The beauty of Twitter is the trending feature. The power of conversation can alone stimulate a topic of conversation to trend worldwide, or even more interesting, nationwide.
This morning the country is chatting about Dublin icons. The statues, people, scenes and quips of Dublin that makes it what it is for the people that live there.
We decided to take a further look into Dublin’s top five icons, as mentioned by the tweeting public.
The ‘Why Go Bald’ Sign
The million-dollar question lit up in the city centre asks the same question to men and women in the capital, day and night. The landmark, well-known to Dubliners over the last 50 years , was restored to its former neon glory in 1999. The sign, which had its own movie career, advertises a hair and skin clinic just off South Great George’s Street. It was destined for the rubbish tip in the 90s before a preservation group called the 20th Century Trust requested it to be restored. According to the owners, the sign is appreciated by many famous Dubliners, including U2’s Bono, who said it was his favourite Dublin landmark. It’s being appreciated by many on Twitter today under the hashtag, #DublinIcons
The Homeless Man With The Rabbit And The Dog
This animal-lover hit national headlines overnight last year when he jumped over O’Connell Bridge into the River Liffey to rescue his pet rabbit. John Patrick Byrne saved his rabbit Barney after he was thrown over the bridge. A young man was charged with a public order offence, as well as animal cruelty. Rabbit-rescuer Byrne was given an award by the Animal Rights Action Network. According to today’s Twitter, he has become a #DublinIcon
You can watch the famous rescue here…
The Time In The Slime
Not unlike the Stiffy By The Liffey or the Floozy In The Jacuzzi, Dublin’s Millennium clock earned a nickname of its own. Ireland’s economy was growing for the first time in centuries and the ever-intelligent government decided that, instead of building schools or hospitals, the capital really needed a digital clock in the Liffey that would count down to the year 2000. Just in case any of us would forget about the most-publicised event in history… Needless to say, the clock leaked, got the time wrong and was eventually moved to the comforts of a derelict warehouse somewhere. Welcome to the #DublinIcons Time In The Slime!
The Cowboy We Bump Into At The Whelans Bar
The guy we bump in to, apologise to, and then repeat this at least twenty minutes later, and at least five times in the one night. Awkward, but we still laugh. So much so, this guy even made the #DublinIcons list today…
Moore Street at 6.30pm
Shouts of “All dem banana 2 euro!” over a box of 25 bananas has become synonymous with the Moore Street stalls. If you’re looking for “typical Dublin”, you cannot go wrong. Expect a few sharp-tongued stallholders, Dublin banter and bargain opportunities. The place has certainly always had a place in Dubliners’ hearts and today on Twitter, it’s being labelled a #DublinIcon
