nfmcgrath said:
Pmcg - Sorry you didn't like Dublin (The big Smoke, The dirty auld town

), I'm from there and I know that it is an either love it or hate it kind of place. But I think you'll find that its the social life that you have in the cities that you mention you lived in either make or break the experience there. For myself I didn't really think that much of Sydney Australia, but then I didn't really know anyone there while I was there. Melbourne I always thought was a nicer city.
It wasnt just that, I didnt think there was anywhere particularly nice to just hang out in Dublin. For example, go to almost any major city in Belgium and there is usaully a nice Main square surrounded by nice buildings with restaurants and cafes and everyone just sitting around having a beer or a coffee or whatever, a lovely atmospehere. There is no such place in Dublin, the best time of year to be in Dublin is actually Christmas.
I have had friends who have come from overseas and they seem puzzled at my disdain for Dublin and are always saying its not that bad so I play a little game, choose the city. Its goes something like this:
Choose which city you prefer:
Paris or Dublin
Rome or Dublin
Prague or Dublin
Barcelona or Dublin
Lisbon or Dublin etc, etc
You get the picture, its easy to get to maybe twenty or thirty cities in Europe alone before we find a city they would choose Dublin over. The only positive thing about Dublin would seem to be the social life, so all the Irish getting ****ed of their face at the weekend and falling over, puking, fighting and the girls, dont even get me started. I deal with it every single weekend and its the same everywhere in Ireland.
I dont think I need to mention the price of everything in Dublin either.
I have actually grown more fond of Dublin through the years but the thought of living there still makes me cringe.
Sorry, its your hometown but its nothing personal against anyone from Dublin. I am from the Northwest, its incredibly beautiful up here yet I totally understand when people say, they hate living here or would hate to live here. My sister has lived in Dublin for almost 15 years and she would never leave but if it wasnt for the fact I have so many friends in Dublin, I would skip it most times. Sorry.