{"id":451620,"date":"2026-05-16T08:11:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T08:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/451620\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T08:11:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T08:11:11","slug":"way-more-than-just-drinking-outside-young-people-on-reclaiming-dublins-drury-street-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/451620\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Way more than just drinking outside\u2019: Young people on reclaiming Dublin\u2019s Drury Street \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Charline Clain and Sebastian Cruces strolled around the sunny centre of Dublin<\/a> last Saturday afternoon, they were surprised to find the outdoor seating they used to frequent at Ciss Maddens bar<\/a> on Drury Street was no longer there.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what we were just talking about because we saw that the terrace has disappeared,\u201d says Clain, a project manager, sitting on the kerb outside Ciss Maddens eating a cookie. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to promote the consumption of alcohol or whatever but I think that, personally I am from France, and we have a lot of terraces and it doesn\u2019t mean to drink alcohol but just to be able to sit outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clain and Cruces are among the thousands of people who flock to Drury Street on sunny days, a pastime that has been jokingly dubbed \u201cDrury Duty\u201d by some content creators on TikTok. As a result of pandemic-era outdoor dining rules, combined with the partial pedestrianisation of the street, Drury Street has experienced a huge influx of young people hanging out on the pavement to people-watch, eat, drink and chatter. Among a certain age group in Dublin, it is more desirable to sit on the pavement of Drury Street than on a barstool elsewhere. <\/p>\n

The practice is not without its detractors, however, as one trader on the street complained on Saturday of a 50 per cent decrease in business on sunny days. The trader did not want to be identified, saying when they had spoken out about the matter before they had received abuse online. Other traders, such as designer Helen McAlinden, have previously praised the lively atmosphere and \u201cbuzz\u201d, but have also complained that business has been affected by customers being unable or unwilling to battle through the crowds to get to her women\u2019s clothing store.<\/p>\n

Last year, a debate flared up over the function of the street after signs were erected urging the public not to sit on the kerbs<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The argument has arisen once again after Dublin City Council<\/a> revoked the outdoor licence of Ciss Maddens, which pub owner Paul Keaveny described as \u201csurprising\u201d.<\/p>\n

Keaveny said he was hoping to engage with the council on the matter. <\/p>\n

A spokesman for the council said it welcomed \u201cthe vibrancy and energy that Drury Street brings to our city centre and we recognise how important it is as a social space, particularly for younger Dubliners\u201d, but it had a responsibility \u201cto ensure that all public spaces remain safe, accessible and enjoyable for everyone \u2013 businesses, residents and visitors alike\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"CharlineCharline Clain and Sebastian Cruces on Dublin’s Drury Street last Saturday afternoon. Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien <\/p>\n

Those who enjoy using the street have different views. Clain suggests outdoor seating licences could help visitors who have accessibility issues. <\/p>\n

\u201cNot everyone can sit on the floor like this. I think it\u2019s a pity, especially for the summer season,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

Cruces agrees, adding: \u201cI actually work in tourism and I always recommend these streets because they can see the vibes and what the culture in Dublin is. It\u2019s way more than just drinking outside, but the vibes on the street. We don\u2019t really get a lot of days with sun so when they don\u2019t give that option to sit outside and just like have some drinks and chatting with your family and friends, it\u2019s sad.\u201d <\/p>\n

Kelly Hogan from Tallaght is also sitting on the pavement of Drury Street, with her baby in a buggy and her partner Declan Kenny.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never really come into town that often but it\u2019s somewhere to sit because it\u2019s a lovely day,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nice to have a bit of atmosphere around. Even if you are not talking to them yourself it\u2019s nice to be able to see people.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"KellyKelly Hogan and Declan Kenny on Dublin’s Drury Street. Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n

She believes there is a lack of design for outdoor areas in Dublin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t really get the sun so a lot of places don\u2019t really focus on outdoor places. A lot of places focus on indoor areas and when they have the sun, then everyone tries to sit out and squeeze in wherever they can.\u201d <\/p>\n

Sitting a metre away from Hogan is David Coutts from Cork, who agrees there are few areas in Dublin designed for sitting outside. <\/p>\n

Although Coutts enjoys sitting on the kerbside drinking a spritz, he would rather have more outdoor seating options. <\/p>\n

\u201cTo be honest, if Dublin\u2019s urban planning was better I\u2019d prefer a courtyard like any other major European city but this is what we have so this is what we have to make do with. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn Dublin, the streets are so tightly packed. I think more streets should be pedestrianised, we should be given the opportunity to enjoy the outside world. <\/p>\n

\"DavidDavid Coutts and Henrique Rocha on Dublin’s Drury Street. Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say the idea of being outside rather than in a smoking area or a bar is much better, it\u2019s more lively. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut also because we get so little sun or we get so little outside time. I have seasonal [affective] disorder especially in wintertime, so any time that I can get outside on any occasion, having a drink or having some food, is a really good thing,\u201c he says. <\/p>\n

Tatiana Gaitan moved from Colombia to Dublin two years ago as a student because she wanted to improve her English. She also finds the winters in Ireland \u201chard\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday is actually my first day in Drury Street after a long time so I\u2019ve come here by myself. I am alone, I got a drink and I am enjoying the sun, there are a lot of young people, not only young people but most of them are young people,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

Another attraction for the student is that \u201cyou can easily make friends\u201d on Drury Street. <\/p>\n

\"TatianaTatiana Gaitan on Dublin’s Drury Street. Photograph: Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n

She would rather see Drury Street become a dining street than a commercial one. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s just for drinking, just to try to enjoy a little bit of sun, because some of the places around [the street] are a bit more fancy to drink inside of the stores, [but] I think here is open to everyone,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are already streets that are commercial. So I think this place is just to relax.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other socialisers, such as Naoise Collins, who is also sitting on the pavement, thinks the mixed-use independent retail and dining is an attraction. <\/p>\n

\u201cI really like George\u2019s Arcade and Silverworks [a jewellery workshop], there\u2019s lots of different things to do and lots of small shops that you can pop into.\u201d <\/p>\n

According to Collins, who is in the city centre with her mother and sister, the culture of sitting on the pavement \u201cattracted us to stay around for longer than we were planning to. We\u2019re probably going to pop into more of the shops than we were planning to because we got some food and got to hang out. <\/p>\n

\u201cTo sit and people-watch here is nicer than the likes of Temple Bar, which is a lot more condensed touristy stuff, whereas here it\u2019s more independent shops that are nice to pop into.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"NaoiseNaoise Collins on Dublin’s Drury Street. Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien <\/p>\n

There is a small number of residential properties on Drury Street. One of the residents , Darragh*, has been living there since the mid-2000s, and says: \u201cIt was never a place where you would get a full eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf I was looking for that I would have moved out years ago.\u201d <\/p>\n

Although the popularity of the street has been on the rise in the last five years, Darragh believes \u201cpeople might be over-determining\u201d Covid as a reason for that.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can feel sympathy for the young kids, because when I was their age, I was in a position where I could go out, get my own apartment and that\u2019s not really an option for a lot of young people these days. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t have the kind of third space that many of my generation had access to. And then, socialising in Dublin, having pints in pubs, is tremendously expensive.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"DublinDublin has lots of commercial streets, Drury Street is ‘a place to relax’, says Tatiana Gaitan. Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n

He says he likes the vibrancy of the area, as well as looking outside his window and seeing happy socialisers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was chatting to one of my neighbours last night and asking her perspective. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe said that sometimes the sound can be a little bit annoying, but what else is there in Dublin city centre that serves as a space for young people? It can be annoying sometimes, but mostly it\u2019s a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0All hell wouldn\u2019t break loose if Irish people were allowed a few cans in the parkOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Darragh also said antisocial behaviour is \u201cvery rare on the street\u201d. He says: \u201cI stopped some person from robbing somebody, but, you know, that person was clearly a thief and wasn\u2019t part of the set who would be socialising on the street. That\u2019s the only thing I saw.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, generally, people are very, very nice to each other on Drury Street,\u201d he says, although he did add that drinkers could be more responsible by picking up their rubbish on the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s kind of Dublin City Council needs to put out more bins,\u201d Darragh says.<\/p>\n

\"AndreaAndrea Horan of Tropical\u00a0Popical\u00a0on South William Street. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw <\/p>\n

On the parallel South William Street, Andrea Horan, owner of Tropical Popical nail salon, believes the council has a lot to do with how Drury Street became a congested hub of socialisation.<\/p>\n

\u201cSouth William Street used to be a hive of activity. Now \u2013 due to a number of issues, from semi-pedestrianisation to dereliction to vacancy to speculation about proposed hotels going in South William Street, and there\u2019s loads of cultural spaces that used to be there and provided life on the street \u2013 that\u2019s all gone,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

\u201cSouth William Street, even though it\u2019s one street away from Drury Street, has taken a complete nosedive. Our street is dead, and that is an issue for us, I suppose, after hours, because the best way to have safety on the street is to have a noisy, active street.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Letters: Ireland is not like other countries when it comes to public drinkingOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

She also feels there is an acute lack of spaces catering for young people in Dublin city centre. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve taken all the services that cater for these people who are trying to find their tribe. They\u2019re young, and they\u2019re gathering in a city that belongs to them, trying to find their own tribe, and a buzz in a city that is consistently pushing them out via price and via services.\u201d<\/p>\n

Horan believes an overlap of issues has led to the street becoming overrun with people to the point of dysfunction. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing the lack of planning, the lack of spaces, the lack of culture for young people, and the cost-of-living crisis, evidently, coalescing on this street, which is then having an adverse effect on businesses, which isn\u2019t fair either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA city needs to work for everyone, and it can\u2019t just work for businesses. It has to work for people to gather and to live, but it does have to work for the businesses as well,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

*Name has been changed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Charline Clain and Sebastian Cruces strolled around the sunny centre of Dublin last Saturday afternoon, they were…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":451621,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[11313,72,615,13288,631,61,60,976,42415],"class_list":["post-451620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-alcohol","tag-business","tag-dublin","tag-dublin-city-council","tag-for-you","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-weekendreview","tag-your-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/451620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=451620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/451620\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/451621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=451620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=451620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=451620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}