CITY POWER RANKINGS - DUBLIN, IRELAND

CITY POWER RANKINGS: DUBLIN, IRELAND

Liveability: 1/10
The capital city kind of blows. There is nothing exciting there, at all. The city looks nice and is well-kept. The sidewalks are wide and the climate is awesome (cold, wet climate) and green is everywhere. My dad emailed me with his excitement that I'll be going there, "The people there are very nice. Also, they have the Irish Sprint soap." Not sure how the latter holds true, but I can't make it anymore obvious how unimpressed I was with the city. Due to the economic success the country has experienced over the past few years, things are expensive! I'd say somewhere between Amsterdam and London. You cannot eat a good, healthy meal for less than $13 EUROS. You cannot get a healthy salad, anywhere. And the bad food tastes bad. I don't get it! I would never live here (but I'd live in Limerick).

And for such a drinking culture, I was very letdown...

Nightlife: 2/10
Dublin really only has one central area to go drinking at, Temple Bar. It's a mishmash of locals and tourists; and there are really about 10 pubs in that area that are on and popping. Things close down at 2:30AM on the weekends, and 11:30PM on the weekdays. The pints are expensive and the Jack Daniels is cheaper than the Jameson; i just don't get it. You can't drink on the streets, either; which baffles me how Ireland is known for a country of drinking, yet it is so heavily regulated. Religious reasons, right? Dublin is a strong, strong pub culture and it seems like there is nothing else to do but go to pubs. True pub culture, and very identical to same stuff you'd see at any Irish pub. People just get absolutely shit-faced, overweight women of all ages would walk down the areas in groups, scratch that, herds, with cheap plastic boas and dildos (no exaggeration) and start dancing all sexy to Top 40s songs (why'd I have to hear Jimmy Buffet, lord?). I mean, songs where Casey Kasem or Rick Dees are the only source. No real lounges, or dive bars, or anything. I asked a handful of Dublin youth for below the radar bars or certain underground gathering places and they couldn't name a place...

Culture: 2/10
I thought Dublin would have a big punk scene. I also saw posters for some pretty decent hip hop (Madlib, J Rocc) acts; so if there's a market for them here I'll give the city the benefit of the doubt. But other than that, there is no counter culture, no teenage rebellion. The university's art gallery was the equivalent of watching a dog go poop.

People: 5.5/10
The people of Ireland are their key asset. Just all good people; I'm not going to say any further. In my opinion, the Irish accent is the most charming (American too sloppy, English too stuck-up and boring, Aussie too nasal-y, Kiwi too indecipherable). I had to give this one a 6 because attractive women just aren't there. I'm sorry, but you go into a pub and the girls are like Frat Boys, but not just Frat Boys, the fat, Frat Boys that binge drinks and acts foolish because he has something to prove. Super down to earth and good people, but you know your mental only makes up half of you..and to prove that I'm picky and that personality does count more, I threw in that .5. Most of the the attractive women here are Polish (which happen to be very beautiful), what a slap in the face.

Just in general...(Killarney, Cork, Dingle, Limerick, Dublin)
PROS
Good people. Food in villages is really good. Beautiful scenery. U2's Joshua Tree album. The Ring of Kerry. Guinness.

CONS
Expensive. It'd be a constant, aggressive image if you're red-green colorblind. Big mountain mamas. Drinking there sucks. Nothing underground. Sinead O' Connor. The fish n chips here, suck!!!