Dublin is Ireland’s capital city and a hub for tourists, both national and international, to come and visit. Despite this, there are several bitter truths about Dublin, not hidden far from the surface.
While you may associate Dublin with Guinness, good laughs and a warm welcome, there are more than enough disadvantages shrouding our wonderful capital than we would like to admit.
Between expensive everything, lack of cultural spaces and high crime rates, Dublin isn’t all sunshine and daisies. Here are ten unpopular facts about the city that may make you look at the city without your rose-tinted glasses.
10. Housing is expensive – affordability is out the window
It’s no secret that renting a home in the Irish capital is difficult, especially if you’re looking for something that is even remotely value for money.
Between kitchens with a bed in the corner advertised as ‘studios’ and sharing a box room with two strangers, extremely high rental prices are one of the bitter truths of Dublin.
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9. Housing shortage – the accommodation crisis is in full swing in the capital
To make things worse, it’s not even just the price of houses that’s stopping people from renting – it’s the complete lack of available housing in general.
In March, Taoiseach Leo Vardakar said that the country was in deficit of 250,000 homes, making the prospect of moving within the capital entirely unappealing.
8. Cost of living – gone are the days of pints under a fiver
While the cost of living crisis has been affecting counties across Ireland, it particularly stings in a place that has always been expensive.
From groceries to recreational activities, it’s difficult to get bang for your buck in Dublin. These days if ordering a pint in the likes of Temple Bar, you’re lucky to get back change from a tenner, nevermind a fiver.
READ: Ireland named most expensive EU country for cost of living
7. Homelessness rates increasing – a knock-on effect of the housing shortage
Dublin has long been known for its high levels of homelessness. However, this appears to be on the rise.
In February, the Department of Housing published a report saying that homelessness had risen by 31% since January 2022, with 8,523 people in emergency accommodation in the capital.
It’s disheartening to see a country with a reputation for being the ‘land of a thousand welcomes’ having so many people living on the streets.
6. Illegal drug use – the most incidents of drug use in the country
One of the bitter truths of Dublin is its long history of drug misuse. Documented in podcasts such as ‘The Milkman’, the illegal drug trade is very much alive in Dublin.
Despite organisations like the Ana Liffey Drug Project that try to work with those misusing drugs, it still remains a problem in the city today.
5. Crime – keep a close eye on your stuff
Despite Limerick consistently topping out as the city with the highest crime rate in Ireland, Dublin is not far off.
As it’s a more touristy destination, pickpockets can be rife in the city centre. It’s one of the bitter truths of Dublin – keep your possessions close!
4. Mass emigration – young people leaving to find opportunities elsewhere
As it is the capital city, you’d expect people to flock to Dublin to get a taste of city life. However, the reality seems to be the opposite.
With high rates of emigration both from Dublin and elsewhere in the country, it seems the lack of opportunities in the capital is turning young people away from giving the Big Smoke a chance.
2. Dirty streets – someone get Tidy Towns in here
It seems the streets in Dublin are getting steadily more and more filthy as the months go on.
Between large dirty stains on the footpaths, rubbish piling up, and grubby shop fronts, while it’s our capital city, we can’t deny that it often needs some sprucing up if we want it to be representative of Ireland as a whole.
1. Lack of culture – more hotels and less art
One of the final bitter truths of Dublin is the apparent lack of concern by the government in installing hotels where cultural landmarks once lay.
Sparked by the closure of the Bernard Shaw in 2019, it seems that now every street you turn onto is lined by Travelodge’s and Holiday Inns, rather than authentic hubs of arts and culture that Dublin was once known and loved for.
