Official Leinster Supporters Club Guide to , the RDS and Aviva Stadium Welcome Céad míle fáilte romhat go Laighainn – welcome to Leinster. We would like to extend a warm welcome to all rugby supporters visiting Dublin. Aside from the rugby, we hope you will have an opportunity to enjoy some of the many wonderful activities our capital city has to offer. To assist you with your travel plans and to help you make the most out of your time in Dublin, we have compiled some basic information that you may find useful when making your travel plans.

Getting to Dublin Dublin is served by Aer Lingus, Ryanair, Aer Lingus Regional and Aer Arann from a number of UK and European airports. If arriving/departing with Aer Lingus you will be using the new Terminal 2 whilst all other short haul carriers continue to use Terminal 1.

On arrival there are a number of ways to get to the city centre, all of the below are easily accessible from outside arrivals at either terminal. : The Aircoach service departs every 10 minutes and costs from €8 single or €14 return. It passes through the city if you are staying in the centre and also serves the RDS. Tickets can be purchased at the time of boarding. For further information visit www.aircoach.ie Dublin : The Airlink 747 service runs regular sevices from outside the arrivals hall, priced at €6 one way or €10 return. Further details can be found at http://tinyurl.com/36sck7l Taxi: A taxi trip to the city centre will cost somewhere between €20-25.

Arrival by sea : If you arrive by Ferry you will find yourself either in Dun Laoghaire () or Dublin (Irish ). Dun Laoghaire would be the recommended option as the harbour is located beside a direct train link to the city which passes Lansdowne Road and serves Ballsbridge where the RDS is located. Things to do in Dublin

Outside of the rugby, there is much to see in Dublin. We suggest you venture outside of the traditional tourist haunt of Temple Bar to expand your view of the capital, as it can be very touristy on weekends.

Our top five must see sights on any visit are:

1. Guinness Storehouse, home of ‘the back stuff’ - www.guinness.com 2. Trinity College - www.visitdublin.ie 3. Dublinia viking heritage tour – www.dublinia.ie 4. Viking Splash Tour - www.vikingsplash.ie 5. Aviva Stadium Walk - www.avivastadium.ie

Getting to the RDS (Royal Dublin Society)

By bus: The RDS is served by a number of different operated by . Any route that serves the area of Ballsbridge would be ideal for getting to the ground and surrounding pubs and restaurants. Buses 4,5,7,7A,8,18,45 and 47 will bring you to the Ballsbridge area where there are a number of establishments for pre- and post-match beverages. See www. dublinbus.ie for further information. As mentioned before the aircoach serves the RDS directly from the airport.

By local train: Dublin DART (Dublin Area ) service also operates from the City Centre to Ballsbridge. Travel southbound to Lansdowne Road or Sandymount stations; from there the RDS is about a 10- minute walk.

For games at Aviva Stadium the DART will leave you outside the ground while the buses for the RDS will leave you just a short walk away.

By taxi: A taxi from the city centre will cost in the region of €10 however there may be traffic restrictions around the RDS on match days.

On foot: The RDS is about a 25-minute walk from the city centre. The most straight forward way to get to stadium from Grafton Street is to walk along Nassau Street and keep going straight passing the Schoolhouse Bar and continuing into Ballsbridge (maps.google.com). After passing over the river Dodder, the nearest entrance to the RDS is to the right on Anglesea Road.

Further information and a route planner can be obtained from: www.aaroadwatch.ie Meeting Point

Leinster Supporters meet at various establishments close to the RDS and Aviva Stadium, the two most popular being the Horse Show House, which is located opposite the RDS on Merrion Road and Kielys of Donnybrook on Main Street, Donnybrook (continues from Morehampton Road as approaching from the city centre). Kielys is about a 10-minute walk from the RDS but next door to our former home, Donnybrook Stadium. We look forward to meeting many of you around RDS.

Both pubs serve food on match days and have a number of screens.

Accommodation

There is a number of options for those who want to be close to either the RDS/Aviva Stadium as well as the city centre. We would recommend the Burlington Hotel (www.burlingtonhotel.ie) – and can offer supporters of both teams a B&B rate of €80 (single) or €90 (twin/double) per room per night, simply call the hotel reservations team or email: reservations@ burlingtonhotel.ie and quote ‘OLSC’ to avail of this offer.

To be closer to either stadium visit www.d4hotels.com or www.bewleyshotels.com/ballsbridge Wining and dining The Ballsbridge area is home to a number of dining establishments whatever your price range, and of course its only a short taxi ride away from the city centre where plenty more restaurants and pubs can be found. There are a number of stalls selling food in the RDS but these can be expensive. We recommend Eddie Rockets and the Bagel Factory but there is plenty of choice available. There are also bar facilities throughout the RDS.

We suggest you have a look at the below websites:

• www.menupages.ie • www.tripadvisor.com • www.dublintourist.com

The Laighin Out Bar Situated behind the Anglesea Stand, the OLSC’s home in the RDS, The Laighin Out bar, welcomes visiting supporters. It is a great spot to meet pre and post match and offers a full bar and free wifi. Any player events happening will also take place here, you can also watch a full replay of any RaboDirect Pro 12 game on our big screen.

The OLSC shop also operates at the rear of the bar by the committee after every home game. Why not come and say hello and perhaps pick up a souvenir! The OLSC on the World Wide Web Website: www.olsc.ie Facebook: Official Leinster Supporters Club Twitter: OLSCRugby Email: [email protected]

Leinster supporters Supporters discussion site can be found on an unofficial forum located at www.leinsterfans.com