Dublin Fact: It Doesn't Suck!*

I remember writing about how moving to Dublin was a possibility and how I was uneasy about joining the rat race and generally finding my way in what I held to be a quagmire of expense, delay and a life full of effort. Two months in and the upheaval never really happened, I got the train one Sunday evening, started my job the next morning and things seem to have taken off from there. I’ve been a lodger in my family home for a few years now, done a bit of travelling and lived away during college, so the distance, the looking after myself, the all too short trips home at the weekend are nothing new. Dublin is a fine city, the sense of self-importance I expected when I got here hasn’t presented itself although I do live on the North Side. For some reason it seems mandatory that when you get here you become possessive and defensive of the side of the Liffey you live on, that won’t be me, my priorities are the length of my trek to work and the quality of life I have – perceptions of where I live and my postal code can be the qualms of people who think NewsTalk is a national radio stsation. I’m a Cork man so I have a rivalry with Kerry and burgeoning People’s Republic to contend with. I’ll never feel I own this city the way I do Cork, I know that.

The best part of living up here is that in keeping my travel time to a minimum I don’t feel the fatigue of feeling you’ve done a days work in just getting to the office, the gem I’ve held over from a drunken conversation last weekend is that 90% of work is turning up and I think there might be some value to that inebriated insight. I’m pretty certain I’m in the minority having a walk of less than 10 minutes to work, but hey this is a personal account not a census. Ease of access is nice, I don’t have a car, yet venturing to gigs, random games at Croke Park and fitting in escapes to the oasis Phoenix Park has become for this country man as well as places like Howth and Dun Laoghaire can all be thought of and executed within 20 minutes. I feel a challenge to try new restaurants and pubs (all recommendations welcomed!), shake it up culturally and activity wise and try to mould out a life as well as the job, pension, career, ‘how long are you planning on staying with the company?’ type talk that seems to dominate too many conversations. It really does seem a lot of people work here, not many people live here. That is a downside but it’s one I don’t find myself mulling over. Not because I don’t have time anymore to ponder life’s great questions and where I fit in but merely because I haven’t tried that hard to make the place work or been desperately eager to fill my evenings or the quiet days, it’s just worked itself out. Of course it goes without saying I have not saved a penny nor had a fortnight pass where my paycheque has been badly needed, pints after work, lunch, dinner, there is a crazy amount of choices for me to spend my money on.

Apologies if this was all too positive or uneventful as Simon’s flights, if anyone wants me to moan about the three women in my office and the great air conditioning debate and their inability not to comment on someone after they leave the room then let me know. Also possible negative topics are my odd housemates, but they are just so strange that I like talking to them because of the relief I feel when they leave. Every cloud………………… *Not really a fact, more so a generalisation having had it easy there for 2 months.

P.S. Thanks to that blogger that recommended the Italian wholesaler in Smithfield, best find since I've moved.