which area of Dublin to stay in?

Why not stay right in Dublin? That will make it easier to get to the train station, and will allow you to walk around in the evenings to explore and of course also have a pint or two.

Happy travels!

Debbie,

My wife and I were in Dublin last May, and we stayed in Dun Laoghaire. It's a 15 minute train ride into the city, and is lovely little town with a harbor. We stayed at Ophira House, which was great. There are a lot of nice B&B's there and they are relatively inexpensive.

Debbie, I have been researching and trying to decide the same thing for the past few weeks. We're going in September, and I was just looking for a way to narrow down my choices. I am now deciding between The Belvedere (whih Orbitz has for $56/night!) and the Charleville. Neither are B&B's, but the Charleville DOES include breakfast and got good reviews on TripAdvisor. To be honest, I have decided against a B&B in Dublin because we're going to drink our fair share, and I don't want us to make asses of ourselves in someone's home. ;) BUT, these B&Bs easily meets your criteria: www.hollybank-house.com was 80 Euro/nt for two adults, Almarabb.com was 88 Euro/nt, Ashling House was 85 Euro/nt, Ophira was 80 Euro/nt. All of these rooms were ensuite. Of course, these prices were quoted to me for our September trip, but it may give you an idea...

Thanks for all your responses. Since its our first time in Ireland, we'd like to stay a little closer to the city, which is why I wasn't considering Dun Laoghaire. Some of the B&B's within the city centre didn't have such great reviews, and we'd prefer a B&B over a hotel. I have looked into a few of the B&Bs Amy suggested as well (thanks!).

The B&Bs in Clontarf didn't work out, so now I'm debating between the ones in Drumcondra or in Ballsbridge, which seems a little closer to the city centre. If anyone has thoughts on Ballsbridge, I'd love to hear it! Thanks!

Both Ballsbridge and Drumcondra are a bit out of town and to reach the Heuston station you'll need to take a combination of trains and buses (or a cab, but they're quite expensive). If this is acceptable, I would recommend Ballsbridge. It's a classy area with nice walks and lovely architecture, if that appeals to you. Drumcondra is pretty ordinary, although nice. It's also really easy to catch a bus to the airport from Drumcondra road (16A).

Don't know your budget but this is a great place to stay in Dublin. Roxford Lodge Hotel.