The Bells of the Christ Church
Wondering what to do in Dublin on New Year’s Eve? Needless to say there are lots of pubs and clubs open and gearing up for one of the busiest nights of the year. Temple Bar is always buzzing on the last day of the year, and while the venues are often very full and at times past capacity, there’s generally a good atmosphere in this old district and always something happening in the street. Alternately, head to Camden and Wexford Street area where there is a good mix of bars and restaurants to choose from. If you have a wedge of cash to spend and have a hankering for something glamorous, the restaurants at The Clarence and The Morrisson Hotels both do dinner and music, kicking off with a champagne reception and finishing with a late bar. If you want to go classical, the RTE Concert Orchestra will perform classical and Viennese compositions at the National Concert Hall on Earlsfort Terrace, with pre-performance music by the Café Orchestra in the foyer. At midnight the bells at Christ Church Cathedral will peal 16 times to ring in 2009. The event starts at 10.30pm and is free of charge. It’s difficult to get into the Cathedral unless you arrive early, so wrap up warm in the event that you have to stay street-side.