I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane (or possibly Dublin Bus)

Ciaran O' Connor :Isaacs Ambassador ..at the off!

A First Blog from Isaacs very own Wild Rover: Ciarán O Connor

Does this count as an “Official Blog Entry”? I’m still in Ireland you know. It’ll have to! My name is Ciarán O' Connor and I was lucky enough to be chosen by Isaacs Hostel to be their Ambassador for Ireland. What does that mean? It means I won a competition of theirs that will lead to me travelling solo through Europe promoting Ireland and Issacs abroad along the way throughout August. It's not your everyday find a Euro in the couch kind of luck. This is BIG!! Thanks must be paid James Clancy and Alan Duncan of Isaacs Hostel and Colm Hanratty of Hostel World for giving me this opportunity! Mucho Gracias!!

Before setting out to mainland Europe for a few weeks, I took the time to venture around Dublin with my girlfriend Aoife to take in what our capital has to offer to visitors. This resulted in the use of a Hop On, Hop Off bus. Surreal though it was to be ferried around a city I know quite well already, it was also highly enjoyable. There were pieces and parts of Dublins story that I was amazed I never heard before. Staying in Isaacs that night, we got a great feeling of the vibe of the place. Pretty electric to say the least!

Thursday morning I begin my walkabout of Europe, first touching down in foggy old London, although I’m sure the fog will be held at bay by all the mass hysterics induced by the Olympics. I have visited London once before, as a young child and remember nothing other than sleeping on a couch. Hopefully, this time, I’ll see a little more of the city. I plan to soak up the Olympic atmosphere and also indulge myself in them too. I was lucky enough to win a pair of tickets to the Men Singles Tennis Final in the Olympics for this coming Sunday. So, if you want to locate me on Sunday, you’ll find me in Wimbledon. I’ll be relaxing by Murrays Mound or Henmans Hill, or whatever moniker it’s under lately.

Preparing for this trip has been an activity in itself. Firstly, there’s the whole notion that I still don’t know exactly where I’m going! I have an idea yes, but where exactly, nope! That will be decided along the journeys path. Packing my bag has been a never ending game of Tetris, finding room for this and that. My Mother has dutifully tried to include anything that might be needed. Really though, trying to pack a blender in my bag? I’m joking, it didn’t get that bad! My bag is full of what I will need, what I will want and what I will use. I won’t get into the details but everything that needs to be there is there! I’ve just one more thing to add before I finish; Applications are now being taken for my Official Bag Pack Carrier....

Follow my travels and me on Twitter: @ciaran_o_connor and @isaacshostel

Isaacs Ambassador winner announced

Ciaran -Isaacs hostel ambassador
 getting ready for the off    

We are over the moon to have selected a winner for our Isaac's Ambassador Competition. A brilliant guy – Ciaran O' Connor a DCU student of communications from Co. Roscommon will be setting off on a month long blast around Europe promoting all that's good about Ireland (and we hope Isaacs hostel here in Dublin too!) He will be blogging about his experiences along the way and getting paid for It ! We are green with envy! But there is no better man for the job. Ciaran is truly very Irish (see pic!) real easy going, a laugh a minute charmer and up for an adventure!

We chose Ciaran from more than 100 applicants to represent the hostel and his country to the European youth and backpacker markets. Competition was tough with entrants submitting a 300 word piece on ‘What it means to be an ambassador for Ireland’ followed by tough panel interviews for the shortlist

Ciaran is hanging out at Isaac's Hostel in Dublin this week (already charming Isaac's backpackers and half inching travel tips) whilst working out an InterRail route (a tough job but it has to be done!) Meantime we are booking his hostels and sorting his meetings with travel writers across Europe .

He will be leaving Dublin this week commencing his adventure in London with wait for it.... a ticket for Olympic tennis final! (Which he won in another competition- the luck of the Orish!!) And then across the English channel for the month of August to Paris and beyond. You can follow his progress on our Facebook page or website and at this blog. If you meet him along the way be sure to say hi!

 

Irish and Proud

Well the dust has finally settled on the ashes of Euro 2012... And though we (Ireland) took a complete pasting from the Spanish, here at  Issacs hostel we can take some consolation from our Irish supporters. They were just an amazing example of just how naturally effective the Irish are at promoting our country! They made international headlines by simply being their upbeat, cheerful selves against the Spanish onslaught with their moving renditions of the Fields of Athenry .

Though we sadly took down our Irish flags bedecking reception this week , we know that both our hostels and tourism in Ireland will be reaping the rewards from International visitors - spurred on by the might of the green army. Well done lads and C'mon Ireland! (We might not be the best at football but we sure know how to give our visitors a good time.)



Renata (Polish !)  Giving the thumbs up  to Irish supporters  in Euro 2012

P.S For anyone out there who wants to spread the word for Ireland this summer in Europe and get paid for it , don't forget to enter our Isaacs Ambassador competition.   - Click here for how to enter

Could you be the Isaacs Ambassador ?

Hey Bloggers.   Anyone out there fancy InterRailing across Europe for the whole month of  August, meeting new people and getting paid to blog about it? Sounds too  good to be true ?  Well  it actually could be an amazing reality if you enter our Isaacs Ambassador competition before 30th June 2012.

We are offering an aspiring travel writer the opportunity to inter-rail across Europe for a month to promote the hostel and Ireland as a destination of choice to backpackers abroad. The winner will blog all about their experiences, while meeting top travel journalists and bloggers!What we are looking for in an Ambassador:
-  Fun, outgoing and up for a challenge 
 - Demonstrate proficient writing skills 
 - Have experience of backpacking 
 - Have a strong knowledge of Ireland and its tourist attractions 
 - Speak more than one language.


Your Isaacs passport to Europe

Just click here for how to enter Simply tell us in no more than 300 words what it takes to be an ambassador for Isaacs  & Ireland and why you believe it should be you .

If only we could take the month off,we'd be off like a shot !

The Great Dublin Floods of 2011 at Isaacs Hostel

What a week we have had in Isaacs Hostel! Our basement flooded in the Great Dublin Floods of 2011. (Okay, okay, I made that name up. It was some epic flooding all over Dublin city, suburbs and parts of Ireland though)

We toiled through the night pumping water out of the basement and the crew here in Isaacs Hostel worked all day Tuesday cleaning up the mess. By Tuesday evening we were back in business, YAY! We were very happy with ourselves indeed; it seemed we were in the clear.

Unfortunately, one of our water pumps had malfunctioned and the knock-on effect of this was that a hot water pump gave up on us. When we discovered this it took some time to find a replacement. We found one and once again we were happy. A new pump was installed... we are good to go right?
Wrong, oh so wrong.

While trying to establish what the issue was with the pump, our boss (PHEW. It wasn't me) stood on the other pump and broke it in half. Bah! Back to the suppliers to source a new pump..... get the plumber out of bed once again....get the new pump from the manufacturers....have another ridiculously strong cup of coffee so that I stay awake..... get the new pump installed. And finally the job was done and we were back in business.

At each stage we were told that the pump was fixed and we'd tell all of you guys and then the bad news would filter through once again.

We're really sorry about any problems you had over the last week whilst staying with us. I promise that we were beavering away in the depths of the building fixing, then standing on and breaking and fixing the pumps again!

It's not a regular occurence and we are confident that the pumps won't malfunction again. And the boss is no longer allowed in the general basement area...just in case :)

Youtube video of the floods in Dublin http://bit.ly/uzUApZ

Best week in Dublin City!

Bring your drinking boots with you if you are visiting Dublin this weekend, you have picked a great week to sample a tipple or two in Ireland's capital.

First up is Arthur's Day which is happening on Thursday 22nd September. It's a night of music and celebrating Ireland's most famous export. Pretty much all of the pubs in Dublin will be packed with people and there are sold out gigs on in venues all over the city. Start your night in the Backpacker's Beer Garden in Isaacs Hostel where pints of stout are just €2.50 and then head up to Dame Court for a pint outside The Stags Head and The Dame Tavern (my favorite place to celebrate Arthur's Day. Trust me, it rocks!)





So, when you have wiped the stout foam from your lips it's time to head to Oktoberfest on Friday 23rd September. Just a couple of minute walk (or stumble on your way home!) from Isaacs Hostel and Jacobs Inn, Oktoberfest is the celebration of all things German with German food, German music and of course litres and litres of German beer on offer. This is one of the best festivals of the year in my opinion. Good, clean, tipsy fun!
Oktoberfest runs from 22nd September to 09th October on George's Dock, Dublin Docklands in
the IFSC.



If you fancy a break from boozin' you can visit any museums, galleries, studios, historical buildings and all things cultural in Dublin on Friday for free as part of Dublin's Culture Night. Hundreds of Dublin's most famous landmarks are open to the public and there are free tours all over the city. For more information check out the website here.


Saturday is the hostel party of the year, the Backpacker's Ball. Run by the ten best hostels in Dublin the Backpacker's Ball is in The Village on the 24th September from 8.30pm 'til very, very late. There is a popcorn party, live music, DJ's, acrobats, drinks promotions, competitions, a giant pillow fight and much, much more. Entrance is by guest list only, if you are with us for the weekend just pop your name down at reception in Isaacs Hostel or Jacobs Inn.

Sunday...well, there are sausage or rasher sambo's in the deli and the Backpacker's Beer Garden opens in the evening for those who need a curer. You WILL be tired on Monday morning, guaranteed!

Free, weird and wonderful Dublin

Fancy doing something a little different, secret and something that most backpackers won’t have seen in Dublin? Here are three weird, wonderful and most importantly FREE places to visit on your trip to Dublin’s fair city.

1. The Hand
The hand is a sculpture located on Marlborough Street in the gardens of the Department of Education and Science just minutes from Jacobs Inn and Isaacs Hostel. Great photo op and free to access between 9 am – 5pm.
(Surprisingly The Hand doesn’t have a nickname unlike the ‘The Flue with the View’,’ The poker near Croker’, ‘The Hags with the Bags’ ...)


2. The Tenements of Dublin
Dublin was a very different place at the beginning of the 19th Century, a place where abject poverty, poor housing conditions and disease permeated the lives of thousands.
The city was too densely populated for the amount of housing available and often as many as 100 people would live in an eight roomed building in what was known as the Tenements. (Records show that an incredible 835 people lived between 15 houses on Henrietta Street!)

The Iveagh Trust Museum Flat is a three roomed Dublin tenement in near original condition which is open to the public on Saturdays between 10am and 1pm.

If you don’t manage to get to the museum flat you can view the outside of the old tenements in their original condition at Henrietta Street which is on the same side of the city as Isaacs Hostel and Jacobs Inn close to the Four Courts. Ask at reception for directions. Totally free and completely worth a visit.


3. The Mummies of St Michan’s Church, Church Street, Dublin 7.
Dating from 1685, it is believed that George F. Handel played the organ in St Michan’s when he was composing The Messiah. But the really interesting part of the church happens in the vaults below the church. Descend the steep stone staircase into a limestone tunnel filled with ancient coffins, some of which appear to be bursting at the seams. At the very back are three open caskets exposing perfectly preserved, leathery skinned corpses- The nun, the Crusader and the thief. If you are feeling particularly brave they say that lightly touching the finger of the Crusader will bring great fortune.


It’s a creepy, dusty and surprisingly peaceful place. Not a tour for the faint hearted!


Tours from Monday – Friday 01st November to 17th March @ 12.30 and 15.30
17 March – 31st October @10.00, 12.30, 14.00 and 16.30.
Saturday all year round 10.00 & 12.30


Not open on Sundays due to religious ceremonies.