How safe do you now feel in Dublin

Riverireland

Given recent events particularly in the Regency Hotel I was wondering has it changed people's attitudes to socialising in Dublin? I am on the road a lot and stop off wherever I am for lunch etc. This week I found myself being a lot more picky about where I stopped off. Friends and I have decided not to meet up in the city centre this weekend with the way things are at the moment. Are other boardsies thinking like this or do you feel it's as safe here as you did a couple of weeks ago.

SoupyNorman

Riverireland wrote: »

Friends and I have decided not to meet up in the city centre this weekend with the way things are at the moment.

I could understand this if we underwent a random Paris style terror attack but the shootings were targeted executions.

listermint

As safe as i did last week and the week before that and that again.

I dont believe a targetting shooting of individuals involved in the drug trade impacts my day to day whatsoever.

whiskeyman

I don't dabble in drug dealing or organised crime, so no change for me...

whippet

these lads don't get shot free of charge.

Dial Hard

Wouldn't even cross my mind to change my plans.

seamus

I feel safer in the city now than I did at any point in the last 15 years.

jungleman

I don't feel any different. I don't dabble in drugs or "feuding", as the newspapers like to call it. The only gauntlet I run is avoiding junkies to be honest, and that's not that hard.

I feel safe in Dublin, but am I proud of Dublin? No.

Riverireland

Glad to see people are not as effected as we are then. There were bound to have been people in there that day who just happened to be having lunch, drinks etc, it being a nomal hotel on a main road. Maybe we're just too tuned into the media.

hairyslug

If you believe some of the newspapers we are all terrified.

Hasn't made a difference to me. Whether it's the company I keep or me being ignorant, I can't see myself getting caught up in any of it.

listermint

Riverireland wrote: »

Glad to see people are not as effected as we are then. There were bound to have been people in there that day who just happened to be having lunch, drinks etc, it being a nomal hotel on a main road. Maybe we're just too tuned into the media.

effected ?

You are only making yourselfs effected, 'tuned into the media'

You are allowing headlines to dictate how you spend your day.


You can choose not to. The papers arent making you make choices and they certainly are not effecting you. Make your own decisions.

For Reals

Yep. These chaps chose to move in that world and that's what happens. My only concern is for the public of course. It would not change my social habits in any way. If it had happened in a Tallaght back wood, it would have been old news in 24hrs. If it happened in D4 on the other hand, we'd have Martial law.

Walter H Price

Organised crime is't the main culprit behind the deteriorating state of the city center , the dug hits are all targeted and even in the Regency with three AK47s only killed one , and the hit men that killed the monks brother didn't even shoot anyone else in the house.

The walking dead esque junkies shambling about the place and hanging around luas stops harassing people for change or the Roma sitting beside ATM's whinging at you while your taking out cash , the homeless sleeping, drinking and defecating in every unobstructed doorway about the place , during users openly dealing and using in public.

For me that's what is making Dublin city center a less and less desirable place to go out and socialize and to be honest if i didn't work in Town i doubt i would be in the city to often.

Dial Hard

Riverireland wrote:

Glad to see people are not as effected as we are then. There were bound to have been people in there that day who just happened to be having lunch, drinks etc, it being a nomal hotel on a main road. Maybe we're just too tuned into the media.

Yeah, but none of them were injured.

I'm not saying it wasn't horrifically traumatic for the people who witnessed it but it's not as if the gunmen went in and started firing indiscriminately.

I was having lunch in Terenure a few years back and Paul Williams came in with a group of armed detectives as there was a published threat to his life at the time. Was I worried about anything happening? No. Because the chances of you or I or any other average Joe actually being caught up in anything are so miniscule as to be virtually nil.

Valetta

Walter H Price wrote: »

Organised crime is't the main culprit behind the deteriorating state of the city center , the dug hits are all targeted and even in the Regency with three AK47s only killed one , and the hit men that killed the monks brother didn't even shoot anyone else in the house.

The walking dead esque junkies shambling about the place and hanging around luas stops harassing people for change or the Roma sitting beside ATM's whinging at you while your taking out cash , the homeless sleeping, drinking and defecating in every unobstructed doorway about the place , during users openly dealing and using in public.

For me that's what is making Dublin city center a less and less desirable place to go out and socialize and to be honest if i didn't work in Town i doubt i would be in the city to often.

Do you not see the connection?

mahoganygas

I find myself stopping what i'm doing when an ambulance or garda car speeds past and thinking to myself 'what if they're heading to somewhere like the Regency now'.

Before, I wouldn't bat an eye lid.

For example, there's a helicopter circling the city at the moment. Part of me wonders if it's the Gardai searching for the killers.

I'm not worried though. Feel very safe in the city.

Walter H Price

I'm not saying we don't need to tackle the drug gangs to stop the supply etc ... i was simply inferring that the end users are making the city center a less tolerable place to be on a day to day basis than the dug gangs occasionally killing one another in targeted hits.

Trent Houseboat

Are you for real OP?

I'm more worried about people running red lights than I am of organised crime.

OleRodrigo

Been living in the city center for 15 years, I've never seen anything beyond drunken fisticuffs at a crowded taxi rank.

Dublin city center is a very safe place, despite how it occasionally (frequently?) looks. Without sounding glib, gang activity is self-contained, it rarely spills over.

As Trent Houseboat says, you've more to worry about with drunks and red light jumpers.

Riverireland

Thanks for the feedback guys, we're clearly over reacting or just not cut outfit city life anymore.

For Reals

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Been living in the city center for 15 years, I've never seen anything beyond drunken fisticuffs at a crowded taxi rank.

Dublin city center is a very safe place, despite how it occasionally (frequently?) looks. Without sounding glib, gang activity is self-contained, it rarely spills over.

As Trent Houseboat says, you've more to worry about with drunks and red light jumpers.

I've lived near the city center all my life. I won't go down O'Connell Street after dark if I can help it. Sections of the city are complete **** holes. Always have been. Shootings are very rare thankfully.

Shurimgreat

whippet wrote: »

these lads don't get shot free of charge.

That's true. The guys getting targeted are clearly an inconvenience to those doing the shooting. Unless you majorly annoy a gang, they aren't going to shoot you as it costs money and brings attention on them from other gangs and the gardai.

Generally Dublin is safe enough. I'd be more wary of eejits from the country etc up in Dublin getting hammered drunk and challenging you to a fight on a night out than anything else. This is far more likely to happen than getting shot by a gang!

Quin_Dub

Not a Political discussion - Moving to After Hours

Please note the charter for AH.

Thanks

esforum

Dublin is not a safe city on a global stage. Is it a crime ridden hell? No its neither, its in the middle.

Theres plenty of worse capitals and theres plenty that are better however one thing that Ireland / UK appear to have in common is the random violence. You dont see the same level of random assaults in other countries and when you do, its always English speaking ones.

jam_mac_jam

Fairly safe unless on my own at night walking down a lane or something, but on a normal day or evening doesn't really enter my head. I think the crime rates are fairly low, and its a European city not the Congo.


I think a lot of this is very over hyped. Your chances of anything happening are actually quite low.

antodeco

I have never more terrified for me life than I was last week. I got a burrito from KFC and the chicken was rubbery, but also looked cooked. Definitely thought I was going to get sick/the shits!

SEPT 23 1989

100% safe OP you should have seen certain parts of the city in the 80's early 90's when there was real visible poverty and all that goes with it

OleRodrigo

For Reals wrote: »

I've lived near the city center all my life. I won't go down O'Connell Street after dark if I can help it. Sections of the city are complete **** holes. Always have been. Shootings are very rare thankfully.

Yes, that's how they look, especially on a winters day. And so do half the towns in this country - confirmed by AH.

Has no bearing on your personal safety, though.

Ask any Brazilian what they like about Dublin. One of the things they will tell you is how safe they feel here.

Mr. CooL ICE

Moved from AH.

Please read the charter before posting.

OleRodrigo

esforum wrote: »

Dublin is not a safe city on a global stage. Is it a crime ridden hell? No its neither, its in the middle.

Any supporting links for this?

seamus

esforum wrote: »

Dublin is not a safe city on a global stage. Is it a crime ridden hell? No its neither, its in the middle.

Globally, Dublin is exceptionally safe. Well down near the bottom of the table along with most of the rest of Europe.

In European terms, it's about mid-table.

Go on a little tour of major South American cities and come back and tell us that "Dublin is not a safe city".

saabsaab

Lived in Dublin a while ago, Cork, Galway and a short time in Limerick. I know you can find trouble in all of them. Depends where you go when how you keep a look about you who you mix with etc. Knew a lad stabbed in Limerick on a night out another beaten to death outside a nightclub in Dublin and a lad left for dead after a random attack on a Galway street, another robbed in Cork. I would say this makes no difference really to the ordinary man.

jungleman

The debate about Dublin being safe is just so subjective. O' Connell St is a kip, but you could walk down there 100 nights in a row and not be attacked. Another person could walk down O' Connell St just once and be stabbed by some trackie with a knife.

Same goes for other parts of the city. Some of my gay friends say that Dame St is grand and they've never had any trouble. Other gay friends said that they wouldn't go near Dame St on a weekend after midnight because there are gangs that go around gay bashing.

Like, it's fairly easy to be safe in Dublin. The problem is that some scumbags go looking for trouble, and even though it's a tiny chance, there still is a chance that their path might cross with yours. Overall however, I can't remember not feeling safe in town.

ProudDUB

Ridiculous ad on the Indo today loudly proclaiming that "the city is living in fear...."

Eh....no, we're not mate.

You'd think they'd have a bit more kop on, when there own journalists are supposed to be under threat.

I don't have anything to do with people who traffic in drugs, or their friends or families. Nor do I frequent the neighbourhoods, pubs or dodgy sporting events that have been flagged well in advance of attracting a certain kind of participant and fan. (Yes, I know that boxing has a lot of 'normal' fans too. I'm not tarring everyone with the same brush, but my basic point still stands.)

So to answer the OP's question - no, I'm not remotely worried.

ProudDUB

Ridiculous ad for the Indo's weekend editions on the radio today, loudly proclaiming that "the city is living in fear...."

Eh....no, we're not mate.

You'd think they'd have a bit more kop on, when there own journalists are supposed to be under threat.

I don't have anything to do with people who traffic in drugs, or their friends or families. Nor do I frequent the neighbourhoods, pubs or dodgy sporting events that have been flagged well in advance of attracting a certain kind of participant and fan. (Yes, I know that boxing has a lot of 'normal' fans too. I'm not tarring everyone with the same brush, but my basic point still stands.)

So to answer the OP's question - no, I don't feel any more worried than I did a week ago.

masti123

Doesn't bother me in the slightest, wasn't Dublin the gun murder capital of Europe in 2009? It's all blown way out of proportion by the scare-mongering media so they'll sell more papers, pay no heed.

Gaspode

Riverireland wrote: »

Given recent events particularly in the Regency Hotel I was wondering has it changed people's attitudes to socialising in Dublin? I am on the road a lot and stop off wherever I am for lunch etc. This week I found myself being a lot more picky about where I stopped off. Friends and I have decided not to meet up in the city centre this weekend with the way things are at the moment. Are other boardsies thinking like this or do you feel it's as safe here as you did a couple of weeks ago.

Do you really feel that way? Why, it's not like you're a target in this feud. Or are you?

Personally, I dont feel any different at all, I feel as safe as at any other time.

esforum

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Any supporting links for this?

Links for what? thats theres crime in Dublin? That theres violent crime in Dublin? I could fill your cache with links to show this.

So you really doubt that Dublin has a crime problem? Or that its globally not a very safe place?

Well I could individually compare it too every single city in the world but that might take a bit of time. I can cite a few though

Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Porto, Edinburgh, Stockholm, Hamburg, Perth, Okinawa, Galway, Bordeaux, Lille, Venice,

Remember, we are not talking about just gangland killings. Im sure Italy, Spain, USA Mexico the UK and many places beat us hands down on that score but random assaults? Needless mindless violence? We are actually very bad on that score. Despite opinion, if you arent a drug dealer. you are pretty safe in South America. Jesus wept, go to any town or city thats not full of drunken English / Irish stags and they probable wont even have people on the door of the pub. Go to Lanzarote or Ibiza or Benidorm or Dublin and voila, 20 bouncers needed.

and I dont need to ask Brazilians how they feel, I have spoken to the ones that were shocked that little auld Ireland produces violent little ****s that roam Dublin like feral animals.

Or the Italian who couldnt comprehend why even after he handed over his wallet they proceeded to smash his fingers.

Or the Irish woman sitting on Wicklow street chatting when some drunk asshole stuck a bottle into her face.

A foreign national who doesnt know a city or the good or bad areas will very often not be able to give you an accurate reflection of the host city. I spent two weeks in Rio, three weeks in Durban and Joburg. For my Honeymoon I went to Egypt and when I got engaged it was in a cruise in the Caribbean, never have I been the victim of crime when abroad, beggers and rip of salesmen yeah but no violence. That doesnt mean that this tourist can accurately state that these places are safe just that I wasnt targeted.

By the same token you could say I am making Dublin out to be worse than it is based on my own personal experience but I dont believe I am.

newacc2015

esforum wrote: »

and I dont need to ask Brazilians how they feel, I have spoken to the ones that were shocked that little auld Ireland produces violent little ****s that roam Dublin like feral animals.

Or the Italian who couldnt comprehend why even after he handed over his wallet they proceeded to smash his fingers.

Or the Irish woman sitting on Wicklow street chatting when some drunk asshole stuck a bottle into her face.

A foreign national who doesnt know a city or the good or bad areas will very often not be able to give you an accurate reflection of the host city. I spent two weeks in Rio, three weeks in Durban and Joburg. For my Honeymoon I went to Egypt and when I got engaged it was in a cruise in the Caribbean, never have I been the victim of crime when abroad, beggers and rip of salesmen yeah but no violence. That doesnt mean that this tourist can accurately state that these places are safe just that I wasnt targeted.

By the same token you could say I am making Dublin out to be worse than it is based on my own personal experience but I dont believe I am.

The Brazilians over here will never really tell you how they live in Brazil. They will moan about Dublin being unsafe. Yet they will leave out they live in house with 20 foot walls with dog in a gated community. Or how they have a gun for protection. Or they will leave out they only go to a fraction of their city. Brazilians are like rich people living in LA. They only work/socialise/live in the rich parts of the city and never see the real parties of the city where a majority of Brazilians live. If we all lived and worked in Foxrock, we would think Dublin is the safest city in the world.

Naples has to be the biggest kip in Western Europe. I dont think any Italian can comment on crime with the state of italian legal system eg Amanda Knox.

Did you go to the other parts of South Africa, where people cant walk on the streets as it is dangerous? Did you get to see the houses where locals have to live as SA is so unsafe? Wealthy South Africans nearly always live in gated communities for safety. A few safe tourist towns is not a reflection of SA as a whole

Tourist cities outside the western world, are sterlised as third world Government know they are important for revenue. They are not a reflection of living in those countries. Eg Cabo in Mexico is super safe. Under your logic the whole of Mexico is safe. But nearly 100k people are missing or killed by cartels in the last decade.

Ignore observational bias and you will see Dublin is safe.

catbear

I do fear a possible return of FF to government.

newacc2015

esforum wrote: »

and I dont need to ask Brazilians how they feel, I have spoken to the ones that were shocked that little auld Ireland produces violent little ****s that roam Dublin like feral animals.

Or the Italian who couldnt comprehend why even after he handed over his wallet they proceeded to smash his fingers.

Or the Irish woman sitting on Wicklow street chatting when some drunk asshole stuck a bottle into her face.

A foreign national who doesnt know a city or the good or bad areas will very often not be able to give you an accurate reflection of the host city. I spent two weeks in Rio, three weeks in Durban and Joburg. For my Honeymoon I went to Egypt and when I got engaged it was in a cruise in the Caribbean, never have I been the victim of crime when abroad, beggers and rip of salesmen yeah but no violence. That doesnt mean that this tourist can accurately state that these places are safe just that I wasnt targeted.

By the same token you could say I am making Dublin out to be worse than it is based on my own personal experience but I dont believe I am.

The Brazilians over here will never really tell you how they live in Brazil. They will moan about Dublin being unsafe. Yet they will leave out they live in house with 20 foot walls with dog in a gated community. Or how they have a gun for protection. Or they will leave out they only go to a fraction of their city. Brazilians are like rich people living in LA. They only work/socialise/live in the rich parts of the city and never see the real parties of the city where a majority of Brazilians live. If we all lived and worked in Foxrock, we would think Dublin is the safest city in the world.

Naples has to be the biggest kip in Western Europe. I dont think any Italian can comment on crime with the state of italian legal system eg Amanda Knox.

Did you go to the other parts of South Africa, where people cant walk on the streets as it is dangerous? Did you get to see the houses where locals have to live as SA is so unsafe? Wealthy South Africans nearly always live in gated communities for safety. A few safe tourist towns is not a reflection of SA as a whole

Tourist cities outside the western world, are sterlised as third world Government know they are important for revenue. They are not a reflection of living in those countries. Eg Cabo in Mexico is super safe. Under your logic the whole of Mexico is safe. But nearly 100k people are missing or killed by cartels in the last decade.

Ignore observational bias and you will see Dublin is safe.

Dodge

That even one person feels less safe is more down to ridiculous media than anything else

On Thursday night Primetime, the flagship RTE serious news programme, used words like 'people living in gangland are gripped by fear' and 'parts of Dublin are on lockdown'

They're not the only ones. It's absolute nonsense. And worse it's dangerous scare mongering

Shameful

JakeArmitage

Dublin has known Darker times, believe you me. Don't take my word for it

Stojkovic

Riverireland wrote: »

Given recent events particularly in the Regency Hotel I was wondering has it changed people's attitudes to socialising in Dublin? I am on the road a lot and stop off wherever I am for lunch etc. This week I found myself being a lot more picky about where I stopped off. Friends and I have decided not to meet up in the city centre this weekend with the way things are at the moment. Are other boardsies thinking like this or do you feel it's as safe here as you did a couple of weeks ago.

Im grand, I bring my Glock with me.

Jesus Christ you'd swear Dublin was Damascas or Detroit FFS.

RebelButtMunch

Riverireland wrote: »

Given recent events particularly in the Regency Hotel I was wondering has it changed people's attitudes to socialising in Dublin? I am on the road a lot and stop off wherever I am for lunch etc. This week I found myself being a lot more picky about where I stopped off. Friends and I have decided not to meet up in the city centre this weekend with the way things are at the moment. Are other boardsies thinking like this or do you feel it's as safe here as you did a couple of weeks ago.

A few weeks ago I sat inside my house having a cup of tea. Now I'm out my back having another cup of tea. It must be safer seeing that I have ventured out doors. (Might also be that it was probably teeming rain then)

Stevecw

Dodge wrote: »

That even one person feels less safe is more down to ridiculous media than anything else

On Thursday night Primetime, the flagship RTE serious news programme, used words like 'people living in gangland are gripped by fear' and 'parts of Dublin are on lockdown'

They're not the only ones. It's absolute nonsense. And worse it's dangerous scare mongering

Shameful

Media love a bit of drama & the OP is getting well carried away there. Never have felt unsafe in Dublin in the 10 years i've been here. All these shootings has done is brought armed guards etc out, so right now it's the safest it's ever been.

athtrasna

As a woman I'm more concerned about the increase in sex attacks than any gangland incident. Still won't stop me going out but will make me more vigilant.

Riverireland

Riverireland wrote: »

Friends and I have decided not to meet up in the city centre this weekend with the way things are at the moment.

I find this absolutely bizarre. The chances of being murdered in Ireland are minuscule, and the chances of being murdered at random, I mean does that happen once a year even?

I live in the city centre, I absolutely feel as safe as I ever did (which is very safe).

OleRodrigo

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Ask any Brazilian what they like about Dublin. One of the things they will tell you is how safe they feel here.

Just to elaborate on this, there is quite a large community of South Americans ( among other foreign nationals )living in and around the Dublin inner city. They aren't tourists, they come to work and study on student visas, (which they can renew for up to 7 years I believe), so they are quite seasoned, many having been here for a while, as opposed to being fleeting visitors.

I'm always interested to hear what they have to say about their experiences here, especially when some from Irish citizens are so negative. Occasionally there is substance to that negativity - junkies, obnoxious kids, rampant and very visible homelessness etc. But predominantly they find Dubin friendly, safe and culturally interesting. This is also how I find it, most of the time, along with friends and associates who live in the area. Every city will have its social problems, Malmo in Sweden has seen a lot of immigration-related unrest, we don't see that in Dublin - even during the worst years of the recession. Football violence is traditionally a problem across many European cities, we don't have that here. Oslo and Helsinki have bigger problems with booze and drugs than Dublin, by many accounts.

The biggest vote for the safety of Dublin, though, is the presence of so many startups and American multinationals, establishing their EMEA base here. They recruit from all over Europe, which wouldn't be possible if Dublin wasn't a safe place.

Our sensationalist media along with a real disconnect between suburban and urban life contributes to the negative perception. That, and I would say, a general unworldliness among some Irish people.

OleRodrigo

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Oslo and Helsinki have bigger problems with booze and drugs than Dublin, by many accounts.

Sorry for picking a single point out of what is a very decent post, but just on this, I used to work with a lot of Scandinavians and they mentioned this about Norway too. That alcoholism and heroin use are massive problems in some areas. I was quite surprised, probably because I'm conditioned to thinking Scandinavia is some utopia by people who insist the grass is always greener.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

esforum wrote:

Theres plenty of worse capitals and theres plenty that are better however one thing that Ireland / UK appear to have in common is the random violence. You dont see the same level of random assaults in other countries and when you do, its always English speaking ones.

Wtf? Have you been anywhere apart from Ireland or the uk? Random violence only happens in English speaking countries. Oh holy flipping lols.