Excellent facility. A real gem! They have basically any type of equipment you need. In addition,…read morethe coffee machine is great, the vendo is always stocked and there is ample parking and facilities to shower etc. The staff are very friendly and there is a great atmosphere there amongst the members with many stopping for a chat on the way in/out. I am not a member but have visited multiple times and if I lived in Dublin this is where I would be training.

This is probably the best-equipped gym I have ever used for free-weights. They have 7 squat racks…read moreas well as two squat cages and because of this, even at peak times I've only seen them all taken twice after coming 3 times a week for 6 months. Even those times, I did not have to wait long for one to become available. They use olympic-style bumper weights and put one set next to each rack rather than mounting them on the rack itself, and this keeps them much more organised and these weights go down to 0.5kg. They have a wide variety of bars too. On top of that, there's a huge dumbbell area, strongman things like stone balls and tractor tires, all manner of steps and wedges to use while lifting and a pretty good selection of machines, most of which are plate-loaded, and they keep a bowl of chalk in the center of the main floor for anyone who wants it. They have a selection of benches too, including a few to use with the squat racks. Only one of the horizontal benches has a safety bar though, which is unfortunate as if you don't have a spotter watching you, it's something essential for benching at a work weight. One thing you can definitely say about the place is that it's a gym that focuses on lifting weights. They have cardio equipment too, such as a few treadmills, a stair machine, an elliptical and a bike, but they aren't the main focus like they are in most gyms, which suits me. The staff are all very friendly and run a tight ship, keeping the place in good order. You'll never see plates and weights left around the place in a mess like you do at a lot of other gyms. That said, I do think there is a small bit of room for improvement. The dressing rooms are very basic and the lockers are badly beaten and worn. The usual place to leave bags is instead under the stairs which is safe enough, but still a bit messy and awkward to get into. They don't directly employ any trainers so if you want someone to help you with a program or personal training, you have to hire one of their outside guys which costs extra (whereas a lot of other gyms will have someone on staff to give you a training program for free). The car parking is also a problem as they only have a small bit of space and people often have to park places that aren't actually parking spaces.

How could you not try a trainer who calls himself "The Transformation Catalyst"? Dominic Munnelly…read moreis the man behind the dream and is a highly enthusiastic personal trainer based on the southside. He regularly contributes to RSVP etc, has an interesting blog (http://thetransformationcatalyst.wordpress.com/) and is very active answering questions and giving advice on boards.ie. When I went to see him he was in a smaller gym but moved to the Crossfit gym a few weeks later-looks like it's far more roomy. I'm pretty sure he could put you through your paces in any location-indoors or outdoors though! Dominic was great at answering emails enquiring about his services and saw me early on a Saturday morning. Had a little assessment (not so sure about the body fat reading) and a fun workout-he's quite Crossfit (http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/what-crossfit.html) based with solid Olympic lifting thrown in and sensible nutritional advice. I liked it that he also incorporated yoga and foam rolling-good for the perpetually injured! Wasn't thrilled that he insisted on telling me my weight even though I begged him not to...but I'd stopped crying within a week or so. He emailed me a programme a few days later which was nice and gave plenty of things to keep me occupied-mix of weights and Crossfit workouts. It was a bit too full of push-ups and bodyweight squats for me though....my shoulders and hip flexors were threatening tendonitis within a couple of weeks. I'd have preferred if the training session included a run through/more detailed discussion of the programme too-didn't have some of the equipment in my gym. Bit pricey at €80 per session but he is good and is amenable to doing follow up sessions whenever you like. He also includes a free "check up" the week after to make sure you understand all the exercises etc. I'd probably have to say the Edge (http://www.yelp.ie/biz/the-edge-clontarf-dublin) suited me better in the end-David there picked up on shoulder and hip tightness before he gave me a programme and purposely avoided push-ups and squats to try to correct imbalances. And that was without being told I'd had issues before! Bonus: Dominic brought me a homemade flapjack. Feeding me on a Saturday morning merits an extra star!

From the owner: Personal training in one to one or goup setting. I cover everything from nutrition to otpmal…read moretraining, mobility and motivation

Horrible customer service and policy. If you need anything…read moresolved, especially financially ( as they have the payment on direct debit) you wont get it solved, apparently they don't have a finacial department and no one take responsibility for anything in the company.

Whopper new space just opened by the Raw Gym guys who you might know best from the Camden St…read morelocation. I went over to have a gander at the weekend, and let me tell you, it's SLICK. It's still got a big airy warehouse vibe to it, but every piece of equipment is top spec. You can see that there's been no expense spared, and sure isn't that what you want when you fork out for a gym membership? I was actually pretty surprised at the price range as well - ranging from 31 - 49 per month which is pretty insane value in my book. If you join Sandyford, you automatically get membership in Camden too. There's a very decent cardio corner with some serious looking climbers that caught my eye, a massive TRX set up, impressive looking static weight machines and an even more impressive range of free weights. What really struck me though was the lay out of the place - every little detail has been thought through very carefully and the flow is spot-on. Oh there's also a huge spinning room but seriously, spinning is the devil's work. No need for it at all. Spacious changing rooms with sparkling showers, hairdryers etc complete the package. Why has no one opened something like this north side of the city?

I attended a Pilates class here while on vacation and was extremely impressed…read more Firstly the space is beautiful, impeccable, modern and big. It is in a converted cottage which makes it even more special as it has a lot of character. I have done countless Pilates classes over the years with many different instructors in NYC, but still picked up new information, guidance and understanding, while attending Hannah's class here! Joe and his staff are wonderful and I can't recommend this center highly enough. Caitriona K.

From the owner: Life Balance is a small company based in Blackrock, Dublin. We are a fully equipped Pilates studio…read morewhich offers both Reformer and Matwork classes. We also have number of treatment rooms where we offer Physical Therapy, Holistic Massage, Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Nutrition, Reiki and Kinesiology.

I have been going to Benefitness for the past year, attending Tracey's early morning 3 times a week…read moreclasses. The gym is small but perfectly formed and the classes challenging but not unmanageable. Tracy is a great coach she pushes you without bullying. Since attending the classes I have found myself stronger, my balance has improved greatly, my shape has become more defined and generally I feel fitter. Great value for money and a lovely atmosphere.

Worst gym I have ever been to. Rubbish equipment, terrible service and the showers and changing…read morerooms absolutely stink of a sewer it's genuinely disgusting, everything's done online as well you can sign up in person or cancel in person absolutely ridiculous carry on.

I recently purchased a membership costing 190 for 16 months which is really great value. I use the…read moregym a lot for the classes, which are really great! At peak times, its extremely busy, but there are still free machines. If you are looking for an affordable gym, no frills attached and great classes, this really is the place to go!

Mount Merrion Community Centre hosts a number of different facilities, from Montessori to Senior…read moreCitizen 'Friendship Clubs' (has anyone else ever noticed how older people are infantalised even though they probably know more and are more capable than the rest of us combined?!). It's a lovely modern building, with plenty of space and decorated with all the artwork of the budding J. B. Yeats (let's go with an Irish theme...we don't tend to produce Picassos!!) There's yoga classes, dance and Tae Kwon-Do too...a 'something for everyone' kind of atmosphere. The only bummer is the fact that it closes for half the summer...which would be fine if we could guarantee good weather for outdoor pursuits, but in absence of such luxuries, an ability to count on the continuation of our indoor activities wouldn't go awry...