Hi there, reader. As today is St Patrick’s Day, we have a few questions we’d like to ask you in order to ascertain whether or not you are a snake. While there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers here, per se, we will be documenting all responses and reporting incidents of snakehood to our patron saint.  He […]

9 years ago

It’s been a part of the village for as long as any of us can remember – but the Spar in Ranelagh, on the corner with Chelmsford Road opposite Dillingers, is no more. It closed earlier this week after 25 years of service, according to a notice posted in the window, after its lease came to an […]

9 years ago

It’s sunny. It’s Thursday. It’s time. Sure, it could be a little bit warmer out there – but who knows when we’re going to see a cloudless sky again? Get in. 10. Blackbird Beautiful décor, a fantastic selection of drinks and a top location make Blackbird a great meeting spot – and topping it all off is […]

9 years ago

The #BeingIrishMeans hashtag has kept Twitter hopping over the last 24 hours, with a mixture of shrewd observations, withering cynicism and – most of all – an assortment of recycled jokes from a 15-year-old Tommy Tiernan routine. And immersions. So, so many mentions of immersions. As a nation, we seem to have an odd fixation on […]

9 years ago

Sorry to be throwing such a divisive spanner in the works on this peaceful St Paddy’s Eve, but this is important. As the nation prepares to unite in celebration of our patron saint – we mean St Patrick himself, not alcohol, for what it’s worth – we need to know what the most appropriate way […]

9 years ago

If you head in to watch the parade tomorrow, you’re likely to be greeted with a sea of colour, activity, music, dance and sheer creativity.  But in the fledgling Irish state – which was only one year on from severing the majority of its ties with the British Crown, as well as introducing the Constitution – […]

9 years ago

The Luas strike tomorrow has been called off, it was confirmed this afternoon. Details are emerging from the WRC, where talks between officials from Transdev and Siptu were taking place, and it appears that the move is a ‘gesture of goodwill’ from drivers towards the public. So while it will come as a massive relief to Dubliners […]

9 years ago

It’s easy to forget that Dublin is a treasure trove of trivia, hidden gems and long-lost stories – particularly as we get caught up in the daily hustle and bustle of city life. But a new book, which hits the shelves today, should help us rediscover the low-key beauty all over again. Dublin Strolls is written […]

9 years ago

Last summer, in the hot and heady days running up to the historical Marriage Equality Referendum, we held a very special competition. We asked the LGBTQ members of our community to tell us their love stories, in return for the most special prize of all: an all-expenses paid wedding reception in the slick surrounds of the […]

9 years ago

It’s fair to say that, a lot of the time, Instagram is a foreign country – and some of the most used hashtags seem to mean, well, not very much at all. So much so that it can be tough to get a read on what anyone’s even talking about. Take, for example, #IIFYM. If […]

9 years ago

You might not know the name, but you’ve almost definitely seen his work – Rob Stears is the top-notch comedian and cartoonist behind this cartoon that shattered all our little hearts after Frank Kelly died. His Instagram account is an absolute treasure trove of cracking gags, and is well worth a follow. Most recently, he’s […]

9 years ago

If you’re a lover of good coffee in Dublin, you’re probably familiar with Rashel Winn. She’s the cheery Seattle native who you’ll normally see whipping up magical creations behind the counter at The Fumbally – a seriously sound individual who’s never too busy for the chats, no matter how manic things are around her. What you might not have realised, however, […]

9 years ago

This place is unreal. We’re not going to go into too much detail, because it only opened tonight and it’s still finding its feet – but we headed down to check it out, and here’s what we do know: It’s called Zozimus (see, we don’t miss a trick); It’s named after a blind Dublin-born ballad-singer, from the early […]

9 years ago

It’s an institution of Irish life rivalled in importance only by Bosco and Barry’s Tea. But without so much as a cursory consultation to the rest of the nation, Bus Éireann have changed the iconic *beep* Stand Clear, Luggage Doors Operating *boop* voice. And worse again, this has been slowly creeping into the system since late last […]

9 years ago

We all know that food is a crucial part of any post-work pints experience. Thankfully we’re fairly spoilt for choice when it comes to decent bars with decent grub in this city – but we all love to try something new once in a while, and the new food menu at Against The Grain fits that […]

9 years ago

Right here, on the pages of this website, we do our best to parade the virtues of what is – for the most part – a truly wonderful city. There’s energy, there’s creativity, there are amazing individuals doing a lot with very little, and there’s a collective brilliance to the sum of all these efforts. […]

9 years ago

Boy, have we got a very special Friday treat for you. Thanks to our pals in Jameson, we’ve got two tickets to the most hotly anticipated gig of the year up for grabs – Kodaline, Walking on Cars, Little Hours and July Talk next Wednesday in the Academy, as part of the Jameson Bow St Sessions. […]

9 years ago

If you’ve got a slow cooker, there’s a good chance it’s been sitting there gathering dust in your kitchen cupboard. Now, however, is the time to change that. Why? Because the slow cooker has magic powers; including the ability to make ANY aul’ eejit seem like an dab hand in the kitchen – without using any sauces, jars […]

9 years ago

No joke, I actually felt the need to examine this video super-closely to ensure that it wasn’t some sort of CGI trickery. But alas, it’s totally legit. It shows a seal in Wicklow town hopping out of the harbour, crossing the road towards a fishmonger (while observing the safe cross code), then being fended off by a […]

9 years ago

Remember this video? If you’re a long-time reader of Lovin Dublin, you probably do; it was our most popular post of last year, and we can still remember how pumped we felt ahead of St Patrick’s Day upon seeing it for the first time. Now would be a good time to re-watch it.  You’re welcome.

9 years ago

Nobody panic.  But really, do panic. Because Little Ass on Dawson Street are giving away free burritos right this very minute. Right this very minute.  There’s a crowd assembling, but get there fast and your day will become instantly better. The restaurant was briefly closed over a health scare last month, but is back in action now […]

9 years ago

Sometimes we’re seriously in the mood for something massive; something indulgent, something naughty and something that will rule us out of the gym for the evening. Other times, though, we just want something tasty to nibble on and tide us over for the rest of the day. If that’s your bag today, then you could […]

9 years ago

You’ve probably walked past it a million times, but never dared to venture down the steps. Well if you haven’t, that’s a habit you need to break today – Dolce Sicily on Dawson Street does some pretty special things with the humble panini (yes, we know it’s technically called a panino, but we’re succumbing to the […]

9 years ago

You have to be some prick to dump your household rubbish on the street. I mean, throwing a crisp bag on the ground is bad enough. But leaving an entire bag of rubbish out on the streets to be picked apart by cats and foxes and ruining the city for everyone? Prickish. Utterly, utterly prickish. So, […]

9 years ago

Earlier this evening, we ran an article on the site written by Columb Fogarty – a writer who is currently homeless, living in a ‘shelter pod’ on Molesworth Street. You can read it here. The box was one of four installed by Gimme Shelter Ireland, in part to raise awareness in the run-up to the General Election, […]

9 years ago

Every foodie in Dublin knows Asador on Haddington Road to be a solid spot for a great feed. The grill menu is one of the best of its kind in Dublin, the service is excellent and the location is second to none – you’d be hard pressed to find someone with negative things to say about […]

9 years ago

Every office in Ireland has its fair share of weather talk – and here in the Lovin Group, we’re no different. The only difference is that our colleagues in Dubai generally enjoy stone-splitting sunshine while we toil away in this wonderful but rainy city – and so these chats on Slack do tend to make those of […]

9 years ago

Ever order a takeaway, anticipate it eagerly for 40 minutes, immerse yourself in the smell when it arrives – then finally sit down to eat, only to have the experience RUINED by your dog who just WON’T STOP staring at you with THOSE BEAUTIFUL SAD EYES? Yeah, you know what you’re doing dogs. You know damn well, you perfect, gorgeous, evil creatures. […]

9 years ago

Sometimes you just need a ludicrously large, unhealthy, indulgent, delicious feed. Sometimes you need to forget about being healthy, ignore the gym class you have booked for later in the day, and succumb to the carbohydrate craving that’s imposed itself upon you because you’ve left it too late to get lunch. That’s what I did […]

9 years ago

You know that feeling where you’d do absolutely anything for a coffee? As in, anything? Yeah, that.  This video from Vimeo newcomers orderofanchovy is simple, but absolutely brilliant. And an oddly terrifying insight into what the world will probably look like some day soon… Thanks Brian Ewan O’Brien

9 years ago

Let’s face it: you deserve a break. And not just that, but you deserve some pretty amazing food, a couple of top-notch drinks and some gorgeous surroundings to boot. Well you’re in luck – because over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, the Galway Food Festival is setting up shop in the Capital of the Wesht. […]

9 years ago

Remember the recession? Those dark days where we had no jobs, no hope, and we all had to make do with plain, non-artisan chocolate that didn’t even have our names inscribed on it in gold? Well we have good news for you: as of today, that era is finally at an end. And how do we know?  Mainly because Brown […]

9 years ago

We’re growing! Yaaaay! The Lovin Group is seeking an applicant who can work with our editorial teams, video production unit and clients to deliver world-class digital content, from pics to gifs and from graphics to video and everything in between. The role will involve: Editing video, images, gifs, memes and audio; Distribution of said media across […]

9 years ago

The Lovin Group is expanding! By the end of May we will be live in four cities, with many more to come throughout the rest of 2016. And so we’re going to need someone to help keep things in order. So what’s involved? This role will involved liaising with stakeholders in the various cities and delivering our […]

9 years ago

We’ve got one of the most exciting foodie scenes in the world right here in Dublin – sure we all know that, right? Well, if food and drink is your industry then that means you’ll never be short of opportunities here. So we’ve partnered with Jobbio to separate the signal from the noise, and bring […]

9 years ago

Well this is a relief. The Luas strike that threatened to cripple the city next Tuesday has been called off – but only temporarily, so that talks can take place. It’s an important breakthrough in the negotiations between workers’ union SIPTU and Luas operator Transdev, however, and we’re all hoping it paves the way for an end […]

9 years ago

This may make you a bit mad. Eileen Kearney-O’Toole shared this post earlier this week to highlight the plight of her young son Dylan – and so far, it’s been shared just shy of 1,000 times. After being diagnosed with juvenile arthritis, Dylan was referred to Tallaght hospital for treatment, she explained. Then, she got this […]

9 years ago

We wrote earlier on about these seriously interesting statistics behind 1916, which have just been released by the CSO. One of the most fascinating parts of all, though, was the analysis of most popular boy and girl names from 1911 and 2014.  In short, we’ve become a lot more diverse – ie, we no longer have a […]

9 years ago

If you’re into eating clean – and lean – then you’ll know turkey is a winner. It’s packed with protein, low in fats and it’s one of the most cost-effective ways to onboard some serious protein after an equally serious workout.  And given nobody these days has the time to go to the shops four […]

9 years ago

You know it’s almost summer when we get talking about festivals. And in the last few minutes, the biggest line-up of them all has just gone public: Electric Picnic 2016. The main attraction is undoubtedly LCD Soundsystem – but the headliners also include Chemical Brothers, Lana Del Ray, Glass Animals, Super Furry Animals and festival staples New Order. Other highlights […]

9 years ago

Ireland, unsurprisingly, was a very different place back in 1916. And while there’s been no shortage of movies, documentaries, mini-series, books and websites to showcase this shift in society, very few have access to the same breadth of information as the Central Statistics Office. The newly unveiled section on their website, Life in 1916 Ireland: Stories […]

9 years ago

It’s easy to sometimes forget that we live in a very, very special city. Not for Brisbane native Belinda Dore, however – who spent the last year falling head over heels in love with Dublin, only to have to reluctantly return Down Under once her visa expired last month. Thankfully she managed to channel her […]

9 years ago

Like pretty much everyone in Ireland, we were gutted today to hear of the passing of Frank Kelly. Not only was he one of Ireland’s finest actors, comics and all-round personalities – but he was also the man who brought the unforgettable Father Jack Hackett to life during the 1990s. But let it never be said that his […]

9 years ago

We love new openings in Dublin more than pretty much anything in the world. And they don’t come much newer than JT Pim’s – an old-timey but highly polished spot that’s opened in the last 24 hours on the site formerly occupied by Shebeen Chic.  With a specialist gin bar downstairs, and a selection of craft […]

9 years ago

The General Election isn’t the only thing Irish people will be keeping an eye on this weekend – and nor is the England vs Ireland match. The Oscars are taking place on Sunday night in Los Angeles, and it sure has been quite some time since the ceremony held quite so much Irish interest. That […]

9 years ago

Tech website Business Insider has become a must-read for tech aficionados and those who like to stay on top of the financial world – and has produced some excellent pieces of work in its short lifetime. But this article is not one of those articles. And the reaction it’s prompted across the world has been utterly […]

9 years ago

Look, we’re not perfect. And we never claimed to be. We regularly do things that, according to the Great Rulebook of Life, are technically verboten; and what’s more, we know you do too. But that’s okay. You’re among friends here. 1. Eating a whole ‘share’ pack of sweets Alone. When your chocolate claims to be a ‘share bag’. pic.twitter.com/bNnurzKNQo […]

9 years ago

We know, we know; some of you have already read this headline and thought: ‘Do they really need to tell us that?’ But following the huge raft of newly registered voters during last year’s referendum, tomorrow will be the first time several people vote in a General Election – and while it really is a straightforward […]

9 years ago

Thousands of Irish hearts were broken over the last few weeks, as the tight ticket allocation for Euro 2016 ran dry unexpectedly quickly – and summer holiday plans were suddenly shelved for huge swathes of football fans. But there’s some good news today: all hope is not lost. Following the Irish Sun’s revelation that Belgium were granted an […]

9 years ago

We all know you’re technically not ‘supposed’ to leave your electric blanket overnight – in the same way as you’re not ‘supposed’ to use unblockers on Netflix or you’re not ‘supposed’ to make babies eat lemons just to see their facial reactions. These pictures, however, show that is is one warning that should probably be taken […]

9 years ago