Dublin and temple bar safety
 

Hi,

I'm a twentysomething female from Boston, and I'm planning a week's stay in Dublin this April. I'm staying at Eliza lodge on the edge of Temple Bar for part of my trip. I've been planning this trip forever, so I know a lot about the different areas, and realize TB is loud, w/ lots of pubs etc. but with everything I'm reading lately about the "travellers" and teenagers causing problems for tourists and residents alike in Dublin, I'm getting nervous about being alone!

I don't plan to be out late at night, I want to have dinner and get back to my room so I can get out early each day but i guess my question is if this area is generally safe to be walking around in the day/early evening as well?


Another question for the locals...if I do feel up to going to pub by myself, is that generally okay? Do young women normally do that w/out inviting trouble?

many thank yous

Irs a busy area but no its fine. Don't listen to all the talk about traveller and teens. At 3 am it gets a drunken and noisey in Temple bar. But thats about it. I have no Idea who mentioned travellers and teenages but you rarely see travellers in Dublin anymore and they may be begging if you do and the teens hang out at the daytime (Goths) by the Central bank and are completely harmless kidds hanging out. They may look a bit punk but trust me they are harmless and mostly 15-16 years old. I personally would not go to your average oub in Temple bar alone but one place that is perfect ois the Olicer St John Gogherty upstairs where the live music plays. You will get talking to other [people visiting and its fine on your own and a fun atmosphere. Go on a musical pub crawl and you could end up going out with some of the people you meet after. It starts about 7 ish but check with the IOliver St John Gogherty in the day time. Temple bar is say in the day and evening and at night. It only gets a bit messy at 3am when the pubs empty. Dublin is probably one of the safest places I have lived and I am from NY originally and here 11 years. As a woman I felt safer here than when I lived in NY.

It's safe but VERY noisy.

If it's your plan not to stay out late, perhaps you might prefer to stay in another part of the city.

Yes you can go to bars on your own - but stay clear of the bars in Temple bar, unless you just want to meet other tourists.

Hi Siobhan and Lawchick-

Thanks Siobhan, I like what you have to say. I haven't seen many mentions of travellers or teens cauing trouble on here, but there have been some comments on tripadvisor and virtualtourist about the "track suit" crowd ;) and beggars causing trouble and harrassing locals and tourists. I guess I just let these stories get to me.

I've heard good things about Oliver St John Gogherty too, I will probably check that out, and it doesn't look to far from my hotel.

thanks again for your thoughts!

Its an ignorant stereotype they are using and the "tracksuit crowd is not in the temple bar area. I hate these stereotypes. Its mostly tourists and young people in their 20's. Another nice bar for an early pint is the Palace on Fleet street doem from Oliver St John Gogherty its a victorian style pub and a lot of writers used to drink here. Do go to the gogherty and the music oub crawl. Also try the Literary pub crawl at 7is in the Duke pub on Duke street off grafton street. These are ways of socialising on your own and you can drop into a crown after for a few drinks. People are good about that here. Beggars never cause hassle here you just say no thanks aor nothing and walk by. They have no idea what travellers are and there are a few gypsies selling the big issues. Buy one its no big deal. As a woman you will be safe here in Dublin just be aware like any other city but I find it much safer than other places I have lived. I walk through inner city areas that people think are awful but to be hinest I remember the bronx in the 70's visiting relatives as a kid and it does not have a patch on it!

I used to live in Edinburgh's Old Town (which also has lots of pubs & clubs) & I find that sort of area the safest as there are lots of people around. I'd much rather be walking around there at night on my own than a posh residential area with no other pedestrians.

Edinburgh has the same vibe as Dublin and I never feel unsafe there but anywhere in the world you make sure you are ok and don't take too much cash. Cards can be replaced not cash.

A couple of good pubs if you tire of the Guinness are McGuires and The Porterhouse. The serve their own beers and they are really quite good if you are a beer geek like me. McGuires sits just east of the O'Connell St bridge on the south side overlooking the Liffey. The Porterhouse is at the west end of Temple Bar on Parliament St.

On a week night I enjoyed the music at the Brazen Head which sometimes gets a "geez that's touristy" knock, but I didn't find it to be so the night I was there. Quite the opposite actually. I ended up rambling on endlessly with a fellow to whom this was his local and heard all about his wild adventures to Las Vegas.

You should be pretty safe. I feel much less safe in most US cities of similar or greater size.

Bill

I would not go to the brazen head on my own as its a bit of a walk by yourself and if you do just stick to the Quays along the river. I know the area but would not send you any short cuts as its more inner city. Stick to temple bar and grafton street areas and you will have lots to do. Also they have a rock and roll tour that's meant to be fun. I think they take you by windmill lane where U2 record etc.

Thanks everyone, excellent tips. I'm starting to feel much better about my safety. I'm from the Boston area, and I think it's obviously that Dublin is probably much safer than downtown Boston any time of day.

Siobhan as you can see by my screen name I'm a big U2 fan, so I'll be checking out the all the U2 related sites. Have they started building the new recording studio yet? The "U2 Tower"

thanks again

Not yet from what i can tell but there is so much building going on here it will take a while and when it does go up it will not be a tour site anyway. I think its offices and they will have a few floors or some will be apts and they have first dibs on that as well. It's good to be Bono these days :-) You never know when you see someone famous here. I have seen him and the edge a few times...the edge I thought was a short old man but he looked familiar and I realised about 10 minutes after. Sinead O'Connor is around a lot and I saw a girl that looked like here a few years back and though she looked like here but sinead was much prettier.....it was her. She is a bit of a crack pot these days and to be honest I find her a bit weird when she is out and about. People are pretty cvool here we don't jump on celebs as we don't like them to think they are any more special than us...ha.

I read that U2 had all become tax exiles in Holland ? It seems like Bono is keen on getting other people to give money to good causes, but not keen on contributing personally to his country's hospitals, schools, etc.

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Another question for the locals...if I do feel up to going to pub by myself, is that generally okay? Do young women normally do that w/out inviting trouble?
>>>>>

i'm not a local but spent a fair amount of time in dublin for work. i don't think it is very normal for women to go out to pubs alone. it's unlikely to invite trouble that you can't handle but you may not find it very enjoyable depending on the type of pub - touristy pubs in TB tend to have a loud crowd (including hen/stag parties, etc at the weekends)...probably not very good alone. less touristy places could be a little intimidating for a lone foriegn woman (and man - but he would attract less attention from the often male oriented 'local' pubs).

i would try to meet some people to go out with first (although this is not often easy). although many people have their stories about meeting people in irish pubs and drinking the night away like lifelong friends, this is more of a false stereotype than a reality.

I would only advise certain places alone like I mentioned earlier. Upstairs at the gogherty is one or or Davy byrnes off grafton. To be honest i would in the daytime go to a pub or cafe bar and yhave a drink at the we4ekend if I am wasting time before meeting someone no prob. I usually have a paper or bpook. Expecting to meet people if you are on your own is tough. Organised pub crawls are the best you will meet people at these so go for it.

If you're a U2 fan, don't forget to visit their hotel in Temple Bar - The Clarence. It's owned by Bono and The Edge, and the Octagon Bar in the hotel is a nice (if a bit expensive) stop for a cocktail.

I find going into pubs on my own just fine during the day. At night though, because people tend to congregate in groups, you tend to feel a bit of a spare part if you're on your own. Definitely consider Siobhan's advice about the pub crawl - who knows, you might end up with drinking buddies for the rest of your stay!

Don't walk down the Quays to the Brazen Head on your own after dark. It's probably perfectly safe, but parts of it are not very well lit and can feel a bit creepy. Consider taking the Luas (tram) to Smithfield for a visit to the Cobblestone Pub - there's always a trad session going on there in the evenings and it can be good fun.

They still live here (U2) but have move4d their corporate entities to holland due to better tax. Saying that I think they spend a certain time outside the country to lower tax. I.E. they have places in the S. of France etc. A lot of English Music stars moved to Ireland when the British tax was too much for all except Paul McCartney. I think Ron Wood from the stones lives here as does Marianne Faithful. Tax in both places is pretty high.