Dublin really gone downhill

[Zipupyourmickey]

There's a lot on social media about this at the moment but I have to say that Dublin has got into a terrible state over the last couple of years. I'm a born and bred Dubliner but now live in a different county. Went in last week and O'Connell Street is so smelly and dirty. Horrible traffic. Zero taxis anywhere and generic shops. The worst is that you pay an arm and a leg for it. I had one glass of wine for 8 euro. Bar the luas, public transport is horrendous. I think we need fresh thinking for Dublin.

I'm currently living in Dublin and don't go into town at all for all the reasons you mention.

I think Ireland has always been vulnerable to suffering from outside variables because it's so small. You would think a growing economy would be good but, while it's better than a recession, it puts pressure on the country in all sorts of ways, Dublin in particular. There just isn't enough of anything to go round, housing (rental or buying), hotel rooms, pubs and restaurants are charging loads because there is huge demand that will take it and because costs are rising exponentially.

Public transport has always been ok-ish for going in and out of the centre of Dublin but was, and still is, shit for going sideways. They are trying to improve it by adding extra bus routes but it's not enough to make it more convenient than driving.

I feel sorry for the taxi drivers. Apparently about 40% left the business during Covid, plus the fuel costs are bad now, plus Free Now (the taxi app) charge them 15% of every fare and an extra €2 'hospitality charge' if they pick up from a restaurant or hotel. Many taxi drivers just turn off the app if they're in the centre of Dublin. www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/dublin-man-claims-free-now-24237598 It used to be a very good living and hard to get into (because you have to buy the taxi license) but people are not being attracted into the industry now.

There are also so many complaints about Dublin city council, they do give the impression of being more interested in being obstructive than in making the city centre a pleasant and productive place.

Sorry, that was all very negative, I should have ended with the fact that I do really like living in Dublin. The leafy suburbs are a nice place to live and I have an enjoyable lifestyle. Planning is going a bit nuts with trying to allow massive blocks of flats in areas that are currently very low rise without forcing the developers to also put in services like shops/childcare/playgrounds, but the public are getting good at pushing back so hopefully it won't be too problematic in the future. Just the city centre is unappealing to me.

I think Dublin city centre has really gone downhill.
Scruffy and not enough police around.
I hate too all these higher rise buildings - build to rent- that they are putting in. Often by foreign investors.
That's really not what people want. They want to own their own homes- it's part of the Irish psyche - probably down to our sad history.
But the ministers/politicians aren't listening.
When they don't get re-elected they'll just get a consultancy with said multinationals on big salaries.

It was like that when i lived there in the early 2000s. So expensive and a bit grotty. Never got the fuss.

Dublin isn't appealing. With the majority of TDs being landlords they're only interested in build to rent.