Needy Inhabitants Not Forgotten on Grafton Street, Dublin, Ireland

Staying within walking distance to downtown Dublin, we were able to walk to many interesting places and attractions during our vacation there. One of our favourite places to visit was Grafton Street, a lively street lined with upscale and international stores, restaurants serving both local and diverse ethnic dishes, and numerous Irish bars.

We were excited when we saw a Lululemon Store, a famous Canadian brand, right in this area! Grafton Street truly was a vibrant place where live music, good food and cold beer never ran dry!

We visited Grafton Street a number of times as my husband loved the colourfully decorated bars with local musicians playing live music at all hours. Visitors to the area were often entertained by street musicians and buskers offering fine music and entertainment.

On one of our visits, we observed a group of people getting organized for food distribution for needy residents while a long line of people started queuing up patiently. It was heartwarming to see the needy inhabitants of this propersous city not forgotten and that a helping hand was extended to them right in the heart of Dublin's most visited tourist street. One thing we noticed was that many shops, including restaurants in the vincinity closed earlier, around 6 p.m. - 8 p.m, than we had expected.

We were surprised to see the posted business hours on many of the store windows. Unlike the many stores in our tourist areas in North America opening until late at night, numerous stores in the Dublin tourist area closed early. I reflected on the value differences between North Americans and Dubliners. North Americans tend to base our identities on our work, therefore working very hard all their lives trying to achieve something whereas people in Dublin treasure their personal time more and know how to enjoy life with much shorter working hours. My kind of city, two thumbs up for Dublin! RT, Dublin, Ireland 062024