Dublin go or skip?

There are so many beautiful and interesting places in Ireland and Northern Ireland that I think you should feel free to skip Dublin if the timing isn't right. Why not try Belfast? $1000 a night is crazy!

Dublin is my least favorite large city in Europe/U.K. Skip it.

Skipping Dublin or saving it for later sound like fine solutions. If you were only staying Wednesday and Thursday nights, but not Friday, then booking.com finds a couple of "StayCity" Aparthotels for 150-175 euros per night, with prices going higher for the Friday night.

Reverse your itinerary so the dates are not during a festival. I have had to do that several times in Europe when our dates were during Fashion Week in Milan and Paris and hotel prices skyrocketed.
Do not skip Dublin!

Dublin held absolutely no appeal to me, on two levels. One because it just wasn't an interesting city particularly in comparison to others within Europe but also because I experienced a lot of hostility as an Englishman despite traveliing with just my wife (and given the fact that one of my grandmothers was born and raised in Dublin lends the whole hostility an air of ignorant stupidity).

It's just not worth paying ridiculous prices for, skip it and enjoy somewhere cheaper and more interesting.

I wouldn't pay that much. Just come back to it.

You can get to Dublin by train easily enough from Howth or "Dun Leery" (really Dun Laoghaire), but it might not be any cheaper.

My least favorite city in Europe is Madrid but Dublin isn't a particularly great city either. I spent way too much time there on my last trip because I had to be near the airport six different times.

Thanks everyone for your replies! We have decided to put Dublin off until later in our trip. Thanks again!!!

Try the Roxford Lodge in Dublin. Great place. Not expensive.