Céilí, live DJ’s, street performers, dancers, caricaturist, face painters, plus complimentary GUINNESS and food tasting. All under one roof!

The ultimate St. Patrick’s Day experience at GUINNESS STOREHOUSE is free of charge to all Patrick’s and for everyone else, standard admission rates apply. Adult tickets cost €15 and those who purchase a ticket online at www.guinness-storehouse.com can also avail of a 10% discount off adult tickets.

For full terms and conditions and details of St. Patrick’s Day at GUINNESS STOREHOUSE Festival log onto www.guinness-storehouse.com

Ariel House is located just minutes from the Guinness Storehouse. If you are looking for accommodation near the Guinness Storehouse then contact Ariel House for the best available rates.

Aviva Stadium Update

Photos taken this week - 08th of Feb show the stadium is taking shape, and sources say they are on schedule to open on May 13th.

This time next year the Stadium will be hosting the six nations games - England and France.

Ariel House is located just minutes from the Guinness Storehouse. If you are looking for accommodation near the Guinness Storehouse then contact Ariel House for the best available rates.