Advice for living in Dublin

The following guide does not only include information related to the administrative duties to be done before leaving, but also practical advice to allow future students of Trinity, or more general students in Dublin, to be able to make the most out of their experience.

Information about administrative tasks

Looking for accommodation

The first obstacle that you will have to overcome when moving to Ireland is finding a place to live. There are three solutions.

• Rent a room privately
• Rent an apartment
• Live in student halls

I went for the third option and I did not regret my choice at all. While the price is definitely its main downfall, the quality of life, level of comfort and atmosphere in the residence are undeniable.

Here are some websites to find somewhere to rent.

Daft.ie

Rent.ie

Look out, because I have made this mistake personally, I know that there are false accommodation offers. If you have a feeling that an advertisement is suspicious, contact the company and ask them to verify the property.

Transport

Dublin is a manageable-sized city. If your accommodation is in a good location you can do everything by foot. There are three main ways to get around, if you can't or don't wish to go around by foot.

• The bus: Dublin Bus operates an extensive network of buses that can take you within walking distance of most of the places in the city centre, the Dublin region and the surrounding areas (Dublinbus).
• The tram: The Luas is Dublin's tram system which offers a direct link to many places outside of the city centre of Dublin (Luas).
• Bike: If you can buy a second-hand bike for a reasonable price, you can also use Dublin Bikes, which are the exact equivalent of Boris bikes. (Dublinbikes).

Practical notes

Trips and hikes

Between the cliffs and the breathtaking coasts and the wild and green countrysides, Ireland offers magnificent landscapes. Being a small country with an excellent road network, it is very easy to explore this beautiful country. Ireland is a perfect place if you like hiking and camping as there are lots of excellent hiking trails and other national parks. My favourite ones are Killarney National Park, Connemara, the Wicklow mountains and the Glenveagh National Park.

Living in Ireland also allows you to explore Europe. Thanks to the low-cost airline Ryanair, you can easily get to many destinations, even on a tight budget. I travelled for very affordable prices (50 euros return) to London, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Stuttgart, Edinburgh and I have gone back to France several times too.

Eating out

In addition to the traditional Irish dishes such as the famous Irish Breakfast, fish pie, the colcannon, or even the stew, Dublin offers a very modern and varied gastronomy for very reasonable prices.

• Blas Cafe
• Brothers Hubbard
• Bones and bread
• El grito
• Kc peaches
• Lovinspoon
• Mongolian Barbecue
• Pig ears
• Yum Thai
• Zozimus

For those with a sweet tooth, there are many bakeries and other delicious tea rooms in Dublin.

• Camerino
• Joy of Cha
• Keoghs Cafe
• Queen of tarts

Sometimes, it can seem like there are more pubs than people in Ireland. Going to the pub is one of the favourite Irish pastimes, once you are in a pub you will understand why very quickly. In addition to the good bear, you can appreciate the good music (modern and traditional). For fans of beer, in addition to the famous Guinness beer, most pubs offer a large range of quality artisan beers.

• The Portehouse
• Grogan’s
• The Brazen Head
• The Long Island
• Luggage bar

Culture

Here are a selection of social and entertainment places in Dublin. The best places for going out, cultural events and upcoming activities:

• Lovindublin
• Dublin. lecool
• Totallydublin

Trinity College campus

Trinity has many facilities. The campus has:

• Three big libraries (Lecky, Berkeley and Ussher)
• A sports centre (gym, climbing wall, pool)
• Showrooms (the Science Gallery) and theatres (the Samuel Beckett Theatre)
• A health centre
• A cafe (the Perch) and a canteen (the Buttery)
• A church
• A pub (the PAV)