| The RDS is located about 3km from Dublin city centre | | | | Rugby team to play their home games in the Magners |
| in the leafy suburb of Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. If you've | | | | Celtic League and the Heineken European Cup. The |
| chosen a Dublin hotel in the city centre, and if you feel | | | | grounds has also earned itself a bit of a reputation as |
| like stretching your legs, you can walk to the RDS. | | | | being the premier heavy metal venue in Ireland with |
| Starting outside of Trinity College, walk along Nassau | | | | such groups as Metallica, Iron Maiden, Korn, Linkin Park, |
| Street for about 150 metres. From here you can turn | | | | Guns N' Roses, Stereophonics and others all picking |
| right and follow the signposts for the R118 (Mount | | | | the RDS as their venue of choice in years past. |
| Street). Stay on this road for about 2kms and you | | | | There's always something on at the RDS no matter |
| should see the RDS in front of you as the road | | | | the time of year it is. One of the RDS's biggest annual |
| becomes Merrion Road. The RDS occupies an area | | | | events is the BT Young Scientist & Technology |
| of about 42 acres and is situated near Herbert Park. | | | | Exhibition. This event has been running continuously for |
| You can also hop on a bus. Bus routes 5, 7 and 45 all | | | | over 40 years and it draws thousands of people |
| stop at Nassau Street outside of Trinity College and | | | | every year who come to see Ireland's best and |
| will take you as far as the RDS, at the Merrion Road | | | | brightest students. |
| entrance. The DART, Lansdowne or Sandymount | | | | If you're travelling to Dublin for a specific show and |
| stations are just a few blocks away - about 10 | | | | want to be within shouting distance of the RDS then it |
| minutes on foot. | | | | may be wise to book one of the Dublin Hotels that are |
| The RDS, Royal Dublin Society, was founded in 1731 | | | | located in and around the venue. There are several |
| by the Dublin Philosophical Society with the stated aim | | | | Dublin hotels in the vicinity including a number of |
| of promoting the development of arts, agriculture, | | | | reasonably priced 3-Star hotels such as the |
| industry and science in Ireland. The society gets its | | | | Lansdowne Hotel, the Tara Towers Hotel, the Mount |
| Royal title after King George IV who became patron in | | | | Herbert Hotel and the Roxford Lodge Hotel. If you'd |
| 1820. In 1868, the society started an annual horse | | | | like somewhere a little snazzier then the Herbert Park |
| show, which was one of the world's first show | | | | Hotel or the School House Hotel, both of which are |
| jumping events and in recent years has become a | | | | 4-star hotels, might suit your needs. For some real |
| very important event in the show jumping calendar. | | | | luxury you might choose the Dylan Hotel which is a |
| About 10 years later, they acquired the premises in | | | | 5-star. |
| Ballsbridge which the RDS occupies today, though the | | | | In Donnybrook which borders Ballsbridge you can find |
| grounds have expanded over time from the original 15 | | | | The Montrose Hotel which is a 3-star hotel. |
| acres to over 40 acres today. On the grounds you'll | | | | As you can see there are really no shortage of fine |
| find a number of exhibition halls, a stadium, meeting | | | | Dublin Hotels within easy walking distance of the RDS. |
| rooms, bars and restaurants. | | | | If on the other hand you want to sample Dublin's |
| For much of the 90's the RDS was used by | | | | buzzing nightlife after a show you can choose one of |
| Shamrock Rovers to play their home games, and | | | | the many Dublin hotels in the city centre. |
| more recently it has also been used by the Leinster | | | | |