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13th May 2019

10 Things Only True Dubliners Would Understand

AmyBell

Ah, Dubliners.

The people of the Irish capital where many tourists and country folk swarm for shopping, museums and bars.

With over 1.3 million of us living in the city you are sure to know if someone is from Dublin and not just from their ‘thick’ accent. It’s because we would mention it a lot. We’re ‘Dubs’ or ‘Dubliners’ and we really are a unique bunch.

Here are 10 things you will only fully understand or relate to if you are from Dublin:

1. A true Dub supports the ‘Boys in Blue’ at every GAA match

“You’re not a true Dubliner unless you watch the GAA” they say. Just about everyone from Dublin has been brought as a child to a game in Croke Park at least once. Some continue the tradition on and end up bringing their own kids and wouldn’t dare miss a game. They flock to Hill 16 every time in their latest jersey, with their Dublin flag and someone always has a bodhrán to start the chants off.

2. Nothing beats your Mammy’s Dublin coddle

Living anywhere in Ireland, you are almost guaranteed bad weather. When you see the dark grey clouds in the sky you knew that Mammy was going to cook up your favourite dish. A Dublin coddle. It’s everything you could want in a hot meal.

3. “It’s meeting someone, not shifting them”

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t hear the word shifting until I made friends who lived in the country. Shifting? In Dublin the term to get off with someone was to ‘meet’ them. If you were meeting someone, it was never actually like you were dating them. You would just meet up with them once or twice a week. It was never official and was the standard norm.

4. You’ve drank at the Pav

The sun is out and that only means one thing, grabbing a cold one with the gang. Most bars and pubs around the city centre would be jammed and you always knew the perfect place to go. The answer? Trinity’s Pav. The cans are cheap and you can enjoy the sunshine sitting out on the grass. Perfection.

5. Landmark nicknames

Everyone would know it as the Molly Malone statue and sing the famous song (tell me that you’re not singing it in your head right now). But Dubliners have many nicknames for traditional tourist sites around the city. Molly Malone? It’s the ‘tart with the cart’. The Anna Livia sculpture? It’s the ‘Floozie in the Jacuzzi’. The Spire? It’s the ‘Stiffey by the Liffey’.

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6. You would always end up on Moore Street with your Ma or Granny

Ah, Moore Street. It was booming in its day. It’s where you would get your weekly fruit and vegetables from the stalls and nothing would beat it. You would memorise the prices from all the shouting of the bargains. It was a unique place in its own.

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7. Everywhere not central to Dublin city is known as ‘the country’

Unless you live in a Dublin suburb, sure everywhere else you call ‘the country’. Even if you were just heading to Meath you were making a trip to the country. You don’t know why you still refer anywhere outside of Dublin as that but it’s just a given.

8. Christmas at the Forty Foot

It’s almost a tradition to take part in the annual Christmas dip at the Forty Foot at least once. Although it’s bloody freezing it’s something a lot of Dubs do and you even get people travelling from around Ireland for it.

9. You used to hang out at Central Bank

In your youth, the hip place to hang out with your friends was ‘chilling’ at Central Bank in town. Nowadays is nothing compared to what it used to be like. Teenagers would flock to hang out outside of it and would try convenience someone over 18 to buy them a sneaky naggin.

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10. You more than likely learned to drive on Dollymount Strand

It was a big thing when your Dad would bring you out in the car to Dollymount Strand and teach you how to drive. It was the norm. Just about everyone would learn to drive on a beach.

We do love our city.

Do you relate to any of these? Let us know in the comments below!

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