Dublin city at night how bad is it really?

photofinish

Get the Luas in now and again but I like to get out before 6 or 7.
I see a lot of scum around the Abbey Street and Smithfield stops.

I remember as a child in the mid to late 80s the city was never a nice place at night anyway.
Eating out or cinema trips at night in the city center are they worth it?

Celly Smunt

I've never had any trouble in Dublin at night.
Yes there are places i wouldn't go in the city,but isn't that the same as everywhere?

For Cinema and a meal?,no trouble.Anybody who say's there would be is talking bollocks.

photofinish

That cinema in Smithfield looks really nice but the spot puts me off and I being too paranoid?

January

Yes, definitely.

Anita Blow

I'm out at night in town all the time & have never felt unsafe. Yea there's a few areas I'd stay clear of but I find the main areas (College Green, Grafton Street, Temple Bar, Westmoreland street etc.) are completely safe in my opinion.

fussyonion

I don't venture in town at night very often (I'm in town a lot during the day) but the times I have been, I've felt safe enough.

I know there's been a lot of bag/phone snatchings on Abbey Street in the last few months and a few undesirables hanging around, but generally I would stick to well-lit, busy areas and I feel safe enough.

Christ the Redeemer

It's not bad at all.

markpb

I never feel overly safe in the city centre at night but it definitely is fine and I'd have no problems going cinema/meal/out and then walking around. The poor lighting on many of our main streets makes it feel much worse than it really is. Parnell st, College Green, Westmoreland st and Dolier st are the worst offenders.

Shankly88

Everywhere along main streets and roads with traffic is fine. Walking around the likes of o'devany gardens with your Iphone in your hand is looking for trouble. Cinema and meal is perfectly fine

Pang

I have found it fine over the years. Once you stay aware at all times and don't walk down any alleyways for shortcuts, you'll be fine.

Lawrence1895

I just think, it's worse during the summer months, especially when you have kids hanging around in front of city council housing estates. Don't know, how many times I nearly got knocked off the bike

TheBandicoot

I avoid the city centre like a plague at night. Having said that I've never actually had any trouble, even walking home down Pearse St at about 1am several nights. If anything it's worse between 5om and 9pm when the streets are full of scummy kids making everyone's lives a misery.

Also I don't drink so I don't have to go near any of the pub areas, which I would definitely consider to be dangerous and to be avoided- Temple Bar, Wexford St, for example.

Chris_5339762

Shankly88 wrote: »

Walking around the likes of o'devany gardens with your Iphone in your hand is looking for trouble.

Going anywhere near O'Devaney gardens is like signing your own death cert. Its an absolutely shocking place.

hfallada

Most of Dublin 1/2 is on CCTV and monitored constantly. I went to one of the Garda stations in Dublin 2 to get my passport application form stamped and half of the city centre was on a monitor.

Every city has its ****ty areas. Even parts of manhattan are a complete no go zone. But around college green is fine. I have walked from the city centre to drumcondra several times at 4,30 am with not a single problem. The city is a lot safer than you think. Most of its social problem have been moved to outer surburbs.

Koptain Liverpool

TheBandicoot wrote: »

Also I don't drink so I don't have to go near any of the pub areas, which I would definitely consider to be dangerous and to be avoided- Temple Bar, Wexford St, for example.

Ah come on, Wexford street isn't a bit dangerous. And neither is Temple Bar, although I agree it can be best avoided late at night on weekends due to annoying drunks.

fergpie

TheBandicoot wrote: »

Also I don't drink so I don't have to go near any of the pub areas, which I would definitely consider to be dangerous and to be avoided- Temple Bar, Wexford St, for example.

So you don't go these areas, yet you know they are dangerous and to be avoided??

As said above, the main areas in Dublin are very safe.

smellmepower

No bother unless you act like an eejit or go looking for some.

Plenty of Gardai about in the main areas too.

kylith

I've walked around the main areas, and walked home, at night and never felt threatened. Main places like the quays, the south of O'Connell street, Westmoreland St, College Green are well populated and generally grand. Don't wander down alleys, don't wave your phone or cash around, and keep a hand on your handbag and you should be fine.

EyeSight

i don't find certain areas any worse than they are during the day, such as the crappy OCS area.
But i do think we can't hold our alcohol as much as we think. I usually bump into "men" in their 20's picking fights with me or others when they know their group of 10 will back them up. Mostly they just make a wise ass remark as they pass. Not a Dublin only problem

dfx-

Get out before 6 or 7?:eek: Wexford St dangerous?:eek:

I don't bump into any groups of men wanting to pick fights and I'm in the city centre until midnight almost every evening.

NoCrackHaving

Wexford Street and Temple Bar are dangerous? Really? There's bars and fast food places and people drinking but that's it. There might be the odd alcohol related scuffle (as with any city) to consider them to be 'dangerous'? Come on. Dangerous implies absolute no go zones, somewhere like the Tenderloin in San Francisco.

EyeSight

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

Wexford Street and Temple Bar are dangerous? Really? There's bars and fast food places and people drinking but that's it. There might be the odd alcohol related scuffle (as with any city) to consider them to be 'dangerous'? Come on. Dangerous implies absolute no go zones, somewhere like the Tenderloin in San Francisco.

wexford street i would commonly see people picking fights they know they will win. Not too often and not enough to call it a dangerous area.
Temple bar and westmoreland street i would keep my wits about me. I see a lot of "aggressive begging" there but its heavily policed at night.
Neither areas would be no-go or considered dangerous, but i would keep some bit of guard around there

numbnutz

I feel safer in town at night than I do during the day... I dont know why.If you can walk through town without a pointy head on you on at night you'll be fine.As Pang has said before me no alleys for shortcuts.It is a lot safer than years gone past.

John_Rambo

photofinish wrote: »

Eating out or cinema trips at night in the city center are they worth it?

No, for you, no. Don't go out, don't travel, whatever you do, don't eat street food or pat strange dogs. NEVER cross a road unless accompanied by a lollypop man (don't trust lollypop women). Don't make eye contact with anyone but you mother (unless you're masturbating). Don't play with a bicycle pump, you'll get warts. Don't drink the tap water, or get ice in your drink..

Ah, feck that, go to the cinema, eat out and have some fun and above all... enjoy.

goiko

As a tourist (soon-to-be resident in Dublin :P) I don't find it particularly dangerous. I have been in the city centre at night quite a few times and never had any problem. Maybe the amount of drug addicts on the streets in comparison to my home town makes it look a bit unsafe but I wouldn't say it's true at all, you just need to be careful just like in any other city.

Lad Of Banter

I do shift work in the city centre, just off o'connell street, and am in and out at all hours. I walk from there back to Rathmines and the worst area, in all honesty, is outside the likes of Coppers and that line of bars n the top of Harcourt Street - Feel more uneasy there thank I would on Talbot Street or Abbey Street

John Mason

photofinish wrote: »

That cinema in Smithfield looks really nice but the spot puts me off and I being too paranoid?

we go there all time. It is a great spot, as is the pub next door.

never ha any trouble or seen any trouble and we would be there 2/3 times a week

reprazant

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Going anywhere near O'Devaney gardens is like signing your own death cert. Its an absolutely shocking place.

I live right beside there and have never had any trouble.

Its not particularily nice but to describe going near it as 'signing your own death cert' is one of the more pathetic things I have read here in a while.

I wonder how people survive when in this city when so many places are considered hyper-dangerous, no go areas.

maniac2000

Dublin City at night is fine once you don't enter quiet streets on your own. Stick to the main streets and once your in a crowd your grand. Don't walk down a quiet street where up ahead you see some dodgy looking characters... kinda common sense really!

Other than that enjoy yourself!

dani049

I'm from the countryside and have been in Dublin numerous times when it was late/dark, and as a solo female I never felt unsafe. Some areas gave me a bit more of an uneasy feeling (middle/lower abbey street, talbot street) but I never actually had any problems.

WoollyRedHat

I always feel uneasy walking down Talbot street, nevermind the night.

LuckyLloyd

It's remarkably safe.

AndonHandon

I'd actually rather certain places at night than during the day; Henry Street, Grafton Street, Pearse Street.

Lux23

I've noticed on a couple occasions that people who live in pretty suburban areas get their knickers in a twist in urban areas. A friend of mine freaked when we walked by four oul lads drinking bottles of cider, he honestly thought they could be a threat to him.

But the thing is these addicts/drunks are mostly harmless, they just look really dodgy and quite frankly are annoying at times.

I think what might worry me, is when beggars get aggressive and the men in the group might get all macho instead of just laughing them off.

tony 2 tone

Mr.S wrote: »

This!

I despise walking up Harcourt street after 3am, its like a war zone with all the drunks and rickshaws.

Add to that Camden/Wexford st area, madness at night.

Marty McFly

Mr.S wrote: »

This!

I despise walking up Harcourt street after 3am, its like a war zone with all the drunks and rickshaws.

Dublin CC is quite safe at all hours, as with all places if you keep your wits on you, you'll be fine.

I drink around that area regularly and never seen any kind of trouble and have also been there many a time sober getting something to eat around that time and never seen one bit of trouble one of the safest areas at night imo.

Plus rickshaws are not a reason to be fearful of an area or make it like a warzone .

I must say this thread is a refreshing antidote to the huge amount of 'scumbag' threads that has plagued Boards recently

liffeylite

Deleted User wrote: »

I must say this thread is a refreshing antidote to the huge amount of 'scumbag' threads that has plagued Boards recently

Very true.

Its easy to pick on the negative aspects of anywhere. And granted, Dublin isnt perfect.

But to be fair, its generally a fantastic place and for a night out, I personally don't think you can beat it. And a big part of that is the people.

carlmango11

I practically never feel unsafe in the CC, the Northside suburbs are a different story.

maniac2000

carlmango11 wrote: »

I practically never feel unsafe in the CC, the Northside suburbs are a different story.

Bit of an exaggeration there Carl! Parts of the Northside suburbs are dodgy and I don't need to name the places but plenty of the same across the liffey!

Sure just stay over in NYC and you won't have to worry!

Miguel_Sanchez

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Going anywhere near O'Devaney gardens is like signing your own death cert. Its an absolutely shocking place.

Nonsense. The gardens themselves aren't the best area in the world but I live up beside them and have never had even the slightest bit of trouble from anyone in the area.

reprazant wrote: »

I live right beside there and have never had any trouble.

Likewise. I like where I live and have never had a bit of trouble up there.

jimmii

carlmango11 wrote: »

I practically never feel unsafe in the CC, the Northside suburbs are a different story.

I live in Glasnevin and have walked home from Capel St after midnight a good few times and never saw anything remotely dangerous.

Aard

Lux23 wrote: »

I've noticed on a couple occasions that people who live in pretty suburban areas get their knickers in a twist in urban areas. A friend of mine freaked when we walked by four oul lads drinking bottles of cider, he honestly thought they could be a threat to him.

But the thing is these addicts/drunks are mostly harmless, they just look really dodgy and quite frankly are annoying at times.

I think what might worry me, is when beggars get aggressive and the men in the group might get all macho instead of just laughing them off.

Exactly. A lot of the sheltered suburbanites don't know what to expect, nor how to behave in town. As you pointed out, you just have to turn a blind eye to a lot of things. Some middle-class folk think that anybody in town who looks a bit unkempt is out to get them in some way.

Meauldsegosha

carlmango11 wrote: »

I practically never feel unsafe in the CC, the Northside suburbs are a different story.

It took 4 pages before someone trotted out the usual northside nonsense. There are parts of the city, (both north and south) that I would be wary of walking through and would be more vigilant at night but nowhere I would avoid.

SweepTheLeg

Don't mean to derail this thread but I was wondering the same about Dublin City. Have family visiting next Saturday and we plan to go to Dublin for the day, But reading some of these posts and from what I've heard from friends i'm concerned.

Main things my friends were telling me is that the main tourist streets are badly policed so it's always full of scumbags who are out looking to start trouble. I can handle myself well but i'm going with older family members and don't want them getting a fright or anything.

We'll be getting the bus up then doing the normal first time things like going on the tour bus, the Zoo, Guinness factory etc...

Just hope we don't run into trouble for their sake.

PaulieC

SweepTheLeg wrote: »

I can handle myself well but i'm going with older family members and don't want them getting a fright or anything.

I would imagine that they have lived through worse than what daytime Dublin can throw at them.

miamee

SweepTheLeg wrote: »

Don't mean to derail this thread but I was wondering the same about Dublin City. Have family visiting next Saturday and we plan to go to Dublin for the day, But reading some of these posts and from what I've heard from friends i'm concerned.

Main things my friends were telling me is that the main tourist streets are badly policed so it's always full of scumbags who are out looking to start trouble. I can handle myself well but i'm going with older family members and don't want them getting a fright or anything.

We'll be getting the bus up then doing the normal first time things like going on the tour bus, the Zoo, Guinness factory etc...

Just hope we don't run into trouble for their sake.

If you don't look for trouble where there is none, you and your family will be absolutely fine.

I don't know where you got the impression that the city is "always full of scumbags who are out looking to start trouble" but take it from a woman who lives and works in the city centre and walks everywhere alone day and night, it is completely untrue. The only thing you will need to 'handle' is your shopping.

chopser

I don't understand this thread or the people at all. I mean do a lot of people spend their life in perpetual fear? I've seen simialr ones of people scared to go into temple bar after 6 pm. (It's loud and their are drunk people but it's definitely not dangerous).

I'm not originally from Dublin and since moving here I have never felt worried walking around Dublin at any time of day and I live off Parnell Street which seems for whatever reason to scare people.

Granted there are lots of drunkards who may be rowdy but they are highly unlikely to start a fight with you, the same as the addicts and street drinkers. they look scary but never really cause much harm.

Granted I know there are phone thefts and what not in city centre, but again how do so many people live in fear their whole life?

EyeSight

SweepTheLeg wrote: »

Don't mean to derail this thread but I was wondering the same about Dublin City. Have family visiting next Saturday and we plan to go to Dublin for the day, But reading some of these posts and from what I've heard from friends i'm concerned.

Main things my friends were telling me is that the main tourist streets are badly policed so it's always full of scumbags who are out looking to start trouble. I can handle myself well but i'm going with older family members and don't want them getting a fright or anything.

We'll be getting the bus up then doing the normal first time things like going on the tour bus, the Zoo, Guinness factory etc...

Just hope we don't run into trouble for their sake.

Be weeary of the O connel street areas. You will more than likely be fine but there are a lot of junkies, drunks and scum around there with no policing. Just keep your wits about you and don't walk down any alleys

chopser

SweepTheLeg wrote: »

Just hope we don't run into trouble for their sake.

What trouble do you think you will run into? What exactly is it that you think might happen? Yes you will see drug addicts on main streets , but are you scared of just viewing people?

chopser

EyeSight wrote: »

Be weeary of the O connel street areas. You will more than likely be fine but there are a lot of junkies, drunks and scum around there with no policing. Just keep your wits about you and don't walk down any alleys

What will happen???