Dublin City Centre is a kip.

Danye · 20-04-2021 9:40pm #1

I’m a proud Dubliner but how much of a kip has the centre of the city become? The antics outside Merchant Quay, open drug dealing and open drug use (smoking crack and banging up) are common knowledge and yet nothing is done. Earlier in the year, during level 5 there was a big checkpoint about 800 metres up from Merchants Quay stopping people and asking them where they were going!! Surely they would of been better directed to target the antics outside MQ??

This evening again coming up the quays, just after O’Connell bridge there was a gang of 10+ huddled in the door of Supervalu sharing a crack pipe.

Awful to see. How poor are our guards here?

Wishbone Ash · 20-04-2021 9:44pm

Danye wrote: »

.. How poor are our guards here?

What do you expect them to do? Haven't you heard of the 'revolving door' of our justice system. They could arrest them, spend a considerable amount of time doing all the paperwork etc. and they'll be back out again in a few hours. Hardly the fault of the Gardai.

donvito99 · 20-04-2021 9:51pm

Do we need another one of these threads?

Danye · 20-04-2021 10:34pm

donvito99 wrote: »

Do we need another one of these threads?

Sorry if it’s a common theme. Just posted after being around this evening. Guards just drive by!

dd973 · 21-04-2021 2:15am

Stood just inside SupaValu Aston Quay, Saturday evening about ten years ago, one of those close, sticky, depressing hot summer days with an absolutely biblical downpour outside, group of scroate kids keep coming in to knock over all the baskets and racially abuse the security who was also having a go at the roughest, unlikeliest looking Trans woman you've ever seen.

Thought 'Christ, the penny's dropped, they're right, this place is a kip!'

Dublin's a curates egg city for me, I like Clontarf, Howth, Glasnevin, Blackrock, Fairview, those areas have the best and most authentic pubs as well. The City Centre, apart from being dodgy, is like a globalised Hiberno-London tourist trap and I'm too old for Wexford Street's coked up binge drinking.

mikekerry · 21-04-2021 9:24am

It's particularity bad now since the lockdown as no office workers in town so
the homeless and junkies are the main people "walking" around.
Add in all the closed shops and it's literally like something out of an episode of the walking dead.
GRIM

Tabnabs · 21-04-2021 9:50am

When you look at other cities that have actively engaged with significant anti-social problems they always have a central figure who can lead the task to "clean up" the city. In our case, as in many others, it is the Mayor who is that figurehead. While the Lord Mayor of Dublin doesn't have the political clout and resources under their control, they are the one voice that can speak on behalf of the citizens to call out these problems and encourage solutions.

But we got Hazel Chu (and all the other useless egomaniacs before her). So until someone steps up to take responsibility for getting the city back to a position of pride, you will continue to cross the street, look over your shoulder, step over the evidence.

Peregrinus · 21-04-2021 9:54am

Tabnabs wrote: »

When you look at other cities that have actively engaged with significant anti-social problems they always have a central figure who can lead the task to "clean up" the city . . .

Can you think of an example where this was done by a mayor who had no role in or control over policing?

'Cause, if you can't, your problem is not with the personalities who have been Lord Mayor of Dublin; it's with the office itself.

Hoboo · 21-04-2021 9:57am

donvito99 wrote: »

Do we need another one of these threads?

Definitely, only saying it to the lads this morning we could do with a thread about the state of the city on boards. You'd swear my phone was listening.

iffandonlyif · 21-04-2021 10:41am

It's weak to use Merchant's Quay, a noted methadone clinic outside the city centre, as your supporting example.

Let me give you a walk. Start at Grand Canal station. Walk up the charming canal and turn right down Leeson Street. Through lush Stephen's Green and down lively Grafton Street, turning left at Nassau, which brings you to South William Street. (At this point you might like to have a look in the Powerscourt Townhouse or a bite to eat in Fallon and Byrne.) The beautiful Castle Market leads to George's Arcade. Turn down George's Street and cross over into Temple Bar, where the only crack in sight is spelt with an 'i'. Have a look around quaint streets like Crow and Cecelia before crossing the Liffey at the Ha'penny Bridge. Walk along Bachelor's Walk to O'Connell. This is where you might encounter your crack-smoking friends. I don't like it either, but ignore it and keep walking. Left down O'Connell Street, left again at the GPO and you're into Henry Street, Dublin's shopping mecca - far too busy for all you crack-smokers out there. Go all the way down to the end, turning left at Capel Street. Pantibar near the top, if that's your jam, then cross over into Parliament Street. Check out City Hall - the decorative ceiling is unlike anything else in Ireland - then continue into the Dublin Castle courtyard. Dubh Linn Gardens behind are well worth a look. Then back along Dame Street to College Green, through Trinity's fabulous campus, and thence to Pearse Station. (Apologies for the Dart-centric routing.)

My imagination is admittedly limited, but I struggle to imagine anyone being able to say after that fairly comprehensive tour of Dublin's city centre that it's a kip.

mikekerry · 21-04-2021 10:59am

iffandonlyif wrote: »

It's weak to use Merchant's Quay, a noted methadone clinic outside the city centre, as your supporting example.

Let me give you a walk. Start at Grand Canal station. Walk up the charming canal and turn right down Leeson Street. Through lush Stephen's Green and down lively Grafton Street, turning left at Nassau, which brings you to South William Street. (At this point you might like to have a look in the Powerscourt Townhouse or a bite to eat in Fallon and Byrne.) The beautiful Castle Market leads to George's Arcade. Turn down George's Street and cross over into Temple Bar, where the only crack in sight is spelt with an 'i'. Have a look around quaint streets like Crow and Cecelia before crossing the Liffey at the Ha'penny Bridge. Walk along Bachelor's Walk to O'Connell. This is where you might encounter your crack-smoking friends. I don't like it either, but ignore it and keep walking. Left down O'Connell Street, left again at the GPO and you're into Henry Street, Dublin's shopping mecca - far too busy for all you crack-smokers out there. Go all the way down to the end, turning left at Capel Street. Pantibar near the top, if that's your jam, then cross over into Parliament Street. Check out City Hall - the decorative ceiling is unlike anything else in Ireland - then continue into the Dublin Castle courtyard. Dubh Linn Gardens behind are well worth a look. Then back along Dame Street to College Green, through Trinity's fabulous campus, and thence to Pearse Station. (Apologies for the Dart-centric routing.)

My imagination is admittedly limited, but I struggle to imagine anyone being able to say after that fairly comprehensive tour of Dublin's city centre that it's a kip.

Have you been to henry st recently?

FrankN1 · 21-04-2021 11:03am

It's definitely not the cleanest City

Danye · 21-04-2021 1:46pm

iffandonlyif wrote: »

It's weak to use Merchant's Quay, a noted methadone clinic outside the city centre, as your supporting example.

Let me give you a walk. Start at Grand Canal station. Walk up the charming canal and turn right down Leeson Street. Through lush Stephen's Green and down lively Grafton Street, turning left at Nassau, which brings you to South William Street. (At this point you might like to have a look in the Powerscourt Townhouse or a bite to eat in Fallon and Byrne.) The beautiful Castle Market leads to George's Arcade. Turn down George's Street and cross over into Temple Bar, where the only crack in sight is spelt with an 'i'. Have a look around quaint streets like Crow and Cecelia before crossing the Liffey at the Ha'penny Bridge. Walk along Bachelor's Walk to O'Connell. This is where you might encounter your crack-smoking friends. I don't like it either, but ignore it and keep walking. Left down O'Connell Street, left again at the GPO and you're into Henry Street, Dublin's shopping mecca - far too busy for all you crack-smokers out there. Go all the way down to the end, turning left at Capel Street. Pantibar near the top, if that's your jam, then cross over into Parliament Street. Check out City Hall - the decorative ceiling is unlike anything else in Ireland - then continue into the Dublin Castle courtyard. Dubh Linn Gardens behind are well worth a look. Then back along Dame Street to College Green, through Trinity's fabulous campus, and thence to Pearse Station. (Apologies for the Dart-centric routing.)

My imagination is admittedly limited, but I struggle to imagine anyone being able to say after that fairly comprehensive tour of Dublin's city centre that it's a kip.

Well for you not have to walk / drive past it everyday. I have friends and family who live and grow up in certain areas where drug use and anti social behaviour is rife and nothing is done about it.

Completely agree that not all of Dublin is a kip but take a tour from The Green, down Grafton Street onto the Quays, down towards Pearse Street, across to the Custom House, up Gardiner Street, Talbot Street, Foley Street O’Connell Street, Henry Street the Boardwalk and then across to O’Connell bridge and back up the quays towards MQ and it’s a different world to the tourist route you suggested.

JPup · 21-04-2021 1:49pm

This isn’t just a Dublin issue by the way. Cities all over the world are struggling with lawlessness during the pandemic because streets are so much quieter than usual. A lot of countries have curfews in place. Maybe we should have tried that.

Danye · 21-04-2021 4:48pm

JPup wrote: »

This isn’t just a Dublin issue by the way. Cities all over the world are struggling with lawlessness during the pandemic because streets are so much quieter than usual. A lot of countries have curfews in place. Maybe we should have tried that.

No I know that and I’m just openly ranting here to be honest. As someone said, a post with this theme has been done to death. Drove past MQ twice today and a Garda van and car just cruised by. It’s been going on for years and it’s getting worse.

iffandonlyif · 21-04-2021 4:57pm

Danye wrote: »

Well for you not have to walk / drive past it everyday. I have friends and family who live and grow up in certain areas where drug use and anti social behaviour is rife and nothing is done about it.

Completely agree that not all of Dublin is a kip but take a tour from The Green, down Grafton Street onto the Quays, down towards Pearse Street, across to the Custom House, up Gardiner Street, Talbot Street, Foley Street O’Connell Street, Henry Street the Boardwalk and then across to O’Connell bridge and back up the quays towards MQ and it’s a different world to the tourist route you suggested.

Your definition of kip is an unusual one, then. If your claim is that rough areas of Dublin are rough, I agree with you, and sympathise with the good people who bear the consequences.

Danye · 21-04-2021 5:02pm

iffandonlyif wrote: »

Your definition of kip is an unusual one, then. If your claim is that rough areas of Dublin are rough, I agree with you, and sympathise with the good people who bear the consequences.

Yeah it is quite a broad generic statement to be fair. Parts of Dublin are lovely. I should of been more specific. It’s the areas I mentioned are Kips and what is considered to be the centre of the City, O’Connell street as well. Just can’t believe such behaviour happens without any intervention. Dragging whole areas down.

iffandonlyif · 21-04-2021 5:19pm

Danye wrote: »

Yeah it is quite a broad generic statement to be fair. Parts of Dublin are lovely. I should of been more specific. It’s the areas I mentioned are Kips and what is considered to be the centre of the City, O’Connell street as well. Just can’t believe such behaviour happens without any intervention. Dragging whole areas down.

Fair enough. To me, kip implies physical degradation. I think Dublin has greatly improved on that score in all areas. I'd rather O'Connell Street were properly developed and that antisocial behaviour in the area were policed (I've seen it mentioned a few times that there should really be a permanent Garda presence at the corner of O'Connell and Henry streets). But when I'm in that area, I've rarely seen anything that would cause me to feel unsafe.

There aren't many countries whose capital city has a council estate minutes' walk from its ceremonial main street. Extra policing won't solve that underlying issue.

Thelonious Monk · 21-04-2021 7:36pm

I actually think it's gorgeous, the south inner city anyway. I normally work around Lower Baggot Street and go for walks all around that area and over to Grafton St and the surrounds every day. All the areas inside the canal and beyond are nice on the south. Northside has some problems but there are still nice parts.
You can call it a kip, but what urban area in Ireland is nicer than the nice parts of Dublin?

Tusky · 21-04-2021 10:39pm

I love Dublin and normally hate these threads. But you definitely have a point re: Merchants Quay. I cycle past every day and that stretch appears to have been just given over to addicts. People injecting in the street in broad daylight, smoking crack, rubbish everywhere. It’s like something you’d see in New York in the 70s.

But on the positive - passed Mountjoy Square and the park has never looked better! It’s in great shape.

Strumms · 22-04-2021 11:07pm

Tusky wrote: »

I love Dublin and normally hate these threads. But you definitely have a point re: Merchants Quay. I cycle past every day and that stretch appears to have been just given over to addicts. People injecting in the street in broad daylight, smoking crack, rubbish everywhere. It’s like something you’d see in New York in the 70s.

But on the positive - passed Mountjoy Square and the park has never looked better! It’s in great shape.

Seems that if you google merchants quay and drugs, it’s petty much a shîtshow of lawlessness in this area.

John_Rambo · 22-04-2021 11:29pm

I don't see the point on these threads. We're in the middle of a pandemic that affects cities more than any other parts of a country.

The more fortunate in the city are lying low. The less fortunate are exposed. The optics aren't good and the haters are having a field day.

This isn't a dig ad the op or anyone on this thread, but the capital haters love to feed on the downfall of the city. Whilst small villages set up protests and vigelante gangs to police holiday homers, Dubliners accept the fact that there's always going to be a transient visitor issue to the city from those very villages and further afield.

Dublin isn't a kip. It's suffering. Just like any other attack, the cities suffer more and the underbelly is exposed.

Atlantic Dawn · 22-04-2021 11:35pm

Is there a business opportunity here for someone to bring groups of say 10-15 tourists around on a walking tour to see genuine junkies and scumbags in their natural environment? It could start out at Custom House, up the Boardwalk to O'Connell Street, down to bottom of O'Connell Street across then to Moore Street and back towards the Liffey via Mary Street and Capel Street, then cross the Liffey to the other side of the Boardwalk and walk back down to Tara Street. The sights they would see would really open their eyes as to what an absolute disgraceful kip the city centre has been let fall in to.

John_Rambo · 22-04-2021 11:45pm

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Is there a business opportunity here for someone to bring groups of say 10-15 tourists around on a walking tour to see genuine junkies and scumbags in their natural environment? It could start out at Custom House, up the Boardwalk to O'Connell Street, down to bottom of O'Connell Street across then to Moore Street and back towards the Liffey via Mary Street and Capel Street, then cross the Liffey to the other side of the Boardwalk and walk back down to Tara Street. The sights they would see would really open their eyes as to what an absolute disgraceful kip the city centre has been let fall in to.

^^

John_Rambo wrote: »

the haters are having a field day

there's a certain type of person that gloats, sneers, laughs and rubs their hands together at the downfall of the cities and towns they live in.

Gaspode · 23-04-2021 6:31am

This type of thread has been done to death, no need for yet another one.

Dublin City Centre is a kip.

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