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Dirty, dreary, expensive, nothing to do

badabing106

If that is the answer, what is the question?

Wow check out this post by a poster called louis on broadsheet, LMDGA!

Let’s knock off the B.S. and try and be a bit honest here. Dublin as a capital is still a bit of a dump (not as bad as it was in the 80’s, but still a dump) Yes the nightlife is good, but strip that back and think about it objectively and critically, and pretty soon you realise that it’s not much better than Bucharest.

The problem with the city is that there’s a serious absence of civic pride, and I blame that on three parties (1) Central Government for lack of investment (2) City Council for lack of taste and intelligence (3) Locals who have this romanticised version of the “Dirty Old Town” and row against any suggested improvement (if there are any?)

There are lots that can and should be done to improve the place, the problem being that the likes of Failte Ireland are still flogging the same old horse they were flogging thirty years ago (the Book of Kells and the Ardagh chalice)

I’m sorry to have to say this, but Dublin is no better than a drab town in the north of England.

So let me make a few observations as a foreigner who’s lived here for a long-time.

(1) No one outside of Ireland gives two sh1ts about Easter 1916 or anything related to it as a tourist attraction.
(2) Viewing The Book of Kells is Boring waste of time.
(3) Templebar is a dive, and not even the locals bother with it.
(4) The Guinness Store House is limited to people who like a drink and not for families. It’s also set in a fairly rough part of town, as was recently demonstrated.
(5) The Poolbeg Chimney’s are not and never will be an attraction for a tourist, particularly for anyone who grew up in an industrial city, where stacks like that were a dime a dozen.
(6) Leaving genuine homelessness aside, there’s a small battalion of professional beggars on the streets of the capital.
(7) Placing an injection room facility near a “tourist attraction” is the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard. Please note I’m all for harm reduction.
(8) The paving of the Grafton Street Quarter is nearly taking as long as the building of Berlin’s new airport!
(9) One Luke Kelly statue was enough, two is overkill considering few people under fifty knows who he was, especially foreign tourists.
(10) A city should be safe for tourists, yet the cops are strangely absent on the ground, particularly in the core tourist areas

So what do tourists want?

(1) Put simply they want interesting, entertaining things to do and see that are affordable. Dublin’s free museums are quite good, but could be so much better.

(2) Hire “Meow Wolf” and ask them to build a world class attraction like they created in Santa Fe. If you don’t know it or never been to it, check it out.

(3) Where’s the huge statue of Gulliver? Something so obviously missing from the city, it beggars belief? Build one, and put a miniature Lilliput around it…..and do it tastefully!

(4) And having dealt with one famous writer’s contribution to world literature, how about getting rid of that giant hypodermic needle on O’Connell street and rebuild the pillar with the viewing platform (yes it actually paid for itself) and put Oscar Wilde’s “Happy Prince” on it. If you don’t know the story, read it. And if the usual hard-leftie republicans kick-up ask them if they ever read a bedtime story to their little princesses (or taken them to see Frozen!)

(5) Refurbish the Rutland Fountain, its a disgrace that it’s left in its current condition. And if some half-witted architect graduate from UCD shouts “Pastiche” ….cover him in fox scent and send him to Shelbourne Dog Track on a wet Thursday in November :-)

(6) Demolish those eyesores on the Poolbeg peninsula and use the space for something truly breathtaking that could become a real symbol of the city.

(7) Make Halloween a true city-wide festival and market the hell out of it abroad…. the Bram Stoker festival is drab, characterless and boring.

(8) Build an opera house. It may not be my cup of tea, but seeing the opera lovers pile into your local omniplex and spending good money, means there’s a market. If anything it will add to the city.

(9) Same for ballet, there’s a market. If you build a ballet hall, they will come.

(10) Encourage people to live in the city, including the one’s with money. There are magnificent houses on Merrion Square, Fitzwilliam Square an even Mountjoy that are subdivided into small offices. Seriously, what an utter waste?

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nkl12xtw5goz70

andekwarhola wrote: »

Maybe I'm immune to Dublin because I live here but I think I can understand its charm to tourists objectively. And for many tourists, especially European ones, its actually not that expensive.

It probably seems a lot more expensive to the British now that sterling has been pulverized by Brexit.

Realt Dearg Sec

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Not much history,

****e talk.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

Richard Hillman wrote: »

To be fair, it's a bit crap. Not much history, rubbish architecture, non unique food, very expensive hotels, ****e weather. All we have are pubs and our nanny State governments want rid of those for Vegan and Coffee places.

Everywhere in Ireland has amazing history. And the food we do produce (mainly meat) is of exceptional quality. 'Grass fed beef' is a high demand premium product in the States, here that's the base standard. Same goes for butter and cheese.

Many European capitals are much more expensive for hotels as well. Architecture is subjective, I do wish Dublin had a high rise portion of the city though. But that's more of an issue on the planning side of things.

andekwarhola

Daniela Screeching Seeker wrote: »

It probably seems a lot more expensive to the British now that sterling has been pulverized by Brexit.

If I fancy going to Reykjavik, Stockholm, Oslo or Copenhagen for a trip, I make sure and understand what it costs and enjoy it. I don't land here and have a convulsion because its not as cheap as Albania.

ittakestwo

It Does rain a lot here. We seem to have a lot of days where it just does not stop raining. Of course that will piss people off no end. We dont really show in failte ireland brochures what really the street scape will probably look like if you visit. Pissing rain with umbrellas.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

ittakestwo wrote: »

It Does rain a lot here. We seem to have a lot of days where it just does not stop raining. Of course that will piss people off no end. We dont really show in failte ireland brochures what really the street scape will probably look like if you visit. Pissing rain with umbrellas.

That’s just this year which is markedly bad. All day rain is not that common in Dublin and it’s not a particularly rainy city in general if you look at the stats.

[Deleted User]

Dreary, boring, dirty....not the ‘fun’ durrrty....

Yeah, sounds like a Mumsnet poster alright. The kind of crotch scratcher who thinks they’re cultured because they have both red and white wine in their home...in cartons...in the fridge.

Those eejits wouldn’t know a good time if it gave them a root up their gaping holes.

Dublin’s great. We all know it, even if it almost kills some people to accept or admit it. Let’s not have another round of The Same Again.

6541

Pubs in Dublin are world class.

MrAbyss

Temple Bar has made the city centre smaller for tourists. They don't think there is anything else. In the 1960s the city centre extended from the Greasham Hotel to Stephens Green. Now it ihas all been sucked into the Temple Bar/Guinness Storehouse black hole. The city centre needs to be expanded back to its traditional axis of Parnell Square to Merrion Square. Also there are not enough people living in the city center. Hence the dreary. No real life. The lack of high rise and no underground rail system all adds up to Dublin feeling like a Mickey Mouse town even though it's actually the same size as Amsterdam. The "Guinness Factory" sums up everything that is wrong with Dublin as a tourist destination.

MrAbyss

Knock Airport constantly has English women arriving in beach attire. I kid you not. The airport even keeps anoraks handy for them. These kinds of English tourists tend to be very unworlldly and don't understand overseas. Many of them think all airplanes all fly to sunny foreign. They have no sense of the complexity and diversity of the rest of the world even after they even visit places. It's a strange unique English attitude. I can't explain it but it exists and ninety percent of Mumsnet would be comprised of these types. I wouldn't take their comments to heart.

BakeMeACake

Maple flooring

Blueshoe

andekwarhola wrote: »

That's mostly an issue for people that live there. Tourists should be well aware of the cost of holidaying here, similar to plenty of other expensive European cities.

Bangs of people expecting a cheapo holiday in backward Ireland. Like the retards that book a 2 star hotel and then go on TripAdvisor moaning that it's not a Raddison

Or Dublin being marketed as a great holiday destination. But once they arrive it becomes evident that it's a bit of a kip. We all know that it is. Defend it if you will as some sort of patriotism to our capital but it's a dump. SoZ

MarkY91

Nothing to do? There's loads to do..even for free.

A couple of uncultured English people basing their whole weekend in temple bar will of course get ripped off and have nothing much to do aside from a pub and Leo burdocks

is_that_so

Ah the genius of the one-liner on a head-nodding forum, smart-looking but ultimately vacuous. I got bored with the seriously poor cut and paste article. How Dublin is responsible for someone being cold and wet in December is a real mystery.

Blueshoe

MarkY91 wrote: »

Nothing to do? There's loads to do..even for free.

A couple of uncultured English people basing their whole weekend in temple bar will of course get ripped off and have nothing much to do aside from a pub and Leo burdocks

That's the nothing to do bit covered . Even though you didn't give any examples.
Now tackle the dirty, dreary and expensive.
It's a kip. Admit it and move on

Fritzbox

Blueshoe wrote: »

That's the nothing to do bit covered . Even though you didn't give any examples.
Now tackle the dirty, dreary and expensive.
It's a kip. Admit it and move on

There's lots to do in Dublin - bars restaurants galleries, museums, churches, castles and old houses, parks etc. Tell me, what is there to do in the other small capital cities in Europe, what is there to see and do in Bratislava, Oslo, Helsinki, Copenhagen etc.? Is the weather any better in any of these places? I read recently that the rainfall is greater in Amsterdam is heavier than in Dublin, could be true?

Blueshoe

Fritzbox wrote: »

There's lots to do in Dublin - bars restaurants galleries, museums, churches, castles and old houses, parks etc. Tell me, what is there to do in the other small capital cities in Europe, what is there to see and do in Bratislava, Oslo, Helsinki, Copenhagen etc.? Is the weather any better in any of these places? I read recently that the rainfall is greater in Amsterdam is heavier than in Dublin, could be true?

Dirty dreary and expensive.
It's a kip. But it's our kip.

andekwarhola

Blueshoe wrote: »

Or Dublin being marketed as a great holiday destination. But once they arrive it becomes evident that it's a bit of a kip. We all know that it is. Defend it if you will as some sort of patriotism to our capital but it's a dump. SoZ

S'ok. You haz your opinion innit, fam.

Mr. teddywinkles

Brits were always tight arses neways

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

Mr.S wrote: »

A bit covered, what does that mean, inside? We have a heap of museums, art galleries, pubs, restaurants, tourist attractions like the Storehouse, EPIC, Kilmainham Gaol - to name a few.

Only boring people get bored.

Idbatterim

Dublin city council, look at the state of much of the city centre. O’Connell bridge footpaths are tarmac for Christ sake. The amount of dereliction is laughable. Once Gorgeous Georgian buildings now a disgrace. They are great at stopping new developments though ! and for all their talk of the skyline and Georgian Dublin, action speaks louder than words. The absolute state of some areas of central Dublin , after two booms now In relative close succession is unbelievable!

Thelonious Monk

Yeah the roads/paving in Dublin is really ramshackle in parts. Baggot St and South Anne St are in an absolute state. I have no idea what DCC do half the time.

Idbatterim

Dublin has lovely geographical setting. Many people I chat to here that have moved here from other countries love it. As usual it could be better here and the authorities really fail us on that front. Transport is laughably bad. There is no stand out good modern architecture, it’s all bland rubbish. The anti development dcc trying to stop hotels being built , of course they are expensive when supply is being limited coupled with large demand. The cost of drink is pricey enough , at least with three new spoons that will be open centrally soon, Us locals or visitors don’t have to be robbed anymore. Food wise eating out here I find pretty good value.

silverharp

:pac:

https://twitter.com/Rubberbandits/status/1198187942440779777

Blueshoe

silverharp wrote: »

:pac:

https://twitter.com/Rubberbandits/status/1198187942440779777

Blindboys opinion. Lol

Rufeo

Fritzbox wrote: »

That doesn't stop Dublin being one of the most popular tourist cities in Europe. Why are there so many tourists in London and Paris if they are also so expensive?

Probably trying to avoid a 28 euro price tag for a sub par steak in a over priced gastropub.

mikhail

Fritzbox wrote: »

Is the weather any better in any of these places? I read recently that the rainfall is greater in Amsterdam is heavier than in Dublin, could be true?

Dublin is in the rain shadow of the Wicklow mountains. It's not a particularly wet city. https://www.timeanddate.com says it has 493 mm a year vs 550 mm annually for Amsterdam. Some others: London 596.5, Galway 732.5, Cork 849, Copenhagen 312, Paris 589, Lisbon 295, Oslo 701. All from the same site, for whatever it's worth.

The opinions of a handful of tourists should be of concern to Failte Ireland, and to **** all else, though as usual there's a scramble as culchies with chips on their shoulder race to gloat that their hatred of their own capital is justified.

Thelonious Monk

mikhail wrote: »

Dublin is in the rain shadow of the Wicklow mountains. It's not a particularly wet city. https://www.timeanddate.com says it has 493 mm a year vs 550 mm annually for Amsterdam. Some others: London 596.5, Galway 732.5, Cork 849, Copenhagen 312, Paris 589, Lisbon 295, Oslo 701. All from the same site, for whatever it's worth.

The opinions of a handful of tourists should be of concern to Failte Ireland, and to **** all else, though as usual there's a scramble as culchies with chips on their shoulder race to gloat that their hatred of their own capital is justified.

London gets a summer though, regardless of all the rain. It has felt like non stop rain in Dublin this year since August!

fatknacker

Museums and galleries are free. A trip to howth / dun laoghaire is about €6 or so return and they can walk around there for free. A double cheeseburger in McDonald's is €2 or do a shop in lidl and make their own food.
They can enjoy Dublin for cheap if they like or they can shove it up their holes.
I don't care, I'd prefer fewer tourists, myself. Piss off to Paris.

Ready4Boarding

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

My two cents

Most tourists seem to go to dreary parts of dublin and ignore other nicer parts

By that I mean they congregate around

The north quays
O connell st
Abbey st middle and lower
Mary and Henry st
Parnell st
Temple bar
Dame st

And they seem to be in much less numbers around the “grafton quarter” and leeson/baggot area. Nicer areas if you ask me.

In Ireland, we labour under the delusion that O'Connell Street is our main street, mostly for sentimental reasons, and expend great energy griping that it's not the street we want it to be. But what other capital's main street has exclusively tatty shops and fast food restaurants, extensive counsel housing in the immediate vicinity and reaches the edge of the commercial city at its top end? If we acknowledge that the the centre of the city has moved elsewhere, we are freed of cognitive dissonance and can appreciate it for what it is. We can then embrace that College Green is the central axis of the city and make the necessary improvements, like pedestrianising it, that will cement it as such. Tourists find themselves in O'Connell Street because it's still where we instinctively point to as being the city centre.

And I'm glad you used the term Grafton Quarter (albeit in quotation marks!). There is little doubt that the most attractive part of the inner city is the area south of Dame Street, from George's Street to Dawson Street. The streets have a common character and retail mix, so it makes perfect sense to group them. People viewed the Grafton Quarter sign as some branding exercise (that someone was being paid a fortune for having created), but if you want South William Street pedestrianised, proper policing of where delivery vans parks, a prohibition on obstructive bin bags left out over night, etc, it will only happen if there's a shared planning strategy for the area.

Idbatterim wrote: »

There is no stand out good modern architecture.

Berkeley Library at Trinity and the former Central Bank on Dame Street are fantastic (IMO) but Dublin has much under-appreciated Georgian and Victorian architecture that we should be prioritising.

silverharp wrote: »

:pac:

https://twitter.com/Rubberbandits/status/1198187942440779777

They really are insufferable at this point.