Your guide to live, work, invest & study in Dublin

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Always Brighter Stories

Always Brighter Stories celebrates people doing kind, inclusive work in their communities. From volunteer groups to disability activists, social enterprises, charities and more, we’re spotlighting these stories to thank all Dubliners who make a positive impact in our city and county.

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Mother and Child

Glass Mask Theatre

In a claustrophobic room in Oslo, witness how a son's stoic silence and defiance clash with the mother's enchanting charm and tension-filled chatter, revealing the secrets of their common and controversial history. A riveting journey unfolds further for every carefully written word, climaxing in a series of current and thought-provoking questions about motherhood, controversial career choices, pressures from society, religion, regret, family confrontation and more.

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Dublin’s AI Landscape

As the founder of AI Ireland and the AI Awards, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing first-hand how technology serves as an enabler for problem-solving across various business sectors and societal issues. Far from the job-taking or sci-fi doom Terminator, it’s often portrayed as AI is a technology capable of human-like thinking and decision-making. It learns from data and evolves, thereby aiding in the resolution of intricate challenges and the automation of tasks. In November 2022, Generative AI like ChatGPT captured headlines, opening new possibilities for internet users’ everyday activities. When it comes to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME

BIMM is the largest and leading provider of music education in Europe. For over 35 years they’ve taken raw talents and turned them into industry pros.

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BIMM: Dublin’s music college

Looking for stars? Try BIMM Spotted a famous musician in Dublin recently? There’s a fair chance they were coming out of TU Dublin’s school of commercial music – BIMM. Situated on Francis Street in Dublin 8, the British and Irish Modern Music Institute – or BIMM – holds regular masterclasses for its students with world-class musicians. Over the past decade, Imelda May, Danny O’Donoghue of The Script, Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlain and even Hozier have paid surprise visits to BIMM’s students. US singer-songwriter

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The Third Level: From Tarquinia to Dublin

Rachele Faggiani is the first-ever recipient of the Dublin Postgraduate Scholarship, co-funded and developed by Dublin City Council and Education in Ireland. We sat down to chat about her time in Dublin. What’s your name & where are you from? Hi everyone! I’m Rachele, I’m from Italy. I come from a small town called Tarquinia, just outside Rome on the seaside. Can you tell us a little bit about the course you’re studying? I’m a postgrad student at Trinity College, and I’m studying for an MPhil in

Merrion Square Open-Air Art Gallery

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Dublin Treasures – Merrion Open-Air Art Gallery

‘Would you like to take my card?’ On a sunny Sunday morning in early spring, we’ve accepted business cards from 16 artists having browsed their works on the railings of Merrion Square Park. A card is not just a card here – it’s a magic ticket for these artists, and many of their lives have been changed by the people who accept them. Merrion Square’s outdoor art market is a real Dublin institution. It was first formally regulated by Dublin City Council in 1985, but as some of its veterans tell us, they were tying paintings to the railings long before that. It takes place every Sunday from 10am to 6pm on three sides of the park, as dozens of

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Emily Waszak-The Land and Others, Including the Dead

Pallas Projects/Studios

Pallas Projects/Studios are pleased to present Emily Waszak—The Land and Others, Including the Dead, the first exhibition of our 2024 Artist-Initiated Projects programme. The Land and Others, Including the Dead is a site-specific installation that deals with grief, loss and the ritual vernacular architecture that embeds it in the landscape. This work reflects on soft power and the role of ritual as care. Viewing ritual as a form of mutual aid that exists outside hierarchical institutional structures, the exhibition seeks to reclaim ritual as a counter to the destructive power of racial ca

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Michael Franzese – Remade Man Tour

DCU, St Patrick's Campus

Michael Franzese - The Re Made Man Tour - Join in for an unforgettable evening with Michael Franzese, who was portrayed by Joseph Bono in the Martin Scorsese film, Goodfellas. Dublin, Saturday 30 March 2024. Dublin City University, St Patricks campus, D214. 18:00 - 23:00. Michael Franzese, once named one of the 50 most significant mob bosses in the USA by Fortune Magazine and a former member of the notorious Colombo crime family, will take you deep into the world of organised crime, sharing captivating tales and insights into the mafia's past, present, and future. You will have the uniq

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Unhooked

Smock Alley Theatre

Our heroine is struggling through the aftermath of an abusive relationship. A detached retina, acute inability to trust and chronic romantic obsessions are the top problems on her list, but she won’t let them stop her from being a great date. With the help of the semi-lucid characters in her love addiction support group, SLAAGs, she’s determined to move on. But in which direction? A dark comedy about love, addiction and starting again – if you can. Show times • 1st April 8pm • 4th, 5th, 6th April 8pm • 6th April matinee 3.30pm

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Hands-on History: Fact or Fiction?

National Museum of Ireland-Decorative Arts & History

Drop down to Collins Barracks to see if you can separate fact from fiction in a special handling session and activity trail. Hands-on History: Fact or Fiction? Monday, April 1st: 13:00 - 15:00 This April Fool’s Day, join Museum Educators for a special handling session and see if you can tell the fact from the fib. Keep your wits about you as they try to fool you with tall tales about some of their more mysterious handling objects. This drop-in handling session will take place in Reception at Collins Barracks.

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The Kite Runner

Gaiety Theatre

Direct from Broadway, The Kite Runner, an outstanding and unforgettable theatrical tour de force is returning to the UK and Ireland in 2024. Based on Khaled Hosseini’s international bestselling novel, adapted by Mathew Spangler and directed by Giles Croft, this haunting tale of friendship spans cultures and continents and follows one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption. Afghanistan is a country on the verge of war and best friends are about to be torn apart. It’s a beautiful afternoon in Kabul, the skies are full of colour and the streets are full of the exciteme

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Irish Annie’s

Liberty Hall Theatre

Irish Annie’s is a new musical comedy with a live band, set in an Irish bar of the same name, written by musician and performer Asa Murphy. Asa has teamed up with theatre producer Bill Elms to tour the UK and Ireland with a brand-new version of the show following its sell-out tour in Spring 2023. The show is ideal to be programmed around March St Patricks Day celebrations. Starring Ricky Tomlinson, Catherine Rice and Asa Murphy. The show also has a series of special guests coming through the pub door playing themselves. In 2023 Jason Manford, Mick Miller, Sean Styles and Billy Butler have al

Our Stories

blue sky and sea at forty foot

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The Forty Foot

It’s an addiction. It’s life threatening. It’s awesome. Huddling together in the bitter cold, on Friday the 13th, under a weak and feeble January sun, they all argue that there’s nothing better. Sure, there’s dramatic stories of nearly dying, but the group is adamant that the buzz is worth it. Great, they say, for the mental health. “It’s the perfect anti-depressant,” photographer Barry Delaney says. Listening to these Dublin swimmers, you hear the language of addiction, love and even religion. The perpetual appeal of Dublin’s Forty Foot Welcome to Sandycove’s famous Forty Foot and its crew of year-round swimmers.

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Life on campus for the international student

Ireland might be a small country, but our universities and colleges are incredibly diverse. Every year, tens of thousands of students from over 130 countries come here to study.

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The Flower Sellers of Grafton Street

Wrapped from head to toe against the hostile elements, surrounded by a riot of colour which cuts a sharp contrast with the grey February day, meet the flower ladies of Grafton Street. They say the ladies are “the heart and soul of Grafton Street” and what helps save the road from becoming just another English high street. You’ll find the ladies bringing both wit and colour to the corners of Chatham, Harry and Duke Streets. Tina Kelly tells us she’s been selling flowers all her life, starting off aged 12 helping her mother when Grafton St still had two-way traffic. She has seen a lot come and go from her perch on Duke Street. Tina tells Dublin.ie that one time she even met The Duke himself. “Yeah I met John Wayne.” “Sure I met them all,” she adds. “Sean Connery… I was talking away to him, Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan, Lisa Stanfield. I met an awful lot of them. And sure Eric Clapton, well I was talking to him on the street for nearly two hours and I hadn’t a clue who he was.” A natural born story teller, you can tell Tina enjoys the banter that comes with the trade. Many of the customers are obviously regulars as there’s lots of first name usage. Sister-in-law Susanne, who mans the Harry Street corner, says “you have to enjoy talking to people.” And in case we hadn’t noticed, she adds: “Now I would be a talker!” The Kelly name is synonymous with flowers on Grafton Street going way back, Susanne says. “Now I married into the Kelly family,” she says adding that she comes from a family of boxers. My grandfather was Spike McCormick.”

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Profit with Purpose: Three Dublin Social Enterprises

The importance of sustainable and social enterprises Making your startup or existing business sustainable or ethical is a smart, future-proof option. Customers are now much more informed and aware of the environmental impact of their purchases. A more sustainable product or service will create a positive brand image that will impact the bottom line of many businesses.

Ruth Johnson - Dublin City Archaeologist charged with protecting, managing and investigating our oldest heritage.

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Ruth Johnson – Dublin City Archaeologist

Dr. Ruth Johnson is Dublin’s City Archaeologist and she is charged with protecting, managing and investigating the city’s oldest heritage – much of which is underground. As well as conservation projects, Ruth has input into new developments across the city and a role in policy development advocacy. We spoke to her about how she works and what’s going on across the city – under the ground, in our oldest graveyards and in half-hidden houses. In conversation with Dr. Ruth Johnson Ruth began her career working on a community excavation project in Yorkshire, while doing her A-levels. This piqued her interest in archaeology and she went on to do

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Startup Scene: WIA

Conall Laverty is the founder and CEO of WIA, a start-up company that works with property owners and developers to deploy Internet of Things hardware to reduce cost and improve their buildings’ performance. WIA provides a simple way for people and things to communicate with just a few lines of code. With over 10,000 clients across 100 countries, it has attracted €1 million in venture capital funding with backers including Suir Valley Ventures, Enterprise Ireland and NDRC. As a result, Conall has become a key figure in the global Internet of Things ecosystem. Conall is one to watch. He h