‘Dublin’s traditionally warm and welcoming culture’

I’m delighted to see my home city of Dublin has been described in a report by the British Council as attractive and welcoming. For Dubs though this is not news. Dublin has a fantastic environment, great people and brilliant atmosphere – even if we still have issues with the weather from time to time.

From an investment point of view Dublin is an attractive capital city with a strong pro-business ethos and is now home to some of the world’s most progressive multinational companies such as Google and Facebook. We have two world class stadia, Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium, while the Docklands area of the city has been completely transformed and is now home to the Grand Canal Theatre and the revamped O2.

The positive report from the British Council, drawn up for the Open Cities project, is significant. Attracting tourists and new companies to Dublin will be a major boost for the city and for jobs. The report said a “traditionally warm and welcoming culture is supported by excellent entertainment and sporting opportunities which, combined with the city’s strong historical and cultural identity, render Dublin an attractive and liveable city.”

As a public representative I have witnessed firsthand how much Dublin has changed and developed in the last 20 years. Dublin is now a multicultural city that has welcomed large numbers of people from the across the EU and beyond.

Dublin continues to expand and progress. This year a fantastic new terminal will open at the airport. The Metro will be built along with DART Underground which will transform how people move around Dublin and the economic prospects for the city.

Dublin’s journey has been a long one with many iconic events along the way not least the historic battle at the GPO in April of 1916 when the building was the headquarters of the men and women who took part in the Easter Rising. Our proud literary tradition was recognized earlier this year when UNESCO designated Dublin a UNESCO City of Literature, one of only four cities in the world to achieve this honour. Furthermore, Georgian Dublin, with is wonderful architecture and historic canals and planning guidelines has been short-listed as a potential UNESCO World Heritage Site

I look forward to seeing Dublin grow and expand. I think we’ve managed to retain the unique character of our wonderful city as it has grown and developed, and know we will continue to ensure that Dublin goes from strength to strength in future while retaining our proud heritage.

Chris Andrews is TD for the Dublin South East Constituency.