I usually try to complete my Christmas shopping before the 8th of December the day that old Dubliners once referred to as ‘Culchie Shopping Day’. It was, and may still be, the day when country cousins came to Dublin to shop for Christmas. When, as a student, I worked in retail back in the 1960s it was crucial to Dublin retailers, as the traditional shopping day for people from outside the capital to journey to the city. It is also the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and a holiday very much observed by farmers.
The boom in online shopping and Black Friday means special December 8th deals are a thing of the past but there is still an influx of visitors into the city centre.
Note: Culchie is a pejorative term in Hiberno-English for someone from rural Ireland. The term usually has a pejorative meaning directed by urban Irish against rural Irish, but since the late 20th century, the term has also been reclaimed by some who are proud of their rural or small town origin. In Dublin, the term culchie is often used to describe someone from outside County Dublin, including commuter towns such as Maynooth. In Belfast, Northern Ireland, the term is used to refer to persons from outside of the city proper but not necessarily outside the Greater Belfast area.
CAPEL STREET AND PARLIAMENT STREET – PREPARING FOR OUTDOOR DINING
I used an Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max and the Halide Mark II photo app. During the post-production process I used the new Adobe Lightroom “Super Resolution” option to see if it made a difference. All that I can say is that the images are now 8064 X 6048.
Today I had lunch at Boco [outdoor dining] and it was a pleasant experience even though I prefer to dine indoors.
I have spoken to a number of restaurant owners along Capel Street and they are not at all certain as to what is to happen and some have indicated that they will not offer outdoor dining as they expect to be fully open from the 5th. of July [I expect a few invitations].
My understanding is that Capel Street and Parliament Street on the other side of Grattan Bridge will be pedestrianised on weekend nights on a trial basis beginning this weekend. The six-week trial will involve cars being banned from Capel Street and Parliament Street between the hours of 6.30pm and 11.30pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from June 11th until July 18th.
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