See Dublin City through the eyes of a tourist

Tony Clayton-Lea says we take Dublin for granted – it’s time to revisit the city and see it through the eyes of a tourist.

Residents of cities look gift horses in the mouth every hour of the day and every day of the week – they are so accustomed to running down streets that have thousands of tourists strolling along, they are so used to passing by statues and architecture that visitors have photos taken with, and they often cannot understand what tourists see that they themselves do not.

It’s a problem, certainly, to uncover aspects of a city that has become part of your personal wallpaper, no matter the colour or the pattern. How do you strip away the sheets to see what is underneath? And when do you like what’s there?