Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations,
Electronic Phytosanitary Certificate Steering Group Meeting
28th May – 1st June 2018
Local Arrangements Document
Figure 1 Agriculture House, Kildare Street
1. Introduction
The Horticulture and Plant Health Division on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine is delighted to welcome you to Dublin and has compiled the following practical information to ensure your visit for the Electronic Phytosanitary Certificate (EPhyto) Steering Group meeting is both enjoyable and productive.
2. Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport is 10km north of Dublin City Centre and is served by an array of international carriers.
Please note that transport to your Hotel will not be provided by the Department, however, Dublin Airport is served by a large number of buses, coaches and taxis, all allowing you to get to and from the airport with ease (see Annex C).
If you are travelling directly from Dublin Airport to Agriculture House you can take the Aircoach (Route 700 Leopardstown/Sandyford or City Centre routes) which will stop outside the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine Head Office on Kildare Street.
Aircoach Route 700 will also stop on O’Connell Street at the Gresham Hotel which is only a 5-10 minute walk from the hotel on Abbey Street.
Aircoach runs throughout the night and the fares are currently €7(O’Connell Street) and €8.50 (Kildare Street) for single journeys and €12 (O’Connell Street) and €14 (Kildare Street) for return journeys. Tickets can be purchased on the day in cash or online (online fare price may vary) available through the link below;
Welcome | Aircoach
3. Meeting Venue
The meeting will take place in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine’s Headquarter Offices Agriculture House, (see picture above). Agriculture House is situated in the centre of Dublin city on Kildare Street and is located beside Leinster House, home of Dáil Éireann, the Seat of Government in the Republic of Ireland.
The main offices of The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr. Michael Creed T.D. and The Minster of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr. Andrew Doyle T.D. can be found here.
In addition to the many members of staff based in Agriculture House, several members of the Houses of the Oireachtas have offices in the building.
4. Accommodation
The FAO has arranged accommodation for all representatives in Wynn’s Hotel Abbey Street.
Housed in a Listed Building and part of an Architectural Conservation Area, Wynn’s Hotel has been in existence in one form or another since 1845 and has witnessed many of the events which have shaped the history of Dublin City.
Room features for Wynn’s hotel include all modern conveniences and complimentary guest Wi-Fi throughout the Hotel.
Wynn’s Hotel is centrally located in Dublin City and is serviced by a LUAS stop (light rail service) and is a relatively short walk (approx 20 minutes) to Agriculture House on Kildare Street (see link).
5. Visas
A visa is not required by nationals of EU Member States when travelling to Ireland. If you are unsure if a visa is required for entry from your country of travel please feel free to consult the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) visa checker (link below).
Check if you need a visa
6. Interpretation
The language of the meeting sessions will be English. There will be no translationinto any other language.
7. Security
To gain entry to Agriculture House and while inside the building, a valid ID badge must be worn at all times.
Please be aware that visitors to and from Agriculture house are required to sign in and out at reception on entry and exit to the building.
Visitors to Agriculture House are also required to be accompanied by a member of staff whilst in the building.
In order to ensure that all visitors are fully cleared by security for entry to Agriculture House it is essential that all representatives confirm their attendance by email to the following;
- Barry Delany ()
- Con Collis ()
- Finbarr O’Gorman ()
Failure to inform the above of your attendance may result in difficulties during the course of the week.
8. Contact Us
Should you have any further questions regarding your visit please do not hesitate to contact us at the email addresses provided above.
Official website of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine:
We look forward to seeing you in Dublin.
Annex A
Things to do
Wynn’s Hotel is centrally located and within a few minutes’ walk of a number of cultural and shopping locations.
Dublin Castle: In continuous occupation since its establishment in 1204 AD, Dublin Castle has played a prominent role in Ireland’s history.Today, this prestigious city centre site is host to state-of-the-art conference and dining facilities. The State Apartments in Dublin Castle are among the most prestigious State rooms in the country and have hosted many high profile visits, one of the most famous being the State Dinner held by President Mary McAleese for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth IIand the Duke of Edinburgh on the evening of 18th May 2011.
The Castle in the heart of the city has seen the marking of significant moments in Irish history. Such events include the handing over of the Castle by British forces to Michael Collins in 1922, EU Presidencies of 1996, 2004 & 2013 and more recently the celebration of the passing of the Marriage Equality Referendum in 2015. The Castle holds the honour of being the inauguration site for the President of Ireland. Dublin Castle | The Office of Public Works
Guinness Storehouse: Located 4.5Km from the city centre the Guinness Storehouse is in the heart of St. James’s Gate Brewery. The Storehouse is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland. “It’s the home of the Black Stuff, the heart of Dublin and an unforgettable start to your Irish adventure” [Guinness website]
A trip to the storehouse will see you begin your journey on the bottom of the world’s largest pint glass and continues up through seven floors filled with interactive experiences that fuse the long brewing heritage with Ireland’s rich history. At the summit, you’ll be rewarded with the stunning views from the rooftop Gravity Bar.
The Open Gate Brewery: If you fancy something a little different Guinness brewers have been experimenting with different recipes for over a hundred years. Its Gates are now open to the public for the first time in its history. Availability to this unique Dublin experience is limited and tickets will need to be booked in advance. The Open Gate Brewery - St. James Gate, Dublin
Bloom by Bord Bia: Bloom in the park is a promotional vehicle for the horticulture industry; providing a showcase for garden plants, garden design, construction, horticulture and gardening as a hobby. Bloom is based on similar formats to such events as the RHS Chelsea Flower Shows and RHS Hampton Court Palace shows. Bloom will have a number of creative gardens on display which aims to inspire and excite the public. Bloom will take place in the Phoenix Park which is approximately 5kms from the city centre and accessible on the LUAS Red Line (from outside the hotel).Location & Access - Bloom 2018
Grafton Street: Grafton Street, located between Trinity College and St. Stephen’s Green is one of Dublin’s principal shopping streets and is home to many fashionable stores such as Brown Thomas. Other principal shopping streets in the area include Wicklow Street, Dawson Street and South George’s Street. The nearby Powerscourt Town Centre is one of the nicer albeit smaller, shopping centres in the city. Also close by is The Georges Street Arcade, an indoor market which has an eclectic collection of stores and stalls and is well worth a visit.
St. Stephen’s Green: St. Stephen’s Green is a public park which officially opened in July 1880. The Park is adjacent to Grafton Street, and to a shopping centre named after it, on its surrounding streets are the offices of a number of a public bodies (including Agriculture, food and the Marine) and the city terminus of one of Dublin’s LUAS tram lines. At 22 acres (89,000m2), it is the largest of the parks in Dublin’s main Georgian squares.
Trinity College: Trinity College, formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, is the sole constituent college of the University of Dublin in Ireland. The college was founded in 1592 as the “mother” of a new university modelled after the collegiate universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but, unlike these, only one college was ever established. It is one of the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland, as well as Ireland’s oldest university. Women were first admitted to the college as full members in 1904.
Trinity College is located on College Green, opposite the former Irish Houses of Parliament. The college proper occupies 190,000m2 (47 acres), with many of its buildings ranged around large quadrangles (known as ‘squares’) and two playing fields. Academically, it is divided into three faculties comprising 24 schools, offering degree and diploma courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The Library of Trinity College is a legal deposit library for Ireland and the United Kingdom, containing 6 million printed volumes and significant quantities of manuscripts (including The Book of Kells), maps and music. Visit Trinity College Dublin and the Book of Kells Exhibition
The National Gallery of Ireland: The National Gallery houses the Irish national collection of Irish and European art. The entrance to the Gallery is on Clare Street (17 minutes from the Hotel and 5 minutes from Agriculture House). The Gallery has an extensive, representative collection of Irish paintings and is also notable for its Italian Baroque and Dutch masters painting. Entry to the Gallery’s permanent collection is free. Home | National Gallery of Ireland From the 14th February to the 10th of June the Gallery will play host to the Emil Nolde Collection Emil Nolde\ Colour is Life | National Gallery of Ireland
The National Museum of Ireland: The National Museum is on Kildare Street (approx. 3 mins walk from Agriculture House) and is Ireland’s premier cultural institution and home to the greatest collections of Irish material heritage, culture and natural history in the world.The National Museum contains many varied and interesting exhibits including the bog bodies’ exhibit. The National Museum of Ireland building in Kildare Street boasts spectacular architecture and an eventful history. National Museum of Ireland | Free Exhibitions
Merrion Square: Merrion Square is a Georgian Square less than 20 minutes walk from the hotel and 10 minutes walk from Agriculture House. It is considered one of the city’s finest surviving squares. Three sides are lined with Georgian redbrick townhouses; the West side abuts the grounds of Leinster House (the Irish Parliament), Government buildings, the National History Museum, and the National Gallery. The central railed off garden is now a public park which contains a statue of Oscar Wilde, who resided in No. 1, Merrion Square from 1855 to 1876, many other sculptures and a collection of old Dublin lamp posts; a central floral garden; a heather garden and playground.
Jameson Distillery: In operation since 1780 Jameson Distillery offers a unique experience to visitors to the city. Offering interesting tours of the Distillery, cocktail – making classes, premium tasting sessions and lessons in blending your own Whiskey, Jameson Distillery is a must see for any visitor to Dublin. Located in the heart of Smithfield, a vibrant and renewed area of the city, the Distillery blends in perfectly with newer features of the area such as the Lighthouse cinema and Token (a unique bar if ever there was oneToken Dublin - Token Dublin), while perfectly complimenting the older aspects of the area such Mulligans pub. Jameson Irish Whiskey
The GPO: Located less than five minutes walk from the hotel the GPO dominates the O’Connell Street in more ways than one. The stern grandeur of its facade is iconic and was described by an architect as being “commodious, well arranged... and highly ornamental to the city”. The visually iconic nature of the building is not the only reason that the building holds a significant position in the history of the city and country as a whole. In 1916 the building was captured by the Rising leaders and Padraig Pearse read the Proclamation under the GPO portico and declared Ireland to be a Sovereign Independent Republic. The GPO’s copy of the Proclamation is one of the few to survive the Rising and can be viewed in the An Post Museum. Museum Home
Henry Street: Dublin’s principal shopping street on the North side of the Liffey is located 5 minutes walk from the hotel. It runs from the Spire of Dublin and the General Post Office on O’Connell Street in the east to Liffey Street in the west. At Liffey Street, the street becomes Mary Street which continues the shopping street on to Capel Street. However Henry Street and Mary Street are often considered to be one and form a single shopping district. Pedestrianised since 1980 the street would see visitors in the millions in any given year. Home to iconic stores such as Arnotts and Marks & Spencers and shopping centres such as the ILAC Centre and Jervis Shopping Centre makes Henry Street an exceedingly popular shopping district in the city.
Dublinia: Experience the history of Dublin in an interactive and unique experience at Dublinia. Located less than 20minutes walk from the hotel and accessible by bus and LUAS, Dublinia offers visitors the chance to visit and meet the Vikings of ancient Dublin and to learn about Medieval Dublin. Visit Dublinia - Experience Viking and Medieval Dublin
Abbey Theatre:Situated less than 5 minutes from the Hotel is the world famous Abbey Theatre. Founded in 1904 by W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory the Abbey has seen many world famous plays and actors grace its stage. The Abbey saw the first performances of “On Baile’s Strand” by W.B. Yeats, J.M. Synge’s famous “Playboy of the Western World”. The Abbey is not unfamiliar with controversy as riots broke out during the first run of Sean O’Casey’s The Plough in the Stars”. The Abbey has seen a host of famous actors grace its stages through the years including Stephen Rea, Colm Meaney and Brendan Gleeson to name but a few. Abbey Theatre - The Abbey Theatre is the national theatre of Ireland.
Croke Park:The home and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), Ireland’s largest sporting organisation. The GAA founded in 1884 is responsible for the promotion of Hurling, Gaelic Football, Handball and Rounders and works with sister organisations to promote Ladies Football and Camogie. Every year, each county in Ireland will commence their quest to Croke Park as the All-Ireland Championships begin, for the select few a place in history can be gained through competing in front of capacity crowds every September. The stadium is accustomed to historic moments, both good and bad. One of the biggest stands in the stadium “The Hogan Stand”, is named in tribute to Michael Hogan a Tipperary footballer, who along with 13 spectators was killed by British Troops during a match on the 21st of November 1920. In more recent history, during the renovation of the Lansdowne Road stadium (home of Irish football and Rugby), the GAA lifted its century long ban on foreign sports competing in Croke Park, thus paving the way for the Irish rugby team to play against France in the 6 Nations tournament on the 11th of February 2007 and the Irish football team to play the first soccer match in Croke Park against Wales on 24th of March 2007. The Stadium is frequently used these days for concerts with such acts as U2, the Rolling stones and Bruce Springsteen playing to packed audiences. For those of us not lucky enough to compete in Croke Park, the Stadiums GAA Museum and Sky walk tour are must see events. Home of the GAA and Ireland's Gaelic Games - Croke Park
For more to see and do please see: What's On and Things to Do in Dublin | Dublin's Official Tourism Site | Visit Dublin
Annex B
General Information about Ireland
Languages
Irish and English are the official languages of Ireland. English is the predominately spoken language.
Local Time
Irish Time is GMT i.e. 1 hour behind Brussels time.
Climate & Weather
The climate of Ireland can be summed up as being mild, moist and changeable with abundant rainfall and historically a lack of temperature extremes. It is defined as a temperate oceanic climate, a classification it shares with most of northwest Europe
Rainfall is the most common form of precipitation on the island, and is extremely common throughout Ireland, although some parts of the west coast receive over four times as much rain as the east coast. Average temperatures in Ireland in May are about 11˚C; though they can drop quite a bit lower at night. Expect wet weather