10 relaxing things to do in Dun Laoghaire this summer:

While studying English at the DLTC English language school this summer, here are some things to do in your free time - see the google map below or at here for locations:

1) Dun laoghaire festival 23, 24, 25 July. Over 200,000 people come to Dun Laoghaire in one weekend for music, food, art and crafts from all over the world. Most of the entertainment is free and happens at various locations around the town and along the seafront. Verdict: fantastic!

2) Dun laoghaire Market in the Park. Every Sunday summer and winter, the market in the Peoples Park Dun Laoghaire runs from about 10am to 5pm and offers very tasty food (mostly organic, healthy and local); great coffee; and various bits of art, crafts, plants. Verdict: very relaxing place for an hour or two on Sunday.

3) DLR Events - throughout the year, the local council organizes entertainment and art events such as the Movies in the Park (free movies in the Peoples Park Dun Laoghaire in June). For all these events see dlrevents

4) The Dalkey Seals: at Bulloch harbour between Sandycove and Dalkey visit the wild seals that live there. Only a 20 minute walk from Dun Laoghaire main street, visiting Bulloch Harbour is like time-travelling to a typical fishing village of 200 years ago on the west coast of Ireland - you certainly could never imagine this is in a modern city. The seals are fed by the local fishermen so they are there every day, though maybe not all day. If it’s the season you can buy fresh crab and lobster from the fishermen there.

5) Small boat fishing: Also in Bulloch Harbour, if you are there in July or August, why not hire a boat and rod and go fishing for Mackerel. Boat and equipment can be hired for about 20-30euro per hour which is not too expensive when shared with 3/4 people. Even if you don't fish, its a great way to see the coast around Sandycove and Dalkey.

6) Walk Killiney Hill. Take the DART to Killiney. Come out of Killiney Station, turn right along the seafront road; follow the road as it goes up a steep hill (it goes past the house of Bono from U2 at the top); continue on straight until you have a wonderful view of Killiney Bay and Dalkey Island; on the left hand side there is a small path that will take you up Killiney Hill; or you can continue along the road that will eventually bring you to Dalkey village; have a beer to relax and then take the DART home! .... or go on any of the Tuesday afternoon guided walks organised by the DLTC language school for full-time students (Bray-Greystones along the cliffs; Howth Head, etc)

7) Have a beer outside Finnegans pub in Dalkey or Ivory if you prefer more modern.

8) Boat trip to dalkey island. Not always available but forless than 10euro, you will be taken by small boat from Colliemore Harbour to dalkey island. There, you can explore the beauty, the views and the ruins for an hour or two before the return.

9) Swim in the sea at the Forty Foot in Sandycove. This is a huge traditional swimming place for the whole of Dublin. People from everywhere go swimming here all year round and at Christmas there are festivities and hot drinks as the swimmers brave icy water. If you prefer warm water, there is the public swimming pool in Monkstown.

10) Dalkey Castle. Costs about 5euro but you get the history of Dalkey since the vikings (told by actors dressed up from the period) and you get to go up on top of the tower to see all across Dalkey to Dun Laoghaire.

11) Walk the East pier followed a 99 ice cream from Teddy's. A 99 is the white ice cream on a cone with the piece of chocolate 'flake' stuck into it.

Pubs, music, food, entertainment etc: Privee disco at the 40ft bar Friday and Saturday nights; Pavilion Theatre for various shows; Walters bar for drink, food and live music (late bar at weekends). Kingston Hotel for drink, food, music and great outdoor area overlooking the sea on a sunny day!;

Other things: PADI dive centre, sailing school; rock climbing in Dalkey; all-weather 6-a-side football pitches (Monkstown Pool); public Tennis Courts (Clarinda Park Dun Laoghaire); 12 screen cinema (besides Tesco Bloomfield Shopping Centre Dun Laoghaire).


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DLTC Sprachenschule - Ein kommentar von einem ex-student:

"Ich bin zur Sprachenschule DLTC (Dun Laoghaire Tuition Centre) gegangen, was eine sehr gute Wahl war. Die Lehrer waren sehr nett und immer hilfbereit, ausserdem wurde im Unterricht viel Wert auf Kommunikation, Sprachfertigkeit, Hörverstehen, Lesen und Schreiben, sowie auf die englische Grammatik gelegt. Ich habe in kurzer Zeit viel lernen können und somit in höhere Kurse aufsteigen. In der DLTC wird man meiner Meinung nach sehr gut auf die verschiedenen Exame vorbereitet. Das Lernen macht Spass, weil es in einer lockeren freundlichen Umgebung passiert. Ausserdem bietet die DLTC ab und an kleine Ausflüge oder Veranstaltungen für ihre Studenten an, sodass man auch die Studenten anderer Kurse kennen lernen kann. " - Laura

Thanks for the wonderful comment Laura!!

Memories of year studying English at the DLTC

DLTC English Student Tour to Glendalough May 2010

What a nice way to relax at the end of a week of studying English in the classroom! On Friday some of the English language students took the opportunity of a free school tour (guided by Bob, the school director) to Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains.  Listening to the information is a great way to learn some more English too!

As Bob explained to the group, Glendalough ('valley of the two lakes') is famous for 2 reasons: firstly, as part of the Wicklow Mountains National Park, it's a very beautiful place; and secondly, it has an incredible history stretching back 1500 years. The hermit, St Kevin, came to live here in a cave known as Kevin's Bed in the first millenium AD. He was joined by a group of followers who lived here as monks and built the famous Round Tower (see photo) and the monastic city. For over a thousand years the site was a renowned place of pilgrimmage to which people from all over Ireland would come each year to pray in the cold water of the Glendasan River. (The pilgrimmage was eventually stopped by local police in the 1800s as there was too much drinking, gambling and fighting!!?)

Other features of the valley include the two lakes; the ruins of a miners' village from the 1800s; a network of marked paths through the woods and mountains; the waterfalls at Glendasan and Poulanass; a visitors centre; and a range of wild flora and fauna including deer (which we saw!), feral goats (which we saw!), foxes, badgers, falcons.

To get to Glendalough when there is no tour orgainsed by the school, you can take the St Kevins Bus Service from Bray - see http://www.glendaloughbus.com/. To see the paths and other information about the site, see http://www.wicklowmountainsnationalpark.ie/. If you have a group and want to go any time, ask Bob, the school director, and he might be able to arrange a private tour for you. He can also facilitate treks through the mountains for our English language students.