I went via Dublin when travelling to see my family in Cork. I have lots of fond memories of this city and it would take a whole novel to recall all of them. It is simpler to say that I have always loved this city, in varying degrees, and I always enjoy visiting it, again in varying degrees. This time it was a lesser degree, literally, an unseasonably cold and wet Dublin, in a city that is famous for being cold and wet. It dampened my mood (again, literally) but I still had a chance to wander around the city and visit auld haunts. I took plenty of photos, which I plan to use for a video at some point soon. Unlike recent trips to London and Berlin, I felt lots of Dublin still retained some familiarity. I think this may be due to the pubs having names that have existed, in some cases, for centuries. The Bleeding Horse, the Brazen Head, the Cobblestone.
I took the opportunity to wander around some of the parts that I didn’t often visit when I lived there. I saw more of the Georgian Quarters and some of the docklands (which have changed considerably). In general, although I love the city, I don’t think I would want to live there again. It’s still expensive and I’d struggle to maintain the lifestyle we have in the UK if living in Dublin, especially in terms of living space.
But lately I have been thinking about Dublin a bit more than usual. I recently read Ulysses, which was interesting. Not an easy read, but inspiring in some ways. I certainly enjoyed the elements that I could locate mentally in the city. I think I have also been going through a process of reflection, and I miss the sense of creative community that I enjoyed in Dublin. I have struggled to experience that since back in the UK. The closest was the Spotted Dog in Birmingham, itself an enclave of Irishness. What is it about the city that I find creatively stimulating? Yes, there is the mix of independent bars, live music, and cultural heritage. There is also a sense that culture is important and valuable to the country as a whole, which isn’t the same in the UK. Perhaps it is because I studied my MA course there and I made fast friends with a group of people, some of whom I continue to spar with conversationally. Had I have studied in a different city, I would probably find that place creatively stimulating too. I think I also enjoy the multiculturalism of the city (which I did enjoy in Birmingham, but really miss in Bournemouth).
Yet there are signs of things that worry me a little. I was disappointed to see a Wetherspoon’s had opened opposite the Bleeding Horse. Why would a Brexiteer like Tim Martin want to open a pub in Europe?! I was also concerned by the stories in the news about immigrants being made to feel unwelcome, although I saw no evidence of it myself. These things don’t chime with what I think of when I think of Dublin. But it is easy for me to pass comment on a city and a country that I don’t live in, so I’ll shut up, and just enjoy the wandering around.
