o'connell street dangerous?
People have told me that O'Connell St. in Dublin is way dangerous. Is that true? Where is a good place to stay?
natalie
so. cal, ca usa 3/26/07
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Since I've only spent one day and one night in Dublin, my experience is extremely limited. However, I had no problems walking on O'Connell Street, including after dark. If you give my a price range, I'll suggest some nearby places to stay as listed in my guidebooks.
The North side of the River can be a little dodgy. O'Connell St. is wide, very busy (both cars and pedestrians) with shops and department stores lining the sidewalk. There are some pick pockets and scam artists around and, as in any foreign city, you must be aware of your surroundings. Why not stay on the south side of the river? There are some very nice, affordable places to stay (like Blooms Hotel and Jury's Christ Church)that are a five minute walk from O'Connell St. The south side generally has less crime than the North side. Either way Dublin is a wonderful city filled with friendly and helpful people.
I didn't personally experience or see any crime on O'Connell Street, but I wouldn't trust my limited experience as typical.
As for places to stay- find a hotel or B&B on the south side of the river. Most of the sites of touristic interest are there. O'Connel Street may be the heart of the city, but there isn't anything there particularly unique to Dublin. I prefered pedestrian-only Grafton St. for shopping and people watching. I stayed in the family-owned Mount Herbert Hotel. It was very relaxing and friendly, located in a quiet residential neighborhood, not very central to most of the tourist sites, but conveniently located to the DART.
My husband and I just returned from Dublin yesterday. We walked the entire length of O'Connell Street both during the day and at night and felt as safe as we would in any large city...you just need to be aware of your surroundings and use common sense when handling money or credit cards in public. Stay on well-lit, well-populated streets at night.
I spent 2 days in Dublin last month with my daughter and we had no problem. We stayed at the Mont Clair hotel near Merrion Square and Trinity College. Very nice but a little pricey, but worth it after 5 nights in hostels!