Things I Like About My New 'Hood

1) One of the local pubs, evidently a classy establishment, has a sign stating, 'No tracksuits after 6pm on weekends.' Presumably this is the Irish equivalent of 'No thongs and shorts.'
2) There are 3 butchers on my new street. In a row. One after the other. You'd think that, being a vegetarian, this would displease me. But, these are like old-school, vintage butchers. These are the butchers that you learnt about in those lovely brightly coloured books from primary school, you know, where everyone in the town has a their own distinct and very useful job, like 'doctor' or 'fireman' or 'postman' etc. These butchers wear white jackets and all the meat is on display in little trays in the front windows. There may even be red and white or blue and white striped awnings. These are the original, vintage butchers! Everything about them looks like it came from 50 years ago. Well, except the meat. Because that would be gross.
3) There is an indoor market across from my new street in a building named, 'The Bull Ring.' The sign stating, 'The Bull Ring' looks like it was stolen from a 1950s bowling alley or cinema or jazz bar or something. Inside, you can buy anything from lollies, to shoes covered in bling, to tattoos
4) Brenda Fricker (Irish actress from 'My Left Foot') lives around the corner. Apparently she is a little eccentric, so I have promised my new housemate not to accost her in the street.
5) Take a right from my house, go down the road a bit, and you will walk straight into Jesus' open arms. Seriously. He's standing there, in the middle of a roundabout. I will never get over these random shrines the Irish have everywhere.
6) I can smell the roasting hops from the Guinness Storehouse when the wind is blowing the right way. Not that I really like Guinness, but I feel like being able to smell the hops is a particularly Dublin experience, so, I'm quite the fan of that.
7) On Sunday morning, you can hear the church bells ringing out from about 5 or 6 different churches around the area. I don't like this because of the spiritual element or anything, but it just sounds really pretty and joyful.

McNulty. Unfortunately, not in my 'hood. But, he's still very pretty. Image from: http://ladyofsilences.blogspot.com/2011/01/wire3.html