Bonjour tout le monde!
I know it's been a while since I wrote a post, I've been quite busy as I've had assignments as well as.. I moved back to London !
Yes, that's right, I no longer live in Dublin. So I wanted to write this post about Dublin. My feeling about the city as well as some tips If you wanna live in Dublin.
Accomodation :
I moved to Dublin last year. Living in Dublin is very expensive, even more expensive than London!
When I arrived, I discovered that I got scammed. Luckily I didn't give any money beforehand.
My first tip is : NEVER GIVE MONEY UNLESS YOU MET THE LANDLORD/LANDLADY AND SAW THE ROOM/ FLAT. (I'll never say it enough)
Also, ask to see the flat/room on Skype or Whatsapp If you live abroad.
It can happens to anyone in any countries. But in Dublin, as there are not enough houses for people to live in, it's easy to get scammed.
People are usually suprised when I tell them that Dublin is expensive. You usually don't expect to be that expensive because It's such a small city. You'll see many homeless people in the street (even young people) because they don't have accomodations and It costs a lot to live in Dublin.
As my college didn't have any campus, I had to go through the DIT website . You can find campuses (where you have to pay the first three months) or private landlords.
I had a studio for myself in Rathfarnham (Dublin 14) and I paid 850€ each month. It wasn't in a city centre and luckily the family let me borrow their bike. Otherwise you have to take the bus and It costs 2,30€ to go to the city centre (If you have a leap card).
But If you decide to live in Dublin for few years, you have many website such as Rent.ie , myhome.ie...
There are certain areas to avoid such as the North. Dublin is divided into 2 areas, the North (where poor people live) and the South (where rich people live). Of course you'll find the cheapest accomodation in the North.
Going out :
I didn't go out often as I live in Dublin county and there were no night buses.
But If you wanna go out, you have to avoid Temple Bar If you don't want to spend your night with tourists. Temple Bar is the most famous road for tourist. If you wanna live like a local, then you have to go on either Camden Street (where you can find the venue Wheelan's and many pubs.) or Baggot Street Lower. Irish people tend to go outside of Dublin city centre. Otherwise, if you like music, there are many live music venues in Dublin :
Vicar Street that is one of the city's most beloved event venues and is famous for hosting stand up comedians.
The Grand Social host many themed nights, world class DJs... There is a spacious beer garden on the roof and a weekly indoor market.
Even though The Button Factory is located in The Temple Bar area, this is where the Temple Bar Music Centre used to be. This venue is a go-to. You can find a large selection of acts and genres, ranging from indie rock to house. The venue is not too small or not too big and there is always something going on.
Unlike museums in the UK, in Ireland you have to pay to visit the most touristic museums. But the national museums that are funded by the government are free.
For instance, The National Gallery is free. The paintings are fabulous and you can spend hours wandering through the halls of the National Gallery. Sometimes they have exhibitions that you should also check out.
The National Library Ireland is also free. You have to go to the Yeats exhibitions. It was described as "one of the most important literary exhibitions yet staged internationally" by the Irish Times. It's all about the Life and work of the Irish poet's William Butler Yeats. The library has also an impressive amount of genealogy records.
The Natural History Museum is also a go-to. You can learn about indigenous animal such as the Irish Elk (Giant Deer), an extinct animal with antlers taht spread as far as 12 feet and you can find a skeleton of humpback whale hanging from the ceiling.
The Chester Beatty Library is also a go-to for history lovers. It is located within the grounds of Dublin Castle and you can see everything from rare manuscripts and Egyptian papyrus text as well as contemporary exhibitions. You also have to go to the roof garden on a sunny day.
Of course, you can go to the Guiness Storehouse or Dublin Castle but It is mainly for tourists. (but you can have a marvellous city view at the Guiness Storehouse though, with a Guiness!)
My favourite restaurant is Cornucopia. It has the best vegetarian foods/cakes/coffee. I used to always go there. I used to take the heathly manu (for 11,95€) -photo above-. It's quite cheap for a restaurant. You also have seats on 2 floors. I advise you to go to!
On sunny day I would go to Phoenix Park. The largest park in Europe! You can find deers and many events are hosted in this park. You could also cycle (which I used to do). When you're in the middle of the park, you don't think that you're in an actual city. It's so peaceful and quiet. You can have a picnic and things like that. I really loved this park.
As I used to live in Rarthfarnham (Dublin 14) I used to go to Marley Park Farmers Market every Saturday and buy my fruits and vegetables there. You can also buy food like fries/burgers/pastries/helthy foods... I recommend to go to Marley Park and spend your Saturday there! It's a big park, near the hills.
Useful Travel Apps in Dublin :
Here are the most useful apps in Dublin :
Journey Plan : It provides service infromation, direction and time estimates for taking a journey on all licensed public transport providers across Ireland.
Real time : It provide real time arrival information services from Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann, Go-Ahead Ireland, DART, Iarnrod Eireann and Luas.
To work in Ireland (If you're from the European Union) you'll need a Public Services Card. You'll need a letter from your employer and need to make an online appointment on MyWelfare.ie .It can take time but it's worth it. I didn't work while I was in Ireland, even though I send many CVs. But apparently it's easy to find jobs in Dublin ( If you have at least a year experience in restaurant for instance).
Language :
Sometimes it's difficult to understand Irish people as they have a strong accent and use sentences that only Irish people use.
For instance, they use "You're dead right" which mean you're absolutely right.
"What's the craic ?" meaning what's going on ?
"Grand" meaning it is okay or ordinary or "fine with me"
Also, Irish people are well known for drinking so don't be surprise when they ask you to go for "one". They love and are prouf of their Guiness!
Otherwise, Ireland and Dublin especially is a lovely place to live. I liked living there but I love London more. Dublin was a sort of a gateaway for me. I would recommend it!
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