Bank of Ireland Ranelagh is different from the other bank branches in the village in that it stands…read morealone, segregated on its own island, detached from any other structures. This isolation affords the bank some sort of hierarchy, or at least you think as much. Unsurprisingly when you arrive at the bank the services on offer do not diverge much from what you would have come to expect from an establishment offering financial services. In the same vein as Ulster Bank across the road when you arrive you press a button to request entry. When the automated light, at this stage red to gesture to stay put, turns green the door is left off the 'mechanical leash' and you are able to gain entry. If there is any commotion and somebody/ or some people who seem incensed or perhaps dangerous are trying to gain entry the cashiers are able to prohibit their entry by not prompting the red button to turn green and thus unlock the door. From an objective point of view this potent security measure instills an added sense of security in the customer and you can go about carrying out your financial business with much self-confidence and little or no fretfulness. The fast-drop box allows you to lodge cash without having to queue up and hence save a significant amount of time, especially during the lunchtime rush. This 'fast-drop' system is important to ensuring that, as many customers as possible are able to carry out their business in the most undeviating way possible. This intensity of good organization epitomizes the overall competence that the bank exudes. Obliging and courteous staff further substantiate this point.

Grand little bank this, with a little garden outside. Inside, however, is all business - you have…read moreto buzz to get into the porch and then buzz and wait to get into the bank itself. With three tellers, it can get quite busy before its lunch break at 1pm. Unusually for a bank, some of the workers have their office space beside the queuing customers, so close that you could go up and see what they are looking up on the web. However, this is strongly discouraged and you will be strong armed to the exit.

This is not my Bank of Ireland branch, but every time I need to take a trip to the bank to transfer…read moremoney, Leeson Street branch is my first choice, mostly because it's never terribly busy. Standing in a long bank queue with an envelope full of money for the rent is dreadful. I start dreaming about all the fun things I could do with the money, thinking if a roof over my head is worth all that cash. To make sure I don't make a run for it and spend my money on something stupid, I want the pain to be over quickly. So, don't go here. Leave this one to me alone.

This has been my branch since my Dad took out a kids account for me when I was ten or eleven and I…read morereally haven't enquired much about my finances since then. They gave me some stickers and my first wallet when I signed up back then, they're still in my good books for that. The odd time that I do go in branch there's rarely a long queue and the staff try their best not to get livid when I'm completely oblivious to any of the relevant numbers or details they'd like me to know.

First day in Ireland and just trying to get my feet wet with zero cash until I happened upon this…read moreestablishment. I felt confident as I watched a multitude sidle up to the ATMs to conduct their transactions without any problems. Besides, it wasn't exactly a kiosk at a pub, right? I mean we're talking the Bank of Ireland, so I popped in my card without much thought and out popped my euros. No worries at all. Just a little irritation coming from the lady behind me as I took my time to make sure I got it right. As far as I can tell, all went well and I'm still in possession of a few of those euro, thanks to some savvy maneuvering on my part!

The bank is housed in one of the classic red buildings in this area in Rathmines. You could…read moreactually walk by it without realising that it's actually a bank. The ATM is hidden off to the side behind the fence, which is kind of nice because you feel a bit protected when you're taking your cash out. The customer service is really helpful and you normally only have to wait a minute or two before someone can help you. The only queue that you normally have to wait on is the 'Cash' one. So I suggest to either use the ATMs outside or the express lodgement becuase you'll be in and out a lot faster.

This bank is in a beautiful red-brick building in the heart of Rathmines village. Walking in really…read moretakes you back in time and if you could ignore the computers and tv screen you could be easily be banking at any time in the last 50 years! In terms of services they offer the usual cash, bureau de changes, loans etc. It does tend to be very busy, particularly at lunch time and just before closing, but if you need to make an appointment to meet an adviser they can usually accommodate you.

"Hello Ulster Bank - how can I help you?"…read more "Hi I had a voice-mail from you regarding my debit card and as I speak I am online looking at my accounts but my current account seems to have disappeared!" "We froze it." "You froze it?" "Where you in San Francisco yesterday?" "I wish. No I was in a muddy field in Ireland." "So you did not get a taxi for $12." "No." Thank you Ulster Bank for being hyper aware for me and canceling the card. It's a pain in the arse having to wait for a new card but that's not their fault.

As far as banks go this particular branch is lovely!…read more Comfortable chairs if you're going to be a long time waiting, friendlyl staff & they even have a radio which is tuned to a radio station & not just awful recordings of tracks that you vaguely recognise. As far as the bank as a company, I don't bank with UB so can't comment! :/

Pro Tip: If you want the absolute best exchange rate to Euros go to the Bank of Ireland, not…read moreanywhere else and not the kiosk exchange at the airport which will charge you a fortune in fees one of my travel collegues harshly discovered. There are branches of Bank of Ireland all over Ireland. Makes sense right? Like in America--the Bank of America is all over. You get it? At the Bank of Ireland, you put your American ATM card into their ATM's and enter your passcode and indicate how many Euros you want? And this its important: Withdraw the money in Euros, not Dollars when it asks. That is all you need to know. In fact all over Ireland when you use your credit card to buy things, meals, hotels--always charge in Euros, not Dollars when the machine asks you. That is how you get the best exchange rate. And if you want even more Pro financial advise--get a Capital One Credit Card that charges No Fees for the conversion like many other cards do from 1 to 3 %. Now this branch I am writing about is the Headquarters for the Bank of Ireland. It's connected to the stock exchange. The Security Guard when he found out we were from America--was so pleasant he gave us an impromptu tour and history of the building.

A must see freebie while in Dublin. Seamus Heaney was the author profiled and it was most…read moreinteresting. Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Located right across the road from Trinity College.

A regular saver with the credit union over the years I've come to be especially fond of the…read moreClondalkin branch. Really nice spacious new building, it's a welcoming change from the old dull branch. What's super impressive is the online account service, so this sets them apart from the average credit union. Just like online banking from your bank, I can go on and see my transactions across my savings and/loan accounts. Ok ye don't get all the functionality of online banking but being able to set up standing order and just leave it going, with a little eye over it every now and again. Also when I moved out of the district they allowed me to keep my account there and have been nothing but friendly and accommodating since.