We stayed with Niamh and her lovely family for two days at the end of August. They are among the most friendly and welcoming hosts we have ever stayed with. Her husband is a gracious, charming host and her teenage children clicked wonderfully with our four-year-old. Our room (on the top floor of the house) was lovely. It had the perfect balance of separateness and intimacy that one would like in a "room renting" arrangement.

While the neighborhood is certainly not across from the Temple Bar area, it is very close to Glasnevin Cemetery, where one can visit the grave of Julie Roberts (or the person she played in Michael Collins). At Glasnevin, I learned more about Irish history in one tour than I had all my life.

Another benefit of the location is that you can buy tickets for the hop on hop off bus and use the Glasnevin Cemetery stop as a way of getting into town and back. We did that and saved on bus and taxi fares.