The Script at Aviva Stadium

To get the party started before The Script take to the stage at Aviva Stadium this Saturday we'll be having another of our fantastic BBQs! So whether you are staying with us or on your way to the concert, come along and enjoy tasty burgers, delicious salads and a great atmosphere! Keep a look out for the Spinis, who will also be joining us on Saturday!

Front Grounds of Sandymount Hotel
­From 5.00pm
­Enjoy homemade 8oz Irish beef burgers with Swiss cheese & Ballymaloe relish on a flour bap­ and drinks from our fast pour bar in the front grounds of the hotel.

Pre-Concert BBQ Buffet in our Cordyline Restaurant & Private Gardens ­
­4.30pm - 6.30pm
­Homemade 8oz Irish beef burger with Swiss cheese & Ballymaloe relish on a flour bap­
Cajun flamed chicken breasts
­Apple and sage pork sausages
Pork belly ribs marinated in BBQ sauce
­With
­New baby potato salad with chives and spring onion
Tomato and cucumber salad with feta cheese, red onion and a basil pesto dressing
Garden baby leaves with parmesan shavings in a light Caesar dressing
Beetroot salad with crème fraiche and crushed almonds
€15 Per Person
­First Come, First Served - Arrive Early to Avoid Disappointment!

Tritonville Bar & Terrace
­Our usual menu will be served from 6.30pm until 10pm, ­
and for hungry fans we will have post-concert sandwiches available from 10pm onwards.

Kissing the Stone and unCORKing Wine Bottles

More adventures from our intern....!

Kissing the Stone and unCORKing Wine Bottles

Hi again! Glad to see you back on the Sandymount Hotel blog!

Another week of my time here in Ireland has gone by and with each passing day new experiences are to be had.

If I didn’t have the “Gift of Gab” before, I definitely have it now…15 of us from the program took a trip to Cork, Blarney and Kinsale last weekend! (I was surprised that the bus ride was over 4 hours, luckily Aircoach is pretty comfortable, but taking the train probably would have been a better idea.)

First on the agenda once we got there was to cross an item off the good ole “Bucket List” and kiss the world famous Blarney Stone. Talk about a rock that gets a lot of action…



After wandering around the Blarney Castle grounds for a while (fortunately we get the best luck with weather when we’re traveling), we finally made our way up the narrow, somewhat daunting stone spiral staircase to the top of the castle where stone is located. At first glance the gap between the main part of the castle and stone is unnerving, especially for such a wee little lassie of 5 feet 2 inches as myself. The stone itself is over 100 feet up, but a while ago they added black metal bars underneath and on the sides so you can hold on while you’re thrusting your puckered lips backwards across the ravine. There is also the sweetest (possibly tipsy) older Irish gentleman that supports and holds on to you while you do the deed. I’ve included some pictures of this very bonding moment. I told him “That was my first kiss!” after kissing the stone but for some reason I don’t think he believed my blarney.



If you do get a chance to go to Blarney Castle I definitely recommend not only kissing the stone, but go exploring around the grounds for a while. There is a lot to discover on your own. There’s a really cool waterfall and “wishing steps” if you search further. Also, we didn’t know it was possible to bring a lunch or picnic items into the grounds, but definitely do that too!



After our afternoon in Blarney we headed back to Cork for the night. If you like dessert and sangria, there is a restaurant called “La Mexicana” that has THE best desserts I have ever had. The pub and club scene is nice in Cork, but honestly it just felt like a lot like Dublin. I loved the people of Cork though, very genuine and kind. They are also completely serious when they say they believe that Cork is the real capital of Ireland.

The next day (Saturday) started off rainy as we headed to Kinsale (a really awesome boat town about 30 minutes away from Cork). We shopped around and did some sight-seeing before our planned boat tour at 2pm. Kinsale Harbour Cruises had such a nice staff and with a full bar on the boat, wine was the perfect touch as we sailed around. They also provide cozy blankets for those on the top deck. Be careful while sailing and drinking red wine though…one of my friend’s sweaters will never be the same again.



We experienced more of Cork nightlife on Saturday night, and then headed back to prepare for the work week on Sunday! It had been a jam packed weekend trip.

Well as things are starting to pick up at the hotel, it’s time to run! My friends and I leave for London TONIGHT! We are all pretty pumped; I have wanted to go to London since I was a little girl. So after work, gotta run home and pack then we head to the airport!

To all the guests I phoned who are staying here this weekend for the Neil Diamond concert, I know you will have a BLAST! Remember we’re having pig-on-a-spit offered in our front grounds and the special Pre-Concert BBQ in our private gardens starting at 4:30pm on Saturday, so bring your appetite! You’ll need that energy for all that “Sweeeet Caroline Da-da-DAA” you’ll be singing!

Have a lovely weekend everyone and feel free to go “Like” the Sandymount Hotel Facebook page! It will help keep you updated on the festivities going on at the hotel.

The Best “Craic” comes from Ireland - Guest Post from our Summer Intern

Follow our summer intern's adventures as she experiences Ireland for the first time and get some great tips on where to go and what to see!

The Best “Craic” comes from Ireland

Hey y’all!

It was exactly 3 weeks and 3 days ago when I first planted my flip-flop wearing feet upon the green, lush earth of Ireland.

I am an Auburn University college student who for all her life has enjoyed the scorching summers of Texas, Alabama and Georgia (what we Americans like to called the Deep South). These summers were always full of diving boards, popsicles, tank tops, sandy beaches, and sometimes sunburns. Majoring in International Business it was only natural that I find a time to leave that behind and spend a summer abroad.

So this summer I decided to take part in my university’s Study Abroad program to Dublin! The program includes some course work, but mainly gaining internship experience in each student’s chosen fields. Luckily, I have found myself placed as the marketing intern at the best possible hotel in all of Dublin, Sandymount Hotel (previously named Mount Herbert Hotel).

Some fellow students and myself chose to arrive a week before our program started, so I have been able to experience so many wonderful things already.

One of my first new experiences was staying in a hostel! We stayed in 2 different hostels for the week prior to moving into our student housing in Santry. I can undeniably that staying a week in bunk beds and small spaces with smelly boys was about as long as the 8 of us could manage; life at the Sandymount is definitely more luxurious!

All in all the first week flew by with a blur of getting lost, staying up until the sunrise, lots of laughs, attending my first European soccer game at the remarkable and massive Aviva Stadium (which is located right beside the Sandymount Hotel), exploring around the city, checking out the pubs, eating lots of garlic cheese fries, spending way too many Euros and getting acquainted with the Irish accent (don’t let them fool you, sometimes it can seem like a whole ‘nother language).

Here are some pictures from the first week!

Since that week we have moved into our apartments along with the other 10 students from Auburn and all the other students from various universities.

The day before the holiday weekend our group went to the Guinness Factory! Which is a MUST do when you come to Dublin! After the self-guided tour, we had an INCREDIBLE dinner and desserts in the Gravity bar, where the views of the entire city were even better than the desserts.

During the holiday weekend the 18 of us took a trip out west to Galway, took an all-day bus tour and saw the Cliffs of Moher! Simply breathtaking (aka I bought at least a dozen postcards), and Galway is such a fabulous city! There was a Havana Festival going on that weekend, so there were lots to see, do and shop.

After such a wonderful trip, our first week of internships started and I have been getting acquainted to the hotel! My favorite new phrases to say are “that’s grand” and “thanks a million!”

We rode the DART, which is the super convenient rail system in Dublin (the Lansdowne Rd Station is only a few minutes’ walk from the Sandymount and just 2 stops away from city centre) and took a day trip during our second weekend to Bray. Another one of my new favorite places! We climbed the mountain there that has a beautiful cross at the top. It was grand to see the beaches of Ireland on a sunny (relatively warm) day! Also, if you ever go to Bray you MUST try the fish and chips and onion rings from this small take-away shop on the beach (especially if you like vinegar and salt!) Ever since I have eaten them, it’s all I can think about when I’m hungry.





There are lots of exciting things going on at the hotel so, I better get back to work :o) but can’t wait to share some more experiences with you about my time in Ireland!

Neil Diamond at Aviva Stadium

If you're going to see Neil Diamond next door to us at Aviva Stadium this month (along with special guest X Factor star Mary Byrne!) then take a look at our cracklin' pre concert line-up below. As always on event days, the atmosphere at Sandymount Hotel should be fantastic, so there's no better place to get your night off to a great start!

Front Grounds of Sandymount Hotel from 4.30pm­
Delicious suckling pig on a spit served in a flour bap with sautéed onions and an assortment of sauces. ­­We will also be serving drinks here from our quick pour bar.

Pre-Concert 2 Course BBQ in our Private Gardens & Cordyline Restaurant ­
­4.30pm - 8.30pm­
­Homemade 8oz Irish beef burger with Swiss cheese & Ballymaloe relish on a flour bap­
Cajun flamed chicken breasts
­Apple and sage pork sausages
Asian spiced marinated rib eye steak kebabs with peppers, mushrooms and onions
Pork belly ribs marinated in BBQ sauce
­With
­New baby potato salad with chives and spring onion
Tomato and cucumber salad with feta cheese, red onion and a basil pesto dressing
Garden baby leaves with parmesan shavings in a light Caesar dressing
Beetroot salad with crème fraiche and crushed almonds
***
Selection of Desserts­
€19.95 Per Person

Tritonville Bar & Terrace
­Our usual menu will be served from 8pm until 10pm, ­and for hungry fans we will have post-concert sandwiches available from 10pm onwards.

No booking is necessary but if you would like to reserve a table for the BBQ, ­
­please call us on +353 1 6142000 or email us on info@sandymounthotel.ie.­

Temple Bar

Image Copyright Michael John's Images

This lovely picture of bustling and lively Temple Bar was selected from our Flickr Group of Dublin images. If you are visiting Dublin you won't want to miss this popular spot, with its great pubs, restaurants, shops, buskers, and markets. To get to Temple Bar from Sandymount Hotel just hop on the DART at Lansdowne Rd, get off at either Pearse Street or Tara Street Station, and it's just a short stroll away.

The photographer gives us some background to this image and his photography below.

"I took this picture when I was shopping with my wife one Sunday afternoon in Feb 2011. I always have my camera with me and the street was bright and buzzing so I wanted to caputre the atmosphere. I also like the architecture of Dublin city and try to photograph it from unusual angles. I also photograph landscape and nature subjects and hope my images tell a story."

To see more of this photographer's images go to www.flickr.com/photos/michaeljohnsimages