After charming Dalkey, Dublin (Áth Cliath) was something of a disappointment. It’s clearly a great place if you’re looking for effervescent nightlife, but if you’re there hoping to find breathtaking architecture on every corner or an abundance of pleasant walks through leafy scenery, well, then I hope you like nightlife, too.
Dublin is expensive; bafflingly so. I can see that the nightlife would be very appealing to some, but I see too little else to justify the stratospheric price of accommodation there. It really is extraordinarily expensive.
Incidentally, Ireland, in general, is very expensive; due in no small part to the high rate of VAT. About the only thing that is cheaper here than back home is petrol, priced at about €1.35 per litre.
We stayed at the Shelbourne, a luxury hotel in the heart of the city on St. Stephen’s Green. The room, 370, was very comfortable, with a kingsize bed and enough room for a roll-away bed for Eloïse. The bathroom, too, was very nice.
If you fancy a splurge whilst in Dublin, I can highly recommend the Shelbourne. The staff are friendly, there are free cakes and lemonade at reception — nice while you’re checking in — and the prices are reasonable, given the grandeur of the surroundings.
More or less my only complaint with the hotel — and it’s one that I have with a great many hotels these days — is the extortionate price of WiFi. At €20 for 24 hours, they really are taking the piss. That’s half a month of DSL in most countries.
Given that every major city now has many cafés that offer free Internet access, it’s nothing more than a convenience to be able to access the Internet gratis from one’s hotel room. In that regard, it’s high time that hotels offered free access as a courtesy. Some do, of course, and ironically, it’s usually the cheaper ones.
My one other complaint about the Shelbourne: it has a very stupid concierge. I’ll spare you the details.
We spent most of our two days in Dublin just walking around the city, getting to know it.
Trinity College has some nice architecture, but we didn’t fancy queueing or paying for a chance to file past the Book of Kells in lightning tempo. Therefore, we remained in the grounds outside.
The River Liffey is uninspiring, as are the buildings that line its banks. There’s really very little one can say about it.
Dublin’s architecture failed to capture my imagination. The aforementioned Trinity College is a notable exception, as is the Irish Bank, but even the Georgian buildings around St. Stephen’s Green and the surrounding areas (such as Merrion Square) fail to impress; their flat, featureless brick walls failing to find redemption in the less austere and brightly coloured doorways.
One thing that’s hard to fault about Dublin is the food. We atre very well throughout our stay. A notable plug goes to The Farm on Lower Dawson St. for its delicious organic food, although the desserts were surprisingly lacklustre. Not everyone agrees that the food is good.
A better bet for dessert is Busyfeet, whose sandwiches make them a good bet for lunch, too. To wash it all down, a cup of their cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso is heartily recommended.
For dinner, I recommend Odessa on Dame St., whose comfortable couches and dim lighting will have you completely relaxed by the time your food arrives.
It seems as if every building in Dublin now plays host to at least one person loitering outside, smoking. This has the effect of turning the city into one gigantic concrete ashtray. Every time you take a step in any direction, cigarette smoke fills your nostrils. It’s as if the anti-smoking laws have turned the city inside out: you now have to enter a building to avoid the smoke. The streets and especially the café terraces are now the preserve of malodorous nicotine addicts.
It’s good to see the capital city of any country, but it will come as no surprise to you to learn that I wouldn’t want to live in Dublin. If only it were more visually attractive, I could forgive it most of what else is wrong. The truth is, though, that it’s just too much of a concrete jungle. There is too little greenery and the busy, traffic-clogged streets are too reminiscent of London. Driving through Dublin can be hellish, as we discovered today when it came to leaving.
Apart from a few pedestrianised areas, the streets are also very unfriendly to pedestrians. Many busy junctions have no pedestrian crossings, and many others are burdened by traffic lights that require the patience of a saint. Almost everyone crosses on red, because waiting for green means needing a haircut by the time you get to the other side.
On the way out today, we drove along Merrion Road, through the well-heeled area of Ballsbridge. I had seen a few multi-million euro homes in an estate agent‘s window and was curious what that kind of money buys you in Dublin. The answer: not enough.
Again, it’s hard to understand the appeal of Dublin, which must be huge to justify such monumental housing prices. I don’t see it myself, but perhaps I just need to spend more time in the city, perhaps in the company of locals, who can show me a side of the city I’ll never know as a tourist.
I wouldn’t rule out a return visit, but it won’t be high on my list.