Category: Dublin

Dublin Strolls: 15/12/16

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Dublin, Ireland, TravelLeave a comment

So after my last stroll with my camera went so well, I was ready to give it another go. We had a rare sunny (and moderately warm) day, so my flatmate and I trekked to City Centre to take a look inside Christ Church Cathedral.

As luck would have it, when we went up to pay the entrance fee, the woman at the counter told us it was free for the next five minutes! Not only that, but we got to listen to a musical ensemble practice while we looked around (which was a bit creepy when we were in the crypt with soft waltz-y music floating down the steps and echoing, but it was beautiful nonetheless).

Dublin Strolls: 13/12/16

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Dublin, Ireland, Travel2 Comments

One of my favorite things to do in Dublin is just walking around. There are so many beautiful little alleyways and houses and landscapes hiding in plain sight, so I thought I’d start doing a series called Dublin Strolls with random bits of scenery I come across around the city.

Today my flatmate Hanna and I decided to walk down to the Sandymount beach…

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The Scariest(ish) Ghost Tour in Dublin

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Dublin, TravelLeave a comment

October is coming to an end which means one thing: Halloween. While the excitement for the holiday is not quite what it is in the States, Ireland has it’s own sort of vibe and spookiness to offer up to those Halloween enthusiasts (like myself). However, living the TV-less existence that my roommates and I suffer through, neither myself or my haunt-loving flatmate Annie, had been able to get into the spirit with classics such as Halloweentown (1 or 2, the rest are shit tbh), Scream or Hocus Pocus.

Deprived of our normal frightful entertainment to put us in the holiday mood, we decided to go on a ghostly walking tour of Dublin. After searching the internet, Annie found a group called Hidden Dublin that featured a Northside Ghost Walk. We booked our tickets and forced ourselves out of our cozy Netflix-laden beds to pursue the unknown (we really had to will ourselves to leave the house, so we tried to make it sound extra adventurous).

We started the tour outside the Church Bar, which, unsurprisingly, was a bar that had once been a church (very creative). Outside of it, what is seemingly a normal cement courtyard we learned was actually a graveyard at one point. Dublin, in a move of pure class, had taken the grave stones, piled them against the far wall of the park, and left them there, paving over the grassy area and never even removing the bodies.

Making our way to the next stop, Annie and I were excited at the thought of what was to come next after being sufficiently spooked.

What followed was indeed a scary night, but not in the way expected….

Stopping in front of a slightly decrepit building near Four Courts, our tour guide started to tell us the story of the location. However, I couldn’t tell you a word he said, because at that point I was much more interested with the group of threatening looking teenagers viciously trying to rip bikes off their locks just feet away. Four or five of them were clustered around, while one tugged violently at a nice black street bike. Myself and a few of the people in the tour group took to our phones to call the police.

The scene grew even more absurd when a man from the pub next door came out to get his bike (not the one being stolen, but still) and saw the teen ripping at the one next to his. He yelled at the boy, asking what he thought he was doing, and the kid just yelled “I’m stealing this fucking bike!” and continued on. At this point we were all flummoxed at what to do next, as none of us particularly wanted to get in a fight with a group of Irish teenagers. It was just then that the flashing lights of the police came round the corner. The boy had freed the bike seconds before and tried desperately to escape, but he was caught once he rounded the next corner (sweet, sweet justice).

Unfortunately for our tour guide, no one had listened to a word he’d said, so we continued on, more fascinated by the heist we’d witnessed than the story of the supposed ghost in the building behind us.

Next we were led to Smithfield to hear about the famous bandit who had had a series of tunnels beneath Dublin to escape capture. Obviously that hadn’t worked out quite as he’d planned when they hung him for his crimes (a common theme among many of the stories we heard that night, being a rope salesman must have been a very lucrative business in Dublin). Everything was going as planned, the group settled after the bike incident, when we noticed another group of teens (those damn Youths) clustering around the road, looking mischievous.

Seconds later, a car whipped around the corner, skidding and sliding, doing donuts around the tiny square, coming close to hitting the other teenagers as they darted out of the way laughing. When it started making it’s way towards us and the kids were running away, however, it became much less entertaining. Right as I was readying myself to book it into one of the alleys, it took a sharp turn into the luas lane and sped off. I have no idea what happened after that, as a luas came from that direction about a minute later, but it must’ve involved some creative driving and a lot of swearing from the luas driver.

At this point we were all sufficiently distracted again, so our tour guide tried desperately to capture our attention back and led us towards the next location. We stopped down a back alley in a relatively residential area. It was quite spooky, with little lighting and unkempt buildings. Our guide began the story of a witch who had lived in the house behind him, but by then the next distraction had reared it’s head (literally).

Parked parallel to our “haunted house” was a car that had obviously thought this deserted street would be suitable for some alone time. What they certainly did not expect I imagine, wass a group of 20 people coming up and standing next to them while they tried to have said alone time. I will hand it to them, they made a solid effort to pretend like they were just resting, that she was just laying her head on his lap and he just petting her hair casually, but they knew the jig was up when we were all roaring with laughter. Soon they sped off in their car, eager to escape our group and their growing embarrassment.

By now our tour guide was at the end of his rope and didn’t even care that we weren’t paying attention anymore. He told us the inspirational words that the faster he spoke and we listened, the faster we would get to the last stop: the Brazen Head pub. It was clear that we all, including him, needed a pint after all the excitement. We stopped one more time at a supposed mass grave and then speed-walked towards our final destination and beer.

All in all, it wasn’t exactly the scary tour we’d been expecting, but it did leave us with a good story. We sipped our well-deserved pints in the warmth of the old Brazen Head and listened to some good live music, and while we didn’t get our spooky ghost experience, we were still pretty content.

UNTIL A GHOST CAME OUT AND KIDNAPPED ANNIE… just kidding, we went to bed after that, can’t blame a girl for trying though *shrugs*.

House (Flat) Hunters: Dublin

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Dublin, Working HolidayLeave a comment

Hello all! So this post has been brewing for awhile, but I thought I’d give myself some time to de-stress after all my house hunting woes were finally settled. So here goes…

Dublin is currently experiencing a housing crisis. With the influx of university students returning for their new semester combined with the increasing number of businesses setting up their headquarters in Dublin (which is due to low business taxes and Brexit making London a less appealing startup location), it makes the perfect recipe for the shark tank that is the real estate market (no seriously, if they smell blood, you’re a goner).

Not only is living in Dublin, especially anywhere near the City Centre, expensive, it’s also extremely competitive to actually obtain a lease. I looked obsessively for apartments for about a month and a half before I finally got one. I was constantly (this is not an exaggeration) prowling the various renting sites looking for places in my price range and in the area I wanted.

So let’s start with the basics: where to search for housing. There are multiple sites that specialize in housing in Dublin, like Rent.ie and Daft.ie. Plus the classic craigslist option (but beware, there are catfishes GALORE here, so I wouldn’t even chance it). I personally found that the best website to look at was Daft, which had the widest selection of properties and usually the most up to date listings of all the sites. Here you can search for apartments/flats and houses to rent, as well as house shares and short term lets, which might be more convenient depending on how long you plan to stay in Dublin/your price range. Make sure that you have a maximum price range in mind going in, and if you find a place that seems to fit the bill ask whether the bills are included in the price because it can vary.

When you go into daft you’re initially prompted for an area you want to look at, as well as a category (rent, buy, share). Put in your desired region and type of property, then search. That will bring you to a page of properties, BUT next click on the “Advanced Search” button. This will allow you to narrow the results by number of rooms, price, etc.

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After you do this, you’ll be presented with a full list of all the viable properties in the area you selected. I found that the best thing to do was to every morning do a search and filter it by “Date Entered.” That way, any time a new property is listed, you can easily see it. Another thing I found handy was to use the Map View, which shows you an interactive google-style map of Dublin, and marks where flats/apartments within your search perimeters are. If you see little numbers on the map, that signifies a cluster of properties in one area, if you zoom in you’ll see them all specifically. This feature is great because it allows you to see exactly where properties are in the scheme of the city, as opposed to looking at the properties in the list view and having to google their location to check where they are (because just because it’s “Dublin 8” doesn’t mean you’re going to be looking over the canal).

Once you find a place that you like email or call the realtor/renting agent immediately. Rooms and flats get snapped up extremely quickly, so you want to make an appointment to view as soon as possible if you find a place you like. I found that if you called, it was easier to get a time for a viewing, as they receive tons of emails every day and are more proactive about the people who take the time to call.

Once you have a viewing set up, be prepared for a crowd. There were multiple times where I would show up for a viewing I had scheduled and there would already be tons other groups of people there to see the same place.

So, if you’re serious about finding an apartment bring a landlord reference and proof of employment/sufficient funds documents with you to the viewing. Most apartments or houses to rent will ask you to provide these documents anyway, so if you have them on hand, you can make an offer immediately and have a better chance at getting the place if it’s something you want.

If your offer is accepted, the first thing you’ll need to do (after you break out into song and dance), is pay your deposit and first month’s rent, as well read over/discuss the lease agreement. Make sure you’re not locked into something you can’t handle. Also, be prepared for most leases to be 12 months, anything less is a little bit rarer to find (and would be more common if you’re doing some sort of house share/sublet).

All in all, it’s a pretty stressful experience, but if you keep at it you’ll eventually have luck (hopefully, if not you can set up a very homey box in St. Stephen’s Green and call it a day). My housemate and I moved into our flat about a month ago and the comfort of having your own place in Dublin makes it much easier to feel at home.

So here’s a photo of my flatmate Hanna and I almost crying with joy as we received our keys and good luck with your search!!

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Job Hunters: Dublin Edition

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Dublin, Ireland, Working HolidayLeave a comment

Hello all!

Sorry for the radio silence lately. I’ve been up to my ears with work and apartment hunting (which is a nightmare in Dublin, rant/post to follow).

So, my last informative post that didn’t have to do with frolicking in Phoenix Park was about the GNIB, which is pretty much your first step in the long and arduous process of setting yourself in Ireland (but breath a sigh of relief because if you can survive the Immigration Office, you can do anything).

Next you’ll want to find yourself a job, unless you have a sizable trust fund which will allow you to live luxuriously in a studio flat surrounded by non-Ikea furniture (those people can promptly walk into the Liffey).

Depending on your degree/experience, the difficulty of getting a job will vary. If you’re looking for something specifically in your field, it may take longer/be harder to find something quickly, in which case you should definitely bring enough money for you to subsist on for at least two months if not more. If you’re a bit more flexible and willing to take whatever position comes to you, you’ll find that there are lots of opportunities.

I personally signed with a recruitment/temp agency. I contacted them and went in for an interview where they went over my CV (which you should have edited and in tip top shape before you move over) and asked me questions about my previous experience. Signing with a temp agency is a good move to start out, because they can give you jobs as short as a day, a week and also as long as six months. If you want to get office experience for future job applications it’s great for getting your foot in the door. It’s also a way to get immediate work, which could be helpful until you find something more permanent if that’s your goal.

Otherwise, if you’re looking for something specific or any jobs in Dublin I would definitely recommend using the site Indeed. With Indeed, you can set the location and search key words relating to the job you’re looking for. I found the best way to do it was to search for the field you want or your goal position, for example “customer service,” and then filter the results by date. That way you can see jobs that were recently posted. Also, if you make a profile and upload your CV, it’ll save your information and automatically input it in jobs you’re applying for (which saves a ton of time that could be better spent in the pub).

If you’re not having any luck with Indeed there are a few other sites that are useful including:

There are also tons of cafes, bars and restaurants that are hiring all around Dublin, especially if you have service experience or if it’s the high season/tourist season (summer). In this case, it might be best to hit the pavement and hand out CVs personally. It’s one thing to say you are personable with customer service skills, and it’s another to meet the manager yourself and leave an impression before they’ve even looked over your credentials.

Make sure to have multiple copies of your CV printed and at the ready, I’ve found the best places to print are the various public libraries around the city (my closest is the Rathmines Library). They’re cheaper than the internet cafes and you’re much less likely to meet a sketchy internet prowler, which is always a plus.

Good luck with your search for employment my friends!

Phoenix Park — Dublin

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Dublin, Ireland, TravelLeave a comment

Like any girl of my generation, I grew up thinking I was going to be a princess after watching Disney VHS tapes. My mind was filled with images of tame woodland creatures that would flock to me and be my friends. Unfortunately, reality set in as I aged when I realized that no, the coyotes do not want to hear me sing. No, the squirrels do not want to sit on my shoulder as I twirl in my full skirt. And no, the birds most certainly don’t want me to stroke them as I hum in perfect tune to no one in particular (except for the handsome prince conveniently lurking within hearing distance).

BUT, all of those dreams came rushing back when I visited Phoenix Park this past week. Phoenix Park is an absolutely massive and beautiful area on the north side of the Liffey. It includes huge expanses of greenery, gardens and some monuments/official buildings.

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Most importantly it has free roaming herds of Dublin Deer. When hearing this you might think, well I have deer at home…why would this matter. Well good friends, it matters because these deer are not like your average deer. For one thing, they’re gorgeous, much prettier than Bambi with many of them sporting white coats and massive antlers.

For anther, they’re tame. While you may see many signs telling you not to approach them, they are very used to humans roaming about the park. When my friend and I held up some of the freshly cut grass (there are football fields in the park which are maintained and mowed), a few of the deer came right up to us. They ate the grass and padded around us for awhile, obviously used to people bringing them food (we saw other people giving them carrots).

While there are warnings that they’re wild, they do seem quite friendly with humans. If you’re anywhere near the park or visiting Dublin for the day, stop by, it really is magical. The Dublin Zoo is also within the park grounds, so if you’re out for the day with your family, its a good place to explore. Though word to the wise, don’t chase the deer or scream at them (this sounds like common sense, I know, but we saw some pretty atrocious behavior by some over-enthusiastic park goers). They’ll be much more likely to come up to you if you hold out food to them from afar!