Dublin
Over the years I’ve been in and out of Dublin. Dozens of times, usually flying visits, gigs, rallies in and out. Never one of my favourite cities I always found it to be worn out with an air of menace about it.
Nothing ever happened but it was a feeling I could never shake. And as a seasoned travellerI learned to trust my instincts and if my spidey sense was tingling there was usually a very good reason for it.
Dublin airport by the way is great. Heartily recommended unless time is of the essence we fly out of Dublin as opposed to Belfast.
We were down when Dublin was booming, the Celtic tiger was in full swing, buildings and houses were going up all over the place. Everything was glitzy and glossy. The buses looked washed. Taxis drove like………..well taxis driven by people who know that the normal rules of the road don’t apply in their case.
Once you got off the beaten and well marched tourist trap, things went south very quickly. grim housing, concrete buildings, potholed streets and generally worn out infrastructure. This we were assured would all be rectified as the celtic tiger and progress swept all before it.
Sadly the wheels fell off. The property bubble burst a lot of people found themselves in in serious debt and the economy collapsed.
We were back 12 years later, with talk of a recovery.
Sure enough Temple Bar and O Connell Street were well scrubbed and polished anywhere the tourists were invited to gather were well lit and wide open. Off the main thoroughfares things aren’t so good.
We took two modes of transport. One bog standard SPW (Manual wheelchair) and a Literider 3 scooter. Having seen the state of the roads, pavements and amount of diversions due to roadworks. The self propelled one sat in the car. We took the scooter
The amount of effort necessary to propel the chair across some decidedly dodgy pavements and roads made it a none starter. The scooter a well known sturdily but, tubular frame, 4 wheeler with all the good points of a 3 wheeler. it coped. You just had to keep a very weather eye on what was ahead of you. Some of it was worrying. Time spent in reconnaissance is never wasted. If you’ve a spotter or a pathfinder use them. We spent a lot of time in the liberties and around Croke Park. neither of which filled us with confidence. Again as a venue Croke Park is accessible and the staff are really helpful and switched on. Its the infrastructure around it which is the problem. You would swear that the whole renovation and refurbishment programme had been handed to a family of gypsy tarmacers.
Dropped kerbs looked to be recent additions either up or down just slung bits of tarmac to build an edge up. It was better than nothing, but then its meant to the 21st century, so maybe its not.
Dublins public transport system used to be called CIE which we thought was meant to stand for Confusion, Inefficiency and Exasperation. We didn’t use public transport, so have little idea of whether its viable. Some of the pavements are in poor shape, potholed, street furniture sticking out or just proving to be a barricade.
One of the main bugbears in getting around Dublin is people parking cars on the pavements. some them have got it down to a fine art. Just parking so theres just not enough room to get past on the inside. Theres no doubt Dublin has its European influences. When it has a sloping kerb it really has a sloping kerb.
One major terraced, dark stone, Georgian street had a a narrow pavement sloping towards a three kerb eight foot drop on to a very main road. We should have taken photos but were just glad to get off it and on our way.
Ah yes, architecture there’s lots of it. Buildings churches, galleries and museums. It’s all worth a look. Even after all this time I’ve still to get to St Patrick’s Cathedral there’s a load of British Irish regiment flags in the north transept. But there’s lots to see, the National Museum and the recently(ish) refurbished Kilmainhem Jail.
Gigs too. Disabled access and whatever is needed in the Croke Park venue itself is very relaxed and professional. Similarly in the 3arena. The only problem is it seems that Heineken is the readily available beer of choice. Still the venues, you couldn’t ask for better.
The only problem is the infrastructure around the ground itself.
The area around the 3Arena is undergoing what looks like constant and unremitting road works in the general area
Freshly filled potholes in the pavements and roads hastily chamfered kerbs it’s like for the moment they’re just coping so be aware. Like everywhere, what has become my mantra. Time spent in reconnaissance is never wasted.
We got around it all right.
Road crossings, traffic lights, crossings. Obey the rules, I don’t think jaywalking is illegal. I think the view is you shouldn’t need to be told that it’s wrong to step in front of fast moving traffic. I think the sheer speed of the traffic should give you a clue as to how advisable it is.
If like me you run around (sorry) without headphones in, the odd squeal of brakes and a solid thump should give you a clue. Colourful language too.
And bicycles, yes this a modern 21st century European city. It has bicycle lanes, which means wankers on bikes.
Irish wankers on bikes and such is the popularity of the place you get foreign wankers on bicycles too. You get kids on bmx. Bikes and things like that but they usually limit themselves to terrifying pedestrians..and driving into parked cars.
Main streets and touristy areas are usually fairly manageable
Outside Dublin
They have motorways, driving standards are usually fairly relaxed unlike Belfast an the North.
It may not be that easy to get around and there may not be a lot of accessible buildings, they like their steps and stairs.
Think about lights on whatever you re using white on the front and red on the back.
ironside Travel 