As so many others before us have said, Karin was a first class host. She went out of her way to accommodate us, beginning with opening her doors to us at the ungodly hour of 6am when we arrived from our overnight flight from the States and set us up for our breakfast. After we all had a chance to rest, she returned to check on us and ask what were were interested in seeing and doing, and based on that, gave us many valuable suggestions and supporting materials. The apartment is well and tastesfully furnished and stocked in so many ways - high quality jams, bread, homemade granola, milk and yogurt, and a lovely, varied plate of fruit that lasted us through our 5-day stay, and on the cultural side, DVDs on Ireland, travel brochures, guides and literature. It was a very comfortable place to stay. (One word of advice on the bed - as the photos show, it is on the floor, up the stairs and has a high quality mattress, but for anyone with a disability or difficulty getting in and out of bed it may pose a challenge.) We loved staying on the Northside - it is a residential rather than touristy area and thus gives one the taste of really being in Ireland. We walked everywhere and most things we wanted to do or see were within a 15 minute walk. Karin recommended a local gastropub for our New Year's Eve dinner and it was really delicious, offering locally grown and sustainable foods, in addition to having s a friendly and lively atmosphere. One of our objectives in coming to Dublin was to go to the theatre, and both The Gate and The Abbey were about a 10-minute walk. Karin is really the perfect host - she is responsive but not intrusive, very well informed about Irish arts and culture, and generally a delightful person to talk with. She has high standards in hosting and the accommodations reflect them.