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(36 votes) Published: Apr 24, 2000 12:00 a.m. In 2 Favorites Lists Viewed 717 times
I’m wedged tight into the corner of the snug at one of my favourite Dublin pubs - the snug is that dark and dim little room off the main bar, the perfect meeting spot. Near closing time and the place is heaving. Smoke curls up to a roof long stained brown with nicotine. Windows are shut fast - sure, who needs fresh air. Laughter, conversation and joking wafts across the room, along with shouts of ’whose round is it?’ Through the noise I hear a familiar accent - Aussies in the house! Three Australian travellers out for their last night in town. Pull up a chair, have a drink and a chat - welcome to Dublin.
Confession Time. I shook the mud of Dublin off my shoes with few regrets years ago when I headed down-under. Today when I wander the city the buildings, street signs and raucous Dublin accent are reassuringly familiar but the place itself has undergone a sea change.
In case you haven’t heard, Dublin is now the city in Europe - home of the Celtic Tiger economy, hip and fashionable, with low unemployment, a booming economy and a confidence about itself that I find astounding. And the great thing is that the heart of the city - its people and their sense of life and fun - is stronger than ever. It’s like the grey cloud hanging over the place has lifted and optimism and hope expressed through its young people has taken over. That said, that infamous misty Irish rain (’sure, it’s a fine day there, missus’) is still around.
Come to Dublin for all the things you associate with Ireland - pubs, Irish music, history, tall tales, Georgian architecture and fine buildings. When you’ve done the usual trail (Trinity College, the Book of Kells, Dublin Castle, the Ha’penny Bridge, the Guinness Brewery), throw away the guidebook and get down to meeting the locals. Wander around the Temple Bar area in the centre of the city. Originally planned by the bureaucrats as a bus terminal, this maze of little cobbled streets is now the cultural and social pulse of the city. There’s a European feel with outdoor coffee shops and restaurants (the Irish are ever optimistic!), whilst in the evenings the pubs overflow onto the streets and music booms from upstairs windows.
Start the day with real coffee - a pleasant change after the stuff they call coffee in England. Dublin has adopted a cafe mentality with gusto ’ Melbourne better watch out as it’s got a rival! Wander Grafton Street and window- shop - at the exchange rate that’s about all you’ll be able to afford. Start a pub crawl in the late afternoon; most of the pubs near Trinity College are student haunts and it won’t take you long to get adopted by the crowd. Eat out in Temple Bar, and kick on into the night at one of the clubs.
I emerged from Ri-Ra’s club that night, leaving the Aussies to their evening out, gulping in great breaths of fresh air for my tortured lungs (Dublin is a last bastion of smokers, be warned). Lots of people were wandering the streets, in search of elusive taxis or a last feed at the fast-food joints. Standing in the taxi queue the locals were joking and teasing; full taxis passing by received good- natured abuse, queue jumpers less so. The slagging and jokes made me smile. It was good to be home.
Places to be seen in ...
Cafes
Nude Suffolk Street - ultimately hip organic food
Butlers Wicklow and Clarendon Streets - coffee and yummy handmade chockies
Kaffe Moka South William Street - open till the wee small hours
Cafe en Seine Dawson Street - trendy coffee and drinking spot
Joy of Coffee Temple Bar - laidback heart of the city
Clubs
The Pod Harcourt St - stands for Place of Dance!
The Kitchen Temple Bar - owned by U2
Ri-Ra’s Dame Lane - world music on two levels
Pubs
Pravda beside Ha’penny Bridge - Russian-style trendy bar
Stag’s Head off Dame St - very popular traditional Dublin pub
Bleeding Horse Camden St - student bar with music at weekends
Front Lounge Temple Bar - gay-friendly and very fashionable
Captain America’s Grafton St - for happy hour cocktails to start the night
Restaurants
Wagamamas King St - minimalist Asian fast food
Tante Zoes Temple Bar - Cajun food, live jazz Sunday lunchtimes
Maos Chatham St - Asian fusion food
Oliver St John Gogarty’s Temple Bar - traditional Irish food and music
Milanos Dawson St and Temple Bar - pizza haunt
Jan 18, 2006 8:08 am - nice! Dude irelands been changing for ther last few years! and its gotten worse since the i.r.a (irsih replublican army) dis-armed, my family is irish! nice egg.... 5*
Feb 25, 2006 6:48 am - Its Only got worse if you live up the north and in the war up there then the IRA maters but Down South you never here of the IRA!
Feb 25, 2006 6:51 am - Im Irish [i]
joy of coffe take away of Hot chocolate Yum!!! best ever go there every week! but smoking in pubs is banned now so no more smoky pubs!!!
Apr 11, 2006 7:24 pm - the ira havent dissarmed thats all a load of bullshit im frm belfast in northern ireland and i can bet on it the ira are still active
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