Dublin: A guide to living and working in this city

If you’re thinking of following those brands to Dublin, here’s everything you need to know about living and working in this city.

Working in Dublin

Key sectors

You’ll be at home here if you’re looking for a career in technology or financial services. Nine of the top ten global software companies are based in the area, and the region also accounts for almost half of Ireland’s financial workforce.

The International Financial Services Centre lives in Dublin, only a short walk from the River Liffey. Over 38,000 professionals are based in the building, as well as over half of the world’s top 20 insurance companies.

Employment in Dublin’s technology sector grew by 9% from 2010 to 2015, with technology companies taking up around 30% of office space during the first three quarters of 2016.

Employers to note

Innovation is key for businesses in Dublin. If you’re looking to break into social media or if you already work in the industry, keep in mind Twitter and LinkedIn are local, as well as Facebook. In fact, Facebook is even expanding in Dublin. 

Plenty of other global tech giants have joined Mark Zuckerberg’s brand in Dublin, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Yahoo!.

The International Financial Services Centre is home to Zurich Bank, McDonalds, Starbucks, and Sage Ireland to name a few.

Did you know?

Ireland’s national language is Gaeilge—or Gaelic in modern English. While you rarely hear the national tongue on the streets of Dublin today, it’s different from English. In fact, it doesn’t feature words for ‘yes’ or ‘no’. And if you do move to Dublin for work, it’s best to remember ‘M’ on a toilet signals ‘mná’ for female, whereas ‘F’ stands for ‘fir’ for male.

Dublin has also given the world cultural icons such as writer Oscar Wilde, rock band U2, and the ever-versatile actor, Colin Farrell.

Living in Dublin

Life in Dublin

The city’s pride and joy is, of course, Guinness. Pint after pint of the black stout beer are drank all over the bars, pubs, and restaurants of O’Connell Street, Parnell Street, and every other food and drink hotspot the area has to offer.

As such, The Guinness Storehouse is a popular attraction. Alongside this, the Jervis Centre and Stephen’s Green Centre provide high street chains such as Marks & Spencer, Next, and Zara.

If it’s culture you’re looking for during your downtime, The National Gallery of Ireland boasts work by Picasso and Van Gogh. And, there’s also the National Museum of Ireland and St Patrick’s Cathedral.

Transport in Dublin

Public transport should have you covered—after all, Dublin Bus operates 110 services across the area, making it easy to get to work wherever you are. Dublin is also on a fitness kick with its Coca-Cola Zero dublinbikes scheme. Similar to London’s Santander Cycles campaign, locals can collect and return bicycles from stands all over the town.

Your other options for local transport are Irish Rail train services, and the LUAS light rail tram service, which operates a southbound line towards Bride’s Glen and a westbound line towards Saggart.

Housing prices in Dublin

Salary should always be at the front of your mind when considering relocating for your career, and that’s especially true for a city like Dublin. There’s estimates that in 2017 the price of a house in the area will rise by at least 8%. The average price of a house in Dublin is now around €314,000, so although the city offers a wealth of career progression, it still comes at a premium.

Schooling in Dublin

The capital’s oldest college, Trinity College, dates back to 1592, while its universities include Dublin City University and University College Dublin. Indeed, Dublin is known for teachings in business, science, finance and the arts.

By now, you should have an idea of what it’s like to live and work in this city, so take at the latest jobs in Dublin.