Is Dublin really safe?

Part of the problem, as I see it anyway, is that people seem to prefer moaning or exaggerating the issues of Dublin instead of actually thinking constructively about them. There is a harm in that — because it feeds a wildly overbaked perception of Dublin as a dystopian nightmare which in turn puts people off from outside the city from coming in to shop or just enjoy a weekend. That also feeds into the decay of the city and so — if you are someone who just sits around moaning about Dublin and constantly shi**ing on it — you are part of the problem. Because while Dublin has issues, they are not starkly out of character with other cities the world over, which all have issues.

Dublin has always had a grimy side to it. The nostalgic photos of College Green and O'Connell Street in the rare aul times you see popping up on Facebook (with the obligatory bleating with how great Dublin was back then) simply belie the fact that the city was once ridden with slums and impoverished areas — not to mention the general backdrop of socioeconomic depression which characterised the city and Ireland generally.

Dublin has challenges. The failure to foster a housing culture aligning to Ireland's ever-growing urbanisation, by building tall and high quality apartment complexes close to the city centre, has damaged the sense of the city centre having a civic pride and community within it. Dublin centre is relatively small by European capital standards and thus you will see a greater concentration of anti-social behaviour, addicts and all sorts in a smaller geographic area — which makes them really stand out. The contrast between areas like Camden Street / Dawson Street and O'Connell Street remains stark. Our growing population means that there will be more issues to contend with, while Covid and remote working have created new phenomena on footfall around the city that has warped the business model.

But Dublin has a lot of great things about it and a great energy. None of its problems are hopelessly intractable, even if you have to accept the inevitability that problems will always exist.

But if you want things to change: pull up your pants, stop shi**ing all over the city and crying, and start being another constructive voice that can balance the negatives with the positives and help bring the wind back into the city's sails. Or I dunno, use this thread as yet another platform to whinge, then complain about the people who at least are in the arena of trying to make things work.

We seem to be a catch 22. Put Gardai on patrol and they'll be attacked unless they've got the riot gear on, and even then the offenders will be out the revolving doors of the courts because of there's no where to put them.

That's why you'll hear of someone with over 50 convictions finally being sent to jail only when they kill someone.

Of course pointing this out makes me a whinger, according to some on this thread.

People aren't voting with their feet, population growth in Dublin is happening year on year, house prices are higher than the 2007 peak, bidding wars on all properties with majority selling for 15% over the asking price.

You may not like Dublin but there is a massive demand for all properties going to the market.

Lets refocus here. Are you talking specifically about Dublin city centre or Dublin county and hinterland?

How many of these you cite are renting and are only using a few years in Ireland as a career path. This is actually an established lucrative strategy for many in the multinationals for claiming back tax if they don't stay over two years.

Plus high property prices only tell us that property prices are high. Our previous records were set when there was loads of underutilised property.

Mountjoy square was once the most valuable address in Dublin before the act of union, within fifty years it became a slum.

Put Gardai on patrol and they'll be attacked unless they've got the riot gear on

This is where I stopped reading.

I agree with what some folks are saying about the perception of Dublin being unsafe especially the Northside from Dorset Street down to the Liffey. It's not pleasant, I have worked in different parts of the city and now I am working around Talbot street and it is the only time that I have seen a company email sent out telling employees to be careful coming and going from work. The place is grim, some of the locals that live around the area look rough, they may not be but they are hard/rough looking maybe from living a hard life who knows, as a dub the accent on the inner city folks doesn't help either as they roar to each other up and down the street, then there are the gangs of people just hanging around, especially at corner of Gardiner Street and Talbot street all doesn't help the situation.

Now most of these people are doing nothing but getting on with life and will have no interaction with anyone. I have often walked from Connolly to O'Connell street just to get out of the office and yes I keep an eye out but like I said most are going about their business. The real issue are the younger folks, like the gangs of teens, when I see them I am very wary as they are unpredictable and usually there are 7 or 8 of them and they do add an air of menace to the place plus they also only tend to come out in the late afternoon/early evening.

For me Dublin city centre is the opposite to alot of city centres, in that to live close to a main street like O'Connell Street would cost a fortune in other cities but in Dublin it is surrounded by some of the most disadvantaged places in the country. Take Paris for instance Zones 1 and 2 around the Champs Elysse and Eiffel tower it would cost a fortune to live there with more of the social housing parts of Paris further out from the centre but in Dublin they are a stones throw from O'Connell Street, Talbot street and the other streets mentioned, those streets are their playgrounds or gathering points.

Well not just young professionals but it does make a difference when an area has residents who take civic pride in an area and who in turn feed into the culture and local economy of an area. All of that contributes to creating a community where people are watchful of crime and there can be healthy collaboration between people and police /authorities to help address the issues.

One of the examples where Dublin has actually implemented this well — even if ambitions could have been set higher— is Grand Canal Dock. Once a total kip, the building of pretty good quality apartments there has really helped to create a "neighbourhood" feel which gets working people into the city and in turn they feed into the local economy and culture. It's not perfect by any stretch — there is still antisocial behaviour, the area lacks green space, and I will continue to maintain that the ambition of scale of the Capital Dock tower is something that should have been replicated instead of the usual 6-8 storey type buildings there.

A lot of reasonably good work has also been done in the stretch along the Luas line from the IFSC to the northside Docklands and hopefully in time that will also yield positives and a new energy / community in that area. Its expensive like Grand Canal Dock, but ramping up building output can and should be done to make all of this more affordable for people (young people and young couples in particular).

What Dublin needs now is ambition and positive mindsets, not people who only ever want to point fingers at its problems.

The junkie problem is a major issue in the city centre and what we are seeing now is probably 3rd or 4th generation of junkie families where were are seeing grandparents (probably great grandparents in some cases), parents and kids all being junkies

If they havent done anything about it for the past couple of decades what makes you think they will do anything now. I was in town with a couple of American relatives. They went off to see the hapenny bridge and i popped into the office. Met them after and they said, we saw a boardwalk along the river and said oh look, lets take that lovely boardwalk.

Needless to say the description of the experience tells me they wont ever be doing that again :)

I'd say thats more reflective of the part of Dublin you are living in.

Move to any of the wealthier areas in Dublin for 12 months and then tell us there are better areas in Ireland.

Yep, the north docks and grand canal docks are lovely areas now.

The small number of trouble causers around there could easily be dealt with if there was a political will to do so. The 99.9% shouldnt be impacted by the 0.1%.

When the govt creates new housing in the city centre, they need to deliver mixed developments that encourage people of different economic backgrounds to live in them, so we dont end up with slum type accomodation.

Include affordable homes for purchase with cost rentals and social housing. Create mixed communities.

the walk from sheriff street to north strand along the canal has been completely transformed. there's now a pedestrian/cycling bridge going up to north strand. it's busy with people all the time coming and going and using the exercise machines. i just along it all the time. i would have thought it's far safer now than it was in the past.