Ben's mother Sally greeted us, and she was lovely and made us feel welcome as soon as we arrived. We never met Ben at all, which we thought was a little strange since all our previous communication had been with him, but it wasn't a huge deal.

Work was being done on the bathroom when we arrived, but it didn't appear to be complete. The toilet was essentially unstuck from the floor, and we were afraid we might break it. There was a loud pump in the bathroom, which we were already aware of based on Ben's own description of the flat, but we never quite got used to the sound it made.

The location was within about 15-20 minutes walking distance of the city center. There were plenty of excellent restaurants just down the street (I recommend FARM and the Canal Bank Cafe). It can be a bit of a hike though if you're going to any of the major Dublin attractions that aren't immediately downtown. I recommend getting a LEAP card and figuring out the bus system BEFORE you arrive.

Overall, this is good location that provides value for money, but it has a few quirks.