Dublin Obsevations

I was talking to an Irish guy, a local Dubliner, when he asked me what I thought of Dublin. To his obvious pleasure, I said I'd never seen a city like Dublin before. I said it to be courteous but afterwards I realized it was true - I have never seen a city quite like Dublin. I like to walk around cities and get a feel for them, sometimes walking for miles over a period of hours. I enjoy this as much, or more, than going to all of the museums and sites. Cities have their own character and there is only one way to get a good feeling of it. Go out there and experience it. I still go to museums and sites, but I see things many visitors never see. You will not get the feel of a local bakery or pub while riding by in a taxi or tourist bus. Rubbing shoulders with the crowds in the streets is vastly different than hanging out in the hotel. After five days of walking I feel I can say Dublin is unique.

At this point you're probably going, "Okay, so what makes it so different?". Glad you asked.

One of the first things I noticed was how many languages I was hearing. The US likes to call itself the great melting pot. We don't have anything on these people. Irish Gaelic and English are the official languages of Ireland but I hear dozens of languages. I recognize some of them but many are strange to me. You can find a restaurant for whatever strikes your fancy. This is a true melting pot.

The next thing is the lack of traffic. Dublin has about 600,000 people and the metro area twice that. But, there are few cars.  A local told me it costs about 3000 euros per year to register a car here. Good incentive to walk or take public transportation. And, they do. There are lots of buses and trams (be careful - they drive on the left) and the sidewalks can be jammed.

Rush hour on a Friday evening a few blocks from city center.

Outside a popular pub.

Also, the revolution is still fresh. Some will tell you it's still being fought. The Easter Rising was only 108 years ago. There's memorials everywhere along with hard feelings. One local said to me that people here don't like the British. I told him I don't blame them. As was the custom, the British crushed the Rising with brutal force, even razing the city center with artillery and with a gunship in the river. The brutality swung public sediment and Ireland was self-rule within a few years and a republic not long after. There was a civil war and, of course, there were The Troubles. Feelings run deep, but there is peace for now and a sense of strength. One of the quirks is that the first ship they acquired for their new navy was the gunship used to bombard the city. The joke is that they knew how effective it was.

All together, I find it to be a very pleasant city with good people. The beer in the pubs isn't bad, either.