sábado, 19 de febrero de 2011

Enjoying Dublin way of life from a Spanish point of view

1. INTRODUCTION

Dublin is a modern city plenty of foreigners. It is the heart of the Celtic Tiger. In just over a generation, Ireland has evolved from one of the poorest countries in Western Europe to one of the most successful. It has reversed the persistent emigration of its best and brightest and achieved an enviable reputation as a thriving, knowledge-driven economy. If you are planning to go, bear in mind next brief information based on my particular experience as a dummy Spaniard. Links with Spain may start in the common religion brought by Saint Patrick in year 432.



First of all, you will find a modern airport with a new second terminal. Flights from worldwide are landing often to Dublin, like a intercontinental hub. From Spain you have Aer Lingus and Ryanair, both Irish companies. Aer Lingus is more comfortable, you can recline your head and try to sleep. Ryanair at this moments is planning to sell stand up tickets in his flights… What a fuck!!! What will be the next? To be hanged in the wings? One good point about Ryanair is that the wings of his planes have a fold. I am sure it reduces the movement in case of turbulences, that i fear a lot.

Anyway, flying to Dublin from Europe or anywhere is very comfortable. I remember a flight New York-Dublin-Barcelona with Aer Lingus within one of the biggest Airbus I have never seen, with 3 ways of seats inside, TV, recent films and music in each seat. But dont fall in the error to drink a lot even one day ago before a flight otherwise hostess may stop the flight if they watch you illness and ready to vomite whenever... It was my experience as a dummy my firsts weeks in Dublin, since my Spanish liver was not used to the intensity of the Irish parties. But finnally all was a funny fright.



Once you are arriving to Dublin, you can glimpse a very well organized net landscape of houses from the sky, surrounded by green and green fields… Few smog can be found, but never hard low clouds that I fear when landing. From May to October you can find good temperatures, despite random quick rains. Personnally I prefer colder rather warmer, when work. Hence Dublin, in terms of weather, was for me a very good destination in my 8 months contract adventure. Out of that dates, you may find the city completely snowed.

Once you get the Aircoach and stop in the center, you can find that music is never too far away in Dublin. The streets are full of talented buskers and Grafton Street on a Saturday afternoon is virtually impassable for the crowds surrounding the young musicians. One of the most attractive features of Dublin nightlife is the music and singing pubs. I really found Dublin such a place of great cultural and historical interest.

People in Ireland is extremely respectuos and charming with foreigners. They are open and handsome. In my personal experience, returning every weekend to my home in Barcelona, i felt to belong to a multicultural family instead a project team. People from different countries and continents join there in a perfect matching work environment without any slightly trace of racism. Sadly from other parts of Europe (included Spain) i cannot say the same.


2. LANGUAGE

Their own language, the Irish (Gaeilge), is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language only by a small minority of the Irish population, and as a second language by a larger minority. For that reason English was the common work language in the full project. Despite unique language it was quite difficult for me at the beginning to understand the different accents from indians, irish, english, dennish,etc. And i noticed the same between theirselves. My thought is: if it is hard to understand a same language...what will be for the humans beings to have 1 languange every milion inhabitants???

Minority languages should be protected and promoted, but without being a entry barrier for tallented people that will aid to develop economically the country. Irish it is widely considered to be an important part of the island's culture and heritage. It enjoys constitutional status as the national and first official language of the Republic of Ireland. It is also an official language of the European Union and an officially recognised minority language in Northern Ireland.

In Catalonia we have the Catalan cooficial with Spanish, and in Ireland the Gaelige cooficial with English. I found some differences between Catalan and Gaelige. It seems that Irish have adopted the English like common work and relationship language (at least with foreigners), i dont believe that Facebook and Google Europe Headquarters had been settled there if any hard linguistic politics would have been adopted. Ireland smartly has put in second term the language factor leaving in first term the economic growing. Sadly it is not the case of my land, Catalonia. When the more economic crisis, they strenght the nationalism and linguistic politic against Spain, provoking a falling of the commercial balance with the other spanish regions, our only beneficious market at the moment. Worst is to say that in my land some managers of Catalan ownership companies consider spanish-speaking people like second class citizens, and try to reeducate them to learn a manipulated and unreal Catalan history.


3. COUP D'OEIL AT HISTORY

As the birthplace of Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and many other renowned writers, Dublin often featured in their books. However no city has been more criticised by her writers. Jonathan Swift felt himself "dropped in wretched Dublin" and George Bernard Shaw complained of "a certain flippant, futile derision and belittlement peculiar to Dublin". It was called "the blind and ignorant town" by W.B. Yeats, and James Joyce seems to have agreed. Yet, despite all the abuse, number of truly great writers became part of Dublin's heritage.

Basically the Irish have suffered a lot during centuries: poverty, famines caused by potato blights, and continuos wars among catholic-protestants-nationalist-unionist-irish-english combinations. The first and second one factor provoked among huge emigration to USA (in terms of millions of inhabitants). They suffered a big independence war agains England and later a civil war after signing a Treaty with English that implied peace but having splitted the country in Southern and Northern Ireland, with lot of selfcompetences.

The most relevant actors in Ireland history were the pacifist O’Connell (campaigning for Catholic Emancipation—the right for Catholics to sit in the Westminster Parliament), the ruthless Cromwell (leading the re-conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament,during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms), Parnell (an Irish Anglican landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party), Edmon de Ara (opposited to the Treaty), Michael Collins (favorable to the Treaty) among others.



The catholics have been reprimed during centuries by English Protestan minority under King of England, that considered the pope followers like something foreigner that should be removed from United Kingdom. Traditional alliances were forged between Catholic Spanish-Irish against Protestant England-Holland, the mindless religious wars. Mindless since both religions prays no to kill the other, but really they didn’t take into account. Futhermore lot of times peoples had changed the side depending upon the place they sayed during the wars, then religious factor was circumstantial.



As a self nation, the independence of Ireland, in my opinion, has been a question of subsistence: manage self resources or die. You cannot expect being helped from cities far away beyond sea. But nothing justify wars and assassinations. But relationship with England have not been always bad: have given as well lot of development: like Trinity College founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth, economic development and trading, great streets, parks and buildings including Dublin Castle (the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland), etc. Nowadays Ireland remains divided in two different countries since north Ireland, Ulster, historically remainded loyal to England, and the rest Catholic and independent, despite there is Catholics and Protestants anywhere.



That splitting of same island is such senseless that you should change your phone rates and coberture, and change the coin (from Euro to Coin) when passing the frontier. It could be benefitial for both countries (Ireland and England), to achieve a sort of unique economic market, common language English with Gaelic cooficial in whole Ireland (that it is in fact),each one managing each own resources, but being splitted the people identity and history, protecting Gaelic as cooficial language (like Catalan in Catalonia, but without fees against Spanish using) and both within European Union. It will be a very nice day for all the countries when the English Ambassy in Dublin may not need to be a garrison.


4. RESEMBLANCE WITH SPAIN POLITICS

In my opinion it takes a far resemblance with Spain and Catalonia, since we have had a more interrelated and common growing history since times of Reconquest against muslim in Middle Ages or, far beyond, creation of Marca Hispanica by Charlemagne in 795 (as a defensive barrier between the Umayyad Moors of Al-Andalus and the Frankish Kingdom), the primigencial Spain country, beginning in 50% of territory for regions of the future Catalonia. Another great difference with Irish case it is owe that we never had wars among Catalonia and rest of Spain, only from followers to one or another king of Spain, civil war between left and right-wingers, poors and richs. Catalonia have been large time the economic power of Spain, and the benefits of the union (for example in terms of trading, or selfdefence against other countries) have been greater than splitting, furthermore due to the inexistence of natural barriers (like mountains or sea).



Currently for Catalonia the Spanish is the unique market that gives benefits, since trading with UE is deficitarian. In my opinion, all regions in Spain should manage their own resources, avoiding duplicity of competences, given a predefined solidarity tax (5-10%) for interregion investments and solidarity development, maintaining the unique economic market, not the current 12 taifa kingdoms that provokes laking of competitivity to all companies, and real cooficiality of languages (not imposing Catalan and feeing the companies that uses Spanish).


5. SIGHTSEEING DUBLIN IN DEPTH

RECOMMENDED PLACES

Stephen Green park. You can deeply breath and open your lungs there. Lay down on green whilst reading. Or simply to gaze at lovely landscape. Beside you will fin Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, centrally located in the heart of the most prestigious shopping area of Dublin City. It is surrounded by history buzzing youthful energy. With over 100 outlets under our roof a visit is a must for any visitor to the Dublin’s City Centre. There is where Grafton Street begins.

Grafton Street. It's the commercial heart of Dublin. It is positioned between Trinity College on the north end and St Stephen's Green on the south end, and it is the upmarket shopping area of Dublin.




Merrion Square. It is a Georgian square on the southside of Dublin city centre. It was laid out after 1762 and was largely complete by the beginning of the 19th century. It was my first visited place when i arrived to Dublin as a IT contractor. There is where i discovered the extremely beauty and perfection of all the Georgian style whereby all the townhouses nearby have been constructed. Better to watch yourelf rather to explain. It is considered one of the city's finest surviving squares. Three sides are lined with Georgian redbrick townhouses; the West side abuts the grounds of Leinster House (seat of the Oireachtas), Government Buildings, the Natural History Museum and the National Gallery. The central railed-off garden is now a public park.

Phoenix park. The Phoenix Park have 707 hectares (1752 acres) is one of the largest enclosed recreational spaces within any European capital city. The Phoenix Park was established in 1662 by one of Ireland’s most illustrious viceroys, James Butler, Duke of Ormond, on behalf of King Charles II. About 30% of the Phoenix Park is covered by trees, which are mainly broadleaf parkland species such as oak, ash, lime, beech, sycamore and horsechestnut. A more ornamental selection of trees is grown in the various enclosures. A herd of Fallow Deer has lived in the Park since the 1660's when they were introduced by the Duke of Ormond. The Phoenix Park is a sanctuary for many mammals and birds and a wide range of wildlife habitats are to be found in the park.



O’Conell Street. It is Dublin's main thoroughfare. One of Europe's widest streets. Known as 'Sackville Street' until 1924, Dublin Corporation renamed it in honour of Daniel O'Connell, a nationalist leader of the early nineteenth century whose statue stands at the lower end of the street, facing O'Connell Bridge. Situated just north of the River Liffey. The street's layout is simple but elegant and not dissimilar to Paris's Champs-Élysées.

Guinness storehouse Ireland's number one visitor attraction, providing an unforgettable welcome and a magical journey deep into the heart of the world famous Guinness brand and company. This historical building is central to Dublin's and Ireland's heritage, and has been continually updated to create a blend of fascinating industrial tradition with a contemporary edge. The seven floors bring to life the rich heritage of Guinness, telling the story from its origins here at St. James's Gate in Dublin to its growth as a global brand, known all around the world. Dont forget to visit the atrium and to pour yourself a deliciuos paint whilst watching the marvelous landscape.



The old Jameson destillery. Set in the heart of Ireland’s thriving capital city, Dublin, The Old Jameson Distillery captures the imagination and the spirit of Ireland. Their expert guides lead you through the fascinating story of Jameson, one of the world’s preferred quality whiskey (for myself with permission of Jack Daniels and Cardhu). There you can follow the path through malting, milling, mashing, fermenting, distilling and maturing. The journey is completed with a visit to the bar where you can enjoy the ultimate whiskey tasting experience.

Trinity College. Formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", and is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin. It is Ireland's oldest university. The college proper occupies 190,000 m2, with many of its buildings ranged around large quadrangles (known as 'squares') and two playing fields. Don't forget to visit the library. If you have seen Harry Potter sixtology, you will find it familiar. Guess...



Dublin Castle. It was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland. The Castle served as the seat of English, then later British government of Ireland under the Lordship of Ireland (1171–1541), the Kingdom of Ireland (1541–1800), and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1800–1922). Upon establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, the complex was ceremonially handed over to the newly formed Provisional Government led by Michael Collins.




Ancient Dublin. It scopes Christ Church Cathedral, St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral,St Patrick's Cathedral Dublin among others.



RESTAURANTS:

Little Caesar. In Harcourt Street. Typical to go during the week when you
dont know where to go. Pizza, good red wine in a warm and cosy environment. Don't forget to ask "early bird" menu always, common in Ireland, to dinner before 19:00, it is costless than dinner later.

Mao. Typical Chinese food, very healthy, with vegetables. Cheap.

Damdelion. Often they do 2 per 1 offer in meal prize. Don't forget dessert "death by chocolate". Live music and pub beside. Huge and very busy. You will find a typical all-in-one leisure center: restaurant-pub-night club.

El Bahia. Funny for me since they mix Marroqui and Sevillanas as it was same culture.
Excellent marroqui food whilst seeing a Flamenco dancing.


QUAY 16 It is an amazing floating restaurant on the Liffey, with a pub on the upper side. It is perfect to go with your wife or as well with the work team. I was delighted to taste the lobster with white wine in a funny meal with the IBM collegues. Menus offer clean modern European food with fresh local ingredients. If you like fish and quietness, watching the rivers waves in moonlight, you will find here.


Gymnasium:

Fitness Dock great machines, cheap and modern facilities, in Camdem Street. It was my prefered to workout during the week. They have as well protein shakes to increase and maintain your recently acquired muscle mass after a exhausted pumping iron session.

Raw Condition: They have a diversity of machines and it is cheap. Good option to alternate with Fitness Dock if you miss any particular weight machine, like calves press.


HOTELS:

Camdem Court Hotel: with swimming pools and spa at cheap prize. Free wifi as well.

Lesson Street apartments: for long term lodging they have a very good prizes. Self apartments with bathroom. And you can find in the same building a discotheque (night club in Dublin, that is not the same that night clubs in Spain haha) and a nice restaurant.



6. OUTSIDE DUBLIN CENTER

Howth

This kind of landscape fascinate me. Cliffs, harbours, seals, seafood, cold, windy and live nature. That's opposite to sun, beach, hot and people being tosted getting the UV rays that we used to have in Barcelona and Costa Dorada. And the opposite pols attract. In fact, Howth (rhymes with both) is a fishing and yachting port, and popular suburban resort on the north side of Howth Head, 15km north-east of the city centre. Its attractions are easily appreciated, particularly at the coast.

Howth Head gives fine views of Dublin Bay and the Wicklow Mountains or Boyne Valley beyond. In the bay is the rocky bird sanctuary and monastic island of Ireland's, to which boat trips may be taken in summer. Cliff paths lead around the coastline, through Howth village and its ruined abbey, and past Baily Lighthouse. The 15th-century Howth Castle is inland, partly ruinous, but with fine rhododendron gardens. A small, but impressive, transport museum can be visited near the DART railway station, featuring Howth's famous open-topped tram. Howth's pubs, hotels and fish restaurants make it a pleasant outing from Dublin



Wicklow

County Wicklow is less than one hour south of Dublin city centre, with commuter links by rail, bus and motorway. Known as 'The Garden of Ireland', County Wicklow is one of Ireland's true scenic treasures with its magnificent hills and mountains, long sandy beaches, rivers and lakes. It is the perfect holiday destination, suitable either for a family holiday or a short, romantic weekend break. I was completely delighted to breath its pure air and see the idyllic flowered lands.



Imagine landscape of films like Braveheart, Highlander or Excalibur. Lots of green, scarcely trees, cold water and awesome lakes. Breathing pure oxigen, not the pollution smog of Barcelona or Madrid. Think in that and you will find Wicklow.



7. WEATHER CONSIDERATIONS. BEARING THE WINTER

I enjoyed the best weather from April till October. Sunny, sometimes quick rains, comfortable to work without sweating if you are worried about hot southern Europe temperatures. I am really willing to work those months in Ireland or UK, and the rest of the year in Barcelona, it would be the perfect weather matching for myself.



But from November onwards things changes a lot. Winter is strong. You can never forecast what the weather is going to be like in the whole country. The meteorologists have one of the toughest jobs in the world: unpredictable + varying levels of blandness = difficult weather forecasts. When snows, snows truly. It is quite difficult to walk through the street withoout falling down. You need to be very well aconditionated. It is hardly and hazardous walking in the street. Normally people walk with boats and exchange with smart shoes once arrived at the work office.
Try to adapt yourself for a new leisure timetable: improvise upon the weather.


8. ENJOYING THE NIGHT LIFE

The best nigh life in Dublin, in my opinion, is focused in Harcourt Street and its intersection with Grafton Street and Stephen's Green park, in a circle of 500 meters. That is not as well known as the whole Temple Bar zone, that is more touristic and also recommended.

There is parties every day, from Monday till Sunday. It is due to the big number of students from abroad that come to Dublin to learn the keen English and daily put in practice in the stylish furnished and voguish pubs. In Dublin a typical party day timetable is work till 17:00 -restaurant till 20:00- pub till 22:00 -night club till 03:00 and drunkness till two days after.

Lots of hotels and apartment buildings have night clubs underneath. Do not confuse with the night clubs in Spain, that means a completely different thing (do you understand??). In Ireland a night club is the same as a discotheque in Spain. Furthermore lots of them are reaconditionated to be restaurants and give breakfasts during day: it is a nice completelly effectiveness that should be imported to Spain in my opinion. The recommendation if you are in business trip and you hear loudly sound from below that prevent you to sleep... then get tomorrow a place outside the city center or simply to give up and join the party :)



Nightclubs in Dublin usually open at around 10pm, close at 3am and usually stop serving at 2:30am. Admission prices range from €5 to €15. Drink prices are usually more inflated than in bars and for a pint of lager vary from €5 to €6. Dress code on the door depends on which club your trying, but usually there are no sneakers allowed. It is necessary to bring ID if you look a little young and don't arrive in huge groups, as they are often refused. People usually are very drunk inside nightclubs, sometimes falling down and being sick as well in middle of street. As spaniard i wasn't used to that kind of behaviour without having complaints of people nearby. It was something that scared me. But my friends told me that is common in north Europe and whilst they are not violents the bouncers ignore them.




My recommendations:


Tripod: Situated at the top of Harcourt St in the city-centre, this is probably Dublins largest (1300 capacity in 3 floors) and best-known nightclub. Also includes Crawdaddy, The Chocolate Bar and the Workmans Club in the same premises. Music varies by the night and which venue, and acts as a medium sized venue for international acts visiting Dublin.

Cooper Face Jacks: crazy, boogie and fun. It is one of the referent night places in Dublin. I didn’t know what the people could drink so, but an English friend of mine told me that they are worst (called friendly Drunkglish ). Nice Dance music, two floors. Situated on Harcourt St in the city-centre, this is a large and popular club which is reknowned for being busy every night of the week. All kinds of pop / rock / dance played throughout the night. If the alcohol affects to you, don't hesitate to escape from a few minutes and take a frankfurt 200 meters nearby, in the intersection with Stephen Green, in order to recover forces to return to the party :)

Temple Bar. Some of Dublin's best night spots, restaurants and unusual shops line these narrow, cobbled streets running between the Bank of Ireland and Christ Church Cathedral. It's still an exciting, atmospheric and essentially very young place. It names the whole square but as well there is a pub called Temple Bar at the corner of the square.



9. RECOMMENDED SOURCES AND LINKS

If you speak Spanish and don't know anything about English, don't worry. I recommend the agency: Dublín en español
They schedule very nice travels throughout Ireland in a spanish-speaking environment. I have pending to return and visit awesome Giant's Causeway and Norhtern Ireland.



I utterly recommend "A History of Ireland in 250 episodes" of Jonathan Bardon. It will give you a thorough and exhaustive envisage of full Ireland history from Mesolithic till current ages. I recommend straightforward that book that you can find it easily on airport. You will have a sightseeing of the most relevant events in the whole history of Ireland, since its origin in prehistory, developing Celtic culture, the blights, emigration, wars against their neighborhoods, mytical historical figures, till current ages with creation of Sinn Fein and the current peaceful and high speed economic grown times. It was one of my favourite leisures when spending the time within Barcelona/Girona/Reus and Dublin airports waiting delayed flights, whilst tasting soft and relaxing Bulmer, a well known local Cider drink with apple flavour. I always have considered that huge volume of history is better assimilated with a little bit of alcohol in the blood.

Finally i hope that "Tá súil agam go mbainfidh tú taitneamh as Éirinn"



http://www.dublintourist.com/

http://www.visitdublin.com/

http://www.voyadublin.com/

http://www.irlandaenred.com/

http://www.let.ie/

http://www.daft.ie/

http://www.gumtree.ie/

http://www.staydublin.com/

http://www.dublinuncovered.net/history.html

http://www.chaptersofdublin.com/

http://dublin.cervantes.es/

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2006/06/how-ireland-became-the-celtic-tiger%3Ca%20href

http://www.libraryireland.com/

http://www.visitwicklow.ie/