Arrived via taxi from Dublin railway station around 6pm, Friday, 2nd. October, 1998.

Taxi driver wasn't too sure exactly which part of the RDS Merrion Hall was opposite, as Ballsbridge has many bed and breakfasts along Merrion Road.

My double room is well lit, with quality furnishings. Plenty of hanging space in the double wardrobe, bedside tables and a writing desk offered additional drawer space. Tea and coffee facilities are most welcome. The bathroom has a full bath with adjustable showerhead above, and the beautiful maroon/grey mettalic design around the wash basin and cistern is duplicated in the border tiles and hilighted in individual textured tiles around the walls and shower.

Downstairs the wide entry hall smelt of fresh flowers - in this case lillies, and the two main rooms off here received plenty of sunlight.

Tall ceilings, ornate plasterwork, brass fittings around the hearth - comfortable couches and a large screen TV. Very inviting, with the harp a nice touch.

The adjoining reading room allowed luggage to be deposited, provided plenty of books on travel in Ireland, golf, fishing, tours and tourist information, and the china cabinet displayed crystal and beautiful chinaware, no doubt with family pride.

The dining room, open from 7am, provides a full Irish breakfast, and Merrion Hall has previously won the 'Irish Breakfast of the year' award. The bay window accentuates the round table set with beautiful china offering cereals, pastries and fruit, and the menu offers a combination of any - eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes - with toast, jams, honey and marmalade. The sideboard also offered a large platter heaped with fresh fruit, and on the drinks trolley a selection of chilled juices. Coffee and tea too, of course, yet if you want more than a single pot, you need to ask.

Merrion Hall was booked many months ago as part of the Paddynet chatters get-together in Dublin, the 'Burren Buddies Bash', and as such it offered accommodation central enough for everyone arriving from overseas, parking facilities for those with hire cars, bus stop outside, and around the corner from the DART Sandymount station, so a good choice.

I found it disappointing they were not 'net-aware' offering neither an adaptor to enable re-charge of my laptop, nor any information as to available net-access. Luckily I located the very friendly Global Internet Cafe, and I'm sure there are others around as well.

Departed (too) early Saturday morning, 10th. October, Aer Lingus E1242 for Edinburgh.

How far is it ? - 213 miles (343 KM) - 1 hr.