Where the Grand Canal and the Royal Canal happen upon a quixotic rendezvous, lovers of the Gaelic tongue wax lyric about Dubh Linn’s romantic sojourn of shopping, sightseeing and heartfluttering history. Buoyant in the black pool of Dublin Bay and encompassed by the River Liffey, the town of the hurdled ford was originally a Viking settlement, but today its people, parks, landmarks and monuments make it the vibrant capital attracting many more types of visitor. The historical and contemporary cultural centre of the country, Dublin is handsomely fortified with fine Georgian mansions and outstanding public buildings that impart a timeless class to the city’s wide streets and spacious squares. Whilst the domestic architecture of the 18th century domineers, the red brick pedestrianized walkway of the shopping district on Grafton Street is lined with townhouses of old and peppered with colourfully painted doorways. Here visitors can peruse a pick and mix of modern merchandise and antique gifts while buskers, poets and mime artists perform to the crowds. Beyond the bustle and bars, Dublin also offers a tranquil side, with hillside tuffs, vivid cloudscapes and glorious stretches of coast, perfect for wind and kite surfing. Choose from the following options with today’s Groupon from the Grand Canal Hotel • €99 for a one night stay in Dublin for two Up to €280 value Executive room with a bottle of Prosecco wine • €198 for two night stay in Dublin for two Up to €560 value Executive room with a bottle of Prosecco wine • €297 for three night stay in Dublin for two Up to €840 value Executive room with a bottle of Prosecco wine The Hotel The Grand Canal Hotel is an acutely modern, comfortable and spacious Dublin dwelling that’s within easy walking distance of Grafton Street’s shops and museums. Somnolent feet can tuck in to crisp clean Egyptian cotton sheets and spend evenings perusing free inroom movies and games on the LCD flat screen TV, while sipping on a complimentary bottle of Prosecco wine. All executive rooms also have coffee docks, free WiFi, CD players, bathrobes and laptop safes, to name a just a few perquisites, whilst the hotel boasts a brand new gym wellappointed with the latest cardio and weights equipment. After a day perambulating around the urban sites, pairs may choose to dine at the onsite Gasworks Bar Restaurant or enjoy its traditional Irish music, salsa dancing, karaoke and pull your own pint tables. Alternatively, the Epic Restaurant serves up contemporary and diverse menus that please all palates, with anything from an appetizer to a four course meal. Groupon Recommends Historical points of interest include the Chester Beatty Library, named European Museum of the year 2002 and boasting a wide selection of early books and manuscripts, including sacred texts. Tiptoing over into the twenty first century, one of Dublin’s most recent monuments is the Spire of Dublin, a 121.2 metre steel conical that peers down on the passing pedestrians of O’Connell Street. Phoenix Park is a little west of the city centre and is one of the largest walled city parks in Europe with a 16 km perimeter wall sheltering its 707 hectares of grassland, treelined avenues and herd of wild fallow deer. Popular with musicians, the park is also home to concerts, the Dublin Zoo, the official residence of the President of Ireland and Ashtown Castle. For shopping, one must take to the red bricks of Grafton Street where statues and street entertainers are in abundance, dropping by the Grand Canal Theatre at dusk to admire the beautiful city lights on display. Local Amenities In the Southside, the main port of call is Grafton Street, a smart shopping area with high street shops, food outlets, boutiques and antiques, located between Trinity College and St Stephen’s Green. Other principal shopping streets in the area include Wicklow Street, Dawson Street, and South Great George’s Street. For health matters, St Vincent’s Hospital is in the nearby D4 district of Dublin. Weather and Climate OctFebruary 3°C14°C Winter weather can be changeable but is generally mild with occasional bespattering of mizzle and less occasional snowflake flurries. Transport Flights Selected flights available from Donegal and Cork. Train Take the train using routes departing Sligo, Galway, Mayo, Limerick, Cork, Belfast and Waterford Groupon Top Tip Be prepared with nononsense footwear as most rural attractions and even some urban areas can be described as rugged terrain Reviews The Grand Canal Hotel is rated a wellappointed 8.2/10 on Booking.com. Wellrested guests said they appreciated the convenient location, the attentive staff and the overall cleanliness. Lovely hotel. Clean, well staffed and the staff are lovely, nothing a bother to them especially those on reception. Would suit all age groups. Close to the Aviva, Shelbourne Greyhound Stadium, 02, Landsdowne Road. – Ddeery844, TripAdvisor, Sept 2011 The hotel is nice and clean, rooms are well maintained with simple but effective decor. – LionHeartedGirl, TripAdvisor, Sept 2011 Vouchers from Groupon  Travel  Accommodation  Rooms  Hotels  Travel Getaways  Rooms Getaways  Hotels Getaways Further deals in this category 1. Overnight Stay For Two With Bottle of Prosecco Plus Breakfast and Late CheckOut for €59 at The Waterside House Hotel 2. Night for Two With Five Course Starter Evening Meal, Irish Breakfast, and Spa Treatments for €89 at Frankville House Worth up to €225 3. Seven Nights in the Algarve for Two Couples or a Family of Four With Wine Tasting Tour of Sir Cliff Richard’s Vineyard for €113.53 Up to €432.68 Value 4. Overnight Stay For Two With Bottle of Sparkling Wine for €69 at Abbey Hotel County Roscommon Up to 56% Off 5. Two Day Motorcycle Hire Including GPS Guide, Riding Gear and TShirt, Bandana or Cap for €220 with Celtic Rider €440 Value Further deals in this city 1. County Mayo Two Night Stay For Two With Breakfast and Appetisers for €99 at Westport Country Lodge Hotel Up to 59% Off 2. County Wexford Two Night Stay For Two With Breakfast and Full Spa and Gym Access for €109 at The Ashdown Park Hotel Up to 58% Off 3. Tenerife Seven Night Self Catering Stay For Two Adults and Up to Two Children for €151 at AguaMarina Apartments Up to 63% Off 4. Mediterranean Villas Seven Night Stay At Choice of Six Destinations For Up to Eight for €516 with Solmar Villas Up to 71% Off 5. Amsterdam Three Night Stay For Two With Flights and Canal Cruise for €249 Per Person at the 4 Dutch Design Hotel Artemis Up to 44% Off Further deals in Ireland 1. One Night Stay For Two With Irish Breakfast Plus Glass Of Prosecco Each for €59 at 4 Marriott Ashbourne Hotel Up to 55% Off 2. €60 instead of €168.50 for the ultimate spa package your choice of a Voya or Dermalogica facial AND a 30 min experience of the Dry Floatation Chamber with full use of the thermal suite including sauna, aroma room, hydropool PLUS a glass of Champagne at The Royal Marine Hotel Save 64% 3. 54 Point Vehicle Service With Oil and Filter Change Plus Seasonal CheckUp and Diagnostics for €59 at Baskin Service Centre 68% Off 4. A Gentlemans Rejuvenation Package Including a Wash, Cut, Blow Dry, Facial and Massage at Xtension Angels for €35 instead of €90 5. Unlimited DVDs and Games from Bronze Package For Six €29 or Twelve €49 Months or Unlimited DVDs and Games from Silver Package For Twelve Months €69 from Online DVD Rentals Up to 64% Off Further deals in other categories 1. Retire from the Cold January Gales with a Two Course Rotisserie Meal for Two with Prosecco at Le Café des Irlandais for €32 instead of €71 Save 55% 2. Choice of Swedish, Thai, Shiatsu, Deep Tissue or Oil Massage for €29 at Temple Time Massage 64% Off 3. €129 instead of €500 for Six Super Effective IPL Hair Reduction Treatments on Either Bikini Line or Underarm at Kameleon Save 74% 4. Chiropractic Consultation With Thermography and sEMG Scans Plus Two FollowUp Treatments for €39 at Optimal Chiropractic 72% Off 5. Hawk Walk or Owl Experience €39 or Full Day Falconry Course €75 at Animal Magic Up to 61% Off