(13 Feb 2005)
The Dublin-based service Hostelworld.com made it possible to book budget beds throughout the world. Now, Sleepzone in the
city of Galway has become the first Irish hostel with WiFi, giving travelers with laptops free Internet access in the building.
Sleepzone, the newest member of the Irish youth hostel association An Óige, is a three-minute walk from Galway's rail and bus terminal and Eyre Square. It has an Internet/computer room, plus a TV lounge and a kitchen. Its 36 private and shared rooms can accommodate up to 200 travelers. Midsummer rates will start at about $24 for a dorm bed.
At the hostel, you can arrange trips or join tours to sites in the region, including the Aran Islands, the Cliffs of Moher,
the Burren and Connemara .
In Dublin, the 300-bed Dublin International hostel recently got a face-lift. But the building's allure is its former life as a convent, complete with confessional booths that now house public phones. It's also 10 minutes from the club-filled Temple Bar district. Shared rooms start at $26 per person in midsummer.
For more details on these and other An Óige hostels, which are affiliated with Hostelling International, see
http://www.anoige.ie .