I had a really nice stay at the hostel! The building is great - a beautiful place! Of course with some lacks of comfort because of the age of the building (e.g. small floors, stairways), therefore the hostel is not suitable for handicapped people, maybe.
Many people stay at the hostel - nevertheless it is tidied up and very clean.
There's a lounge, a big kitchen with a lot of equipment and workingspace, a laundry room and a big terrace/backyard. If you need to store your luggage for some time (for example after you checked-out), this will be no problem at all! At the reception you get helped with everything!
The location of the hostel is fine - outside the buzzling and crowded inner city but not far from liffey river (ap. 15min walk down the road).
A lot of pubs are seated near the hostel, perfect for meeting locals; supermarkets and some restaurants are nearby.
If I get to Dublin again, I'll stay at Gardiners!