So, you thought Dublin was filled with little old men smoking pipes and playing dominoes, did you? Well, think again. Things have changed in the Republic over the past couple of decades. A lot.
Half of the population is under 30 for starters and a booming economy in the 90s known as the Celtic Tiger grrrrrr has left them with Euros to burn.
So it's out with the smoke-filled pubs and folk singers moaning about losing their hearts to shellfish in Galway and in with boutique hotels, glam eateries and trendoid clubs. An influx of Eastern European workers and other young professionals has given the city a cosmopolitan air, and just a quick dose of city-center people-watching will show you what a stylish bunch the native Dubliners were already. All of this has combined to make the city one of Europe's top weekender destinations, with fashionistas constantly jetting in for bouts of designer shopping, cocktail supping and celeb mingling.
Against this bristling sense of bright todays and even brighter tomorrows, it can come as a bit of a shock to find out homosexuality was illegal in the Republic of Ireland until 1993. But, with its restrictive Catholic cloak thrown off, the city has made up for lost time. An energetic but intimate scene has emerged comprising of a fist full of dedicated gay venues and a good smattering of les/bi/gay nights at other spots around town. What the city is seeing now is a move towards sophisticated neutrally-toned outings where straight and gay clientele are mixing in leave-your-differences-at-the-door kinda nights. About time too.
So, failte, welcome, come on over. It's a gorgeous city in the summer, imbued with atmosphere by the Trinity College, the city's ancient ivy-covered university. And incredibly medicinal in winter when you can explore cobbled streets before curling up in front of a flickering peat fire, ordering a pint of that famous black stout and listening to an Irish fiddler play his little woolen socks off.
- Olivia Edward
