How to Get to Dun Laoghaire

By Air: RyanAir (www.ryanair.com) is probably the cheapest airline. Flights are available from many parts of the UK and Europe. Be warned: the cheap flights fill up fast, so book early. You can book RyanAir flights online at www.ryanair.com. While RyanAir is usually the cheapest, other airlines such as Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.ie) and British Airways (www.britishairways.com) often offer competitive deals such two for the price of one.

When you get to Dublin Airport, get a bus or taxi to the city. A taxi will cost about IR£12 to Dublin or IR£20 to Dun Laoghaire, but if you’re in a group it could be worth it for the hassle it saves.

If you don’t fancy spending that much, you can take the Aerdart. This is a new bus service that operates from the airport to Howth Junction DART station, where you can get a train to Dun Laoghaire. The company has negotiated a through ticketing service with Irish Rail. Tell the bus driver you are going to Dun Laoghaire and he will issue you a IR£4 ticket.

Dublin Bus (www.dublinbus.ie) operates a number of services, only one of which is direct to Dun Laoghaire. The 746 costs £2 but it is not an express service, which is why it’s only IR£2. The 747 and 748 are express services, which is why they cost IR£3 but only go as far as the city centre. Both services stop in O’Connell Street. However the 746 also serves Connolly Station and Busaras while the 748 stops at Tara Street DART station and Heuston (though why you would want to go to Heuston Station to get to Octocon is beyond me).

The Aircoach is a privately run express service. It costs £4 and also calls at a number of hotels on the south side of the city including Jurys, Bewleys, The Four Seasons and The Burlington. The Aircoach runs every 15 minutes. (www.aircoach.ie) Be careful to get on the right one. Aircoach also offers a service to the International Financial Services centre which you don’t want to catch.

Before you leave Dublin Airport make sure you pick a map of Dublin from the Bord Fáilte Tourist Office (www.ireland.travel.ie).

See below for instructions for getting from Dublin city centre to Dun Laoghaire.

By Bus and Ferry: Overnight or daytime for £30-£40 return from Liverpool, Birmingham, London, Leeds or Manchester. You can get the Stena Line (www.stenaline.co.uk) ferry straight to Dun Laoghaire, about a 10-minute walk from the convention.

By Rail and Ferry: From anywhere in England or Wales via Holyhead (straight to Dun Laoghaire) for around £49 day or night. The HSS ferry on this route is highly recommended for around £59. Form Scotland via Stranrar and Belfast for about £50-£58. All of these should be bookable at your local railway station.

By Car and Ferry: From many parts of England and Wales it makes sense to drive to Hollyhead and take the Stena Line (www.stenaline.co.uk) ferry straight to Dun Laoghaire. With prices from £200 for a car and 4 people, this can work out quite cheap, even allowing for petrol. And if you stay a few days after the convention, a car is very handy for taking in a bit of the beautiful Irish countryside.

From most parts of Ireland getting to Dublin shouldn’t be a problem. Trains (www.irishrail.ie) or buses (www.buseireann.ie) are available from most parts.

When you get to Dublin, getting to Dun Laoghaire is easy. You can get a DART train (www.irishrail.ie) from Connelly Station or Tara Street Station to Dun Laoghaire. Alternatively, get any of the 7, 7A or 8 bus routes from Burgh Quay (opposite Liberty Hall, to Dun Laoghaire (see www.dublinbus.ie for bus routes).

Other buses serving Dun Laoghaire from various parts of the city include: 45A, 46A and 75.

Once you get to Dun Laoghaire, finding the hotel is easy. From Dun Laoghaire Railway Station, cross George’s Street and walk straight up Marine Road. The Hotel is on the left, next to the Shell Petrol Station. Most buses stop at the railway station, so the same instructions apply.

Some bus routes stop at Dun Laoghaire Shopping Centre. From here, walk back to the traffic lights, turn right into George’s Street, and take the first right turn into the hotel.

From the Ferry Port, turn right when you exit and walk down Queens Road. Turn left and walk up Marine Road and turn left into the hotel.

For more information about Dun Laoghaire, visit www.dun-laoghaire.com.