Architectural Association of IrelandIrish Architecture ArchiveIrish Georgian SocietyUrban Design IrelandArchitecture NewsArchitecture EventsInfobaseTesseraeBuildings of IrelandArchitects of IrelandUnbuilt IrelandPractice Profiles

The Arts Council

Dirty old Dublin goes head to head with new cappuccino city

The Irish Independent

It's a battle of the two Dublins - and may the best image win. On the one hand, the dirty-faced yet loveable old town, still reeking faintly of porter and the rare auld times, on the other, the cappuccino-swilling, air-kissing capital which has moved swiftly up the ladder of sophistication in the past decade. Planning matters have spilled over into a comedy of manners at the Dublin docklands, involving moneyed members of the jet-set who haven't forgotten their humble roots and hotshot developers anxious to wipe out all traces of the scruffy dark ages.