Dublin City Centre for Tourists

LuasSimon

Walking through Dublin city centre last night had me thinking , what sort of experience can it be for tourists to the city centre in particular, many are staying in hotels, guesthouses near O Connell Street .
Last night off temple bar I saw someone injecting themselves just off temple Bar, two more addicts boxing the head off each other beside the Hapenny bridge, every street had some class of an addict hassling people for money.

There were tourists been harassed and many of them looked frightened especially parents with children , if one came and stayed in Howth, Sutton, Sandymount etc you could well have a lovely trip but id imagine many who stay in the City centre are unlikely to return. Ive been to plenty big cities who have issues but not every street you turn down .

Thelonious Monk

Yeah we know. Its a kip. I can deal with the junkies etc but what grates me the most now is the tiny footpaths and lack of pedestrianised areas and the amount of space given to private cars. It makes a lot of the city unpleasant to walk or cycle around, and frankly dangerous on many streets like Nassau and Baggot and Merrion row where people from the tiny footpaths spill out onto roads with cars speeding by.

whippet

my brother has lived in Sweden for the last decade and last summer when he was home we went out for a few drinks in the city centre.

He was blown away with how nasty the city centre was - he grew up around the city centre and went to school in the city centre and while he said that nothing much has changed with regards to the type of junkie etc wandering around it was just more noticeable from someone coming from scandinavia.

While sweden isn't immune to homelessness and drug misuse it just isn't as visible or as intimidating as Dublin. I don't live in Dublin anymore and when I do visit I notice how commonplace it is to see drug abuse and general scumbaggary on every corner.

I'm not sure how first time tourists view it but it's a city that I tend to only go to when I really have to

Thelonious Monk

Anyway, this has all been done to death. I go out all the time in Dublin and think it's one of the best places in the world for that, pound for pound. We do have more evident junkies and beggars than any other city I've been to in the developed world but I've never seen them actually do any harm to anyone so they don't bother me. Lots to do in Dublin, I just wish they'd make it more user friendly and get the cars out of the city.

NaiveMelodies

It is clear as day that tourists love Dublin City Centre.
Why? Because they just keep on coming back.

It's far from a perfect place but these threads are so stoopid.

punisher5112

What a kip and public transport riddled with scum bags also....

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

I've been back a few times and enver had a problem .The junkies are annoying, but they never intimidated anyone bar the "spare some lost change" and that happens in every city.

I've always wondered what tourists see in Dublin though - but to be honest: it's the 7-8 euro a pint in Temple Bar that makes me wonder. Unless they're from Scandinavia and it's still reaonable by their standards.

jimgoose

Dublin is alright - lot of heroin about in the open, but I wouldn't say it's significantly worse than most major cities. Do you know what really gets on my nerves? Do you?? This applies to all cities and towns in Ireland, and it is the way that as soon as a public restroom is commissioned, it is rendered unusable and out-of-bounds by the usual dysfunctional yahoos. Why do we put up with this? Why are these reprobates not beaten half to death with steel-cored batons by the Gardai? This sort of horseshit doesn't seem to happen on the Continent.

rossie1977

It's certainly not Los Angeles or Rio de Janeiro city centre for crime and homelessness or no go area at night. Its not Phoenix city centre for complete lack of things to do (outside NBA arena and MLB stadium).

O'Connell/Henry streets are packed during the day with westmoreland/temple bar busy at nights.

Dublin City centre clearly has issues to address no doubt.

steamsey

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

The junkies are annoying, but they never intimidated anyone bar the "spare some lost change" and that happens in every city.

Not true at all. You can't say with a straight face that they never intimidated anyone. Have seen these junkies fight, steal, get aggro with people outside bars, damage cars in some junkie rage, and my favourite - screaming at each other around town. They intimidate plenty, they steal plenty - they do more damage than just panhandling.

The fact that they are there makes the city, at the very least, seem less safe. They bring the city down - a lot. How many tourists surely went home telling stories of junkies lying across Nassau street, blocking the path and lying in a stream of piss - you practically have to step over them. How much damage has that done to tourism? We'll never know for sure but the answer can't be zero.

Thelonious Monk

it would be a far nicer city if we had a machine to blow the constant cloud cover away. I love it on a clear day.

super_furry

Stay on the southside, be grand.

Equium

I would imagine that most tourists to the city realise after a short time that O'Connell Street and its environs are, unfortunately, not places to spend much time. The south city centre core is actually a very pleasant place to walk, dine, drink and spend time, however. Indeed, I felt myself admiring Dublin and comparing it positively to other similarly-scaled European cities last weekend as I went for a Sunday stroll around town. It is an incredibly lively, cosmopolitan and varied city for its size.

Dawson Street, once a noisy traffic-filled corridor, looks fantastic since the LUAS replaced most vehicular traffic. There are countless outdoor cafés and bars, giving it a somewhat 'continental' feel. St Stephens Green north is similarly beautiful, as is the park itself. Baggot Street, Merrion Square, Fitzwilliam Square, Trinity College, Grand Canal Dock and Portobello are all very much welcoming and beautiful to visit. Grafton Street, Wicklow Street and Suffolk Street are also great areas to visit and experience. The latter is, again, much more enjoyable now that it has been temporarily closed to cars and busses. The Council really should make this arrangement permanent, and extend the pedestrian zone to cover South William Street, western Wicklow Street, St Andrew Street, Church Lane and Trinity Street. I believe that these areas would flourish in the absence of cars. This, coupled with the proposed conversion of St Andrew's Church into a food market, would help create a busy, vibrant warren of people-friendly streets. The pedestrianisation of College Green, if actually technically feasible, could then make this a truly enviable urban core.

Hopefully the redevelopment of Clery's and the proposed Dublin Central project adjacent to the Carlton Cinema on O'Connell Street can go some way towards lifting that part of the city as well. There is no escaping the fact that the entire area from Smithfield to Connolly Station is rather grim at present, both in terms of dilapidation and the presence of down-and-outs. The former is gradually improving, and will probably accelerate once the land in the docklands has been fully used up. Sadly the people problem is only getting worse. I do feel that stricter and more visible policing and more of that area in particular has to become a priority - there should be absolutely zero tolerance to junkies shooting up in any public place, or any other sort of anti-social behaviour. Potentially wonderful resources like the Liffey Boardwalk and Remembrance Garden have been essentially handed over to societal outcasts, unfortunately, and it will take a huge effort to reclaim these areas.

In general though, I would imagine that Dublin is a great place to visit for tourists. And, as I sometimes do, they feel like a break from the city, the quiet coastline or mountains are but a short trip away. Not many cities have such a beautiful natural backdrop.

daveorourke77

LuasSimon wrote: »

Walking through Dublin city centre last night had me thinking , what sort of experience can it be for tourists to the city centre in particular, many are staying in hotels, guesthouses near O Connell Street .
Last night off temple bar I saw someone injecting themselves just off temple Bar, two more addicts boxing the head off each other beside the Hapenny bridge, every street had some class of an addict hassling people for money.

There were tourists been harassed and many of them looked frightened especially parents with children , if one came and stayed in Howth, Sutton, Sandymount etc you could well have a lovely trip but id imagine many who stay in the City centre are unlikely to return. Ive been to plenty big cities who have issues but not every street you turn down .

I'm 42. I'm a dub and I've lived in Dublin all my life.

I've never seen anyone shooting up in public.

If you can tell me a city that doesnt have drugs and other social issues then I'd consider moving there. They may be handled better but they exist

How come I never see this stuff?

daveorourke77

rossie1977 wrote: »

It's certainly not Los Angeles or Rio de Janeiro city centre for crime and homelessness or no go area at night. Its not Phoenix city centre for complete lack of things to do (outside NBA arena and MLB stadium).

O'Connell/Henry streets are packed during the day with westmoreland/temple bar busy at nights.

Dublin City centre clearly has issues to address no doubt.

Name me one City that doesnt have issues to address

Thelonious Monk

daveorourke77 wrote: »

I'm 42. I'm a dub and I've lived in Dublin all my life.

I've never seen anyone shooting up in public.

How come I never see this stuff?

Nor me but ive seen them smoking gear a few times and selling each other naps and zimmos etc. I actually asked a junkie begging to me if he had any benzos he could sell me recently when i was drunk and he didnt know what to do with himself, prob thought i was 5-0.

ohnonotgmail

daveorourke77 wrote: »

I'm 42. I'm a dub and I've lived in Dublin all my life.

I've never seen anyone shooting up in public.

How come I never see this stuff?

I'm even older and i've never seen anybody shooting up either.

14dMoney

I hear ya op. I live on Railway street. So many hotels, hostels and apparent tourist attractions. Just the other day whilst on the balcony I watched 2 junkies batter the heads off of each other with the legs of chairs.

KungPao

Ah here, leave it out.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

I'm even older and i've never seen anybody shooting up either.

People see what they want to see and then exaggerate their arguments to make themselves sound more dramatic.

whippet

i've seen junkies shooting up in public many times across dublin. I saw a junkie shooting up while begging sitting against the phonebook opposite the stephen's green luas stop - same fella using a bottle to relive himself in full view of anyone around lunch time - just so he wouldn't give up his valuable 'tapping spot'

I went to school and college in the city centre from the early 90's so have seen it all and also the progression the city has made. I socialised almost every weekend for 15 years in the city centre and while I loved it - it always had the underbelly that was intimidating.

I thought I was somewhat street smart until about 10 years ago - waiting on a nitelink at o'connell bridge (after a couple of pints - not pissed) I suddenly had a needle held to my neck - I always thought I was smart enough not to get caught out.

While there is a growth in lovely places to dine and drink out on the footpaths - 90% of the time I have sat outside there is almost a continuous stream of '€2 for a hostel' / 'got any smokes bud' harassing you. This does not happen in London, New York etc.

Its not a case of 'the grass is always greener' .. but as a city there seems to be a weird tolerance and acceptance of 'the living dead' on the main streets

Thelonious Monk

Oh i was held up by two junkies with a syringe or "gismo" as he called it on o connell st in '96 but never saw anyone injecting with a gismo

Darranj85

daveorourke77 wrote: »

I'm 42. I'm a dub and I've lived in Dublin all my life.

I've never seen anyone shooting up in public.

If you can tell me a city that doesnt have drugs and other social issues then I'd consider moving there. They may be handled better but they exist

How come I never see this stuff?

If you work in the city center you see it more to be honest. i did for 10+ years when i worked in numerous retail jobs and id see it every couple of weeks, the phone box that was beside Easons was always a good place to see it. Or early in the morning if you were opening up and hadnt to move them from the shop doorway they would often leave syringes etc

Red_Wake

I need fifty cents for me bus home bud.

riclad

I don,t know if its getting worse, but if a stand in any street within a mile of o,connell st for 3 minutes ,someone comes over and ask,s me for money,
This person is usually male ,under 30, they are not badly dressed .
i don,t know are these people homeless,or looking for money for drugs,
or cigarettes ?
They do,nt need money for food theres plenty of free soup kitchens
in the city.
I just say i have no change .
Its not threatening , it,s just annoying .
most streets with shops will have one person with a empty cup,
sitting down, begging .
i Think the problem is all the facilitys for the homeless are in the city centre , some are on the quays near temple bar.

mickoneill31

I've a couple of Chilean students staying with me. They've been here 4 months. They've told me they've seen injecting, someone having their phone stolen (guy on a bike) and one of their classmates came in with a bruise for a box she got for speaking Spanish on a phone call. She was told to speak English.

So theyve a lovely impression of Dublin.
They do spend way more time wandering around the city between classes so they've probably got more opportunities to see this stuff than I would. I just commute in and out to work each day.

greenfield21

The cobble path at back of Christchurch always seems to have so much excrement on it especially round the doorway. Nearly threw up walking past it this evening. Can't imagine what tourists do be thinking walking round that area.

Thelonious Monk

mickoneill31 wrote: »

I've a couple of Chilean students staying with me. They've been here 4 months. They've told me they've seen injecting, someone having their phone stolen (guy on a bike) and one of their classmates came in with a bruise for a box she got for speaking Spanish on a phone call. She was told to speak English.

So theyve a lovely impression of Dublin.
They do spend way more time wandering around the city between classes so they've probably got more opportunities to see this stuff than I would. I just commute in and out to work each day.

That is unacceptable but they should be used to that especially if they're from Santiago. I was there many moons ago and 2 people in my hostel were held up with a gun and there were no go areas of downtown that even taxis wouldn't go into. Snowflakes!

ciapen

I socialize in Dublin all the time. The beggars are a nuisance but say no and they keep moving. We meet lots of tourists and they never mention homeless or beggars because most would see this in many places they travel to. They do mention the Irish people they meet and how friendly and helpful locals have been around the country. They also to a man or woman say they want to return.

thenightman

Yes, the tourists obviously hate the city and are too scared by a lad asking for a smoke or 50c for a hostel to leave their hotel rooms. That's why the tourist buses, pubs, restuaraunts and attractions like Guinness, Trinity, Jameson etc are struggling for business so badly and why Temple Bar is a ghost town. Get a grip for feck sake!


If I was given one wish to improve the city I wouldn't waste it on locking up some poor addict at massive cost to the taxpayer, I'd use it to ban and or at least heavily toll all private traffic in the city centre, taxis included. Street parking eliminated too. Traffic is so unpleasant and hostile to pedestrians & cyclists alike, and has such a negative impact on the ability of public transport to function. I'd allow those electric scooters the same rights as cyclists too.

Muahahaha

Most of Dublin city centres problems could be solved with a team of 8 or 10 Gardai on bicycles doing constant laps of the main areas. As it stands there is little to no police visibility in the city centre at all and scum have free reign to do as they please.