Ho! Ho! .. Merry Christmas

Looking for a place to stay this Christmas?



Barnacles Dublin & Galway are looking forward to a fun filled Christmas this year. Book now to avail of our Christmas rate ... €50 for 3 nights in a dormitory room with Christmas dinner.

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!

Discover Ireland without spending a cent and live off your wits

The Independent Holiday Hostels of Ireland have 10 young volunteers who will be hitting the road over the coming weeks. They are charismatic, fun, talented, ready for adventure and for a week won’t have a red cent. They intend to have a week long holiday without spending anything.

They must beg, borrow and steal to get through their week long odyssey. The first of our volunteers, Claire Prendergast and Sadhbh O’Sullivan will be heading for the Southwest around Cork and Kerry.

They will be staying at hostels during their trip that have set them tasks to earn their bed. Their first stop in Sheila’s Hostel in Cork involves them earning a bed by rollerblading up St. Patrick’s Hill in Cork carrying a full pint of Murphy’s without spilling a drop.

Check out their blog!

10% Discount for Facebook Friends

If you are a friends of Barnacles on Facebook then for the month of August we're giving you a 10% discount on bookings.

You just need to send a message to our Galway or Dublin hostel and we'll hook you up with the discount!

Some Quick Terms and Conditions:

* This offer is only valid for bookings made between 1 August - 31 August 2009

* This offer is only valid for new bookings. Existing bookings can not be amended to include the discount.

* The person making the booking must mention the offer upon booking

* Bookings must be made via Facebook message and person making the booking must be a Barnacles Facebook friend

Barnacles Gearing Up For Galway Races

Monday marks the start of the Galway Races and boy are we EXCITED! You don't need to know anything about horse-racing, all you need to know is how to have a good time! So what's happening next week and how much does it cost?

• Mon 24th: - €20 - Qualified Riders Handicap - 5:10pm
• Tues 25th: - €25 - Tote Galway Mile Handicap - 5:10pm
• Wed 26th: - €30 - William Hill Galway Plate - 1:50pm
• Thurs 27th - €30 - Guinness Galway Handicap Hurdle - 1:50pm
• Fri 28th: - €25 - Guinness Handicap - 5:10pm
• Sat 29th: - €20 - Freshways Handicap Hurdle - 2:15pm
• Sun 30th: - €20 - Handicap - 2:15pm

Need a place to stay? Barnacles Quay Street House has a few spots left - but get in quick!

Barnacles in Top 10 for June!

Barnacles Temple Bar House has been voted in the TOP TEN HOSTELS in June for the UK & Ireland by our Hostelworld Guests! A big thanks from the whole Barnacles team ... we're happy you had a great time with us in Dublin and hope to see you all again soon!!!

Galway Arts Festival - One More Week of Crazy Fun

Last night was the Macnas Parade for the Galway Arts Festival. There was a lot of crazy stuff going on and we took our camera down so you could have a look... Check out our photos

We also took a couple of videos so you can really see what was going down.

Why would you need a guitar?

When you can make a guitar (and pets) out of cardboard? Might sound odd but that's just one of the crazy characters on the streets of Galway this week.

Barnacles Quay Street House is in the thick of the action for the Galway Arts Festival -- an event which runs from 13-26 July 2009. At lunch time today we took a walk down Quay Street and Shop Street and took some photos of all the craziness happening...

Check out the photos we took during our lunch time stroll.

Temple Bar Circus Festival

This past weekend gasps of amazement could be heard all around Temple Bar as the Temple Bar Circus Festival hit town. As usual Barnacles Temple Bar House was right in the thick of things, so we stepped outside our front door and took a few photos for your enjoyment!

Galway Hostel Party Week

Last week, 5th-9th July, we celebrated the kick off of summer (or what was suppose to be summer) with live music in our Galway hostel every night during the week. After free drinks and live music everyone then headed off on an awesome pubcrawl. Heaps of fun was had... Want to check out some pics we took inside the hostel... click here. We also took some videos... check them out!

Dublin LGBTQ Pride Festival

Celebrations were a plenty this past weekend with thousands of people showing up for Dublin's Gay & Lesbian Pride Parade. The theme was "Pride and Prejudice" and celebrated literary gay icons throughout history. The parade was just down the road from Barnacles Temple Bar House and we showed up with our camera!!

What to do in Temple Bar on a Saturday?

Well.... there's lots to do!!!

This past weekend we sent out our resident photographer (also known as Tanya, the manager of Barnacles Temple Bar House) to go and have a stroll in the sunshine around Temple Bar and take some photos of what was going on. You'll find these markets just minutes away from Barnacles Temple Bar House

1. Temple Bar Food Market: 10am - 4:30pm every Saturday, Temple Bar Meeting House Square .... Oysters, Mexican, Cheese, Crepes, Fruit, Fish, Sushi .......

2. Temple Bar Book Market: 11am - 6pm every Sat & Sun, Temple Bar Square ... second-hand, new, antique, vinyl .....

3. Designer Mart: 10am - 5pm every Saturday, Cow's Lane (off Lord Edward Street) ... jewellery, fashion, furniture, visual arts, photography ....

Check out more of Tanya's photos here!

Galway Film Fleadh, 7 - 12 July

The Galway Film Fleadh celebrates its 21st anniversary this year and to mark the occasion - and as a way of combating the gloom of the recession - this year’s theme is ‘uplifting films’.
The fleadh will run from Tuesday July 7 to Sunday 12 and as well as plenty of feel good films, there will be Irish and world premiers, short films, documentaries, workshops, and a public interview.

This is all happening just minutes away from Barnacles Quay Street House. So make those last minute bookings and get in quick!

Longest Day of the Year - Temple Bar

Yesterday was the longest day of the year and in Temple Bar it was celebrated with fire, feasting, film and a fair to mark Midsummer in Dublin.

All the action was just minutes away from Barnacles Temple Bar House!

Barnacles joins Twitter

Follow Barnacles on Twitter to find out the best way to spend time in Ireland!

Battle of the Axe - BIG Barnacles Discount!

Check out Dublin City’s latest emerging acts such as comedians, singer/songwriters, actors, poets, etc along with experienced and renowned MCs strut their stuff every Tuesday and Thursday at the Battle of the Axe. If you're staying at our hostel, Barnacles Temple Bar House, then you get 50% off the admission price.

Where? Ha'Penny Bridge Inn
When? Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30pm
What's coming up?

• Thursday June 18th: Battle of the Axe Comedy Club & Damo Clarke MC + Special Guest Andrew Stanley
• Tuesday June 23rd: Battle of the Axe Open Mic Comedy & Singer/Songwriters —Open Mic Special– the run continues Ruairi Campbell MC
• Thursday June 25th: Battle of the Axe Comedy Club & Ha'Penny Laugh Improv with with Graeme Singleton MC & Birthday Boy Tommy NicklesonTuesday
• June 30th: Battle of the Axe Open Mic Comedy & Singer/Songwriters - Open Mic Special - the run continues – Rory O’ Hanlon

Street Performance World Championships - Dublin

The Street Performance World Championship run Thursday 18 June - Sunday 21 June! The best contortionists, piano jugglers, magicians, breakdancers, comedians and a whole assortment of world-class professional jesters will descend on Dublin and to battle it out for the most coveted title in street performance, the Street Performance World Champion. Come and check it out!!

Galway Summer Kick Off Party!

Galway Hostel Summer Party ** 5th-9th July 2009

Barnacles Quay Street House in Galway is hosting a Summer Party on the 5th-9th July. Every night there will be LIVE MUSIC and FREE DRINKS in the hostel and then everyone can go out on an organised PUB CRAWL.

It's a great way to experience Galway and get to meet your fellow travellers.

There is no additional cost - the price is included in your bed price. For more details visit our website

Dublin on a Budget

Want to get some ideas about what to do in Dublin if you're on a budget? Check out this Insider's Guide from Visit Dublin.

Everything they recommend is only a stones throw from Barnacles Temple Bar House - so it really is the best place to stay in Dublin!

Bloomsday - Temple Bar, Dublin - 16th June

BLOOMSDAY marks the day in 1904 on which all the action of James Joyce’s novel Ulysses takes place. It is celebrated every year on 16th June by Joyceans all over the world. In Dublin, where the novel is set, Bloomsday celebrations go on for a week, with most of the attention on the day itself.

Need a place to stay?

Enjoy the Bloomsday entertainment at Barnacles Temple Bar House! We still have beds available, so get in quick!


Temple Bar Bloomsday Line Up:

** 11am - 3pm: Reading & Songs in the Square (Meeting House Square)
** 12pm - 2pm: Blooms Day Jazz Band (Bank of Ireland College Green)
** 12:30 - 2pm: Guinness Jazz Band (Temple Bar Square)
** 1:30 -3:30pm: Jazz Quartet (Fleet Street)
** 7:30pm: Special screening of John Huston’s classic film adaptation of Joyce’s ‘Dubliners’ story at the IFI this Bloomsday. (Irish Film Institute)