Short break. Why is Dublin so bad

[IfIShouldFallFromGraceWithGod]

I'm looking for a city break and Dublin was on my list. It scored highly on the worst holiday thread, can anyone tell me why

So OP, are you going to visit Dublin then?

Personally, I love it.

Lots of hens and stags!

As a Dubliner I'm really shocked at some of the comments on this thread.
Someone posted how a couple in the next room in their hotel were shagging loudly and this tainted their opinion of Dublin. People shag in hotels the world over. I can't see how that would be the fault of the Irish but heyho, we're given the blame for a lot of stuff that isn't our fault.
Many people have commented on the weather - rain, rain and more rain. Well, our island is known for the "40 shades of green" and we don't get those shades of green from having drought conditions. We live in a temperate climate that is driven by the North Atlantic Current and that generally is mild and wet. You're not visiting for the weather because if you were you'd be going to the south of France/Spain/Portugal instead!
We have theaters, but we're not the West End or Broadway.
We have museums, but we're not like the V&A, British National Museum or similar. Yes we do have a leprechaun museum. Go see it.
We have beautiful public parks.
We have public transport (get a leap card and you'll be set for travel on the DART, Luas or buses)
We have hop on hop off tourist buses.
We have galleries
We have restaurants
We are friendly and approachable if you're looking for advice or information on where to go, what to do, what to see.

The Guinness Storehouse is interesting but I think it is going the way of Temple Bar, only for tourists if they haven't been advised of alternatives.

Glasnevin Cemetery is a fantastic place to visit. If you have access to the RTE Player, check out "One Million Dubliners" to get a sense of scale of the place. There are some very high profile Irish people buried in that cemetery and it is now linked to the National Botanic Gardens (or "The Bots" as it's known locally) and to the grey gate beside Kavanagh's Pub (lovely food) also known as "The Grave Diggers" pub.

Dublin Castle is right in the City Centre and is worth a visit. The Dail is also in the city centre as is the Mansion House (where the Lord Mayor lives) and all are open for tourist visits.

I have to say that I have visited plenty of cities and towns in the UK and everything that has been written about peoples impressions of Dublin (wet/miserable/nothing to do/see/go to etc. etc. etc.) could have been written about them too.

As for the hen and stag parties....well, my advice is to stay clear of Temple Bar at night and you'll see fewer of them!

WhatchaMaCalllit, completely agree.

I'm also an "unfriendly local" and don't recognise Dublin from a lot of the negative comments written here.

I'm a Dub living abroad and the biggest thing I miss is the people and the craic. You just don't get humour like it anywhere else in the world. Irish people would talk to a wall even if it didn't talk back.

If I talked to a random person on the street here they'd probably curse and me or look at me like I'm a weirdo Unfriendly indeed

WhatchaMaCalllit

Great post. Tourists are obviously celibate in every other city in the world!

@Wexone, yes I know it is, seeing that's exactly what i said (well i said 'walled' not enclosed). It isn't the biggest park in Europe nor the biggest urban park. No need to be defensive it's really fabulous place still. I know it is as I live near it.

Dublin is a city. If you come here expecting something other than a conurbation (all be it a small one) you'll be disappointed. All cities have many homeless people sleeping on the street, all have grubby looking, all have drug-problems sadly. There's plenty of nice parts of Dublin. Plenty to do.

You come to Ireland expecting sun? Cop yourself on.

Thanks all, mixed reviews and poor Dublin gets a bad rep here
I do a fair few city breaks with DC or a friend so I didn't want recommendations
My parents are both dead. One parent was from Dublin but had a pretty tragic life. They went back to Dublin but never took us children
I must have cousins and family there and I have a photograph of the family home which is a bus ride from Dublin but that's all I have. I have 1 photograph of DP with their mother walking through Dublin
I feel the need to go and wondered if, for a, start, I could just go and have a nice time with a friend

Agree with @whatchaMaCallit
Shocking comments on this thread. Trashing Dublin without having made any exploration beyond Temple Bar. And then people list off random crap that happened in Dublin that also happens in England. People shagged. It rained. Where are we talking about!

I can't help thinking this thread is brexit spinoff. Lots of crap in the zeitgeist, lowest common denominator zeitgeist anyway, about Ireland playing silly buggers when teresa may and boris johnson have been trying so hard to sort it out.

Do you know where your Mum was from? Parish records might tell you who your cousins are.

I feel the need to go and wondered if, for a, start, I could just go and have a nice time with a friend

You can, if you go with realistic expectations. If you go expecting New York, or Barcelona you're going to be disappointed. But if you go expecting Dublin, warts and all, you'll be just fine.

And if you are researching hotels etc and aren't sure if it's an OK area, ask here and a local or a regular visitor can help.

Tourists are obviously celibate in every other city in the world!

It's a classic example of what a certain type of poster says, not just on Mn best/worst places I've ever been threads (a woman was mean to me in a shop in Paris and someone tried to scam me under the Eiffel Tower, so I hate it/there were beggars outside my hotel so I hate Naples/my remote, no frills mountain villa didn't have reliable wi-fi and a local shop and restaurant) but also on Tripadvisor.

I read a 'review' of an excursion today where a trip was late leaving because mountain rescue had been called in to rescue a tourist who'd fallen and hurt her leg at the remote destination, and another tourist had made a scene over the delay and went off to demand a refund -- the reviewer said it 'ruined the atmosphere' and gave the whole excursion one star, despite the fact that no one other than a fellow-tourist had done anything wrong, and that person had left before they left the starting point.

What can you do?

@IfIShouldFallFromGraceWithGod yes of course you could

Any idea at all about places or family names? National archives are in the city centre

Not been for a while but I really enjoyed visiting Dublin a few years back.

I have to say I think more English people should visit Dublin - go see Kilmainham and the famine memorial, go on a tour that covers the history. And then go over to Belfast and do learn about the history there too. Then there might be more widespread understanding of Irish history and why the Northern Ireland/Ireland border should never have been dismissed as a minor issue... (Yes I know not all English people are ignorant of Irish history but I do see a shocking lack of awareness in general).

@isabellerossignol If you go expecting New York, or Barcelona you're going to be disappointed. But if you go expecting Dublin, warts and all, you'll be just fine.

1 - why phrase it like that "Warts and all"?
2 - If you arrive in Dublin and you're expecting New York or Barcelona can I suggest that you got on the wrong plane?

This thread is really giving Dublin a good old kicking and sure why not, there's nothing else to do in the place after all, all it does there is rain and there's nothing to do there except drink. We're all stumbling around the place drunk and soaked through to the skin!

Under no circumstances am I having a go at the OP as she posted a genuine question and has had a number of genuine replies but I really think this thread has taken a turn down "Bash the Irish" lane and MN had better keep an eye on this or it could turn really nasty, very quickly.

I don't know the place. I know parents dob and my grandmother's maiden name
Do you think I could get anywhere with such little info?
I wish so much that I'd asked more before DP died

I expected so much of Dublin, and was disappointed by most of it.
Belfast is amazing!
Titanic, Black cab tour of peace wall, Crumlin road Gaol. We had the best meal ever in Yugo, can't recommend enough.
Great scones in Avoca. Loved it!

Avoca is from ROI and has several stores in Dublin, including one slap bang in the middle of the city. So Belfast can't claim that one.

@isabellerossignol If you go expecting New York, or Barcelona you're going to be disappointed. But if you go expecting Dublin, warts and all, you'll be just fine.

1 - why phrase it like that "Warts and all"?
2 - If you arrive in Dublin and you're expecting New York or Barcelona can I suggest that you got on the wrong plane?

I'm not bashing Dublin I'm Irish myself and posted a couple of times upthread in defence of Dublin.

I phrased it 'warts and all' because people were complaining about it being dirty, and the buildings not being pretty enough etc. Personally I don't really think it is dirty, and I think the buildings are lovely. But if people are expecting some pristine folk museum style town, they'll be disappointed because it's not like that, it's a busy working city.

And my comment about Barcelona or New York was a reference to people having unrealistic expectations. As in, you don't go to Dublin for the weather, or for tapas, or for skyscrapers. You go for Dublin. That's all. It wasn't me having a go at Dublin. I love it so much I visit regularly.

Agree. Belfast is amazing

I love Dublin, but Belfast is even better! You can spend a day in the Titanic area - the museum, SS Nomadic and The Dock cafe are all you need for a good day!

City Hall is nice, there are lots of parks, and it's small, so easy to get around.

We virtually guarantee that you won't get nice weather (though it's nowhere near as cold and wet as some people believe), so you don't have to pack for 2 different types of weather!

I used to live in Dublin and still visit it regularly. I agree that it is drab, dirty and a bit dull. The Guinness storehouse is a huge disappointment - it's got no actual heritage or museum pieces and is mostly about the ads, and the 'free' pint of Guinness.

Phoenix Park may be large, but it's flat and dull and you have to dodge cars as they can drive through it. I never really enjoy my visits there.

The Book of Kells is worth seeing, and the Glasnevin cemetery tour is good.

Yes you can get the dart out to the coast, but it's not a particularly nice coastline - not as nice as many parts of the coast in NI within reach of Belfast.

Dublin has no nice riverside or docks area that can compare to the stylish and scenic Titanic quarter in Belfast, with its views of the Cave Hill.

Overall I think Belfast is prettier, with some nice parts on the banks of the Lagan eg Waterfront, and surrounded by hills and mountains. The Botanic gardens in south Belfast is pretty and very Victorian (with a newly restored tropical ravine to add to the palm house) and the university area has a nice vibe. The Ulster museum is there and well worth a visit.

Just outside of Belfast there is the open air musuem (folk park) and transport museum at Cultra, on the shore of Belfast Lough.

I've never done a black taxi or walking tour of Belfast but people rave about them

A lot of bollocks been spouted on this thread. Dublin's brilliant!
If you can't find interest in the Irish culture & unique history, and explore all of the diverse places easily accessable from the centre- maybe the issue's yours, not Dublin's?
It is expensive, often commercialised and there's a heartbreaking problem with homelessness (who calls people undesirables FFS?) but I think this is true of most cities. It's a tragedy Jenny and the rest of the TripAdvisor Top Ten gang won't be back 😉

SUCH a shame but sounds like it will be Belfast’s gain.

OP, hope you enjoy Dublin if you do visit.

@RueCambon
I can't help thinking this thread is brexit spinoff. Lots of crap in the zeitgeist, lowest common denominator zeitgeist anyway, about Ireland playing silly buggers when teresa may and boris johnson have been trying so hard to sort it out

I agree and I'm glad someone else sees it. This thread smells like an attempt to kick your "opponent" and stir up dislike. Lets not go there- I like my English neighbours.

I can go to London, or Nottingham, or Manchester or wherever- and I will find grey, rundown areas, in the rain. With dishonest crooks and junkies. And there are tourist trap areas, where you meet naff "olde Englande" tropes that are just not interesting to me.

Alternatively, I can research the history of the place that I am visiting. I am big and bold enough to talk to the natives. I will find something interesting to see and do- and if I don't, I will place the blame on myself, for not doing adequate research.

A more apt comparison would be to travel to Aukland in New Zealand. Similar size city. It's half a world away, so I have no doubt that if you had 2 days there, you would go out and find the things that are interesting.