What's your favourite city in Ireland and why?

Taytoland

Strabanimal wrote: »

Mine has to be Derry.

Me and my gf from Belfast both love it.

The peace bridge, all the shopping, little-to-no chavs, the walls, the guildhalll, the boats, the lack of smokers, insane amount of good restaurants, cityside and waterside, lots of history, the walls, really friendly people. I could go on.

Coming from Belfast to Derry every 3 months it's insane the difference. It's just so peaceful and quiet there. Stressfree.

It's full of chavs, gangsters, terrorists, criminals, what are you on about? You must have missed them trying to burn the place down last month.

JordanPrice

Dublin is my favourite city.
My opinion is strictly based on nightlife as I haven't really travelled down the country for any other reason.

Church on Tuesday

road_high wrote: »

You wouldn't advertise that too loudly in most parts of either city- not unless you wanted to keep both kneecaps that is.

He's probably just a guy that has a problem with the North and people from there in general. Both cities are on the Island of Ireland so both count.

My favorite city? Dublin.

CHealy

Stephen15 wrote: »

I have to say many of our 'cities' particularly Cork and Limerick feel like they are just trying to imitate Dublin with the same shops and general atmosphere rather than being trying to be unique and different. Galway does try but the entire city centre of Galway just feels like Temple Bar.

What are you on about? God forbid H&M might want to open a store in Dublin and Cork...........the crazy bastards. I could go off and say Dublin is trying to imitate any medium to big regional British city.

wakka12

Stephen15 wrote: »

I have to say many of our 'cities' particularly Cork and Limerick feel like they are just trying to imitate Dublin with the same shops and general atmosphere rather than being trying to be unique and different. Galway does try but the entire city centre of Galway just feels like Temple Bar.

I completely agree, these cities are too small to ever compete with dublin economically or in any regard really, so they try to make themselves very unique in some ways to find gaps in the market that dublin doesnt have

I saw some recent proposal for bonham docks in galway and its great to see some investment there but it just looks like any old block from the dublin docklands dropped on galway, and I know its just an office block like but itd be nice to see a development that contributed to galways unique character rather than making it generic

citytillidie

Hector Bellend wrote: »

They're U.K cities on the island of Ireland.

UK - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, so yea Derry and Belfast are still in an Ireland, says so in the name of the country

citytillidie

Taytoland wrote: »

It's full of chavs, gangsters, terrorists, criminals, what are you on about? You must have missed them trying to burn the place down last month.

Ahh here we go again

CHealy

wakka12 wrote: »

I completely agree, these cities are too small to ever compete with dublin economically or in any regard really, so they try to make themselves very unique in some ways to find gaps in the market that dublin doesnt have

I saw some recent proposal for bonham docks in galway and its great to see some investment there but it just looks like any old block from the dublin docklands dropped on galway, and I know its just an office block like but itd be nice to see a development that contributed to galways unique character rather than making it generic

Thats your second post commenting on the size of both Cork and Galway. You can have your sprawling housing estate in Dublin, Im happy out where I am after buying a house a 10 minute walk to the city center, work is a 15 minute drive away, I can be up at Cork Airport in 10 minutes and Iv Kinsale, Youghal and one of the most beautiful parts of the world in West Cork only an hour and a bit away. I like Dublin but people like you ruin it.

Besides, who has ever ever claimed that Galway or Cork is bigger than Dublin? You're compensating for something I say fella.

tonycascarino

Galway or Kilkenny for me...Limerick is fine too... Dublin is grand to visit for a day or two but certainly not to live in (for me)

Just my own ranking which I'm sure many will disagree with:

1. Dublin - laugh at all the people who moan about it being a "kip", sure it has dodgy areas but many very nice areas too. There's a lot more here in terms of social and cultural outlets than any other city in Ireland, which I guess is inevitable when you have a city disproportionately large for the country it's in. I'm from Co. Cork originally but have been living in Dublin for the past four years and it feels more like "home" to me here.

2. Belfast - only ever went here once on a day trip but it's a fascinating place with so much history packed into it.

3. Galway - just has a very nice, laid-back vibe (when it's not overrun with tourists)

4. Cork - possibly a little biased against Cork as I spent three (mostly unhappy) years living there while studying. I got really sick of the place tbh. It's not a bad city by any means but I don't think it's ever really lived up to its potential as the country's "second city" (not including the north). Great place to go if you're a foodie though (which I'm not tbh).

5. Kilkenny - bit of a tourist trap but very pretty, the grounds of the castle are a lovely place to relax.

6. Limerick - a bit like Cork, in that it has more potential that it's never really reached. Partly a consequence of government failing to recognise life outside Dublin, I guess! The whole "Stab city" reputation is a relic of the past but the main streets of the city sadly are underdeveloped with too many empty units.

7. Waterford - maybe I need to give it another go but last time I visited I was struck by the complete absence of any buzz. Seems like there's very little going on there.

Never been to Derry, Newry, Armagh or Lisburn so can't comment on them.

zetalambda

There's no real cities in Ireland but my favourite town would be Dublin. It's so stress-free and quiet when you're used to the hustle and bustle of a city.

bullpost

zetalambda wrote: »

There's no real cities in Ireland but my favourite town would be Dublin. It's so stress-free and quiet when you're used to the hustle and bustle of a city.

True. Always found Limerick to be the most hospitable but Cork is my personal favorite.

Hitman3000

zetalambda wrote:

There's no real cities in Ireland but my favourite town would be Dublin. It's so stress-free and quiet when you're used to the hustle and bustle of a city.

What defination of city are you using to say Dublin is not really a city? Or is it just personal opinion with no basis other than what you think?

zetalambda

Hitman3000 wrote: »

What defination of city are you using to say Dublin is not really a city? Or is it just personal opinion with no basis other than what you think?

Reality

Hitman3000

So in other words you have no idea.

DickSwiveller Returns

zetalambda wrote: »

There's no real cities in Ireland but my favourite town would be Dublin. It's so stress-free and quiet when you're used to the hustle and bustle of a city.

That reminds me of a funny story I hear a while ago. Kilkenny City (now extinct) were playing Limerick City in a soccer match in Kilkenny and Kilkenny were leading 2-0. The Kilkenny fans started chanting "Kikenny city 1 Limerick city 0" to which the Limerick fans responded "Kilkenny Town 2 Limerick city 0".

Sycamore Tree

Prospectors wrote: »

I spent 4 years in college in Galway and it remains top of my list for nightlife and entertainment. It's just got a great buzz about the place.

Galway is without doubt the best place to go to college in Ireland.

Dublin is by far the worst place to go to college in Ireland.

twowheelsonly

topper75 wrote: »

All your praise for Derry is valid certainly. I'm quite fond of it.

How many people (possibly including yourself OP) will post here with opinions despite not knowing all the cities?

How many people in the county thread had actually visited all 32?

How many people have eaten all the food ? How can you have a favourite food if you haven't tried all of it... :rolleyes:



For me it's a toss up between Derry and Galway. Galway might just about edge it on the basis of having better nightlife but the people in Derry are superb.


Wouldn't be mad about Dublin other than there's always something on and something to do there. Don't like Waterford and don't even have a reason for not liking it... just don't like it !! Belfast does absolutely nothing for me. Been there about 4 or 5 times and there always seems to be a bit of an undertone there that I haven't experienced elsewhere in the north. Seems very bleak and dreary as well.

An earlier post hit the nail on the head regarding Limerick and Cork (where I'm from / live ) Neither seem to reach their potential for some reason. I'm not sure if it's poor planning or poor City Councils but there just seems to be something missing.

Silentcorner

MarkY91 wrote: »

I've never been to Limerick but growing up, it's always been known to be a hellhole full of scumbags and a place to never visit. But the more I read about it as an adult, it sounds like a pleasant enough place and I wouldn't mind a visit when out west.

I too would love to know why it's got such s bad reputation of being a kip full of scum.

Limericks image problem goes back generations, long before crime was even an issue in the city, it was simply never a liked city in Ireland, it's image is almost the complete opposite to reality. (I stress the word almost).

It is a very unpretentious city, famously in its rugby culture but it is evident across Limerick culture, which for me makes for a very culturally diverse city, for its size.

It is not for everyone, I will say that.

The more pretentious a person is, the less likely they will like Limerick.

Muttley79

DickSwiveller Returns wrote: »

That reminds me of a funny story I hear a while ago. Kilkenny City (now extinct) were playing Limerick City in a soccer match in Kilkenny and Kilkenny were leading 2-0. The Kilkenny fans started chanting "Kikenny city 1 Limerick city 0" to which the Limerick fans responded "Kilkenny Town 2 Limerick city 0".

Haha all the Kilkenny lads go nuts when you call it a town,even though it is really only the size of a town

road_high

Muttley79 wrote: »

Haha all the Kilkenny lads go nuts when you call it a town,even though it is really only the size of a town

...As are Limerick, Galway and Waterford in reality.

sm3ar

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Limerick surprised me

Going by press reports down through the years I had my knife ready as the train pulled into the station ready for battle

But no great city very friendly people and not too touristy

Forget about the fake news media. Dublin a lot worse.

Stephen15

CHealy wrote: »

What are you on about? God forbid H&M might want to open a store in Dublin and Cork...........the crazy bastards. I could go off and say Dublin is trying to imitate any medium to big regional British city.

To some extent Dublin tries to copy London I would agree with that.

I have to say many of the chain stores in Limerick particularly feel they are second rate stores to their Dublin counterparts e.g. the Dunnes Stores in Limerick is a dump and the Brown Thomas feels very down market compared to Dublin.

I took a short break to Cork a few years ago for example and couldn't find much to do there that I couldn't do in Dublin apart from the English Market and a few other things Limerick was even worse and I found there was a very poor selection of half decent looking cafes restaurants. Limerick is a lot worse than Cork and it felt very run down.

ArnoldJRimmer

Well if we're including Kilkenny as a city, my vote goes to Westport (higher population and everything). Beautiful surroundings with good pubs and restaurants

As for actual cities, Galway is brilliant. Lived there for years and had so much craic, there's always a bit of life about the place

zetalambda

ArnoldJRimmer wrote: »

Galway is brilliant. Lived there for years and had so much craic, there's always a bit of life about the place

You'd need to have a crack addiction to live in Galway.

road_high

ArnoldJRimmer wrote: »

Well if we're including Kilkenny as a city, my vote goes to Westport (higher population and everything). Beautiful surroundings with good pubs and restaurants

As for actual cities, Galway is brilliant. Lived there for years and had so much craic, there's always a bit of life about the place

6,000 people live in Westport and it's a square with a few streets leading in and around it with a river. Yes it's nice but there's really not a lot to it bar a few decent pubs and restaurants in the town. I couldn't imagine living there long term - pretty boring and isolated especially in the winter.

Stephen15

ArnoldJRimmer wrote: »

As for actual cities, Galway is brilliant. Lived there for years and had so much craic, there's always a bit of life about the place

It's a bit Temple Bar if you ask me minus the steep prices.

pajosjunkbox

Hard to beat Kilkenny. Great pubs, excellent restaurants, well organised festivals, the castle and it's grounds. It's easy to get about and always a nice atmosphere. Very safe to stroll around day or night. Never gets too busy with traffic etc.

Sciprio

CARK

James Bond Junior

Stephen15 wrote: »

To some extent Dublin tries to copy London I would agree with that.

I have to say many of the chain stores in Limerick particularly feel they are second rate stores to their Dublin counterparts e.g. the Dunnes Stores in Limerick is a dump and the Brown Thomas feels very down market compared to Dublin.

I took a short break to Cork a few years ago for example and couldn't find much to do there that I couldn't do in Dublin apart from the English Market and a few other things Limerick was even worse and I found there was a very poor selection of half decent looking cafes restaurants. Limerick is a lot worse than Cork and it felt very run down.

There are 4 Dunnes stores in Limerick, two of which are Dunnes A stores, ie the widest stock ranges. If you found it hard to find stuff to do in Cork or Limerick then that is more of a reflection yourself than the cities in my opinion.

I am a blow in to Limerick and love living there. If I had a choice of a weekend away in Dublin or Cork it would be Cork hands down. Dublin seems to be full of pretentiousness and looks more East than west for it's culture. North Dublin less so to be fair but I think Dubs can be a different breed with a different mindset to the rest of the population.

Herb Powell

zetalambda wrote: »

There's no real cities in Ireland but my favourite town would be Dublin. It's so stress-free and quiet when you're used to the hustle and bustle of a city.

It's alright, most of us have been outside of Ireland too, you can drop the act.

Agricola

Probably Kilkenny. Compact, historical (ok everywhere is but you know what I mean), good night life, and mainly because it's too small to be a real city so has none of the down sides of sprawling cities with huge populations.

Other than that I'd say Belfast. Only crossed the border for the first time in my 30's and I enjoyed the different vibe up there. Really vibrant, good shopping, nice places to eat and everything looking squeaky clean.

Stephen15

James Bond Junior wrote: »

There are 4 Dunnes stores in Limerick, two of which are Dunnes A stores, ie the widest stock ranges. If you found it hard to find stuff to do in Cork or Limerick then that is more of a reflection yourself than the cities in my opinion.

I am a blow in to Limerick and love living there. If I had a choice of a weekend away in Dublin or Cork it would be Cork hands down. Dublin seems to be full of pretentiousness and looks more East than west for it's culture. North Dublin less so to be fair but I think Dubs can be a different breed with a different mindset to the rest of the population.

I do recognise that Dublin is far from perfect especially from the point of view of value for money I agree it's a ripoff but I do think it has the most to offer especially for tourists in terms of days out, museums, shops, restaurants etc. It may have changed since I've been there but Limerick felt to me a bit dead and rundown.

James Bond Junior

Limerick is experiencing a revival with lots of new office block's, shops and restaurants being built and opened. It has always been a bit saltier than other Irish cities but if you embrace that aspect it makes for an entertaining and welcoming place. My brother lives in the Dublin region and loves coming to visit and socialise in Limerick as he reckons it is so friendly. A previous poster nailed it, a small city full of country people.

John_Rambo

zetalambda wrote: »

There's no real cities in Ireland but my favourite town would be Dublin.

"guys...... I've seen what you guys could only imagine"

Cop on will you!

Dublin is a proper, grown up city by European standards. It has everything a city can offer and more. Most Irish people under 40 have visited or lived in other cities including megacities. You're not alone! But most of us don't boast about it! You're like the know-all on the bar-stool that spent a weekend in New York and thinks he's been there and done that, staring off in to the distance with a sardonic smirk on your face laughing at our "little towns".

zetalambda wrote: »

It's so stress-free and quiet when you're used to the hustle and bustle of a city.

Lol! "I'm used to a REAL city"!!

zetalambda

There's only 2 types of people that think Dublin is a big city:

A. Dublin people

B. Farmers from rural Ireland up to the big schmoke for some shopping with their hang sangwidges and a flask of tae.

Literally the rest of the world sees it for what it is...a big town. Nothing more nothing less. Take it or leave it but don't fool yourself into thinking its anything else.

MarkY91

zetalambda wrote: »

There's only 2 types of people that think Dublin is a big city:

A. Dublin people

B. Farmers from rural Ireland up to the big schmoke for some shopping with their hang sangwidges and a flask of tae.

Literally the rest of the world sees it for what it is...a big town. Nothing more nothing less. Take it or leave it but don't fool yourself into thinking its anything else.

Show me one person in this entire thread who said Dublin is a "big" city......


People said it's just a city. A small city sure but as big a city as dozens of European places people worldwide consider being a city.

Stop talking ****e just because you hate Dubliners.

zetalambda

Very touchy bunch on here tonight!

Archeron

zetalambda wrote: »

There's only 2 types of people that think Dublin is a big city:

A. Dublin people

B. Farmers from rural Ireland up to the big schmoke for some shopping with their hang sangwidges and a flask of tae.

Literally the rest of the world sees it for what it is...a big town. Nothing more nothing less. Take it or leave it but don't fool yourself into thinking its anything else.

According to  Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC), Dublin is classified as an alpha - city, in the same category as new Delhi, San Francisco, Taipei, Manila and Washington DC.

wakka12

zetalambda wrote: »

There's only 2 types of people that think Dublin is a big city:

A. Dublin people

B. Farmers from rural Ireland up to the big schmoke for some shopping with their hang sangwidges and a flask of tae.

Literally the rest of the world sees it for what it is...a big town. Nothing more nothing less. Take it or leave it but don't fool yourself into thinking its anything else.

Dont know many towns with over a million people in them
Its not a big city by 21st C standard, sure. but that doesnt mean its a town

zetalambda

For the record, I love Dublin. It's the only town in Ireland that let's me take my pet donkey on the bus.

GowlBagJohnson

What ever about Limericks bad reputation, Waterford is the actually biggest scum hole in Ireland, its basically the Detroit of Ireland and the locals are nothing but a bunch of floury bap eating scumbags.

Hitman3000

zetalambda wrote:

Literally the rest of the world sees it for what it is...a big town. Nothing more nothing less. Take it or leave it but don't fool yourself into thinking its anything else.

Quick question is Prague a city?

cournioni

Belfast and Galway are my favorites. Belfast is the best city in lreland by far.

5rtytry56

As somebody from Dublin 14,


Limerick:

Nice stallholder people in Milk Market.
Also walked into group of teens near bridge over Shannon. They started talking to me Actually were nice to talk to! - I was 40 then.

Hector Bellend

Hector Bellend wrote: »

They're U.K cities on the island of Ireland.

Dublin was "a UK city on the island of Ireland". What British imperialist point precisely are you trying to make in this pathetic attempt to denude the people of Doire & Béal Feirste of their right, protected in international law, to Irishness?

5rtytry56

Deleted User wrote: »

Dublin was "a UK city on the island of Ireland". What British imperialist point precisely are you trying to make in this pathetic attempt to denude the people of Doire & Béal Feirste of their right, protected in international law, to Irishness?

Citizens of these cities are also entitled to an Irish passport if they so choose.

GowlBagJohnson

GowlBagJohnson wrote: »

Waterford is the actually biggest scum hole in Ireland, its basically the Detroit of Ireland and the locals are nothing but a bunch of floury bap eating scumbags.

Waterford and Drogheda (I'm not sure if Drogheda was officially named a city, but it was certainly considered among Ireland's largest urban areas by the 16th century) are easily the most underdeveloped urban areas in Ireland given both of their really amazing medieval histories. There is so much that could be done to make them flourishing tourist centres if they started restoring their built heritage (When I was in Warsaw in 2004 they were rebuilding their large medieval barbican to make the city more attractive) and promoting their huge maritime history.

The problem is not enough people in both places are aware of the extent of that history and there's accordingly an almost complete lack of meas for any radical moves to regenerate those areas as heritage centres. Drogheda, for instance, still has hideous remnants of its industrial past hanging around the place blighting the landscape. Awful planning decisions in both places in the past 40 years. Zero integration with the built heritage. Cultureless troglodytes and philistines in charge with zero vision.

In a nutshell, there's fúck-all civic pride. And civic pride is the gamechanger for every urban area (the way Skerries has been turned around in the past 20 years being an obvious example).

realitykeeper

Cork is Ireland`s third city after Dublin and Belfast (Tiocfaidh Ár Lá). To me it is home so that scuppers my impartiality.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

I've never actually been to Belfast, been meaning to for ages but living in Cork it's fecking easier to take off to France or mainland UK for a weekend.

Anyways, Cork, hence the living here.