The Dublin Community Blog

As I blogged about before, my wallet was stolen a couple weeks ago.  Discovering my wallet gone started a whole series of events that mostly involved me not having access to my money.  First, I called my bank at home.  They told me that I would have the replacement card the following Tuesday (2 business days from when I reported it stolen).  Well, a week later and I still didn’t have my card.  So, I called the bank again and it hadn’t been ordered!  I complained a bit and the person I talked to put it in super fast UPS delivery and I got it the following Wednesday (Monday had been a bank holiday and I had been at work when they tried to deliver it on the Tuesday).

During this time, I still had not gotten my Irish laser card replaced.  When I called initially, I was told that it would be 5 business days to get the new card and pin.  On the third business day, I received my pin.  After 6 business days, I hadn’t gotten my card yet.  So I rang Permanent TSB and asked about it.  They said that it could take up to 7 business days!  I told them that I had gotten my pin already and they then informed me that it takes 2-3 days just to make the Laser card!  So, when I still hadn’t gotten my card as of Thursday (12 calendar days after I reported it stolen), I rang again.  The person that I talked to also said that it can take 2-3 days to make the card and then didn’t know how long the postal service would take and that it may be slowed down due to a small postal strike.  I explained that I had actually been getting my other mail.  I then asked them why it took so long and how come my bank at home could get me a card in 4 days including a bank holiday.  The person reminded me that I wasn’t at home!  The person then decided that maybe my card had gotten sent to branch.  He then checked and yes, it had been sent to the branch but he had no way of knowing if it was actually there!  I then rang the bank and they had had my card at least 2 days before mailing out that they had my card.  Well, at least that is what the person estimated because there was no date stamping or marking in anyway of when my card arrived at the bank!

This whole experience was so frustrating.  I didn’t have full access to my money and when saying this to the bank reps, their response was that I could go to the bank.  But I work.  I had to take time off of work to go to the bank.  Why does it take so long here in Ireland to print and mail a card.  Why can’t things be delivered faster, especially after someone has just had their wallet stolen?  If I wasn’t already leaving the country, I would certainly be changing banks, not that any other Irish bank would be better…

Yesterday, I hurried off the bus on O’Connell Street and headed to a jewelry store on Henry Street.  I stopped in to look at a wedding band.  After about 15 minutes, I left and was going to head to Design Yard to order my fiance’s wedding ring.  I reached back to open the front pocket of my backpack and it was already open!  I dug around in the pocket and my wallet was missing!  I went straight back to the jewelry store and asked them if they had noticed if my backpack was open.  One of the sales assistants did notice that it was open while I was in the store.  Ugh.  I then walked up and down O’Connell Street because I thought that there was a Garda station there to report the theft.  I saw a Garda and asked and he directed me to a station.

As I walked to the police station, John canceled one card and texted me the number for the other bank.  After waiting at the police station, an officer then took my details and offered to send out a letter if I needed it to help get my ID replaced.  She was very nice and reminded me that wallets are generally not found.  I then went home and convinced John to get me money so I could still have my massage.

Today, I was out looking at new wallets and I got a phone call.  It was the Garda calling to say that my wallet had been turned in and all my ID was still in it!!  I then went to the station and collected my wallet.  They had taken the money, my Dublin bus tickets, the taxi voucher I need for work on Monday, my stamps to mail things out of Ireland, and my prescriptions!  All ID was left in the wallet and it was apparent that whoever took it went through the wallet carefully.

So, be very careful of your bags.  I didn’t feel anyone bump me or anything but I will now start carrying my wallet closer to me!

This year, I will actually be away for Paddy’s Day but wanted to share things that I have learned from previous Paddy’s Days experiences:

• If going to the parade, I would suggest getting there about two hours before it starts if you don’t want to be trying to see around lots of people.  Take some warm beverage with you as well since it gets cold standing around for two hours.   If you are standing near the barricades for the parade, children and  adults will try to push their way in so they can see better.
• Dress in layers.  The weather is every changing here in Dublin.  You need the warmth when outside, but not inside. 
• Bring rain and sun gear.  You’ll probably need both.
• Face painting, dressing in all green, or other forms of costumes makes it more likely that your picture will be taken many times, maybe even published on a blog. 
• After watching the parade, duck into an out of the way little cafe for lunch.  Most places along the parade line will be packed but if you go off the parade line, you can frequently find a little place to eat. Or just go to the pub (also probably very busy) and get lunch there.
• Go to the pub!!!!  Our first Paddy’s Day, we ended up at Cafe En Sein because it is a nicer place and wasn’t packed full of people.  We were rewarded with a Ceili band.
• A lot of places will have traditional music during Paddy’s Day weekend.  Check them out.  Just duck into a pub or two to feel the atmosphere and then move onto another if you don’t like the one you’re in (Dublin has enough pubs that you are sure to find one you like)
• Just wander around and see what you see.  Many of the windows in Temple Bar are decorated for the Six Nations and Paddy’s Day.  Have a wander around and you just may learn something while being entertained. 

Other people have posted about the official events.  I would highly recommend the Ceili Mor in Earlsfort Terrace.  It was fun last year to see people jumping around and dancing to the songs, even if you don’t know how to dance, it is still good fun!

The Ball of Enchantment is a black tie event in aid of St. Michael’s House. St. Michael’s House was founded in 1955 by parents and is now Ireland’s largest provider of community-based supports for children and adults with an intellectual disability and their families. Services are provided through 160 locations in the greater Dublin area. Services include clinical (Speech-Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Social Work), counseling, educational, vocational training, employment, social and recreational, residential and respite.

The ball is being held at the Radisoon Royal Hotel in Dublin 8 on 12th April, 2008. Champagne reception begins at 7:00 PM, followed by a five-course meal and dancing. There will also be a raffle and auction. If you are interested in attending the ball or donating prizes for the raffle, you can email smh_charityball@yahoo.com

When moving to a new city, it can be a challenge to figure many thing out.  You need to learn the way the city works, the names of utility companies, where to get groceries, perhaps what banks are in the area.  Since many people have asked more about cost of living in Dublin, I am providing some information so that people can find out what they need to know themselves. 

So, grocery stores.  The main grocery stores are Tesco, Superquinn,  Dunnes stores, and Marks and Spencers.

The electric company is ESB and the gas company is  Bord Gais.

You can get cable from Sky TV or NTL or Smart Telecom if you are in their area.

Telephone: you have a lot of choices based on where you live.  The main phone company is Eircom  but you can also get phone service from Smart Telecom, NTL, or BT.

Internet: you can get your internet service with the phone service from any of the above service providers and there are many others as well.

Banks: the main ones are Halifax, Permanent TSB, Bank of Ireland, AIB, Bank of Scotland, and Ulster bank.

Hey foodies out there, there is a world food festival in Marlay Park this weekend (6, 7 October). Admission to the Festival of World Food 2007 is free. There will be cooking demonstrations along with stands to try various foods from a variety of cultures (including Ireland).  Admission is free and it sounds like it could be fun.  I know of one stand that will be there and they make excellent Mexican food.

Last weekend, I went to go see the DaVinci exhibit at the Chester Beatty Library. The exhibit contains manuscripts written by DaVinci  about his observations of nature with illustrations along with the text.    In this text, he was particular interested in water and the moon.  It also has other texts that discuss similar topics or influenced DaVinci.  It is a really interesting exhibit and free!  You do have to book a time to see the exhibit but it is free.

So, last Tuesday I went to the Garda office/Immigration on the Quays to renew my work authorization since it expired on the 24th of May.  I got there at 7.30 AM expecting to be there all day and had appropriate materials with me.  Well, I got put into the garda card line and was the 11th person.  I got nervous because I thought I needed to go to the visa section as well and they only give out a certain number of visa appointments per day.

So, I got in line and waited.  I only had to wait about 20 minutes standing in line since someone started giving out tickets with numbers on them earlier than they had to!  I then waited about 30 minutes to meet with the garda card people.  My number was called and the guy asked to see my papers and he then took my picture.  A little while later, I had my passport back, a new garda card, and a stamp in it saying I was legal for the next two years.

So, if you currently have a work authorization, you are able to renew it, at least for the time being.  :)  I am not sure if most people will have to go to both offices or not (the guy who processed my paperwork said it was easier because of the country I am a citizen of) but I would recommend getting there early.  It only took me an hour and a half to get everything done so I had the rest of the day to do what I wanted.

Recently, my sister and niece came out to visit us.  They were here for a little over a week and we spent time in Dublin and on the west coast.  On the first day of their visit, we took the Dublin Bus Hop On and Off Tour. The tour is 14 Euro for adults and 6 for children under 14.  It takes you around the city and to most of the main tourist destinations  (e.g. Dublin Castle, ChristChurch, Guiness, Kilmainham Goal, etc) and the ticket is good for 24 hours.  We took the tour most of the way to give my sister and niece a general idea of the size and layout of the city.  The drivers have commentary and give some city history.  They run every 10 minutes during the day and less often in the evening.  If you are going to try to see many of the sites of Dublin in a short amount of time, I’d definately recommend one of the hop on and off tours (there are other companies but I don’t know anything about them).

Since I have written a couple posts about moving to Dublin, we have gotten a few comments/questions about the cost of living. Here is an attempt to clear a few things up.

Dublin is expensive. According to the 2006 Mercer study on cost of living, Dublin ranks 18th in the world. But what does that mean?

Accomodation. The two main sites that I know of to look for rental accommodation are daft and myhome.ie

1 Bedroom: expect to pay 1,000 Euro a month (or more) in pretty much any area.

2 Bedroom: a quick Daft search revealed at least 2,000 a month but I know people paying less than that.

Pint of Beer/Cider: 5 Euro

Dinner Out in City Centre: 35-50 Euro for 2 people, average place, 1 starter, shared dessert, 2 mains/entrees, generally water to drink. This is a mid place. Of course there are cheaper and a lot more expensive places.

Public Transport:

Bus: Fares range from 1-2 Euro per journey depending on how far you go. If you go outside what is considered Dublin, then the price goes up. You can get a monthly bus pass for 83 Euro per month for the Dublin area.

Train: This is a more reliable mode of public transport. Fares vary on distance travelled. You can get a monthly ticket for 85 Euro a month

Luas: This is the most reliable form of public transit. Again, fares vary on how far you travel. You can get a card that you put money onto and swipe as you get on and off the Luas.

Monthly bus and train tickets: 113 Euro per month

Monthly bus and Luas: 92 Euro

Automobile: Since I don’t have a car, I have no idea what the insurance or tax cost. I also don’t know what it costs to buy a car. I have been told that having a smaller engine means lower insurance. I do know that both insurance and tax are checked by the police twice a year. Petrol usually costs between 1.00-1.20 per litre. I also don’t know what parking costs when in city centre.

Groceries: This varies hugely on what you eat. As with anywhere else I have lived, if you want a lot of fresh fruit and veg, your bill will be higher. Note, these are city centre prices and may vary in other areas. I don’t know since I live and shop in city centre.

I usually pay about 4.99 for 4 chicken breasts. A litre of skim milk is under a Euro. Bell peppers are usually 99 cents each (for the higher quality ones). Eggs are usually about 1.79 for 6 eggs. Apples are usually about 1.69 per kilo. Our total bill is usually between 60-80 Euro per week for two people. It isn’t that much less to shop for one person.

Television Liscence: 158 Euros per year

Electricity: Lately our bills have been a bit over 100 Euro per month (one-bedroom)! However, we don’t have the
most energy effecient apartment.

Cable: We use NTL cable and pay 30 Euro a month for digital cable (we have a bit over 200 channels)

Clothing: Again, this varies on your personal style. I am not surprised when a jumper (sweater) cost 50 Euro. Same for women’s trousers.

I hope this helps people get an idea of costs of living. The difficult thing is that so much depends on how you live and what your goals are. Another big factor is your debt level (I have student loans so good chunk of my income goes to that). You can get pretty cheap flights to the rest of Europe. If you have a car, your cost of living goes up a lot. If you eat out frequently, again your cost of living soars. A few of my co-workers make about 35,000 a year. Most of them have money to travel. Most also share accomodation. Two of them live with their partners so they have dual income, no kids. Another couple I know live on 55,000 Euro a year in a 2-bedroom apartment in Dundrum and have a car. They don’t travel as much as they want to but have made 2-3 trips around Europe per year.