This September is packed full of gigs, events, and loads more to keep you amused!
This month kicks of with a bang with Gun N’Roses playing their September 1st gig at the O2 here in Dublin.
Electric Picnic!
Next stop brings you County Laois for the annual Electric Picnic, Stradbally’s festival of music, comedy and much more. This three-day extravaganza runs from Friday 3rd-Sunday 5th September. For those of you who are itching to go, the good news is that there are still some tickets available. Our top festival tip this year probably won’t come as a surprise…don’t forget your wellies! Dunnes Stores and Penney’s always have a great range that are never too expensive. And, for that all important camping gear check out these great stores…
Kilkenny Vs Tipperary in the 2010 GAA Hurling Final
This Sunday, 5th September will see the GAA Hurling Final at Croke Park with the Premier County Vs The Cats (Tipperary Vs Kilkenny for the uninitiated).
Later in the month, on 19thSeptember, sees the GAA Football Final between Cork and Down…so whether you’re supporting the Rebel County or yelling ‘ An Dun Abu!’ it’s going to be a great match!
Sticking with GAA fixtures for September, let’s not forget the Camogie Final and Ladies’ GAA Football Finals which will be held in Croke Park on 12th and 26th September respectively. If you’re planning on travelling to Dublin for the Finals, why not make a weekend of it and book into a hotel or B&B,dine out or use it as a chance to get a day’s shopping in on Saturday! There are some great offers to be had for accommodation and restaurants at the moment so be sure to shop around!
For all you culture vultures out there the Dublin Fringe Festival also starts this month, a 16 day festival of Theatre, Comedy, Music, Dance & spectacle!! Starting on September and running through to the 26th September, with 300 performances squeezed into 20 days, there will definitely be something for everyone!
Arthur’s Day is also celebrated around the country on the 23rd September with events in Dublin, Cork and Galway!
Celebrate Arthur's Day This September
Culture Night falls on Friday, 24th September. This is an absolute ’must-do’ in our opinion! Celebrated in Dublin city and in 20 towns around Ireland, there should be a great variety on offer. For those of you in Dublin, if last year is anything to go by, this will be a fantastic night out as the city’s museums and galleries open late and offer free entry. To help culture vultures around the city, Dublin Bus will offer free services along 3 culture trails from 6pm – 11pm. Culturenight.ie have more details on the event. Here’s a snippet from their site which offers a great rundown of what’s on around the country…
‘walk by the graves of famous Irish heroes at Dublin’s Glasnevin Museum and Cemetery; explore the work of over 30 local and visiting artists in Oughterard; enjoy a night of Contemporary Chaos dance in Limerick; travel on the Culture Music Bus in Sligo; try your hand at an Impromptu Haiku Competition in Mayo; be amazed as Greystones’ Art Group complete a huge canvas in front of your eyes in Wicklow; learn about the art of photography from acclaimed
Belvedere House & Gardens
photographer John Minihan in Kildare; create some craft of your own at the National Craft Gallery in Kilkenny; take a guided tour of Belvedere House & Gardens in Westmeath; see some of the best short films that were made by young Kerry filmmakers over the last three years in Blennerville Windmill in Kerry; sing a song at the auditions for the Opera for Carlow project in Carlow; tap your toes at a traditional Irish music session in The Gaeltacht; see history come to life in a Culture Night special at Donegal County Museum in Letterkenny.’
Sticking with events in the West, this month also sees the Clarenbridge Oyster Festival in Galway. Clarenbridge nestles on the banks of the Clarin River at the mouth of Dunbulcan Bay. The oysters are harvested from the surrounding shallow seas, protected from the worst winter storms, and worked on by the Oystermen with generations of expertise. This festival marks the beginning of the new Oyster season so for all you Gourmandes out there, this is a must!
Listowel Races in County Kerry have their Harvest Festival, from Sunday 12th to Saturday 18th September, so if you fancy a flutter then this could be for you… For directions, why not check out findonmap.ie?
If you have any event information that we can include feel free to drop post a message below, facebook us, or tweet us…
The competition is now closed for entries! The winner was announced on our facebook page on Tuesday, 31st August.
Thanks to everyone for entering!
We recently commissioned Irish Graffiti Artist Maser to design a bespoke piece for us to mark the launch of our new Golden Pages iPhone Application.
The canvas below simply depicts what Golden Pages is all about; a complete A-Z for any product or service you could possibly search for!
Maser chose to depict this through the creation of clever illustrations where each letter of the alphabet represents something that can be found through Golden Pages. Some are immediately obvious, others are little more obscure!
For the purpose of this week’s competition, we’re not going to ask you to decipher all 26 letters, so don’t panic!
Designed by Maser to mark the launch of our new App
Competition Question:
As you work your way through the picture, tell us what letters A and Z stand for (you can find them in Golden Pages)!
To enter:
Post your answer on the blog by leaving a comment below. It’s really easy to do, you just need a username and email address.
We won’t publish your answer immediately as it will give the game away!
The competition will close at 1pm next Tuesday and the winner will be announced on our facebook page Tuesday evening!
Best of Luck!
Terms and Conditions
Competition is not open to Truvo employees – sorry guys!
Thanks to all of you who entered our competition!!
We chucked the names into a hat (well, we used theTag Rugby Cup our Truvo Team won recently!) and drew one lucky winner…
Aileen! Congratulations! You’ve won 2 tickets to this Sunday’s All Ireland Football Semi Final. We’ll email you straight away with details!
Guys, we wish we had enough tickets for all of you but if it’s any consolation we’ll have more competitions in the coming days when we’ll be giving away tickets to both the All Ireland Hurling and Football Finals - so do come back!
In the meantime, do stay in touch with us via facebook and twitter!
The competition is now closed for entries! The winner will be announced here later today – check out our facebook page where we’ll announce more competitions for the All Ireland Hurling and Football finals soon!
Thanks!
Comp details…
To win 2 corporate level tickets* to see Cork V Galway Minors and Kildare V Down Senior Teams fight for a spot in the 2010 All Ireland Football finals, all you have to do is answer this easy peasy question….
As Golden Pages comes to life on the streets of Dublin, tell us what bridge it crosses as it makes its way through town.
The answer is in the video so play and enjoy!
How to enter:
Simply post your answer here on the blog by leaving a comment below. It’s super easy to sign up – just give a username and email address! Each correct entry will go into our draw. We won’t make your comment public on the blog until Tuesday – as to do so would only give away the answer!! So don’t worry, once you’ve submitted your entry, we have it. You’ll see it here on Tuesday.
We will annouce the winner here and on our facebook page next Tuesday night (24th August)!
Good luck!!
*About the prize – includes 2 corporate level tickets (great view promised) along with complimentary nibbles and drinks, plus match day programmes!
After more than 40 years publishing Ireland’s leading directory, Golden Pages, today we’d like to share some info with you about the latest stage of the Golden Pages journey, the slimmest Golden Pages ever!
To mark the launch of the App, we’ve a number marketing activities running at the moment including in-app ad campaign, online advertising, traditional PR, competitions etc. The activities we’re most excited about include our new video, which brings the Golden Pages journey to life and our new canvas. Huge thanks also to Maser and the crew from Krooked Type (Guys, get listed on goldenpages.ie so that we can link you up!) for the video and canvas.
Canvas by Maser launching the new Golden Pages App
A little about the New App
The new Golden Pages iPhone Application provides access to approximately 100,000 businesses at the touch of an iPhone screen. We really believe that this App is a must have. It’s a good money-saver as it gives access to all of the numbers you need – literally saving you from having to make a pricey call when you’re out and about and need the number for a Taxi in Limerick, restaurant in Cork or whatever! As well as giving detailed information on your search, such as business address, phone number, email address and website, this application also includes a GPS navigation feature. We’re not finished yet though and will continue to enhance the App features with more releases to come soon.
Try it!
This app is the ultimate in convenience and is completely free to download. If you have an iPhone and haven’t downloaded the App – what are you waiting for?! Go to www.goldenpages.ie/mobileapp for the demo and a link to itunes where you can download it for free. Alternatively, if you’re like me, and haven’t got an iPhone (yet!), you can access Golden Pages Mobile on any phone by going to m.goldenpages.ie on your mobile Internet browser.
The Low Down on Downloads!
The App is holding its place in the Top 10 Free App Charts on itunes. It’s the No.1 Free Utilities App in Ireland and downloads are climbing daily with over 26,000 downloads to date.
Here are some user reviews:
‘Handy and Reliable’
’Very Impressed with app. Works very well with Google maps and is accurate’
‘Very handy indeed… Well worth downloading.’
Let us know if you’re Appy with it!
If you have already downloaded it, please let us know what you think. We love feedback whether it’s good or not so good (as long as it’s constructive) as it will help us make the App even better for you with the next update. So keep your comments coming whether it’s on itunes or here!
The special offers, deals, and discounts are in full force this summer! Businesses are offering customers and users tremendous bargains because they understand the outlook that every cent counts. If you are looking for some great deals, check out the many special offers available on goldenpages.ie.
10% Discount!
If you own a car, it is always fun to personalise it by adding your own decorations and individual touch. Seat covers and steering wheel covers can jazz up the car décor and make it special to the driver. Fitting the covers to the parts perfectly can be challenging, especially if the owner is new to the task. Auto Fashion, located in Windy Arbor, Dublin 14 is now offering 10% off all fittings when you mention goldenpages.ie! Auto Fashion offers an array of services, from seat and steering wheel covers, to boat cushion covers and car upholstery repairs. Visit them today on Dundrum Road and receive 10% off your next fitting.
10% Discount!
Carroll Window Repairs provides services such as window repairs, glass replacement, insurance work, and double glazing to its customers. Right now, there is a 10% discount voucher to be had at Carroll Window Repairs on all services.
Before repainting a bedroom or kitchen, it is vital for the walls or ceilings to be reskimmed. Castleknock Plastering Services is currently offering a fantastic deal for reskimming for painting – only €250. If this special offer does not meet your needs at the moment, Castleknock also offers traditional plastering, ceiling work, skimming, and coving.
10 euro discount!
AAA Express Windscreens, a windscreen replacement service in Castlebar, Mayo, does not fail to measure up to the previous deals listed. Right now on AAA’s mysite, there is a €10 voucher than can be used towards any work or repairs done by AAA. Visit goldenpages.ie today to learn more about AAA Express Windscreens!
James Thomas Plaster Mouldings Ltd. located on Drumbiggle Road in Ennis is now offering a free centrepiece! Hurry there to receive yours today!
10% off for gp.ie users!
Are you expecting? Mums-to-be can welcome their beautiful new babies into the world in style. Beautiful Bumps is Cork’s only maternity and nursing wear boutique. It offers an array of clothing and products, including maternity occasion wear, baby slings, baby changing bags, and accessories. Exclusively for goldenpages.ie users, Beautiful Bumps is offering 10% off all purchases to show its appreciation for all the hard working mums out there!
25% Discount!
After Carroll Window Repairs provides excellent service to restore your windows, look to Roche Blinds to fancy up your brand new windows with roller blinds, vertical blinds, roman blinds, or several other types of blinds. Whichever style of blinds is your favourite, you will receive 25% off your blinds purchase now at Roche Blinds in Blanchardstown! This special offer is unbeatable; don’t let it pass!
Loyal and long-time customers are always appreciated by businesses and companies. However, new customers can gain a tremendous deal from Cleaning and Maintenance Service in Limerick right now! A discount of 10% will be offered to all new, incoming customers!
If you are interested in other home improvement repairs or restorations, search goldenpages.ie. Direction to any of the above companies can be found on findonmap.ie. Take advantage of these special offers and bargains, because it is true – every cent counts!
The new and improved mobile site for goldenpages.ieis now available.
Read on for an overview of some of the key improvements we’ve made:
m.goldenpages.ie - New Interface
Visually Improved
m.goldenpages.ie has had a makeover and now looks better than ever to give you a better search experience. Wherethe site may not have displayed correctly on all mobile devises until now, the new mobile search facility has the capability to adapt to suit various models. So, no matter what type of mobile you have, as long as it is at least 3G enabled, you can browse Golden Pages on your mobile.
New Features
The search page, results page and business details pages (now featuring expandable tabs, maps & more) have all been enhanced to deliver a much better service for users and advertisers alike.
Proximity Your location can be identified on GPS enabled phones to make it easier than ever to search for services in your area. So if you’re on Grafton Street in Dublin and looking for the nearest hotel, m.goldenpages.ie can return a list of hotels sorted by distance (and tell you how closeby you are to each option) or pinpoint them on a map for you!
Popular Searches We’ve identified the searches that are most popular among the Irish population to offer you a quick connection to an expandable list of services you may need on a more regular basis.
Recent Searches This personalised, timesaving feature keeps track of last 10 searches you’ve made making it super easy for you to refer back to a recent search!
New Autosuggest Feature on m.goldenpages.ie
Autosuggest This dynamic feature saves you the trouble of typing every letter to complete your search by providing suggestions once you start typing your search. Handy!
The mobile site has come on leaps and bounds since we first launched it in 2009. But, don’t take our word for it – see the change for yourself. Go to m.goldenpages.ie today.
Download the site for free to have access to all the numbers you need when you need them, right in your pocket!
We’ll keep you posted on further updates here. Meanwhile, we’d love to hear any feedback you have on the mobile site so feel free to comment below.
Our guest blogger, Kathryn continues to travel throughout Ireland! Her latest visits were paid to Wicklow and Belfast. Read below of how she got on…
I am very fortunate that the program I am in through UCD has planned so many wonderful trips for the group of American students. We were given a full day tour of the Wicklow Mountains, making numerous stops along the way. I had no idea of what to expect of the mountains, but no descriptions or words could have done the views I saw justice.
Dub Laoghaire Sea Port
Over the Top Tours were our tour guides for the day. They were great fun, playing Power Irish Ballads during our travels in the van. Our first stop was Dun Laoghaire sea port. Unfortunately, the skies were hazy and the temperature had dropped, but neither would prevent the group from having a brilliant day.
Killiney Bay was our next stop, most famous for U2’s great singer and songwriter, Bono’s residence. Bono’s house looked small from our view, but he will be adding a forty million pound extension onto it soon. We were able to walk along the beach and feel the cold water. It was shocking to see swimmers!
A stunning view of the Wicklow Mountains
We then drove to the very top of the Wicklow Mountains. The views were breathtaking and felt unreal to me. It was so peaceful to sit and take in such sites I will never see anything like again. We were above the Lough Tay, otherwise known as Guinness Lake. This is where Bono wrote his hit song, “It’s a Beautiful Day.” I appreciate that song now more than ever; however, beautiful does not even begin to describe the 360 degree span of this view.
The entire group ate lunch in Laragh, Co. Wicklow at a small pub called Lynham’s of Laragh. The beef and Guinness stew was absolutely superb, but it was a tough decision to order, as everything looked delicious! We gobbled down our food quickly; we were anxious to get to our next stop – Glendalough.
The sites of Glendalough
Glendalough is an ancient site from the 10th century. There is a monestary, cathedral, gravestones, and tower to see here. Just beyond is another gorgeous view of the mountains. My favourite part of this site was making a wish while placing my arms around the traditional Celtic cross. I want my wish to come true, so no sharing here!
We moved onto the Glenmacasoice Waterfall next. Because of the beautiful weather in Ireland recently, the dry spell has impacted the waterfall. The water flow was very weak, when it is usually cascading down the mountains. The girls on the tour were particularly excited for our next site – the bridge that is in the movie “P.S. I Love You.” I was surprised to see how small the bridge extends. Underneath the bridge is where water is taken to brew Guinness. Some of us took a gulp to taste!
Our last stops were to Oscar Wilde’s cottage and Lower Lough Bray. Wilde’s cottage was adorable and colourful, as if it should be a painting. The Lower Lough Bray has hosted several Vogue photo shoots. Again, a fact that mostly appealed to the females on tour. We created our own craic and did a little photo shoot ourselves!
Stormont Parliamentary Building
The following weekend, our program made the trip to Belfast specifically for our Irish History Course. Our first stop was Stormont, the Northern Ireland Parliament building. Atop a hill, the building is beautiful with a strong historical presence. As soon as you enter, the hall is decorated with gorgeous chandeliers, and eclectic colors. The ceiling paint is brilliant. It’s amazing that it has never been painted for retouching since the building opened in 1932.
We were able to sit in both chambers – the House of Commons and the Senate. The Senate had red leather seating with famous paintings on the walls. Our tour guide shared that before leaving the room, people would rub the linen beside the doorway for good luck. The linen is now severly worn, but our group rubbed it for some luck as well! The House of Commons was much larger than the Senate and appeared more luxurious. The symmetry throughout the entire building is fascinating, but it is most apparent in this room.
Once our tour concluded, we were provided a light lunch of sandwiches and soup. I was able to talk to a young woman who worked at Stormont, and had previously studied abroad in Massachusetts, where I am from. It was so interesting to talk to her and hear her thoughts of my home state. We discussed the differences and similarities between the educational systems and the cultures.
Following Stormont, we were given a guided bus tour of the city of Belfast. We drove throughout the entire city, observing the political and religious murals that were done less than fifteen years ago. Even athletics were divided – Protestants played rubgy, as opposed to Catholics participating in hurling and Gaelic football. It was incredible to see the divide just within one city!
Original building dock of the Titanic
We also visited the Belfast City Hall which is beautiful from the outside! The green surrounding it is well groomed and people were lounging in the grass under the gorgeous sky. It is here that the Titanic Memorial is located. Being a big fan of the most recent Titanic film, I was very excited to see this landmark. By the end of the day, we were also able to see where the original Titanic ship was built. I cannot imagine how large the ship must have been!
Overall, my trip to Belfast was an excellent learning experience filled with history so significant to the country of Ireland. My visit to Wicklow has been by far my favourite experience in Ireland thus far. I could talk about the sights and views all day long. With only four more weeks left of my stay in Ireland, I still have so much more to see!
Kathryn would love to experience as much of Ireland as she can! If you have any suggestions or bits of advice, tweet us or facebook us! For directions to any of the above mentioned places, let findonmap.ie help you. If you’re looking to plan your own holiday around Ireland, search goldenpages.ie for local hostels, restaurants, and shops!
Oxegen is one of Ireland’s most popular outdoor festivals, featuring over 150 artists across six enormous stages. The celebration to take place at Punchestown Racecourse, Co. Kildare was recently extended to four days, starting Thursday, 8 July, and lasting until noon on Monday, 12 July. For two consecutive years, Oxegen was named the best European festival in a poll including festivals from countries such as France, Spain, and the UK. It is so hugely successful because live music is not all it has to offer. The Silent Disco and the Tribute Stage are just a couple attractions festival fans love at Oxegen. Festival food and drinks will also contribute to the unbeatable experience of Oxegen 2010.
The festival attracts about 90,000 people per day, with 80,000 of them camping overnight. If you can image, the remarkable crowds of people turns the festival upside down. No matter the weather, either rain or shine, it’s a guarantee not a single attendee will stay squeaky clean. A detailed checklist of camping and festival essentialsis here for you!
Wellies - the #1 essential at any outdoor festival
Whether you are camping out, or just staying for the day, the most important item on this checklist is wellies and one of the best and cheapest places to get them is Penneys, at only €11 they are well worth it. You will need your wellies more than you’ve ever needed them on any rainy day in Ireland. The mud can get to be knee-high height by the very first day! Don’t wear any of your best clothing; the mud will be sure to attack a spanking new shirt as soon as you arrive. Shorts may also not be a good idea to wear. You want your skin covered as much as possible without making you too warm. If you have an old pair of jeans or sweatpants, throw them on, and splash in the mud!
The weather is always unpredictable, especially over a four day span. Your best bet is to prepare for it all! This means bringing a rain jacket and waterproof wear is just as important as bringing sun tan lotion and headgear to protect you from the potentially strong rays. An umbrella can be necessary to keep the rain off your BBQ site or to keep you dry in food queues, but make sure to stash it away during the concerts. It gets in the way, and the people around you will be sure to destroy it.
Mud wrestling - it happens.
Hygene is not a priority this weekend, but it should not be completely forgotten. Sanitary wipes are easy to pack and come in good use to wipe off your face, hands, and body of excess dirt and germs. A small towel is also a smart pack, to dry yourself off, or to sit on at your site. Travel size soaps, shampoos, conditioners, toothbrushes, and deoderants can be purchased at any local supermarket. They are light and convenient, and most definitely needed at Oxegen! If you have a large group with you, try to share as many things as you can and feel comfortable doing, like toothpaste for example. There are sinks, showers, and toilets, but expect the queues to be long. Bringing your own roll of toilet paper wouldn’t hurt – the toilets often run out, and it’s just another way to clean yourself. You’ll attempt to do a lot of that!
Oxegen is an event you will remember for the rest of your life, but wouldn’t you like some assistance keeping it in your memory? Don’t forget your camera, and most importantly, make certain it is fully charged! If you’d prefer to capture the sites and sounds combined, a video camera or recorder will do just as well. The only other electronic piece you will need is your mobile phone. You do not want to get lost from your friends and have no way of communicating with them, or not be able to send a quick picture message home to mum!
Hold up your lighters, and sway with the crowd
Torches will help you light your way around the venue, or back to your tent in the early morning hours. Lighters are also traditional festival items, if not for lighting your grill or cigarettes, but to light and wave to the beat of your favourite song. By dark, you could be getting a feel of the traditional festival tummy. Don’t let that hold you back from having fun! Chemists will help you prevent or eliminate any sicknesses (or just sore heads) while at Oxegen.
Now, how are you going to carry all of these items? A small backpack is the best option. Rolling suitcases and big duffel bags are always regretted items by past Oxegen attendees. The wheels are impossible to manoeuvre in the mud, and large bags are a hassle to carry.
It's worth it!
For the dedicated festival fans that are brave enough to camp out for the weekend, there are several more items you must bring with you. Tents of all sizes are available for groups of two to fifteen people. If you disappointingly find a hole in your tent, gaffa tape is the most effective way to patch it up. Sleeping on the fabric of a tent will not do for a good night’s sleep. A sleeping bag is vital to get the rest needed to rage for the entire weekend. If you can manage, leave your pillow at home. Insect repellent is especially crucial if staying overnight. Roughing it in the outdoors is part of the unbeatable Oxegen experience!
This checklist is not only a reference for Oxegen, but any outdoor festival! Other upcoming festivals include Castlepalooza on the 31st of July and Electric Picnic on 3 September. Castlepalooza takes place in Charleville Castle in Tullamore, giving its guests a royal experience with access to art exhibitions, workshops, and a day spa. Stradbally Hall Estate located in the centre of Stradbally, Co. Laois will host Electric Picnic until 5 September. Both shows have incredible line ups and many other attractions to add to the festivals’ celebrations!
The festival experience
If we forgot an essential item on this check list, tweet us or facebook us and let us know! For directions to a festival venue, search findonmap.ie. Enjoy any and all of the festivals you are attending this summer!
(3 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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So don’t worry, once you’ve submitted your entry, we have it. You’ll see it here on Tuesday.
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
