Top Hostels In Ireland!!

The results are in for 2010 and Barnacles Hostels are proving to be the best hostels in Ireland. Barnacles hostel Dublin secured the top 4 place in Ireland with Barnacles hostel Galway taking 11th place!!

Barnacles Hostel Temple Bar was voted DUBLIN'S BEST HOSTEL 2010!! This is our 2nd year in a row scooping the award!!

Stay in the top hostels in Ireland! Book your stay today - visit http://www.barnacles.ie/

Father Who??....FATHER TED!!

Father Ted TV Night in Barnacles Hostel

If you've ever travelled to Ireland or know an Irish person then you've heard of Father Ted!! So what is the Father Ted craze all about??

Father Ted is an Irish TV series and anyone familiar with it will know that means madness, mayhem and total chaos are not just inevitable but desirable. The Father Ted following has grown to cult status with a 'Tedfest' being held on the Aran Islands off Co Galway every year!

With the upcoming festival 17th - 25th February the staff at Barnacles have decided to have a look back at our favourite quotes and scenes from the show!

Favourite Quote No 1:
Dougal: It's nice to have a nun around. Gives the place a bit of glamour.

Favourite Quote No 2:
Father Ted: Now concentrate this time, Dougal. These
[he points to some little plastic toy cows on the table]
Father Ted: are very small; those
[pointing at some real cows out of the window]
Father Ted: are far away...

Favourite Quote No 3:

Ted: Of course... they all have lovely bottoms!

Favourite Quote No 4:

Dougal: What's going on?
Priest: We're in Ireland's largest lingerie department
Dougal: No. I mean in general.

Barnacles Hostels Favourite Scene:

The festival is limited to just over 100 people – knowing the words of the famous and much loved Father Ted composition “My Lovely Horse” and an undying love of tea and sandwiches are required attributes for those attending – although there is a beer garden for those who tire of tea! Below is a list of the main events:

•The Lovely Girls
•Ted's Got Talent
•The Ronnie Drew Hour (Beards Mandatory)
•The Virtual Confession Box
•The Craggy Island Kill Bill Festival
•The Father Ted Prizeless Quiz
•The Craggy Cup
•Matchmaking with Nellie
•The Pirate Cruise
•A Walking Tour to the Amish Community

Galway city also gets into the Craggy Island mood with events such as the Tedfest Toilet Duck Comedy Awards, the Father Ted Table quiz to name but a few!

Fancy a stay in Galway over the 24th - 27th of February? Come join us at Barnacles Hostel in Quay Street where we'll be getting in the Father Ted mood with Father Ted TV nights and general mayhem! Book your stay today! Click HERE!

Christmas at Barnacles

For some, being away from home at Christmas can be a tough time. Christmas is about getting together with your family and loved ones and sharing some festive cheer (along with a fair bit of booze and pudding of course). So for backpackers on the road, Christmas and the New Year can be sometimes a bit lonely.

But all is not lost! Barnacles Hostels areset to rock this Christmas! Full to the brim with festive cheer, Barnacles will be holding a Christmas like no other!

Of course there will be turkey.......... of course there will be mistletoe and most importantly .................. of course there will be SANTA!!

We will encourage even the Scrooge backpackers to take part in our Christmas festivities. From ice - skating, to Christmas video nights (it is not officially Christmas untill Willy Wonka is watched!) If this doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit nothing will!

So come and join us! Make new friends and experience a Christmas to remember! Click HERE to book our Galway hostel and click HERE to book our Dublin hostel.

20 Things for the Lazy Chef to Cook!

Having a microwave is nearly as important as having a bed! Not just used for heating left over's or making hot chocolate! They are (or should be) the best friend of the lazy chef!



15 Things to Cook in a Micro wave

1. Quesadilla: Easy, chessey. Lay a tortilla down, sprinkle some cheese on it, micorwave. Add salsa if you're feeling extra creative.
2. Microwave Dinners: They can be the diet kind, the healthy kind, the made for large appetite kind. And they can be tasty.
3. Baked potatoes: Grab a potatoe. Wash it. Poke it a few times with a fork. Wrap it in a paper towel. Microwave it for a few minutes. You'll know when it's done when you can easily poke the fork past the centre.
4. Popcorn: The old reliable - perfect for a movie night in.
5. Pasta (and sauce): Take yourself off down to the shop and buy a microwave packet of pasta and sauce. Mr Dolmio can't make it any easier!
6. Porridge: Perfect for brekkie on those baltic mornings we seem to be having!
7. Soup: Can > Micorwave > Bing > Bowl > Mouth > Hmmmm
8. Frozen Veg: Get your 5 a day! Toss frozen veg in a bowl with a little water. Microwave until they're hot!
9. Nachos: Always perfect for a late night :) All you need is taytos & cheese (and anything extra you feel like)
10. Poached Eggs: Careful these can turn out rubbery if you leave them on too long.
11. Rashers: Grab a plate, put down several paper towls, lay down some rashers, and cook until done. Instant hang over cure!
12. Scrambled Eggs: Crack some eggs, put in a bowl - mixing with a fork, and cooking. And feel free to throw in some of those rashers you also cooked, too, for some extra pizazz.
13. Hot Chocolate: We all know how to make this one!
14. Tuna Melt: Make some tuna (tuna + mayonnaise = tuna), sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on it, and voila! Tuna Melt!
15. Who ever said microwave things had to be meals? Heat up a chocolate muffin - get a massive bowl of ice-cream and there you have it! One of the best deserts/pick me up's ever - Enjoy!

So there you have it! Tell all your mammies to relax - you are not fading away from lack of food!

7th Wonder of the Hostel World!

Barnacles Hostel in Temple Bar has scooped one of the industry's top awards in September achieving 7th Best Hostel in the World! The only Irish Hostel to feature in the line up, Barnacles are delighted to have won this award as voted by Hostelworld.com customers. This award will be added to Barnacles Hostels collection as last year we won Dublin's Best Hostel 2009! Definitely moving in the right direction we won't stop until we reach number 1!

What has made us one of the Best? Customers ranked each hostel on 6 categories: Location, Character, Security, Staff, Fun and Cleanliness. With over 20,000 customers booking daily through the hostelworld website this is the top award to achieve in the industry. A variety of nationalities come through Barnacles doors everyday - Barnacles provides a great way to meet new people in a fun atmosphere.

Our central location is one of the aspects our customers rank most highly. Staying in Temple Bar you're close to everything - major tourist attractions, public transport, and of course the bustling atmosphere of Temple Bar!! With countless festivals taking place through out the year, Barnacles Hostel simply soaks up the atmosphere!!

We know our customers are our VIP's!! Everything is about them! That's why we try and make their stay at Barnacles THE BEST EVER!! So no matter what time of day (or night) we're on hand to help our guests. Our guests love our in-house parties and themed nights as there is always loads of craic to be had :) Team all this with our top knotch security, professional cleaning team and of course our fantastic staff........what do you get?? A place on the Top 10 Hostels in the World!

A big thank you to all of our customers who voted for us! We're really chuffed!

Introducing the Full Irish Breakfast cocktail!!

Here at Barnacles Hostels we encourage our guests to try new things and here is our latest.....

Have you ever tried a meat based cocktail?? Does the thought of one make your tummy flip and not in a good way?? Hold on ...don't stop reading just yet...this one is going to be interesting!!

Anyone can eat bacon for breakfast but can you drink bacon for breakfast!

The Full Irish Breakfast Cocktail is a totally new and unusual experience. In England, Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal has had a hit on his hands with bacon and egg ice-cream (Gasp!!) so why not a bacon and egg cocktail??

For many, many years the Bloody Mary has been a great friend to those looking for something the morning after the night before. Maybe in years to come the Full Irish Breakfast will be too!

Ready to give it a try?? Here is what you will need.....

1.5 shots of pancetta infused Jameson's Irish Whiskey

1 shot of Advocatt egg liquer (if egg liquer is not your thing you can add a shot of egg white instead)

0.5 shot of maple syrup

0.5 shot of lemon juice

How to get the Pancetta infused Jameson?

Pan fry 3 slices of pancetta and when it is cooked, dry it with a paper napkin to remove excess grease (you see we're being healthy here). After the Pancetta has cooled down, put it into a jar with 0.5 litre of Jameson's. Let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for 2 days. Scoop out the fat which will have settled at the top of the jar and fine strain the mixture with a cloth napkin or a coffee filter. Once strained, you can store the infused pancetta in the fridge for a long time.

Directions:

Fill up your martini glass with ice so it will be chilled and ready for your drink

Put ice cubes in your cocktail glass and add all ingredients mentioned above

Shake vigorously

Fine strain the cocktail mixture into your chilled martini glass

Garnish with a lemon twist

Followed all the steps? All that's left to do is drink it! Best of luck and if you try this cocktail please let us know what you thought....is it the cure to all hangovers?

Coming to Ireland? why not stay with us in Barnacles hostel in Dublin and Galway? Click here to read more

We're all looking forward to Arthurs Day

23rd September Arthur's Day!!

This September we'll be celebrating the second Arthurs Day! On this day everyone will be out in streets at 17.59 with a pint of Guinness in hand to raise to Arthur Guinness. The echo will be heard throughout the country as every pub takes part in the event. This year to add even more of a party atmosphere Guinness will be staging a number of concerts to ensure the party goes on through the night. With bands such as David Gray headlining the event in Galway with other famous artists such as Sharon Shannon, Newton Faulkner and the Magic Numbers putting on a show. In Dublin the list of musicians is endless with Snow Patrol, Biffy Clyro and Brandon Flowers to name but a few singing the night away.