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Living in Dublin

About the city

With its unique blend of urban chic, lush parkland, sweeping coastline, fabulous shopping and excellent cultural experiences, Dublin is without a doubt one of the most energised and thrilling capital cities in Europe.

The city has been at the very heart of Ireland’s economic growth in recent years. Attributed to a number of factors, including a strong inflow of foreign direct investment; the availability of a highly skilled workforce; centralised wage agreements and a favourable tax and business environment, Dublin has certainly made its mark across the world as a progressive city – yet it hasn’t lost any of its charm along the journey.

In spite of the whirlwind changes, it still remains one of Europe's most down-to-earth, friendly and accessible cities.

Highlights of Dublin

• Socialising: Temple Bar is Dublin's cultural quarter, with some of the city’s best night spots, restaurants and unusual shops. Just outside the quarter, though, you can indulge yourself in atmospheric pubs where you can sit at the bar and chat to the locals or simply take time out to enjoy the paper, distracted by nothing more than the chatter of fellow customers.
• Dramatic Views: Dublin doesn’t go wild for skyscrapers of any sort, so there is nothing more pleasant than a bird’s eye view over the city limits, where relatively nothing breaks the horizon between you and the sea. Two great places to catch the view include the recently-restored Chimney in Smithfield Village, which is equipped with a glass observation tower. At 220 feet, you get some great views on a clear day; and The Guinness Storehouse in the heart of the Guinness factory complex is an excellent visitor centre that tells the dramatic story of the 250 year history of Guinness and you can sample the Black Stuff with stunning views from the Gravity Bar on the seventh floor.
• Literary heritage: Ireland and the Irish have a love of words, and there’s no better place to see the might of the pen than in the Dublin Writers Museum, where the lives and works of Jonathon Swift, GB Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Patrick Kavanagh and WB Yeats are on display.
• Musical greats: Take a trip southbound by train and you’ll find yourself in musical legend territory, with Bono, The Edge, Def Leppard frequenting the pretty village of Dalkey. But if you want to scope out rock legends U2’s plans for the future, check out the plans for the U2 Tower Dublin, which is located on Dublin’s Docklands and due for completion in 2008.

Outside the city limits

Dublin is a fantastic city, but there’s plenty more to see and do right on your doorstep, too!  

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