very helpful and ur seen to very quick and they do the best they can great workers and the security…read moreguard at the door is so kind and very helpful.

I have had numerous visits to the Garda Station at Dundrum for unavoidable reasons. My first time…read morewas due to a minor quarrel with a security guard and myself over some of my artwork of which's canvas was deemed 'unacceptable'. I was young and feckless. Nevertheless, I was admitted to the Garda Hq for my 'wrong doing'. When I first entered, I thought the lighting was somewhat gleaming and interrogative. Not exactly what anyone would consider an enjoyable atmosphere when trying to settle down and solve a debate between authority figure and rouge teen.. The cubical in which I was led to was cold and heartless with even more unreasonable lighting for our intended discussion. Also it seemed like one of them places where there were more staff members than customers as all I could see was a blur of uniforms and no other opportunist criminals willing to use this government provided service. Perhaps it was just a bad season for them. Left for an excruciatingly long time alone without my shoes, my server finally returned to discuss the matter in hand. It was settle there and then being put down to a communicational mishap and he was even so kind as to arrange my father to give me a lift home- something I have never experienced with any other restaurant or meeting place and an admirable attribution to Dundrum Garda Station. Nevertheless, they loose stars for punctually in solving petty differences. Reiterating, there are a number of Garda members that work at the station, perhaps a few too many considering the lack of crime in our humble community.. However, there are a couple of very butch but beautiful ladies I would consider returning to the station for pending future lighting renovations and atmospheric reconsideration. I do particularly like the uniforms but perhaps a more traditional whip and chains could replace the pepper spray and batons. Just a suggestion but I do believe it would help business.

Went in to certify my id documents for a company setup. It couldn't get easier. In and out in a few…read moreminutes, the Gardaí at the reception was helpful and polite. He even gave me some tips on where to park next time so I don't have to walk 10 minutes like I did :)

I have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of the Revenue Department. Not just because they…read moretake my valuable, hard earned money through some sort of crazy legal theft they called 'taxes', but because they they just can't seem to get anything right! I called them over the phone and faxed them information several times only to have them tell me they either never received my claim back for my emergency taxes or when they finally did get what I sent them they sent me forms with a completely different name. I mean come on people I have a simple enough name and I spelled it out for you what's the big problem?!? Anyways, then one day a friend suggested that I actually go IN to the revenue office and that there was a big one off O'Connell Street. I'm glad I did because these people can't pretend that you were never there! The place has got tons of windows and a very good system in place for your wait. You go in and take a number and if it says that the wait is going to be a certain amount of time, they'll give you the expected number and then you can have them text your mobile when it's almost time for your number to be called. It was perfect I was able to run over to the post office and send off some stuff before I got the text telling me to come back! Once there they weren't necessarily the friendliest or most helpful bunch, but at least all my forms were filled out and everything done correctly, which is a lot more than I can say when I rang them over the phone!

The former "ducal palace" of the Duke of Leinster, many more buildings have been added since he…read morefirst swanned around the grounds in 1747. Today, the complex is the seat of the two Houses of the Oireachtas, Dáil Éireann (the House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (the Senate). This is where decisions are made, the country's future is shaped, where expense reports are padded. "Being carried from the airport to the city by eight comely maidens bearing a velvet armchair? That seems pretty standard, John." You can take the Leinster House tour and see what goes on behind closed doors and if House is in session, you can even get to sit in the Public Gallery and watch. To do it, contact your local TD, I'd say they'll be only delighted.

Free tour offered here everyone should take who has any interest in Irish history- and there's an…read morearchitectural component to the 30 minute tour as well. Tours are offered several times a day (10:30- 3:30, I believe)- and while you can contact your representative if you live in Ireland, you could also book using this email: Event_Desk@oireachtas.ie if you live in the US or anywhere else that is not Ireland. They will get back to you right away, and then you'll have your wonderful tour led by a marvelous docent. I'd read the Wiki article on Leinster House, and then follow the links in the article to the info about the Dukes of Leinster and the Oireachtas- the Irish Parliament (since 1922 Leinster House is home to Parliament). Really, this is not to be missed.

Looking for a pine table and chair set? Radiator? Microwave? Old typewriter?…read more Well, why go out and spend your money like a chump when these items and loads of other stuff can be had for free on the Dublin Waste website? Just type "Dublin waste free trade" into Google and have a browse. The Dublin Waste website is a little better than the Dublin section on Freecycle.org, which is a great idea, don't get me wrong, but at the moment a lot of posts seem to be for items wanted rather than items offered. Sign of the times, I suppose. So if you want to reduce our collective carbon footprint while easing the pressure on Dublin's waste management infrastructure, log on now and have a ball. You may even pick up that set of speaker brackets that you desperately require.

Taxes are something that confuse me. It's especially confusing since I just moved to Dublin a few…read moremonth ago from Canada, on a working holiday visa. But I did find out that I'd need to get a tax certificate in order to not have to pay an emergency tax of 41%, which would be awful. And I needed one anyone. Plus if you're looking to open a bank account and don't have a utility bill in your name (because you sublet) then a tax credit certificate is one of the only proofs of address that a bank will accept. To get your tax credit certificate you need a PPS number, which is easy enough to obtain (see my review for the PPSN Registration Centre here: http://bit.ly/2f11be7). I went in because I thought I had to fill out a form in person, but one of the employers came up and asked if I needed help. When I explained I need to fill out the form for the tax credit certificate he said that was all done online. He explained how to set up an account on line, and where to go to get that done. Registering online gets you your PAYE information for paying taxes too, which is important (I guess). So I went online, signed up for an account. When you first register you won't be able to fill out the tax credit information right away because you'll need to wait for a temporary pin number to arrive in the mail. When it arrives you can log into your account, change your password, and then fill out the information you need. For the tax credit certificate I was told it would arrive within the week,. A week came and went, and no certificate. I waited a few more days, but was starting to get worried. What if my tax credit certificate went to the wrong address? What if it got stuck in limbo land? So I went back to the Revenue Office to make sure everything was okay. The man I talked to was very friendly. He double checked that I had the right address (I did) and saw that it was in the system as having been sent out. He said if it didn't arrive by the following week to come in again. Luckily it did arrive within a couple days. I was able to get a bank account with my proof of address on the tax credit certificate and best of all I didn't have to pay emergency tax. While it took a while to do and there wait time was longer than expected it wasn't too bad. The staff were friendly and answered all the questions I had. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions when it's time for me to file my taxes.

I'm still having difficulty to believe that I have just 1) sat down and written a review for the…read moreInland Revenue 2) given them a five star rating. Generally, each country I travel to in the world, seems to become more and more awkward when it comes to governmental departments. It normally goes like this; Emily: Hi I'd like to speak to xyz about xyz Government Dep: This is a recording. You will never get to speak to a human no matter how hard you try Emily: What if I try one of the other four numbers? GD: You will have to wait in line for at least 27 minutes on each number. Then you will most likely be kicked out Emily: I'm prepared to put the graft in, I just really want to get this sorted GD: Fine. Just know that when you have wasted three and a half hours of your time, whoever picks up will be just as uninterested and unhelpful as this recording Emily: I'm prepared for that, once I get the correct form at the end of it all GD: You will eventually get the correct form, but it will mean filling out 13 other forms first in other to achieve this. In trying to get my PAYE sorted, I put it off and put it off until I could no longer put it off any more. I took a deep breath, a glass of wine (for calmage purposes) and called the Inland Revenue. I had to make one choice on the touchpad, then I was put through to a real person after three minutes. The conversation went like this: Emily: Hi I'd like to speak to xyz about xyz Inland Revenue: Sure, what are your details Emily: My details are xyz IR: That's all sorted for you now. Emily: (after falling off chair) Are you sure? Don't you need me to do anything else?! Anything at all? You're sure it's sorted? IR: Absolutely, all done, can I help you with anything else? Emily: No forms?! NO FORMS?!!! That's IT?!! ARE YOU SURE?!!| IR: I am sure. WOW. Amazing. I was all sorted in less than five minutes. Bravo Inland Revenue. You are my heroes amongst the black cloud brigade of red tape madness.

It's so lovely having this on my doorstep…read more I've never actually been inside the house itself but I love a good wander up around the grounds, especially on days where there's a market happening, or other event. (Check their website for their calendar of events, there's always something going on at the weekends) Even if there's not, there are horses in the fields, donkeys, a gorgeous walled garden, and lovely pathways to walk your dog, kid, BFF or granny. There's also a really cute little gallery which is currently exhibiting illustrated books; again, definitely worth a glance in. If you're going on a market day, make sure you haven't eaten first, cos there's some goooood eatin' to be had.

Located in the Phoenix Park, Farmleigh is the official Irish State Guest House, where visiting…read moredignitaries enjoy a fry-up every morning and get tucked in by Brian Cowen at night. When there is nobody booked in, it is open to the public, so you too can enjoy its extravangant interior, dating from 1752, which includes crystal chandeliers and a ballroom, and its beautiful landscaped grounds.

It is a must-see if are visiting Ireland. It seems quite unreal - we just saw those things before…read morein The Netherlands! =) But they are spectacular. The small one is 500 years old and the white 300 years old. You can observe restorations here and there, but it looks very well preserved. They do not work any more but are open for visitation. You can either go see it by yourself but I took the tour and I really recommend it. It costs 4.80 for students and 6.60 for regular ticket. Kids go free. The tour takes about 1h and you learn a lot. You can even try the old machines a little bit - it was fun! The guide was very friendly and full of stories. In the visitors center they have a restaurant and craft shop. You have a half day off it is a good idea to explore the place.

I took a tour here the other day, it took about an hour and it was very informative. You learnt all…read moreabout the history of the mill which dates back to the 16th century, they only were restored very recently. I must say that I had fun trying to grind the flour with the stone. The location is very pretty and you get to walk outside a few times as you there are several mills. The views of the area are very impressive. Afters we had some lunch in the café that is part of the mill. It definitely is a good family activity to do if you are looking for ideas and want to try something new.