Dublin's new IKEA

So, the long anticipated IKEA store opened in Dublin in late July. Apparently the store was ready months ago but the regional government hadn't done their part in finishing the roads leading to the store. Prior to this store opening, Dubs traveled in convoy to the store in Belfast, where the parking lot was filled with a good percentage of cars from the Republic.

Catherine and I had been trying to buy a new bed for a while now, and the Belfast store was either out of stock all the time or only had stock when we couldn't make it up there. So, we were resigned to waiting for the new Dublin store to open, even though prices are guaranteed to be much higher in Rip Off Ireland. We went out to the store a couple of Sundays ago....big mistake. Packed to the rafters with people who had never been to IKEA and didn't understand IKEA etiquette. You follow the arrows people, and don't block the main aisle. If you want to have a chinwag about how great the stuff is, please pull off to the side. Oh yeah, of course it was like a family outing as well, with several generations of Dubs blocking the aisles at the same time. And of course the bed we wanted was out of stock (somehow we still managed to spend €200 on things we didn't go there for).

So yesterday I took a rare day off work and took the bus to the store again, having called first to check the bed was in stock. The bus ride was an adventure in itself. First it goes through the leafy suburbs of Glasnevin, before traveling through the horror that is Ballymun. My god, people actually live there. Burned out buildings, graffiti everywhere, aimless youth just hanging around looking menacing. Grim grim place. At least they're starting to bulldoze it to start again after its been recognized as one of the worst social housing experiments in Europe.

Made is to IKEA, bought the bed, and now I'm sitting at home waiting for delivery. Then I just have to put the damn thing together!