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

I just wish the British had designed the city better. And built a few "non-drab" buildings. And I'd really like if they'd constructed an Underground while they were here. And given the amount of time they were here could they have not built an enormous umbrella so it didn't actually rain on the city?

I wonder if we all still spoke Irish would it feel like more of a foreign city and be assessed differently?

I've been twice, years apart and both times left feeling bitter over how much I'd haemorrhaged money. I thought it was more expensive than London but maybe I can just accept the prices in London more because it's a brilliant city and feels worth it. I never recommend Dublin to anyone.

A Dublin bashing thread as opposed to a complete Island thread - how refreshing. Another Dub here. Our city and suburbs are awash with culture you just need to have an interest and a decent map. Loads of examples of things to do and places to go but if you are hellbent on talking about the weather and and commenting on other tourists banging in hotel rooms then clearly you are not open at all to seeing the really beauty of our city. Absolutely stunned at some comments here. Ignorance shining through.

@stopwining
Fade Street Social
The Market Bar
Fallon and Byrne
One Pico
The Stags Head
Hogans
The Bailey
Wilde at the Westbury Hotel
The Horse Shoe bar (Shelbourne Hotel)
Cliff Townhouse
Lucky Tortoise, Aungier Street
Uno Mas, Aungier Street
Pi, George's Street
Fish Shop Benburb Street
Etto, Merrion Row
Mamó in Howth
Irish TImes 100 of the best restaurants, cafes and places to eat in Ireland 2019

Also someone has mentioned Malahide Castle (lovely town where I live so I will smile cheerfully at any visitors!), there's a nice Avoca there, also one in Suffolk St in the city centre. I saw someone else was unimpressed with Bewley's but I think they did a lovely job restoring it, I really like it. There are tons of places anyhow if that's not your cup of .

@jennymanara your comment about Auckland is very telling.
It's another beautiful city, informed by the interaction of European/Pakeha and Maori cultures.
There's lots to see and do there, unless you're stuck on going to rugby or sailing bars.

As for why Dublin doesn't have a museum about Partition- until very recently, that was a very sore topics (being stirred up by Brexit, sadly).
It would be quite controversial.

The NI Peace agreement is a triumph of human maturity and compromise; empathy for a stance that is completely contrary to one's own history and culture. To show all of that in one museum would be a feat. I can see it happening in about 50years (if the peace holds).

Ditto the idea of a Famine Museum... it's a good suggestion.
But, again, until very recently, there was a strong sense of shame about the Famine, the deaths, the subsequent emigration, social and economic devastation.
It's only in my lifetime that we've turned away from a "victim"/shame mentality and started to name it as a genocide and look at the structural and administrative errors that led to it.

I didn't start it as a Dublin bashing thread. I've explained upthread why I want to visit, family history but not much to go on
It was on the back of worst holiday thread I wondered why it was named so many times

With hindsight a bad title. My aims from the visit may have been a better starting point

Collins Barracks is good if you want to understand something of that era (though not specifically a museum about partition).

Is there a museum about Britain's colonial past and its legacy anywhere in Britain? Not every aspect of a country's history ends up in a museum. And there are more ways to find out than by visiting one.

Strokestown House (not in Dublin) is excellent if you want an understanding of the famine. Worth the drive and doable as a day-trip from Dublin. I haven't been to EPIC but I think it is famine-focused (open to correction).

Something that hasn't been mentioned (probably because it has only recently opened) is MoLI, the Museum of Literature. It is very Joyce-centric but if you've read Ulysses and want to explore Joyce's Dublin it is particularly good. There's a fascinating section on censorship and literature post civil war. And a lovely section where a selection of contemporary Irish authors talk about writing. The building is stunning and gives a gorgeous vista of what's hidden behind the Georgian facades around Stephen's Green. And the restaurant/cafe attached is lovely - but at the pricey end but it is more than a standard cafe so I think worth the treat-aspect.

That's a good point Duchess.

I think a museum on the troubles would be interesting but it wouldn't be appropriate for it to be in Dublin. It's Northern Ireland's story to tell, and to me it would look like we were trying to make money or get attention from someone else's tragic history. We didn't suffer the consequences of the troubles like the people in NI did.

To the poster saying "people don't like the place, get over it", I agree that everyone has their likes and dislikes and not everyone will like Dublin. That's fine. But I, and others, take exception to someone who spent ONE DAY in the place (and wasn't bothered to go and see the things she was interested in) talking as if she's an expert and coming back incessantly with very ignorant comments. It's like talking to a petulant toddler.

Jenny: Dublin doesn't have anything of interest, it should have X and Y.
MN: Well actually it does have X...
Jenny: X is boring.
MN: Right, well there's also Y...
Jenny: I didn't go to Y, but Y is so much better in lots of British cities.
MN: Can you give us some examples of Y in other cities?
Jenny: I love Glasgow
MN: What's the Y in Glasgow?
Jenny: I love Glasgow

Not surprisingly people get a bit exasperated!

OP yes, I'm sorry that your thread has been hijacked.

I think from one of your posts, you are interested in seeing if you can research some of your own history?

This might help Irish Times

DuchessDumbarton
Thank you

I lost a long post (perhaps just as well!) but Sakura has summed up what I was saying!

I asked Jenny to explain to me what Glasgow or Manchester (her own examples) have specifically for tourists, that is SO much better than Dublin? Still waiting to hear......

I am a dub living in Dublin, and I love it. However I can understand it's lack of appeal to British people, as in many ways it's a smaller, less interesting version of London. I think a lot of the tourist stuff is aimed at the American market tbf. It definitely has its own charms and attractions though, many of which have already been listed on here. If you do come op pop out to Dalkey on the dart, it's a nice little village with a castle, a great pub, (the Queens) and lots of great places to eat and drink. I hope you are successful in your search.

OP I think most of us can see you didn't start the thread with any bad intentions, but unfortunately some of the responses have gone down quite a nasty route.

You should absolutely come and visit for a couple of days, you really don't have anything to lose. If you don't love it, at least you tried it and you can chalk it down to experience. Nobody will love every city they visit.

However, you could have a great time and learn about your family history. There are some good posts on here from people who know the place, follow the recommendations and you'll be fine. I'm sure you can visit the registry of births, marriages, etc, which would set you in the right direction, but you'd have to go on a weekday and it would be useful to call beforehand to make sure they have what you're looking for. Also try websites like Find My Past, which are useful for putting together family trees.

Deadringer I 100% disagree that Dublin is a smaller, less interesting version of London - that's an awful thing to say. London is London and Dublin is Dublin and they both have their own distinct histories, which informs why they are the way they are. I think promoting a notion that Dublin is of less appeal to British people is wrong.

I like Dublin and London equally and find plenty to interest me in both places - both of which I have visited many many times

@stopwining I completely misread your post, I now see you're looking for pubs with music and food. Sorry! Maybe O’Donoghues on Baggot St.

Just to cheer the Dubs up what with Belfast being described as so brill and all, I’m SURE there was a very similar thread started a while ago (not by OP who seems completely legit!) that went something like ‘WHY is BELFAST just so DIRTY AND SMELLY??’

I mean how a city that essentially has its streets power washed every 24 hours by nice fresh rain can be dirty I don’t know. Also I LOVE eg london, Paris, NY etc, but they are filthy compared to irish cities, purely form amount of people and traffic, exhaust fumes and no constant rain washing it all away!

People are strange.

And The Brazen Head.

caperplips I mean on the surface it's similar, ie the museums etc are similar but on a smaller scale, culturally they are poles apart, and as I said, Dublin has its own charms. My opinion is based on living in Dublin and having visited London many times.

OP I also think you worded, and titled your original post in a manner that led to this thread going down the route it has.

Given that you have a personal history you would like to explore, I would imagine you would find Dublin interesting, despite the naysayers on the thread.

We had similar in Budapest - we have a family connection there, also a lack of information due to the war and later the iron curtain etc. We have visited there a number of times and the first time there was definitely a sense of just sheer connection 'oh.. [family member] would have walked down this street, seen this castle etc - it was actually very emotional even though we had very little actual information. It definitely gave us a better semblance of understanding that family member a little better once we had a sense of where they had come from, if that makes sense.

I agree that you should visit Dublin and see for yourself - there are some incredible recommendations on here so you have plenty to work from for a couple of days...

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do when we visit and I hope it makes you feel a little closer to the essence of your parent

OP, I don't work for them but the EPIC museum has a family history research centre attached. It looks amazing!

epicchq.com/irish-family-history-centre/

@IfIShouldFallFromGraceWithGod - I realise that you didn't start the thread with either an Irish bashing or Dublin bashing mindset.
However, some of the posts read as though they were lifted from TripAdvisor where the person hasn't seen the city or immersed themselves in the city during their stay. They could have been staying in any hotel, in any city, in any country in the world. They didn't like the bars, so didn't explore further. They saw homeless people or people begging and they didn't like it so painted the whole city with images of homeless/beggers on every street corner. Yes we have a severe homeless issue in Ireland at the moment and it is probably more evident in Dublin based on the fact that it is the most populated city in Ireland.
Please don't let any of the posts about it raining (it is overcast here this morning but it is dry), or that people shagging in the next hotel room and they were noisy, or whatever some of the other negative posts have been about deter you from coming over for a visit. We want tourists. We need tourists. We love tourists. Dublin really does have an awful lot to offer tourists if you just take a different look at the city.

Also, if you do come over and you want to travel places by public transport, please do think about getting a LEAP card - www.leapcard.ie/Home/index.html - it makes paying for the journeys so much easier!

Mulligans in Smithfield has good food - possibly music but not 100% sure

Stag's Head and the Long Hall will do a great pint. And no music (sometimes a good thing :-))

There's a place across the road from the Abbey Theatre where tourists seemed to be flocking for music last time I was at the Abbey. Whether that or it is good or bad I don't know.

There used to be a lovely pub near the Four Courts that was very traditional in terms of music - and not at all for tourists. Unfortunately I can't remember the name but maybe someone else can.

Personally I'd avoid Temple Bar like the plague (particularly at night) and head for pubs off the beaten track. Do your homework I guess. But I know visitors who have loved Temple Bar so while I can't understand why it seems to appeal to some.

If you want something totally different go have a cocktail in the bar of the Shelbourne Hotel.

Smithfield is fab now.Really good pubs and restaurants.Luas will leave you right there.