Dublinculture & etiquette

Dublin's rental market is the hardest part of moving here by a wide margin. Viewings draw queues, good listings vanish within hours, and landlords pick from dozens of applicants. Budget more than you expect, arrive with a deposit ready, and treat the first month as a full-time search.

The Personal Public Service number gates employment, tax, banking and health services. Without it you're taxed on an emergency basis, which takes a large bite of your first pay packets until it's sorted and reconciled.

Non-EEA nationals must register in person and get an IRP card. Appointment slots are the bottleneck, not the paperwork — book the moment you land, not when the deadline approaches.

In a group at the pub, everyone buys a round in turn. Skipping yours is noticed. If you don't want that much to drink, say so early rather than quietly dropping out of the rotation.

It rarely pours but it's often drizzling, and the wind off the Irish Sea makes umbrellas useless. A hooded waterproof is the single most useful thing you can own here.

'Not too bad' is high praise. 'It's grand' can mean anything from delighted to quietly furious. Enthusiasm is fine but oversell lands poorly, and slagging — mutual mockery — is a sign of acceptance.