Ireland is a country full of traditions. It’s easy to see how this reflects in Dublin itself and in the Irish culture. Living in Dublin, you will come across many peculiarities about the people and their culture. Maybe you’ve already noticed some of those and asked yourself the story behind it. I have done it too and because of my research now I can share with you 5 curious facts about Dublin and it’s citizens. Check them out!
1. The meaning of the name “Dublin”
Dublin is a Viking city, founded in 1185 by the Nordics who settle here and chose the name for the place. In the Gaelic language, “Dublin” means “black lake”, and another way to call the city is “Áth Cliath”, that means “stubborn strength.”
2. The colorful doors everywhere are not just for good aesthetics
One of the prettiest and also photogenic parts of Dublin are the colorful doors present in most of the houses. While the constructions are all practically the same, this simple detail makes everything more charming. Therefore, the doors became one of the symbols of the city, and the story of how that tradition begins has two different versions.
In the first one, the bright colors were used as a protest against Queen Victoria, who was so sad about the death of Prince Albert. She demanded a black flag to be placed on all the houses as a condolence sign. However, the Irish painted them in happy colors instead.
In the second version, the story tells that the red blue, green, yellow, pink, and other bold colors doors are a way to help the Irish men find their houses after spending hours at the pub drinking pints of beer.
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3. “Cheers” is the Irish version of “thank you”
Once you live in Dublin will start noticing how the word “cheers” is being used with a totally new meaning for the Irish people. Here, unlike other English-speakers countries, “cheers” is used as “thank you”, and the citizens love to show their gratitude by saying the word all the time.
4. In Dublin you can find more than 700 pubs!
Who hasn’t dreamed about visiting Ireland and drinking a pint at one of the city’s traditional pubs? The bars can be found in all street corners around Dublin. According to a search done in 2015, in the Irish capital only, there are 715 pubs! That means that you can stay in Dublin and drink a pint at a new pub every night for almost two years before you start repeating them. and the best part is that there are enough options that suit all tastes.
5. Gaelic is one of the official languages of Ireland
Many people don’t know that (like me, before arriving in Ireland), but English is not the only official language here. Even though English is used by the vast majority of the people, Gaelic it’s also one of Ireland’s official languages and it’s taught in schools for all the Irish children. Furthermore, all traffic signs, buses, and street names are also written in Gaelic too.
Needless to say, it is very hard to read and pronounce if you are a foreigner.
Author: Juliana Hansen