Why is Dublin such a shιtty city?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118477893#Comment_118477893

I was walking though Brussels and a guy in a suit just unzipped and took a slash straight into the kerb, about 3 min walk from the European Commission.

I also got welcomed to Paris by a guy wandering into the RER-B drinking a bottle of wine and then taking a slash all over the seats, including someone’s luggage.

Quite a lot of French, Belgian and German cities have so much graffiti you can barely see out the train windows.

I was on a tram in Nantes and a guy kicked out the window! Just swung off the bars.

Dublin has its moments but so do plenty of other cities in Europe.

Airyfairy12

Totally agree, even the atmosphere in Dublin is off, its not somewhere I ever want to hang around. Theres also nothing to do in the city, its full of hostels, hotels and English language schools. The rent prices and general cost of living in Dublin isnt justified because its not a nice place.

TheGlossy

If you think Dublin is that bad, then you haven't seen certain areas in Paris or Brussels. Dublin is a paradise next to those.

I have to say though, as much as I love Dublin, it lacks infrastructure. It's probably the only capital in Europe that doesn't have a tram / train / subway line from the airport into the city. The Luas map is a complete joke. The two lines don't even connect properly and the extension that was put in place a few years ago is very much useless. Bus lines aren't even worth a comment. The one thing about Dublin transport is the fact that you can't use the same ticket for the same journey if you're using different transportation modes in one trip (i.e: Luas + Bus) which becomes quite expensive as you have to buy a Luas ticket and then a Bus ticket or tap your Leap card twice to get to a single destination.

As far as trouble-makers go, having lived in Paris, Dublin is nowhere near what you see over there. Paris, for instance, is really unsafe and the trouble-makers are a real threat to your safety, whereas the Dublin ones, not so much. Safety for women is much higher in Dublin than anywhere else in Europe. Women can walk around without being afraid of being cat-called, harassed or chased (this is almost a routine in Paris).

Culturally, Dublin is quite limited in terms of entertainment (art, theatre etc), which can be a bit of a pain, but the flip side is that Dublin isn't an overly congested capital in the sense that you have easy access to the seaside and other refreshing landscapes.

The city centre is a hot mess though. St Stephen's Green / Dawson / South William Street are OK, but once you cross the bridge past the Heineken building, there's a stifling and rather unappealing atmosphere around the Spire / Henry Street / Abbey Street area. I still wonder why Arnotts is located there. Shopping there is not enjoyable at all and that whole area gives a bad look to tourists.

Every capital has good and bad parts. You just learn to appreciate the good bits and avoid the bad ones.

Greentopia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118478013#Comment_118478013

Graffiti doesn't bother me if the city is safe.

Greentopia

"Safety for women is much higher in Dublin than anywhere else in Europe." You must be joking. There are lots of cities I would feel far more safe walking through than Dublin. Paris is one city, not representative of all.

FromADistance

I've lived in Dublin for 21 years, am from the West of Ireland, went to college here, work here & am now married to a Dub. My formative years were spent living on the southside... the longest stretch living in Ranelagh between 2006 to 2017. I then bought a house on the Northside (with my girlfriend now wife) and here I am 4 years later. The best years of my life have been spent in Dublin but I'm not sure if it's going to stay that way.

I miss the days of being able to walk into town on a Saturday from Ranelagh to Keoghs, have a few pints of Guinness and walk home later (via Coppers)... I also miss the freedom of the country but know the same opportunities are not just not there. I despise how expensive this city has become to live in but know that I have friends and family who live in equally, if not more expensive places around the world.

Let's be honest, for a man from a fairly modest background, I've been blessed to live in middle to upper class areas of Dublin where Iife is pretty peaceful. That's not everyones experience. I don't know would I be able to do all the things I've done in 20 years if I was 18 now & starting out adult life in Dublin.

With the benefit of experience, Dublin is a grand city to live in now if you're young, free, rich and single. As a married man now with children, I'm not exactly enthused about bringing up children in the city and if the opportunity comes I'd be tempted to move to Meath or somewhere close to Dublin.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118478033#Comment_118478033

There’s nothing to do in the city - Jesus wept.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118475330#Comment_118475330

Maybe, but like in Ireland and Dublin, mostly the people who don’t like London don’t live in London and never will.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118478153#Comment_118478153

Well, don’t walk around certain parts of Paris or Brussels then - neither are particularly safe. There have been a few times in French cities I’ve had to make very quick exits. Stuff like two gangs facing off at either side of a residential street.

I felt a lot safer in most Spanish cities than anywhere in France.

I don’t feel particularly worried walking through most of Dublin, once you avoid a few known and lonely hotspots which are mostly in Dublin 1 and a few dodgy spots. The challenging aspect is if you’re not familiar with Dublin you could walk straight into them as they’re very central.

Even as a 6ft+ guy, I won’t wander around a few places in the city centre at night. I’ve just had too many weird experiences of being shouted at, pestered for cash or a light, including being followed for ages.

For me, once it goes quiet, wouldn’t be too keen on wandering around the quays, the area between the four courts and Smithfield or anywhere off the east side of O’Connell St.

Can’t say anywhere else is particularly intimidating … seems to be a bit of an issue with incidents of mostly teens harassing cyclists / walkers tho in a few spots on secluded greenways. That’s a lack of Garda presence. Those routes should be patrolled occasionally.

Airyfairy12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118478210#Comment_118478210

Compared to every other city in Europe Dublin is extremely basic and run of the mill.

Hamachi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118478315#Comment_118478315

This has to one of the most moronic comments I’ve ever read on Boards and God knows, the bar is pretty low.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118478315#Comment_118478315

every other city? Really? Look there are legit complaints about Dublin but “nothing to do” isn’t one of them, particular coming from our rural brethren.

nocoverart

It’s OK OP, the James Webb Space Telescope is mapping out another city for you as I type. I think it could be in a different Star System or even another Galaxy, or with a bit of of luck… another Universe. Enjoy!

Esel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118478389#Comment_118478389

The OP is more or less a hit-and-run bridge dweller. Don't hold your breath for a reply.

Stephen_Maturin

https://m.independent.ie/news/woman-who-assaulted-a-homeless-man-wrongly-believing-he-raped-her-sister-may-escape-prison-with-community-service-41301082.html

Another day, another suspended sentence for violent crime from a repeat offender. When the **** are they gonna start cracking down on these scums?

McGinniesta

There are a couple of things that annoy me aboout these threads.

Firstly, if the person who posted this thread lives in Dublin then why don't they leave? If they hate Dublin so much then staying here can't be a good idea.

Secondly, from what I've read (and I haven't read the whole thread) I've read very little in the way of ideas or suggestions for improvements. Throw some ideas out there. A lot of the points that you raise are valid and need to be addressed but lets have some ideas.

What would you do to make the city a more attractive place to be?

I was born and raised here and only a fool would argue that Dublin is perfect but it isn't mogadishu either.

McGinniesta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118242979#Comment_118242979

That's a very valid argument. Dublin, for the most part is a tremendous city. For a capital city of it's size it has a tremendous amount to offer.

Again, nobody can argue that it doesnt have it's issues but I think it has more than it's fair share of good spots.

I was doing a bit if work for a relative out in Howth and I'd move there in the morning if I could.

manonboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118568133#Comment_118568133

The privilege's of having tits. The leniency shown to women in court criminal cases is appalling. 150 hours community services for assaulting someone causing harm, which he must of been pretty bad since she could go through his pockets to get his phone.

21 previous convictions. You are correct. The absolute disgusting criminal system we have is a huge reason why society maintains terrible problems at those levels. 21 convictions! It multiple times per year in court on different charges at her age. Total scum bag.

McGinniesta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118569968#Comment_118569968

For me, the criminal justice system is probably the single greatest issue we have in this country. There are others.

This would be a good place to start

Thelonious Monk

I mean if we were to use specific crimes to say somewhere is a sh*thole it would write off most places in Ireland even lately. Women attacked in Kilkenny and Cork in recent days, woman killed in Athlone...

It almost seems like the whole country suffers from the same issues yet they are more apparent in the most populated part of the country, who'd have thunk it?

thefallingman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118568133#Comment_118568133

that is absolutely shocking my god imagine that was a man on a woman aswell, i feel sorry for her kids having that as a mother

I was in Dublin City centre yesterday around the Grafton Street area and it was grim,just empty of people really and this wont change if wfh is here to stay. I dont know what the solution is but if people are WFH and shopping online then the city centre businesses will close and what will fill the buildings, will it be more social housing and then the city centre in its entirety becomes a ghetto.

Removing all the parking on Dawson Street to replace it with chairs and tables to me doenst make sense. The indoor restaurants were empty yesterday at 1Pm, I could have got a table anywhere. I know it was a horrible day but even if the weather was nice there simply arent enough people around to fill indoor and outdoor dining and if people cant park easily in the city then they wont come in. Many of the wealthier older people wont use public transport because of anti social behaviour fears and fear of covid and the city centre needs the money these people spend.

The cycle lane on Dawson Street is so dangerous,I couldnt see where it starts or ends but waiting for a bus opposite it I saw cars exiting side roads checking to their left as its a one way street and not expecting cyclists to come on their right. I know, I know, drivers shouldnt move until both sides are checked but you have a crowd waiting to cross the road and then cyclists out of view,car moves forward into the cyclists paths. The cyclists using it were all deliveroo cyclists and it just looked dangerous to me. Hundreds of people cross that road everyday or did pre covid to catch buses so you are going to have cyclists with heavy loads of food on their backs colliding with pedestrians.

The city will go into terminal decline if something isnt done,so many empty units on Grafton Street and Dawson Street is dismal,that empty building with the black shutters is an eyesore. I have no interest in going in again, I only went in to see the Yeats exhibition in the National Art Gallery and it will be along time before I go back again, its just lost its attraction for me, the lockdowns went on too long and habits change.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118570136#Comment_118570136

By you saying you have no interest in going into town again, does that not make you part of the problem?

Or are you waiting on other people to make town busy and sociable so you can then go in and enjoy the experience?

Yes, it does but if it just doesnt feel pleasant,so many undesirables arounfd the St stephens Green area, its just not somewhere I want to be.

I cant see it reviving if WFH is here to stay,pre covid I was a regular as I loved Dublin City but the love was for the buzz, the life, the energy,the shops,its had all the vitality sucked out of it.

The mask issue is putting shoppers off too,it was so unpleasant,literally not being able to breathe and the shops were roasting. I lost the will to live after Marks and Spencers,I didnt even go into the shopping centre,I just thought most of the units are probably empty anyway and I have Dunnes in Cornelscourt, free parking and lots of it so I will go to that Dunnes instead.

If Debenhams was still open I would have gone to Henry Street,losing that shop was a pity.

It was just shocking yesterday, I hadnt fully realised the damage the covid lockdowns had done and I dont know what the solution is.

Dundrum will survive because it has parking and it also is an entertainment venue, I think that its future. A whole floor of the Castle shopping centre in Belfast is also being turned into an entertainment complex. The damage done to Belfast city centre is even worse than thandone to Dublin, its horrific.

The Grafton street area doesnt even have a cinema and it badly needs one.

John_Rambo

Shopping centres are the future of Dublin.

I've heard it all now.

opinionated3

I hate Dublin city centre. Nothing appealing about it whatsoever. Having that said, it's certainly not an exclusively Dublin thing. Limerick is bordering on being a complete lost cause. City centre is turning into an absolute kip, full of scumbags, crappy shops and beggars. Planning in this country is pretty dismal at the best of times, but Dublin and Limerick are taking it to another level altogether. I just glad I don't live in either of them. And as for solutions, well I just don't know. There isn't enough money in the country to rescue those places.......

I didnt say shopping centres are the future of Dublin, show me where I said that.

I said many people shop exclusively online now as shops were closed too long during covid, its become a habit so retail is dying.

What do you replace the retail element with,entertainment maybe and the Dundrum town centre offers this along with plenty of parking, Dundrum is very busy at the weekends and much of these is people having something to eat and going the cinema, they dont shop at all.

The top floors of the Castle shopping centre in Belfast are changing to an entertainment complex too, the writing is on the wall,Castle Street, one of the main shopping streets in the city is one long row of drelict businesses,I think even the Tesco express is gone.

This will be happening in Dublin City centre too,without office workers the cafes and restaurants wont survive,many of the shops will go too, Monsoon and Tommy Hilfiger are already gone from Grafton Street along with another few shops and the units are probably empty for months now.

Is the Government still providing subsidies to the shops, is the taxpayer effectively paying to keep them open,I notice our local cinema isnt offering half price deals on wednesday anymore either,are cinemmas being subsidised too. I noticed the restaurant i had lunch in has a much smaller menu and the lunchtime menu is gone, is the Government still paying subsidies to this sector too.The restaurant was practically empty at 1Pm so surely offering a good value lunch menu would bring people in,if the Government is propping the trade up why bother.

OEP

A wet Tuesday afternoon in January is never going to be hopping - during the summer there was a great buzz around the city in the evenings and that was in the middle of covid.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118571212#Comment_118571212

I have been travelling to Dublin City Centre all my life and at all times of the day and in all seasons.

I have never seen the streets so empty, I was there between midday and 1Pm or so and you would expect people to be around at that time.

The amount of empty shop units is telling its own story as is the type of shop front appearing on Grafton Street and Dawson Street,tacky cheap look that would usually be seen on Dorset or Parnell street. And this where the tourist buses park up to disgorge high spending tourists,its just grim.

Do you mean on street drinking,is that the buzz you are talking about or do you mean busy restaurants and bars in the evening.

And yesterday was February 1st,days are getting longer and brighter,things should be picking up.

PommieBast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118570227#Comment_118570227

It was just shocking yesterday, I hadnt fully realised the damage the covid lockdowns had done and I dont know what the solution is.

I used to live Liffey Street Lower and I noticed back in March 2021 (i.e. the 12-month mark of lockdown) that a lot of retail units were being gutted. My conclusion at the time was that the only thing the government could do was make the personal bankruptcy process less harsh, because a lot of livelihoods were going to be ruined.

Ray Palmer

I remember one of the guys in college (90s) was saying how filthy Dublin was and I didn't know what he was talking about. He was from Donegal so was renting with another friend from there.

Went to where he lived one day and I understood what he was talking about. He was living on a road across from a coal depot and a construction hire place. It was a really run down Victorian house that hadn't been done up since the 50s but split into multiple places. The whole house was covered in coal dust as was the road.

I had to help find another place on North Circular road practically beside the Phoenix park and he suddenly changed his tune as he didn't live in a basement covered in coal.

OEP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118571368#Comment_118571368

I mean busy bars and restaurants with tables and seating outdoors on pedestrianised streets. The on street drinking was due to bars being closed indoors so that was a temporary issue. More streets need to be permanently pedestrianised

saabsaab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118570045#Comment_118570045

I guess that's becoming true. It's spreading out from Dublin now.

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118571857#Comment_118571857

yeah it's spreading from Dublin, of course it is, all the ills of the country can be blamed on Dublin

dublinman1990

I've just read from the RTÉ News app tonight that there was a 50 year old woman assaulted by a man in his 30's in St. Stephen's Green yesterday afternoon. He was taken to Pearse St. Garda Station yesterday. No details were given by the Guards yet but they are still investigating the incident.

http://www.rte.ie/news/dublin/2022/0202/1277472-dublin-assault/

The cycle of scum just continues on & on in this city. Unbelievable. That's 3 women assaulted in a space of a few days in this country. Really utterly depressing stuff to hear when going through day by day.

Have people not listened to the message already about protecting innocent women from these crimes? It feels like Ireland is living within brick walls that can't be moved.

Strumms

The issue is society is now more concerned with the wellbeing of the perpetrators than the wellbeing of the victims…

sentencing is neither a punishment or a deterrent….

guy rapes an 8 year old, no jail time…

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/suspended-sentence-for-youth-who-raped-8-year-old-niece-is-criticised-1.4701624

unbelievable… in a supposed civilised and fair society that is shocking.

dublin is way less safe, less enjoyable, less civilised… more violent, more scummy, more slummy…

politicians and judges to blame..

rape an 8 year old and no custodial sentence, wtf ? I doubt any political figures stood up to defend the victim and her family….

Kermit.de.frog

Christ, that's ridiculous.

There should be an inquiry in to the Justice system. It's a revolving door feeding solicitors through the judges. It's corrupt. Not only is it corrupt but the government has failed to provide enough prison spaces (remember Thornton Hall? Never happened).

If a political party took on justice in this country they'd win. Not one is proposing reform.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118573928#Comment_118573928

Prisons are nowhere near capacity. Building more prisons is a permanent right wing wet dream but currently not required

riclad

Depends on where you go , Dublin has plenty of old church's old mansions buildings that are 100s of years old, perfectly preserved, look at dublin Castle and the customs House, Dublin is new York, no one is going to spend millions building modern architectural marvels or new museums and i we don't have any skyscrapers

Every month theres a post about dublin, complaining about drug addicts , homeless people, in surveys dublin is low on the scale of serious crime or violent crime. Dublin is a small city no is igoing to spend Millions building a new museum or art gallery we simply don't have the money dublin also has lots of parks and the phoenix park

I don't get the attitude oh I saw a few beggars or homeless people drug users hang out in certain places its easy to avoid them if you want to i think there's more Gardai on the streets after 6pm in recent months the thing that annoys me is the few pieces of modern art sculpture we have are not even nice to look at

I think we need to ban any new statues going up in dublin i read about city's like Venice they have so many tourists everywhere its having a negative effect on people who live there there's a reason why 1000s of young people move to Dublin every year i think its probably 50 50 not great but not awful either I think it's sad that so many places music venues arts centres have closed due to high rents and the pandemic

Chapters was my favourite place to buy books better than using amazon and it closed this week I think it was better for culture when you could rent a Flat in rathmines for 70 euro people like djs and artists are leaving because its too expensive to live here

We have dozens of coffee shops but bookshops are closing down. I was in London once its a great city but very noisy crowded compared with Dublin I think dublin in general is safe to walk around in and a good place to cycle round if you are careful

Most people do not remember the 80s when dublin was full of old derelict empty buildings we have much more money now to spend on protecting old buildings

People had to campaign in the 70s to protect all the old houses being knocked down and replaced by identical office buildings

riclad

To be clear homeless people go to merchants Quay for a cup of tea and a sandwitch it' has a small cafe no pool table yes merchant's quays provides services for drug users also yes people go up to you and say have you got a euro maybe they are buying cigarettes or fanta who knows, unless you have physic powers, how can you tell they are buying drugs with it

If someone asks me I say no and move on I think every person over 60 says things were better in my day the good old days it's a cliche

Ham_Sandwich

Dublin is fine every city has problems sure I've walked around town now and then and never had any problems people just like to have a whinge and a moan keep your head down and stick to yourself and you won't be finding trouble everywhere.

Drove back to Dublin from London last week, Friday night - the ferry that gets in about 11.30. Spend maybe 1/3 of my time in London

driving down the quays and come across 10-15 people full on fighting in the street on Aston quay, by the bus stops just outside the SuperValu. A couple of poor lads on the ground in the bus lane getting the sh1t kicked out of them, and whole bunch of people shouting them all on. Only thing that went through my mind, while trying to squeeze past them in the car, was a resigned ‘welcome to Dublin’. It is just accepted that this is how Dublin is now

dont know any other city where such antisocial behaviour is so in the open in the centre of the city. It really has become an absolute kip late at night

Kermit.de.frog

Sadly one of many many business calling for action

https://twitter.com/LovinDublin/status/1489588655249412097

Strumms

There is a frontline first hand example(s) of the wankerfest that both ordinary citizens and business people have to put up with.

they must have spent multiples of six figures acquiring and fitting out that cafe and setting up business there.

then to have it broken up and ransacked….all that effort…

“Sur deer is no facilities “ and kindly tell us why would people be investing to bring facilities/businesses to your area when the likes of this wankery happens as a reward for them doing so ? Theyd destroy / rob a gym, sports hall, music education centre too… did you or your family ever go in, have muffin, drink ? Or just erm break the place up ? Contribute to the local economy…. More business equals more jobs…? Hello !.?

that looks like a really nice place….but as usual filth in this city are teflon, there are queues of people chomping at the bit to provide a myriad of excuses as to why they should not face the consequences for their actions and to be fair, if caught, it’s unlikely they will have to… drugs, mental health, the pandemic, family issues, every single excuse will be rolled out in their favour….. judges have no interests in protecting the innocent as they are tucked away in d4, with big houses cctv and six figure pay packets, they are so far removed from what is real life now for many people.

i never thought I’d see my own folks to protect their property and possessions that they’ve spent a lifetime acquiring and setting up…they’ve ordered cctv as they can see how life is going… how little interest or ability the criminal justice system have as regards protecting us anymore….it’s a grim, violent and deterrent-less reality…the politicians are not in our corner, they make decisions to get votes… who from they don’t care.

I agree. And it’s only going to get worse as cost of living is added to the excuses over the next couple of years. I’m fitting cameras to my place now, connected to my phone. Concerningly, it’s spreading to rural Ireland too…..old fella I know in rural west Co Sligo in hospital right now, hurt trying to defend his home from scumbags trying to rob it one evening a couple of weeks back

I have no idea how it can be dealt with….but it’s likely to become more and more a case of every man (and woman) for themselves

dubrov

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118582541#Comment_118582541

Most of them already have an ingrained image of the city formed from radio and newspapers before they even set foot in the place.

Always strikes me how run down the stretch along the quays from Heston Station up to the 4 courts is. So much dereliction there.

I think the city council are a hinderance to the city. They oppose the collection of information around derelict properties

Plenty of social issues in the city centre. That is clear as daylight.

ILoveYourVibes

Sallywag37

This city was beyond beautiful thirty years ago; it's been in a slow and steady decline now for at least twenty-five. I say so as someone who was born and bred within ten minutes walk of O'Connell Street. It's been heartbreaking to witness, but is is not the fault of Dubliners. Most Dubliners I know haven't been able to afford to stay in the city in the first place, they've been driven out of their own home town because of a combination of insane rental hikes in private housing and discrimination against the native Irish in public housing. The city is being gentrified in some zones and ghettoized in others. Nobody is safe in town anymore, especially after the sun goes down. It's like a fkucin zombie apocalypse, and there is nothing I can see on the political scene with the will to save this city. That would involve acknowledging the roots of the problem, and heaven forbid anyone should put their neck on the chopping block to do that.

PommieBast

Dublin was a great place in the few years after the exit from the bailout, but about 2017 onwards it all changed when accommodation went stupid. The next reckoning is when it is realized all the EU IT workers are not coming back.