It's hard to know where to start when you are trying to describe what makes Dublin great but the people over at 98FM are giving it a good go.
The radio station is celebrating the capital's finest and has shortlisted places and people for the upcoming Best of Dublin Awards at Dublin Castle.
From Best Bar And Restaurant to Best Taxi Driver and Barber, the 'Best Of Dublin' awards celebrate all that’s just downright fecking fantastic in our capital city.
Now in its fifth year, a whopping 25,000 nominations were received from Dubliners across the city looking to champion their favourite hidden gems, people and businesses.
Award categories cover all the best services Dublin has to offer, including local legends, favourite food and drink venues, best butcher and breakfast and even the best bus driver.
This year’s finalists include local community heroes like Dave Horan from Finglas Fire Station, as well as high profile Dubliners such as Dublin Footballer Con O’Callaghan and blogger Sarah Hanrahan.
Five deserving nominees were shortlisted in each of the 16 categories, and one from each will be crowned the Best of Dublin at an awards ceremony on the 31st of May in Royal Hospital Kilmainham.
Without further delay, here is a full list of awards to be won and the nominees:
Best Breakfast
- The Hazel House, Tibradden, Rathfarnham
- Reeds On The River, Lucan
- The Vanilla Pod Eatery, Carrickmines
- Green Straw Swords
- The Wooden Spoon Blackrock
Best Takeaway
- Koba Portmarnock
- The 9th Lough Take Away Clondalkin
- Angelo's Poppintree, Ballymun
- Saba To Go
- Silvio's Templeogue
Best Coffee
- Fonte, Parliament St
- The Grind Howth
- Happy Out Bull Island
- The Lighthouse Cherrywood
- Killiney Hill Tea Rooms
Best Restaurant
- Little Venice Santry
- Rubys Swords & Point Village
- Scotch Bonnet Malahide
- Pomodorino Swords
- Wishbone, Montague St, D2
Best Shop
- Designer Exchange, Dawson St
- Liberty Party Shop, Cork St
- Professional Dry Cleaners Ballybrack & Ballycullen
- The Snuff Box Glasnevin/Ballymun
- The Fabric Counter, Smithfield
Best Salon
- Lightwave Swords
- Hessions Drumcondra
- Mane Hair Swords
- Polished Glasnevin
- JC Hair & Make Up, Buckingham St, D1
Best Barber
- Harte's Barber Glasnevin
- Gents & Co, Cabra
- Old County Barbers, Crumlin
- DK Barbers Citywest
- Ridgeways Barbers
Best Butcher
- Dowlings Rathmines
- Jamie Murphy SuperValu Lucan
- Little Pace Butchers Clonee
- The Butcher's Kitchen Tallaght
- The Village Butcher Ranelagh
Best Gym
- PT360 Blanchardstown
- Bodynamics, Santry
- Byrne Fit Newcastle
- FBT Coolock & Swords
- Insanity Fit Zone
Best Bar
- Two Sisters, Terenure
- Peader Brown's, Clanbrasil St
- The Clonsilla Inn
- The Graduate, Killiney
- Kennedy's Thomas Street
Best Taxi Driver
- Brendan Fox
- Dickie Walsh
- Paul Cullen
- Tommy Larkin
- Gerry Fallon
Best Bus Driver
- Martin Peel - Route 41 on Dublin Bus
- Niall Byrne - Route 16 on Dublin Bus
- Cillian Macbradaigh - Dublin Bus Tours
- Derek Holland - Route 120 on Dublin Bus
- Gerard Hardiman - Route 42 on Dublin Bus
Dublin Hero
- Michael Cardiff - St John's Ambulance & Paramedic
- Michelle Conroy - Crumlin A&E
- Des Mulreany - Paramedic
- Dave Horan - Finglas Fire Station
- Colin Nugent - Dublin Fire Brigade
Dublin Sports Person
- David O'Connor Shelbourne FC
- Con O'Callaghan (Cuala & Dublin) Hurling
- Lauren Magee Reilly Dublin LFGA
- Liam Hand (MMA, Crumlin)
- Caradh O'Donovan (Kick boxing)
Best Sports Club
- Cabra Boxing Club
- Corduff FC.
- St Patrick's Rowing Club, Ringsend
- Lourdes Celtic Football Club, Crumlin
- St Mary's GAA Saggart
Best Dub
- Anthony Flynn - Inner City Helping Homeless
- Sarah Hanrahan - I Come Undone (Blogger)
- Michael (Mick) Daly - Cystic Fibrosis
- Colm Fogarty, Bridges Of Hope
- Dermot Richardson, Tallaght Adventure World
You can vote for your favourites at www.98fm.com/bestofdublin and if you want more information, 98FM will be providing regular updates on the awards.
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