The Dublin Community Blog

The Sunday Tribune today reported that there are big cut backs on the way in CIE, the public company that runs Dublin Bus. As well as cut backs in train and national bus services the Tribune is reporting that around 100 buses will be removed from the Dublin Bus fleet resulting in reduced frequency and even withdrawal of services on some routes. Added to the reduced services will be an inflation busting 10% increase in fares.

The problem with public services in Ireland today is that the service part of the equation is being downgraded while the payment from the public always increases. We are going to have to pay more in fares while waiting longer to squash on to over crowded buses. The Green Party in government claims it wants to encourage people to use public transport yet it insists on making public transport more expensive and cutting back services at a time when they should be providing more transport options to more people both inside Dublin and around the country as a whole. Billions will be spent building a metro line and underground train station to serve thousands when they should be looking at options and solutions that provide viable public transport to millions.

I guess it’s back to the car for many people next year.

Gorgeous goods from Irish designer Orla Kiely are usually only available in the likes of Brown Thomas and cost hundreds of Euro. So I was impressed when I heard she had collaborated with Bewley’s to create a limited edition tea caddyfor just €6.99.
I picked it up on Bewley’s Grafton Street on my home last week and am well chuffed with it.

The Dubliner 100 Best Restaurants for 2009 is out and guess what, the top restaurant is one I can afford to eat in, or at least I could before it became the top restaurant. Jo’Burger in Rathmines. I’ve never eaten there, the queue outside always put us off and sent us down the road to Kafka, but everyone I know who has eaten there raves about it.

As a side story there appears to be a spin off from Jo’Burger called Jo’Banger on Baggot St. It’s just open during the work day, catering got the lunch market. Nice sausage wraps and great soups. Unfortunately it tends towards the expensive side for a lunch sandwich bar and there is a to-let sign up for the last few weeks.

It really doesn’t matter that we are 45 days before the Christmas – we already have Christmas lights! A plenty of people gathered yesterday on O’Connell Street. A lot of kids, some entertainment and,  finally, the Christmas Tree. The structure weights five tonnes and is composed of 100,000 bulbs of different sizes.

Dubliners, go to shopping! (actually, the Lady Mayor said that, not me)

For those of you who like the occasional bodyart – whether in metal or ink – you may visit this year’s Dublin Tattoo Convention, taking place in the Ballsbridge Inn in D4 over the weekend. Unfortunately the website is not very informative about the supporting programme (which is listed as “live music & DJ’s and also a full bar & restaurant”), but nevertheless the event features some well known tattoo artists from all over the world. Please note that this is an over-18′s event, so bring your ID’s.

I have been meaning as well to share a slideshow with you of all the recent demonstrations being held in Dublin against the Government’s mean Budget which hit all sorts of vulnerable people, people who for a multitude of reasons have already been struggling. Anyway here it is.

I WAS picking up some late night shopping late last week in St Stephen’s Green shopping centre when I stumbled across their 20th birthday celebrations involving a lazer light show. I can’t believe it is that long since it opened, I remember when it was all new and shiny.

Unfortunately their website doesn’t have any details of the birthday but I managed to grab a few snaps.

Vertigo

Originally uploaded by Paul O’ Connell

Found this shot courtesy of my brother on flickr. This is one of the most awesome shots I’ve ever seen of Dublin, because, who actually get’s to take a shot from the top of the Spire?! Dubliner Paul O’ Connell is the man who has been there!

I’ve actually been *under* the Spire before, back in the early days as the construction was being completed. There was a router and firewall installed to connect back to Germany I believe for the guys who monitor the sway of the Spire based on weather conditions etc. I always thought I had a pretty cool claim to fame, but that’s nothing compared to being on top of it!

Now that Halloween is over Christmas will rapidly arrive in Dublin. In fact according to todays Irish Times website a new high-tech Christmas tree will be erected on O’Connell St and the lighting ceremony will be November 9th.

A French-designed Christmas tree lighting up Dublin’s O’Connell Street this year will offer a beacon of hope amid the recession, it was claimed today.

The 60ft structure, which weights five tonnes and is composed of 100,000 bulbs of different sizes, will replace the traditional natural evergreen.

I didnt realise things had gotten so bad in Dublin that we now needed a “beacon of hope” but sure it sounds pretty and might make for a nice photograph.

Update: Anyone who wants to see what the “beacon of hope” will look like should check out the photograph (?) on BreakingNews.ie. This is more a ferrero rocher tree than a Christmas Tree.