Hi all,
I'm a 30-year-old guy from rural Ireland who's been living in Dublin for almost three years. Despite that, I haven't really made any new friends here. To be fair, I haven't put a huge amount of effort into it either, but it's something I've been meaning to tackle for a while.
I'm currently completing a postgrad degree which keeps me pretty busy. The postgrad social scene isn't the easiest; most people seem quite settled into their own lives, so it can be hard to build friendships outside of classes (in my experience at least).
I've got a great group of friends, but most of them live outside Dublin, so it'd be nice to meet a few people locally.
Sport is a big part of my life. I play tennis regularly and watch a lot of Gaelic football and soccer. I'm also into hiking, walking, cycling (to college mostly haha) and generally getting outdoors, although I'm equally happy grabbing a coffee (hot chocolate in my case) or heading for a pint every now and then.
One thing I've noticed is that it almost seems easier for people moving to Dublin from abroad, as they often arrive looking to build a new social circle alongside other internationals. A lot of Irish people, myself included, already have long-established friendships from school, their undergrad days or from home, so there's often less of a habit, or necessity, of actively making new friends as adults. I think that's part of what makes it challenging!
I'm in a long-term relationship, so this is purely about making new friends. It'd be great to meet someone who's up for a walk, a run (I've been thinking of joining one of the social running groups), a coffee, a hike, watching a match, or just a few drinks and a chat.
I'm based in Dublin 7, but happy to travel around the city.
If any of that sounds familiar, feel free to drop me a message!