I have been spending quite a lot of time in Dublin recently. I have a “love-hate” relationship with Dublin….as indeed I do with London and New York City.
I suppose Dublin represents the best and worst. It is not ….some claim….a fully “Irish” city. There is something about it which is still The Pale. And of course there is a fair number of West Britons about……Fine Gael types. And of course there are unreconstructed yuppy types….educated at the better schools and who think Michael McDowell is the greatest living Irishman.
There is of course the Dubliners Dublin….people who hang about Moore Street selling dodgy Tobacco. There is the new Irish and I wonder if it is actually worthwhile trying to be friendly. The Hungarian guy in McDonalds responded well. The Slovak girl did not.
And there is Tourist Dublin. Guinness Experience…..overpriced. And The Soldiers and Chiefs Exhibition….an under-rated gem at the Military Museum.
There is Temple Bar……Europes leading Vomitorium (inaccurate ancient Roman reference I know). And there is a Dublin which is ……bohemian…small theatre groups and there is the Billion Euro House at Smithfield…..an art gallery where all the exhibits are made from shredded Euro notes. So presumably thats how the crisis in the Eurozone started.
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
Mr Fitz,
I must defend my city….. I’ts charm is that all types and none regard it as home. McDowell is from the same part of the city as Mary lou, as am I.
Rathmines, my spiritual home, is a vibrant exciting place. It has pubs for every county in Ireland (Rody Boland’s for you) It has Restaurants for every taste, (Jo’Burger is my current favourite), and there is never a problem although a good deal of good natured “slagging” goes on.
Religion and politics are regarded as a good basis for conversation rather than a point of contention. Intelligence is valued and experience respected despite it’s large student population.
Tourists are viewed with a degree of benign pity due to their propensity to waste money on obvious tourist traps such as Temple Bar. But then your not a tourist are you 🙂
This Blog entry was written with you in mind. LOL
Thanks Mr Fitz, and I rose to the bait….. lol, fair play!!!
BTW, the Soldiers and Chiefs exhibition at the old Barracks is brilliant, sorry I never thought to recommend it.
Do you know that the park at the front, across from the Luas track is in fact a graveyard filled with those executed after the 1798 Rising? It’s known as the Croppies Field
Yes Croppies Field….a few years ago, I was very disappointed to see that it was covered in graffiti.
The Soldiers and Chiefs Exhibition…..I called in briefly on Tuesday…is one of my favourite hang outs. Excellent Jacobite Section and I nice little audio from “Fontenoy”.
And FitzjamesHorse well represented.
An American friend was actually quite surprised to see reference to Mexicos “San Patricios”.
A place where I have bought some toy soldiers and…literally….the Tshirt.
Should also point out that Arbour Hill is the office of the Irish Military History Trust.
A slight disappointment is that the Church of the Sacred Heart, the Defence Forces Church is rarely “open”.
Glad you Enjoyed it! I will make it a crusade to find out about the Sacre Coeur opening hours for you. Matter of honour as a Dub
Oh Ive been there several times.
But as far as I know I have only been inside the Church on one occasion..
Will post some pics in and around Arbour Hill later tonight.