Dublin Local Custom Tips by orlikins

Smirting & The Smoking Ban General Information about Dublin Review

Smirting is a combination of the words smoking + flirting, geddit? It started when people had to go out for a ciggie after the ban was enforced, and got chatting to fellow smokers outside on the street, eyes meeting across a cloud of blue nicotine... ;) So you may just meet a local hottie in this way!!

REMEMBER - Since March 2004, you CANNOT smoke inside bars, cafes or restaurants, or anywhere where people are working (e.g. taxis, offices etc.)
The legislation is officially known as the Public Health (Tobacco) Act, see link to it below for a summary.

You may smoke in outside in the street or in designated smoking areas, but never inside a place where people are working (includes offices, bars, restaurants, shops, shopping centres, taxis, etc)

Annual St. Patrick's Parade St. Patrick's Day Parade Review

OK, I will have to confess my bias here as I don't particulary enjoy the post-parade part of the day where you see people throwing up, urinating, throwing rubbish, fighting, or staggering around on the streets. It really shows Ireland in a bad light. I certainly don't think tourists come here to see things like that!

St. Patrick's Day (DON'T EVER CALL IT ST. PAT OR PATTY'S, people will automatically think you're some kind of dumb clichéd American tourist, we never call it that here) just means a day off work for us. There is nothing more to March 17th than that any more, I think the religious aspect is more or less gone from the day now. When I was a kid, St. Patrick's day meant going to Mass, a day off Lent & school, wearing a shamrock, speaking a few words of Gaelic. The St. Patrick's Festival only started in 1995 to capitalise on tourism, so don't be under any illusions that it is some great Irish tradition - it certainly is not. The parade is NOT a genuine Irish tradition, the first St Patrick's parade actually took place in the USA.

We don't send St. Patrick's Day cards in Ireland, that's probably a Hallmark thing ;) The parade itself is an American import, you'll find the Irish are outnumbered by the tourists at the parade.

If you want to see the parade in Dublin, do this. Book your accomodation a couple of months in advance, be prepared to take accomodation in the suburbs if necessary, it will be cheaper. On the day, GET TO THE TOWN CENTRE EARLY!!!!!!!!! The crowds will be at least 6 lines deep at certain parts of the route so unless you're tall or happen to be staying in a hotel along the route where you can look down on the parade, you're just not going to see anything. Wrap up well, it can be bloody cold.

I think the parade is better on TV anyway so you can admire some of the floats properly. I'm only 5'2", so there is no point in freezing my a$$ off for nothing at the parade ;-)
http://www.ireland.com/events/st.patricks/features/article9.html

Website: http://www.stpatricksday.ie/cms/index.html

The 40 foot dive

This is a long-standing Dublin tradition, where on New Year's Day, Dubliners go down to The 40-foot on the coast and dive in! Usually any money raised from doing this is given to charity but I guess a lot of people do it so they can get lots of hot whiskey from the organisers after the dive! :)

Website: http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1999/12/20/opinionpage_8.htm

An bhfuil Gaeilge agat? Irish language Review

Every 2nd Thursday in the Castle Inn, Christchurch, you can attend an all-Irish evening. It's run by Club Sult, €5 entry.
I was there recently and had a good time and will probably go again.

For a tourist, it would be worth going to Club Sult listen to irish music, but you might feel a bit left out of things if you dont have some Irish & dont get whats going on.

You dont need to speak Irish around Dublin btw!

Website: http://www.clubsult.com/

Jackeen Langer General Information about Dublin Review

True Blue Dubs are called 'Jackeens' by everyone else outside Dublin. Well Dubs call us Culchies, so we're not taking that lying down!
Cork people often call them Jackeen Langers...it's not a compliment ;-)

Northside versus Southside General Information about Dublin Review

There is a bit of 'rivalry' between the North Side and the South Side of Dublin. It's not as serious as it sounds and stereotypical in nature. Let me explain the cliche. The river Liffey marks the 'border'.
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North side - Not as affluent as the Southside or as touristy. Working to lower middle class image, the rougher part of town. However, as is usual with this kind of stereotyping - there are of course really nice suburbs in North Dublin, but the lingering image from Roddy Doyle's books of a Northside where everyone gets mugged, knocked up, stoned or whatever are still around.
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South side - inhabitants are more bourgeois, prentious, posher and have a rather affected accent. For example a Northsider would say 'I'm getting de Daaart home', his Southside counterpart would say 'Oim getting the DORT' . I guess you need to hear it for yourself.
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(yes, boys & girls, you may have noticed I do live on the Northside!)

Free cultural event paper General Information about Dublin Review

All around Dublin, you can pick up this free paper called "The Dublin Event Guide" with lots of great interviews, reviews and pub/club/restaurant/theatre/cinema/arts listings. So I'd advise you to check this paper out or check their website if you're looking for some nocturnal action

Website: http://www.eventguide.ie