Holy crap I live in Ireland

Most of the locals say "why in the world did you come here?" like there is nothing to see or do here. But, to a guy who has lived in the open plains of Kansas in a town of 1,000 people, the barren desert of Texas in a town of 100 people, and a dirty gutter but medium sized city in Oklahoma, it has more culture and fanfare on one bus ride than the first 24 years of my life put together. (I will say that I spent a few years in Oklahoma City and it is a great town that I will always be fond of.) The main thing they mention is the weather, and I wont lie, its not great. It never really gets above 75F in the summer, and it rains. Alot. The conditions outside change frequently and without warning. I've seen every weather type you can think of, all in one day. You can look out your window and see that it is raining, so you put on your jacket and grab your umbrella but by the time you get outside there isnt a cloud in the sky. You can never be too prepared for the weather here. In general, it stinks. Once you are over the weather and you learn to be prepared for anything, you should just get over it. You know it will never be hot, you WILL need a jacket, and be prepared to get wet.

<--The Famous Temple Bar area: I've never been there but I hear people drink beers there from time to time. ;)

After you have the weather part figured out, get ready to drink. Everything in Ireland happens, or at least starts out, in the pub. There are countless pubs and they are always occupied. Everyone has a "local," which is simply the pub nearest their home that they go to the most. There is a local to work, which is the pub closest to your work that you often go to with coworkers. Any planned or unplanned occassion starts off with "meet me in ____ pub for a swifty and then we'll head off." As few dates as I've been on here, they all started in pubs. You go to the pub after work, for sporting events, for no reason at all, even after funerals and weddings, etc. I've yet to find an occassion when it wasnt appropriate to go to the pub, and you'll never be unable to find at least one person to go have a beer with you. Despite all this, alcoholism and drunk driving are rare.

<---Grafton Street: one of the main shopping areas in the City Centre.

Be prepared to shell out the Euros. Dublin is one of the most expensive cities in Europe and ranks pretty high worldwide as well. A pint of Guiness is about €5. A decent meal at a restaurant will be between €20 and €50, and they can easily go higher than that. One thing that helps with this is that tipping is not necessary. Although it is appreciated, it is not expected. You can go a full bus route for €2 but they are rarely on time, usually crowded, smelly, and on weekends they are full of loud teenagers. That being said, I take the bus everywhere. Traffic is terrible most of the time. Cab rides can get expensive but cut the travel time in half. They are the only way to get home after a night on the town. There is also a train service called the Dart that runs along the coast that is relatively cheap. It doesnt work for every trip but is a great option when it crosses your path.

Never: try to talk with an Irish accent, mention leprechauns, Riverdance, leave a drop in the pint glass, ask for a "ride" (say lift), look a pikey in the eye.

That's a good lead in to another interesting aspect of Irish culture: pikeys. Also known as knackers, tinkers, or travellers, they are essentially Irish white trash. They live wherever they feel like parking their campers, which is often in a really conspicuous and annoying place. I've seen them lined up in the grass inside a roundabout. When I first moved here there was a pack of them set up on a narrow patch of grass along a construction site, inches away from the road. They are vandals and thieves for the most part. If they cant steal it, they break it. Entire neighborhoods can be completely turned upside down by their presence. They light campfires on the sidewalk! I am a pretty big guy, but there is no doubt in my mind that a 1o year old pikey could whip me in no time. Their main source of income is squatting on a piece of land until someone finally pays them to leave. (Unfortunately, they arent hiring at the moment.) If you happen to see them, which is inlikely, avoid them.

That's basically all you need to know to survive. It's a very pleasant place to live with plenty of good people. There are neat things to see and fun things to do. I hope you get the chance to visit.