“We Can Dublin Again”

Dublin City Council has launched a new campaign to encourage everyone to enjoy all the amenities and attractions Dublin City has to offer.

The ‘We Can Dublin Again’ campaign comes as the latest pedestrian data shows footfall in Dublin City has increased by 114% since January 2021 and is up 45% since April 2021. When comparing May Bank Holiday Monday to June Bank Holiday Monday this year, when outdoor dining resumed, footfall in the city increased by 89% (150,517 on June 7^th 2021 vs. 79,637 on May 3^rd 2021).

“Dubliners have missed so much about the city they love, as a result of the pandemic, these last two years.”

“From afternoons on Henry Street or along O’Connell Street exploring our shops or our city markets to enjoying amenities like #DublinZoo, the National Gallery or the Abbey Theatre to catching up with friends and family in our quality restaurants and cafes. Dublin has so much to offer, so much for Dubliners to enjoy this summer.”

“So, this summer, make the most of the sunshine and spend some quality time in our capital city. From Capel Street to Smithfield, to the North Docklands, there is so much to see and experience on the northside of the city, I hope to meet you and yours enjoying all the unique and special amenities and attractions we have to offer,” said Councillor Ray McAdam.

Dublin City Council has introduced a number of measures and initiatives to assist in the recovery of Dublin City, following the Covid-19 pandemic. They include:

• The widening of footpaths to facilitate outdoor dining, including on Merrion Row, Lower Baggot Street, Suffolk Street, South William Street, Drury Street and Capel Street
• Traffic-free streets in the City to facilitate outdoor dining, including Anne Street South, Dame Court, South William Street, Drury Street, and Sandymount Village
• Weekend evening traffic-free streets on Capel Street and Parliament Street, now extended from the original 6 weeks to 12 weeks
• Increased public seating areas and picnic benches with parasols
• 393 street furniture licences for outdoor dining
• Reallocation of roadway and parking spaces, including protections to facilitate outdoor dining
• All street furniture fees waived until 2023
• 30 new park benches across the city in memory of people who died from Covid-19
• Installation of 10 Light Boxes in Smithfield Square, with each containing images of paintings and sculptures from the Hugh Lane Gallery, to enhance the outdoor dining experience
• Street Art Programme launched to commission new artworks in the city
• Free special six Hugh Lane Gallery concerts “Sundays@Noon” every second Thursday
• ‘Eat the Streets’ online festival in conjunction with Creative Ireland
• Revamping Francis Street in the Liberties, with new granite-paved public spaces to the front of the Iveagh Market and St Nicholas de Myra Church, as well as landscaping, bicycle stands, and road and footpath resurfacing.
• Open call launched for musicians to play in the public domain over the summer months.

There has also been a significant increase in cycling numbers in the City. The number of cyclists at the weekend in the City is almost double what it was pre-Covid. The council is continuing to implement a cycle lane protection and segregation programme, protecting almost 20km of cycle lanes, since April 2020. Car traffic has also increased during the past month and is now approximately 80% of pre-Covid levels.

“It’s just over a month since outdoor dining resumed, and two months since shops reopened, so these figures are really encouraging,” said Coilín O’Reilly, Dublin City Council’s Director of City Recovery. “The number of people in the City is 79% more compared to June last year. But we still have a way to go to get back to pre-Covid levels. However, with more restrictions set to ease in the near future, we are very optimistic that more people will visit the City in the coming weeks and enjoy all the great amenities and attractions it has to offer,” he added.

To learn about the exciting events taking place across the City throughout the summer, please visit www.Dublin.ie