Nearly all banks are open Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm (to 5pm Thurs). Convenient locations include the Bank of Ireland, at 2 College Green, Dublin 2, 88 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2 and at Trinity College; and the Allied Irish Bank (AIB), at 100 Grafton Street, Dublin 2, and 37 O’Connell Street, Dublin 1.
Bank Holidays
North Americans may be baffled by this phrase, which you’ll see a lot on lists of opening times. It simply means a public holiday, often on a Monday. Many shops (and banks!) are closed or run on reduced hours on bank holidays. There are nine regular bank holidays in Ireland: New Year's Day (January 1st); St. Patrick's Day (March 17th); Easter Monday; the first Mondays in every month from May to August, except July; the final Monday in October; Christmas Day (December 25th) and St. Stephen's Day (December 26th).
Currency Exchange
Currency-exchange services, signposted as Bureau de Change, are in most Dublin banks and at many branches of the Irish post office system, known as An Post. A bureau de change operates daily during flight arrival and departure times at Dublin Airport. (It's handily situated in the baggage reclaim hall, just opposite carousels 6 to 10—the first onces you come to.) Some hotels and travel agencies offer currency exchange. Tip: the best rate of exchange is almost always when you use your bank card at an ATM.
Dentists
For dental emergencies, your hotel will usually contact a dentist for you; otherwise, try Smiles Dental Spa, 28 O’Connell Street (tel. 1850/323-323) or Molesworth Dental Surgery, 2 Molesworth Place (tel. 01/661-5544).
Doctors & Hospitals
For emergencies, dial tel. 999. If you need a doctor, have your hotel contact one for you. Otherwise you could try Dame Street Medical Center, 16 Dame Street (tel. 01/679-0754), or the Suffolk Street Surgery, 107 Grafton Street (tel. 01/679-8181).
Emergencies
For police, fire, or other emergencies, dial tel. 999
Luggage Storage
If you arrive at your hotel too early to check in, or if check-out is in the morning and your flight isn’t until the evening, many hotels will happily look after your baggage. Alternatively, the tourism office (tel. 01/410-0700) at 37 College Green, opposite Trinity College, can store bags securely for €5 per 24 hours. There are also facilities in the baggae reclaim hall at Dublin Airport (opposite carousels 6–10) and at the Terminal 1 parking lot.
Mail and Postage
The General Post Office on O’Connell Street (tel. 01/705-7000) is open Monday through Saturday 8:30am to 6pm. The post office has numerous smaller offices throughout the city. Postage for a letter or postcard costs €0.72 within Ireland and Northern Ireland; €1.10 to the rest of the world.
Look for Totally Dublin (www.totallydublin.ie), a free monthly entertainment guide, at tourism offices, or check out the website. You can also check out the listings in the main Irish daily broadsheet newspapers—the Irish Times and the Irish Independent. Tabloid papers include the Irish Sun, the Irish Daily Mirror and the Herald. All of them have daily listings of activities in the city.
Pharmacies
Dublin does not have 24-hour pharmacies. City Pharmacy, 14 Dame Street (tel. 01/670-4523) stays open until 9pm weekdays, 7pm Saturday; Boots the Chemist, 20 Henry Street (tel. 01/873-0209) stays open until 9pm on Thursday, 8pm on Friday, 6pm Sunday, and 7pm all other days. There are also branches of Boots at 12 Grafton Street (tel. 01/677-3000) and in the St Stephen’s Green Centre (tel. 01/478-4368), but not all branches keep the same hours.
Taxis
Taxi ranks are outside major hotels, at bus and train stations, and on Upper O’Connell Street, College Green, and St. Stephen’s Green. To call a cab, try NRC Cabs (tel. 01/677-2222), Trinity (tel. 01/708-2222), or VIP/ACE Taxis (tel. 01/478-3333).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
