An hour-long queue for the canteen of one of the largest technology companies in the Docklands a few weeks ago caused enough uproar that the news could get it outside the building.
After months of speculation as to whether the character of the area known as Silicon Docks could ever recover something like his previous buzz, it seemed at least tentative.
Despite the increase in remote work, the demand to live and work in Grand Canal Dock is still alive.
It’s a beautiful sunny day when we arrive at the square and the scene is like one of the idealized images of people actively enjoying the space so often conjured up by architects in an attempt to get planning permission.
A couple sits on a grass field and holds an afternoon picnic, a bike tour stops for a break to enjoy the view of the water and a tree box pumps out rhythm to accompany a daring display of skateboarding.
Going for a walk with their dog, a rescue from a hurricane, Gail Saunders and her daughter Lauren De Loughry from the Caribbean returned to put the pandemic in their apartment in the IFSC. They enjoyed the peace of their lock-up walks – but are glad it came back to life.
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“I think the pandemic has changed the way people use this area – they can sit and enjoy it now, and that’s a good thing,” Gail said.
She thinks the atmosphere has changed – and doubts it will ever return to how it was. Cafes and restaurants seem to be thriving – but not all businesses have returned. At the dock is the Thai-influenced Massage on a Barge which owner Michael Joy believes is the only one of its kind in the world. “We did a lot of neck and shoulder massages for people who sit in front of a computer all day,” he explains. “We only got our sea bones when the pandemic started.”
On 21 March 2020, their list of bookings for the day was canceled and so far the doors have remained closed. “It’s much quieter these days, but when Google finishes its building, we hope to be back – at this point it will probably be next year.”
On the square, skateboarder Frank Hafner, who works for one of the technology companies and moved here from Brazil more than three years ago, prefers to work from home, but likes the social aspect of the Docklands.
“We come here and visit and talk. We used to get trouble with the security guards for skateboarding here. But it is part of urban culture. I think Ireland were not used to it, but maybe things are changing. “
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Frank says he was lucky to get accommodation relatively close to the Docklands because even highly paid technology residents are not immune to the housing crisis.
“This is the lowest rent offer I’ve ever seen and I’ve been here since January 2008,” says Owen Reilly.
The Dublin real estate agent, who handles most of the rent in Grand Canal Dock, has found that the situation is forcing even those in the tech industry to move on.
“Some go further and further on the Dart line north and south or even in places like Leixlip.”
Not all technical workers have returned since the pandemic.
“I will be aware of some who have gone to France, Scandinavia, Italy and now demand that they work there in those countries – mostly they have joined Google Italy. It’s not worrying – if anything it could ease the pressure a bit here. “
Meanwhile, he fears things will get much worse with the Docklands workforce doubling from 40,000 to 80,000 in the next few years.
“We have a lot of office completions about to happen – TikTok will soon be occupied, the Exo building next to The Point, you don’t have to be a real estate expert to see us complete this space and build nothing close to enough apartments.
“It’s frustrating that we’re still talking about the same things – we did a report four years ago outlining the amount of office accommodation that is planned and under construction compared to the apartments and it was staggering – only 20 of the new number of workers can accommodate. And some of those housing units are still not occupied. ”
“My own observation is that the young people want to be in the office every day. They did not come to Dublin to work in their bedrooms. It’s the buzz, the culture – all the benefits like the canteen and the social life. “