Life in Dublin

Arriving back in Sweden after six months in the USA was a bit depressing, to be completely honest. Not only did I leave the bustling metropolis of NYC behind, but I also left all of my close and extended family. Luckily I was able to stay with my sister in Uppsala for a while, as I wondered what to do next. 

I started applying for jobs as soon as I returned, but wasn’t applying for jobs in Sweden, instead sending applications to different cities within The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and of course also the United Kingdom, more specifically in London. 

However, it was from Dublin that I first heard back from and who offered me a job interview. Little did I know at the time that this would not only lead me to a new career opportunity but also provide me with a new home. 

I was excited as I boarded my flight in Sweden as I had never been to Ireland before. The flights was relatively easy and short and I landed in Dublin shortly thereafter. Upon arrival, I caught a bus from the airport into the city centre and checked into my hostel before leaving to explore what Dublin had to offer as my interview wasn’t until the following day. 

I left the hostel on foot and just walked along the streets of the city, exploring the cobbled streets of the Temple Bar area where I found a nice pub for a local meal and the first of many Guinness beers that I would be having during my time here. And I don’t know if it was just because I was excited to be here or if there is anything different in the way the make the beers here, but I just thought that the Guinness here tastes so much better than any I previously had.

I visited other famous sights in the city such as the Dublin Castle and wandered through Trinity College before making my way down towards the River Liffey again. Later that afternoon I visited the Guinness Brewery where I was given a tour of the brewery before I ended up at the bar at the top of the building, where I enjoyed some more Guinness whilst overlooking the city. 

The following morning, I caught a local bus out to Blanchardstown, one of the large suburbs in the north west part of Dublin, and where my new job was based. I was nervous at first, however the interview went well and I left in high spirits. I returned to the city centre where I spent the next few hours wandering aimlessly along the streets, having some food and sampling a few more Guinness, before it was time to return to the airport to fly back to Sweden. 

A few days later, I received a phone call telling me that I was successful and would be starting in the next week. As luck would have it, I didn’t have much to pack and travelled once more between Sweden and Ireland. Upon arrival, as I had a few heavy bags and the local bus traffic wasn’t the best between the airport and Blanchardstown, I decided to catch a Taxi. During this ride, I tried to talk to the taxi driver, but I don’t know if it was just me, but I just couldn’t understand half of what he was trying to tell me, his accent was that strong. 

For the first two weeks, the company was paying for me to stay at a local B&B in the centre of Blanchardstown and here I met a Danish girl who was just about to start work at the same company as well. Over the next few days, after starting work and doing the initial training, we got to know each other quite well and she eventually told me that she had found a house to move into and told me that there was an additional room if I was keen on it. After inspecting the house, we both moved in and shared it with another guy from The Netherlands.

Living and working in Dublin has been great so far and I’ve found some great new friends. Dublin has a very active nightlife, not only during the weekends, but it seems that on most weekdays, at the end of your work day, it’s mandatory to go to the pub for a quick beer after work, and for the most of it, I like to tag along and have myself a few more Guinness when I can. 

One of the highlights in Dublin was being able to experience the St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Dublin, which was an absolute blast! A few of us stood amongst the crowd in the morning, lining the streets and watching as the St. Patrick’s Day parade walked past with all it’s colourful floats and marching band, and everyone seemed to be dressed in green, one way or another. As the parade finished, we were drawn to some of the lively pubs where we were treated to traditional Irish music, lots of singing and of course, quite a few Guinness. Towards the end of the day, we saw the sunset over the River Liffey and got to experience some fireworks which was a great way to end what was an amazing day out. 

I’ve started doing some travels in the country to cities such as Kilkenny, Donegal, Cork but I’ve also explored Northern Ireland and Belfast as well, which I’ll explain more in future blogs. I have also continued my exploration of what Dublin has to offer and have attended the local Jameson Whisky distillery, walked Phoenix Park and even got to see Michael Moore and the band Muse play live. 

Dublin has been great to me, I’ve made life long friends and have loved living and experiencing what the city has to offer.