ICANN will be held in the CCD in central Dublin from the end of next week onwards. If you want to attend in person you need to register by next Friday here.
There will be a social event for attendees just down the street from the venue. I’ve put a few more details in a blog post here.
If you are planning on attending the meeting here are a few tips that you might find useful (or not)
Ireland is on the same timezone as Lisbon and London and there is a clock change during the first weekend. So do check your calendar…
Visas:
Ireland is part of the EU, so if you are and EU citizen (or hold an EU passport) then you don’t need a visa. Ireland is not part of the Schengen area and is most definitely not part of the UK. Please do check the official information on visas here.
Getting to / from the airport:
- There is a taxi rank which works just fine. It’s very clearly signposted
- FreeNow is the most popular taxi app
- Uber is also available but isn’t as popular
- Lyft is NOT available (they own FreeNow, but it’s NOT the same app)
- There are buses to the city from the airport
- No, there is no rail link. Yes we’d love to have one, but it hasn’t been built yet
The timing of the meeting is far from ideal… nothing that we can do about it.
Just so you are aware:
- The Dublin Marathon is Sunday 26th
- Monday 27th is a bank holiday, so opening hours of many things will be impacted.
- The entire week is school mid-term – upside there won’t be any school traffic
- Friday 24th is our Presidential Election
Oh and a gas fire took out the Luas (tram) bridge a couple of hundred metres before the convention centre, so there’s buses running instead
Mobile data:
Several of the mobile phone operators offer eSIM cards that might be a good option for data. Three’s “Super Surfer” seems to be a good option. You can also get physical SIM only pre-paid products.
Food
There are hundreds of excellent eateries across the city that can cater for most tastes. While it might not be as big as London or Paris, there are around 2 million people in the greater Dublin area and they all need to eat! The local tourism authority provide some useful guides to restaurants, bars and cafés.
If you are looking for food delivery options the local “go to” service is Just Eat. Uber Eats and Deliveroo are also widely available, but Just Eat seems to be the market leader
Alcoholic Drink
Ireland is famous for Guinness, but we also have a booming craft beer scene. Within easy walking distance of the venue you’ll find some great options like Urban Brewing and The Brew Dock. For a more comprehensive list check here. ICANN regular Pinky Brand has also written up a guide to some of his favourite pubs here.
There are also a number of distilleries around the city some of whom offer tours and or tastings. If you like whiskey, we have, arguably, some of the best whiskey in the world!
Pubs and bars open:
Monday to Thursday from 10:30am to 11:30pm
Friday and Saturday from 10:30am to 12:30am
Sunday from 12:30pm to 11:00pm
Shops that sell alcohol may do so Monday to Saturday from 10:30am to 10:00pm
Sunday and St Patrick’s Day from 12:30pm to 10:00 pm
Getting Around the city
Depending on where you’re going to / from there are a number of options. Walking – the city isn’t gigantic so if the weather isn’t miserable then a lot of it quite pleasant to explore on foot. There is a fairly extensive bus network, as well as trams and various rail options in and around the city. This site is pretty good for information.
For taxis FreeNow is the most commonly used option.
Power
Ireland uses 220v and our plugs are the three pin square ones like in the UK, often called “type G”
Things to do
There are some fantastic things to see in and around Dublin. Obvious ones would be the Book of Kells, the National Museum, National Gallery or Kilmainham Gaol. There are always things going on around the city, so if you’re into Dracula you might enjoy the Bram Stoker Festival which is being held the weekend after the ICANN meeting.
Still lost and confused? Feel free to ask any questions in the comments!
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