I seem to remember that they charge a small fee (as they do when you book in their offices), but they had some great offers, and we could check the different places.

In May 2001 we stayed at a B& B in the North Side. Initially I wanted to stay with friends in Naas, but as I wasn´t travelling alone, my companion wasn´t very keen on that. We had some problems because our first weekend in Dublin was a long weekend for the irish people, so many places were already booked. The place where we stayed was called Laverna ( http://www.visitlaverna.com ). It was located in North Dublin, and there was a bus stop nearby. Not very near the Dart, I am afraid. It was fine for us, because I have already been to Dublin a few times and I had friends living nearby, but although a fine place, I wouldn´t recommend it for a newbie.

I might look into staying somewhere in Ballsbridge. My friends have spoken pretty good of the Bewley´s hotel out there. They seem to have good rates, and the airport bus stops nearby. Another place to have a look would be Isaac´s. It began as a hostel, but they have developed into a hotel, and it is quite nice. Near the main bus station and the airport bus, too.

Another option would be to look for a place in Howth, at the north end of the DART line. It´s pretty, and there are a couple of good restaurants there, but I feel that it is a bit far away.

Good luck with your search, Covadonga Bilbao - Spain