Halloween Fun at Barnacles Hostels

Oh what a scary time we had this Halloween!! From freaky guests to heads in bowls of water, we really did have a great weekend.

We caught it all on camera and here are just a few photos to tease you with, you know where to come next year!!

Temple Bar House Guests prepare for the night ahead

Who is this mummy?!

The party gets under way at Quay Street House

Some people will do anything for an apple!

The look of fear is in their eyes, preparing to bob for apples!

Playing doctors and witches!

The gang from Temple Bar house show how it's done!!

Is it possible to drink with all that gear on?!

As you can see, we all had a great time and thank everyone who made the effort and got involved. We hope you had a great night!

Book your stay online at www.barnacles.ie

Get on yer bike!

Brace yourself for Dublin’s latest tourist friend!! There’s a new bicycle scheme being set up at the moment which lets everyone have the chance to hire solid city bikes, free for a half an hour to explore our fine city! Dublin is one of many European cities running this scheme which seems to be really popular with locals and tourists.


There are plenty of cycle tracks in Dublin, so it's not like other cities where you are stuck behind mountains of traffic, allowing you to see the whole of the city in a couple of hours.

The bikes are a great way to get a sampler of Dublin architecture, life and culture and what’s more you’ll be doing your bit to reduce your travel’s impact on the environment!

Just watch out for those oh so annoying double decker buses!!

For more info check out the Dublin Bikes website . . . http://www.dublinbikes.ie/

Barnacles Temple Bar House Music Week

We hosted our first Music Week event at our Temple Bar House hostel this week and thank all those who took part! Each night from 6pm our guests were given free Sangria, snacks and discount cards, for the Dublin Backpacker Pubcrawls and some great gigs that took place at The Academy. We also had Jameson Whiskey tastings taking place in the hostel nightly for some VERY lucky guests! Tonight is the last music night and it's going to be the best as we celebrate the great Arthur Guinness (1785-1803), founder of the famous Guinness Brewery with some pints and plenty of Irish craic!

The guests really got involved . . .

It could be to do with the drink they had during the Jameson Tastings . . .

Some even went up on stage for a sing song!

Jimmy and the Music Box were great . . .

And so was the Jameson!!

And it was all thanks to you, our guests and our wonderful team!

A huge thank you is owed to all the great acts who entertained us during this fantastic week . . . . Jimmy & The Music Box, Shane, Thomas, Peter & Martin, Sue from Irish Dance Party, Eli Albarran and tonight's band, The Quakers. And to Sabine for her expert Whiskey advice sessions.

We hope to see you all again very soon!! :-)

Barnacles Quay Street House Boogie Nights

14th - 17th September 2009

Barnacles Boogie Nights
All this week, we got our fancy dress kit on and partied like there was no tomorrow! The Music blared, free food and tasty punch were consumed and prizes galore were won! If you were with us for it, thanks for joining us and hope you had a great time. We enjoyed your company. If you weren't with us, where were you?! You missed a great time . . . here are the photos to prove it!

Ironing . . . the joys of it!!

The Number One Disco Diva!

Slainte!

The gang needed a reason to party . . .

. . . Enter the DJ!!

Oh and the balloons!

Getting busy making balloon models

Wearing balloons . . . .

Creativity was key!!

What was that?!

It was like X Factor for balloons!

But with lots of winners!

Thanks everyone for joining us. We hope you enjoyed your stay with us and we look forward to seeing you again soon!!

Top Five Travel Tips

Money's too tight to mention, so here are our top five tips on how you can cut costs without cutting your fun!

• Bring your student card - don't be afraid to ask for discounts, huge rewards when you do!!
  
• Keep an eye open for discount and free entry cards, usually available for local museums, nightclubs, gigs etc.
  
• Dine out as little as possible - team up with others and share your cooking, it works out cheaper and gets you involved with others.
  
• Make use of free public services - keep in touch with family and friends for free when you use internet services at local libraries. Get locally cultured when you visit museums and galleries which are usually free to enter.
  
• Walk, don't ride - see even more of the country you are visiting. Public transport can sometimes be expensive, so we suggest walking and exploring rather than busing it and missing out. It's great exercise too!!

New Galway Hostel Photos...

Do you want to have a look inside our Galway hostel, Barnacles Quay Street House? Check them out here.

Like what you see? Visit our website.

Backpacking Ireland Map

Are you planning a backpacking trip around Ireland? Use this helpful printable map to find a hostel where you are going. Remember to book in at Barnacles in both Dublin and Galway as part of your trip!