Tibradden Mountain Trail is that nice mix of being doable when slightly hungover, having planned nothing AND rewarding with a sense of having actually done something with your weekend. Win. Shoes? I wouldn’t wear Converse but you’ll get away without boots. Map? It’s well marked so you’re probably okay, but Sheet 50 OSI if you […]

8 years ago

Maybe it’s just me, but this ad just doesn’t seem to have enjoyed the same ubiquity this year as it has in the past. Can we please reinstate it to its former glory? Pretty please? No? Okay, fine, we’ll just watch it on repeat on YouTube forever and ever. Hmph. READ NEXT: 13 Stages Of […]

8 years ago

If tea is the new coffee (which was, confusingly, once the new tea), then there are few better places to be right now than Dublin – the days of Barry’s vs Lyons are long over, as greens, mints, matchas and fruity brews all vie for our attention. Every week we choose one tea, in one […]

8 years ago

What does the D in DART stand for?  That’s right… Don’t mention County Wicklow. Nonetheless, we’re focusing this week on the fantastic Bray to Greystones cliff walk – an absolute classic, with the advantage of being able to get the train back, so you can keep walking for longer without having to turn around. Shoes? […]

8 years ago

Fans of Saba, you’re in for a serious treat – the team are opening up a new branch on Upper Baggot Street within the next week. An expansion described as “10 years in the making”, it’s very much a continuation of the restaurant’s Clarendon Street branch – the team of 30 includes seven who have worked in the […]

9 years ago

The Ark Your first stop for entertaining kids of all ages, even the adult ones. Workshops, tours, plays, events, exhibitions, music, art and performance: as they say themselves, there’s always something going on at The Ark. Tickets are pretty reasonably priced (about €12), with discounts for groups. Abracadabra School for Creative Kids Staying creative, […]

9 years ago

We’re supposed to relax and unwind during our lunch breaks – and yet most of us, if we leave our desks at all, just pop down to the nearest deli with our colleagues and never stop talking shop along the way. There are few better ways to shake off the worries of the day than […]

10 years ago

Ingredients Yoghurt Blueberries Mixed Nuts Raw Honey Coconut Oil Bee Pollen (optional health kick extra) This tastes like such a treat, you’ll feel like you’re having dessert instead of breakfast. – and better again, if you use coconut yoghurt then you have a paleo friendly meal! Perfect if you’re trying to stay healthy this week […]

10 years ago

Lovin Dublin, the promoter, states the following: 1. Prize draw entry is chosen through the completion of Lovin Dublin task, detailed at the page linked here. 2. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter the prize draw. 3. Only one entry per person is permitted. In the event that Lovin Dublin […]

10 years ago

Every week, we bring you your cheat-sheet to tonight’s pub conversations – the hot topics that you just know are going to come up, and how you can bluff your way through them even if you haven’t been following the news (or the internet) too closely this week… Tayto’s Crisp Sambo Shop (Part 1) Mr […]

10 years ago

Ingredients 40g butter, crushed 400g button mushrooms, roughly chopped 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic 3 tsp thyme Salt and pepper 300ml milk 100ml cream Bread of choice Now for a revelation in toast-based meals. This recipe is as simple as they get and the flavour is to die for. This may not […]

10 years ago

Afraid a meal out will ruin your weight loss efforts before you even get past your starter? We can help! We want you to eat out and lose weight, too, so we’ve compiled this list of tips to help you navigate the menu options at your favourite restaurants. Read our tips below, then go out […]

10 years ago

You know what’s the best thing since sliced bread? Sliced bread with crisps in the middle, obviously. And that’s exactly what’s on offer from the Tayto pop-up café on Wicklow Street, which opened at noon today and will open from 12-7pm each day until St Patrick’s Day. The menu here isn’t exactly extensive at […]

10 years ago

Oh Vincent, you never fail to amuse us. On last night’s Tonight With Vincent Browne (TV3), the veteran presenter was joined by Gerry Beades of the New Land League… and when things began to get a bit heated between the two, he started to display the form that makes him one of the most beloved […]

10 years ago

A few months back, a pair of Irish twins made headlines all over the world when they opened the world’s first cereal café in London. And shortly afterwards, it was Belfast’s turn to grab the spotlight after after a crisp sandwich café opened in the city centre – an idea so great, in fact, […]

10 years ago

If you’re looking for one thing to do tonight… The Collaborations 2015 series in Smock Alley is now in full swing, and tonight you can catch the excellent ‘Scars’. Written by Amilia Stewart and Peter Williams, it focuses on three psychiatric patients who are attempting to escape their dark and twisted pasts through the medium […]

10 years ago

My mother once walked into a hotel bar in West Cork, and placed a fairly straightforward order: two glasses of wine for herself and my dad, and two oranges for 10-year-old me and my young sister. Of course, rather than the two bottles of Fanta we were expecting, the waitress emerged carrying two pieces of […]

10 years ago

… and you’ve probably never heard of him. Habib Koite, guitarist, composer, singer and all-round legend, plays the National Concert Hall tonight as part of the Waltons World Masters series – and if you appreciate the art of guitar music, it’s one you absolutely can’t miss. The Malian master will be flanked by a full […]

10 years ago

People are just obsessed with new things. It’s why we spend the first years of our lives with a permanent look of wide-eyed wonder on our little faces, as we witness everything for the first time, then grow into adults who spend hundreds of thousands of hours per year watching videos of gadgets being unboxed […]

10 years ago

Stuck for something to do this Monday evening? Well you already know that from music to theatre, and from comedy to art and beyond, the city is never short on great things to do – that’s why we bring you our daily pick every evening, to help you cut through all the noise and find […]

10 years ago

There’s nothing like a big national event to bring the country together, get everyone out and shouting for a shared cause – and they don’t get much bigger than Ireland vs England. However, as the crowd size increases, so too does the likelihood of hearing clichés, platitudes and morsels of sheer idiocy from those around […]

10 years ago

Those of you with busy, active lifestyles will know the value of a batch cook – an hour and a half on Sunday evening cooking for the week ahead can save a world of pain during the evenings that lie ahead. Just dip into the fridge or freezer, grab a portion and tuck into something […]

10 years ago

It’s arguably the greatest television show of all time – I only say ‘arguably’ there because I feel I have to – and today, fans of The West Wing here in Dublin have received some pretty amazing news. No, there’s not going to be a new season (we wouldn’t want that anyway) and no, there’s […]

10 years ago

Alley Cat knows exactly what it’s doing. Perched on the corner of Church Lane and Ann Street, and decked out with red canopies and a stylish wooden hoarding, it’s clear that this American-style diner goes far beyond red leather seats and retro jukeboxes. And while our diners here in Dublin stay open until late to […]

10 years ago

The most difficult thing about simplicity is sticking to your guns. Restaurants might love the idea of taking a minimalist approach – focusing on just one thing, and doing it really, really well – but there’s something in the human mind that causes us to gravitate towards bells, whistles and add-ons we don’t really need. […]

10 years ago

Just under a year ago, Niall Harbison made a fairly bold declaration on these pages: that Super Miss Sue, the then-brand new seafood restaurant on Drury Street, was the best restaurant in Dublin. Not the best seafood restaurant, he said. Not even the best new restaurant. Just the best. It’s a massive claim, and one […]

10 years ago

As you may have noticed, the Lovin Dublin team have relocated to Belfast for the week, checking out the sights, sounds, steaks, burgers and cocktails of the Northern capital. Obviously, discovering a new city is not something to be undertaken alone… so we put out a call for help. Our Belfast crew are on the […]

10 years ago

The first thing I overheard upon arriving in Belfast was “I wouldn’t say I’m an art dealer, but I wouldn’t say I’m a jeweller either. I’m somewhere between, in a contemporary sense.” Yup, she really said that. I’m not entirely sure what the last bit means… but she said it. Now look, I’m not immune […]

10 years ago

Okay, if you don’t like spoilers – or if you haven’t read The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling – I recommend you stop reading right now. Instead, allow me to suggest that you check out Niall’s fantastic Super Spicy Chicken Zinger Burger recipe, or maybe catch up on our most popular posts of this week. […]

10 years ago

At Lovin Dublin, we love finding the best ways to bring content to our expanding audience – and whether that’s foodie pics snapped with an iPhone, a compilation of snappily written mini-reviews, a list, a no-holds-barred opinion piece, or a professionally shot video from one of our live events, we’re constantly on the lookout for […]

10 years ago

Earlier this week we launched an offer for our readers to avail of 2 hours free cleaning from Hassle.com. This got us thinking, if you had someone to clean your house each week, what would you do with the time you got back? Instead of cleaning, dusting and hoovering there’s so many great things you […]

10 years ago

Well hello there. You’re either here because you caved, and are now begging for our help – or because you confidently breezed your way through our quiz, and now you want to prove how bloody fantastic you are. Either way, welcome. Here are the answers you so desperately crave. 1.  Not that you needed any […]

10 years ago

The Grand Canal connects Dublin to the Shannon and dates back as far as the 18th Century. It’s a fantastic feat of engineering when you think about it but my favourite thing about it was probably the easiest part of it to make, the towpath. Before barges could power themselves they had to be pulled […]

10 years ago

It’s easy to get bogged down in the daily grind and miss the stories that are going on around us – but fear not! Thanks to our handy guide to this week’s hot topics, you’ll never be left out of the loop. Ursula Halligan TV3’s political editor came out as a gay woman in an […]

10 years ago

The Lovin Group is growing! We’ve recently kicked off a super-exciting project to provide online content for a well known fashion retailer – and of course, this will be about far more than just clothes. It will touch on all aspects of lifestyle, including celebrity news, entertainment, beauty, television, cinema, parenting and much more. And […]

10 years ago

Well, nobody saw this one coming. Police in South Tyrone are hunting what they believe to be a ‘small Kangaroo’, which was spotted last night on the road between Moy and Dungannon. The mysterious marsupial, which may come from one of the many visitor farms in the area that have wallabies among their attractions, has […]

10 years ago

So, you thought it was hard to find a room to rent in Dublin, did you? Thought that queuing around corners to view hot properties was degrading? Didn’t like being asked to fill out a form covering your interests, and consenting in writing to vacate your property whenever your roommate had meetings of his secret […]

10 years ago

There’s a piece of technology that’s changing the world, and we don’t even know it’s happening. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope… it’s a drone. And whether it’s ecommerce deliveries to your doorstep, beautiful sweeping landscape photography or sporting espionage, there seems to be no end to the ways in which enterprising […]

10 years ago

Earlier this morning, we told you about an incident that happened over the weekend at Ka Shing on Wicklow Street, in which nine lobsters were picked from the restaurant’s tank and released back into the ocean. The National Animal Rights Association said it carried out the act out of “compassion”, however gardaí have apparently been […]

10 years ago

The practice of cooking live lobsters has long been one that’s made people uncomfortable – but this group of activists took things a step further, when they entered a restaurant on Wicklow Street and took nine of the creatures from the tank. The National Animal Rights Association claimed responsibility for the daring prison break at […]

10 years ago

It’s no surprise that there are dozens of myths circulating about caffeine. After all, it accounts for a staggering 32% of our drinks market – and like any drug, it has a wide range of interconnected and sometimes almost contradictory effects on our bodies. So does it make you more or less tired? More or […]

10 years ago

In 10 words Tasty, no-nonsense Mexican from a truck in a graffitied garage. Where? Though it’s not in the most heavily trafficked of neighbourhoods, K Chido is easy enough to find. It’s on Chancery Street in Dublin 7, right on the Luas Red Line and just behind the Four Courts. Who? When I’m there on […]

10 years ago

From finding out how to get around, checking out the city’s art and events, or discovering nuggets of history and places you never knew about, there are few better companions than your trusty smartphone. Here are 16 apps you absolutely need if you live in Dublin. Dublin Bus/Irish Rail/Journey Planner We’ll start with the basics. […]

10 years ago

Welcome to Cruagh Wood – a super spot to get access to the open hills. A few minutes out of your car, and suddenly you’re in a Bronte novel. Sure where else would ye get it? Shoes? With drainage like this you’ll get away without your boots. Unless you want to press on a little […]

10 years ago

It’s all too easy to get bogged down in the daily grind and miss the stories that are going on around us – but fear not, you won’t be left out of the loop, thanks to our handy guide to this week’s hot topics. This epic burn from JK Rowling When a Twitter user, seemingly […]

10 years ago

In 10 Words Cracking traditional grub, perfect for when Ranelagh’s all booked up. Where? Peperina Garden Bistro. Beside Morton’s supermarket, just a stone’s throw from Beechwood Luas stop. Not that anybody does be throwing stones in this part of town, mind. Its proximity to Ranelagh village, which offers an embarrassment of riches when it comes […]

10 years ago

Nobody saw this one coming. We’ve all watched McDonald’s try to appear more healthy over the last decade, distancing itself from obesity and supersized fries in favour of salad bars and portion control – and for the most part, they’ve managed to move in the right direction. Their latest menu addition, however, is as sure […]

10 years ago

The presenter of RTÉ’s only LGBT programme has left the station, due to restrictions placed upon the show’s content that he said made his job “close to impossible”. Scott de Búitléir, presenter of The Cosmo on RTÉ Digital, made the announcement on his blog today – bringing his seven-year run on the programme to an […]

10 years ago

To look at polling, at commentary on social media and even at the mainstream media, it feels very much like the outcome of the Marriage Equality Referendum is a foregone conclusion. But despite the Yes campaign’s dominance to date, there’s been no shortage of reminders that the No side won’t give up without a fight […]

10 years ago

What am I drinking? A Japanese sencha makinohara. (If you can’t say it, just point to it on the menu.) Where am I drinking it? Clement & Pekoe, an established favourite for both coffee and tea lovers. Quiet with faux-rustic wooden tables, this is a really pleasant spot in the city centre, with high-quality drinks […]

10 years ago