It’s always interesting to hear what’s going on in people’s lives, their hopes, aspirations, fears and how they will face into the new year. With this in mind we took to the streets of Dublin to hear what people who work in the arts and retail sector had to say.
Andrea – Alli Tuta
I would love to see my business growing, to have more Irish people liking my products and have the opportunity to have bigger platforms to showcase my work as well as the artisans of my country. I would love for Ireland – because it’s my home now, where I live – to see improvements in the social resources for Irish people. Because I love this country, my family is here now, my husband’s family is my family as well, and I can see how difficult it is for Irish people to afford a house, the health service… the childcare, seeing my nieces and nephews and sisters-in-law complaining that there’s no support. So I would love to see in the New Year that more Irish families can afford to have better life, better government.
The Coathanger Solution (punk band)
I’m not that hopeful of anything fucking changing in the new year, to be honest with you. You know, you can see it’s just getting worse. It’s, you know, we’re all just fucking bent over and take it because they fucking had another election, another piss poor, torn out, same old gang cronies in again. Fucking we’re doomed, folks, we’re fucking doomed.
Is there something specific you would change?
God, stop the gravy train.
Beth – The Winding Stair Bookshop
I think what we’re trying to do mainly is we’re trying to kind of promote community events. So we’ve been doing an open mic every month, and that’s been going really well. And we’ve kind of been advertising a bit more that we’re available for events and stuff, so we’ve had some poetry readings and some book launches. So I’d say to kind of just keep going with that in the New Year would be big for our agenda. And to try and increase our second stock a bit so there’s a more affordable option as well in the shop.
Paddy Curran – Padison & Yule
I’m Paddy from Padison & Yule, and I run the shop with my wife Alison, we’re on 14 College Green. I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions or anything like that, but I implement it every day. Once you’re getting up in the morning… you keep going and you keep moving and you respect other people. Business-wise, we always try and find new product, funky product, quirky product. Always keep moving. [We look for] unique items that not everyone would have, sometimes very specialised items. But yeah, it’s about a feeling in this shop as well so it’s to keep that feeling going and… try and increase on it every year. Because you can feel it in the shop, it’s quite special.
Shane – The Big Smoke Vintage
My New Year’s Resolution is basically just going to be taking up more little hobbies to occupy myself, more like sewing or trying to learn a language. Probably get back into Irish because I have my sister who’s going into teaching and has to learn Irish so I’m going to try and do it with her.
Puneeth – The Quays Bar
Basically, I want to start my education, and I’m in uni so I need to complete my graduation. And then something that I want to implement in Dublin, probably something related to finance [which is] what I’m studying. [I want to] create an app where you can have all your transactions and everything done properly.
John Haybyrne – Jam Art Factory
We want to be more efficient in the way we process our work in the shop. We’re building a new website, and we’re working on a few marketing campaigns, sort of branding and marketing. Link the website in with the till system, manage stock better, manage orders better, and that sort of stuff.
Julie Crowe – Diamonds by Design
I would say peace on Earth because we’ve had such a lack of it, just a bit more kindness in the world for everybody. And kindness for the environment, kindness for each other. For 2025 I would just hope for more kindness toward each other and just within ourselves. I think it should be the first thing we that we do when we step into the first day of the New Year, because if you do anything out of love and kindness I think your heart’s in the right place. And if you start in that way you can’t go wrong.
Alex Poleciec – Asia Market, Drury St.
In 2025 I’d like to make lots of food, especially Asian foods. I’d like to try more dumplings [and] I’d like to try different types of noodles. I’m really passionate about food, as you can tell, so I’d really love to try new foods. And the fresh Asian dumplings we have here, they’re quite delicious. We also do tastings on most of them, I’ve tried it before, so they’re very good, awesome and really quick.
George – 35 Vintage – Instagram @g.eorgedavis, TikTok geo.fits
In 2025, oh bit of a secret, but I’d like to start my own clothing brand. I don’t want to say too much, but… elevated essentials.
Sojin
I work at a gaming company, and I’m moving to London soon, so I’m just taking a nice break and helping out my friend. In the meantime, I play music and I make music. I’m also a DJ, and I’m waiting for my new small digital camera from the Netherlands. This year, it’s more about surviving. It wasn’t easy for me because I moved here… I’m from Korea, and it was my first year. So next year I hope it could be more challenging and I can do some more creative work.
Finn McCarthy – Button Factory
We’ve had an amazing 2024, an amazing year and our foot is down. We just want to keep going. I guess we have been working so hard on all of the shows and upping the production of the venue in terms of the sound and the visuals, we just want to keep focusing on the customer experience and making sure that they’re happy from the moment they walk onto Curved Street until the moment they leave. And keep making sure that the quality of the shows stays as strong and keeps getting even better.
Jacqui – This is Knit, Powerscourt
I own This is Knit in Powerscourt Center. We’ve been established since 2006, and we have prided ourselves on the fact that we have grown from a very small business into what you see here today. So we’re very proud of the fact that we are employing locals and giving people a busy community to come into when they come into the shop, and also in the shop online as well, because we do have a very large online presence on Instagram and YouTube and all those good things. So one thing we would love to grow in the New Year is invite more people in and make them feel at home within the community. They can get help here, they can ask for advice and things like that, and we love to encourage new knitters and crocheters into the fold.
Reina Arwen Wendler – Dubray Books
Personally, I would like to learn how to drive. And in the bookshop, I would like to implement a kids’ play area, so everybody who has kids can play while the adults scroll around.
Enda Moran – Spindizzy Records
Really, my high hope is to keep stock ship-shape. We’ve doubled the size of the shop, which was much needed and gives us the scope to do more things. We have a few things bubbling away, we’re not a venue per se but nothing’s totally defined…it’s an exciting time for us.
Mika Tier – The Secret Book and Record Store
My New Year’s Resolution for 2025 is just to work on my book that I’ve been working on for like a year. I want to hopefully get even three drafts done by the end of next year. And also to do more exercise and go out more with my friends.
Rory – Warhammer
I want to learn a language because I’ve been doing Duolingo for ages, been doing Swahili and German. I keep going through the Duolingo loop of getting vaguely competent and dropping it. I don’t know Irish… I’d like to be able to know more than recognize a word. I’d like to learn Swedish… the pronunciation is crazy and not many speak it so it’s kind of a flex.
Susie – Article, Powerscourt Townhouse
In 2025, I’m planning on taking a life drawing course, because I realised that I really like drawing people, and I want to learn to be better at that. This year, one of the goals I had starting in September was to do more artistic things, because that makes me happy.
Florencia, Hanley’s Cornish Pastries
It’s a little cliched but I would love to go to the Cliffs of Moher.
Saoirse – Fable Bakery
My New Year’s resolution is to quit smoking and to be kinder to myself.
Nela – Fable Bakery
To paint more. I need to take more time to do it. I have a style of painting that involves a lot of colors, shapes, people, and animals so it’s very nature-involved.
Stephen Kavanagh – Fat Pup Illustration
Next year, I’d love to see more opportunities for small businesses and more opportunities from Dublin City Council for pop-ups. I want to keep going with the Revival Market and grow it, and all the other markets that’ve been such a great help to us, along with the Temple Bar Company which has been fantastic. I’d also like to see a lot more artist spaces pop up, that gives people the opportunity to do workshops and be a collective together.
Vickie Nielson
I work in Yellow Brick Road, I’m the shop manager here. We want to update our website. It’s old, and it needs to be a bit more user-friendly so that’s our big focus for the upcoming year.
Youssef – Castle Tea Rooms
Something that I would like to do in 2025?… probably learn another language and try to travel a bit more. I already speak Spanish and English, but I want to learn French a little bit.
Sam Martin – Jazz Drummer
In the music world, I’d like a bit more of the underground scene being recognized. Especially with jazz musicians, there’s some phenomenal guys in there that would, if they were to be snatched up and recognized and put on the big stages, because it’s becoming more popular. Putting those little bars on the big stage. And just a bit more of an interaction between Irish acts and English acts coming and going, having a few more of our homegrown acts being brought around and toured around England, so whenever Ireland sneezes England catches a cold.
Julia – Irish Whiskey Museum
What I’ve been doing in the last few years is, instead of having a resolution, I decide what I’m leaving behind in 2024 and not bringing with me to 2025. So it’s the opposite but the same thing, so leaving people behind that I don’t need and that are just not good for me, and then the same for things in life, just leaving behind what I don’t need and what’s bad for me. So it is the opposite, but it’s still something with the New Year. I haven’t thought about [this year] yet, but I know that I’d like to write them down on a piece of paper, and then look at them one last time on New Year’s Eve and just leave them behind.
Hayley – Irish Whiskey Museum
My resolution this year is to set stronger boundaries for myself, stand up for myself without being rude to people, but also keeping firm on that kind of, being strong and not being too polite when I don’t need to be.
Colm Durham – Aquarius Sea Jewels, The Revival Market
My hope is that the creative communities in Dublin and Ireland are supported as much as they have been this year by Dublin City Council and all the amazing markets all around Dublin. It’s a great community that keeps on growing from strength to strength.
Rachel Bolger – Aquarius Sea Jewels, The Revival Market
We have a creative hope that we can support each other. Cheaper rent, more affordable living. We’re all about reusing and upcycling as well, not like fast-paced fashion or fast-paced life. Just being more appreciative of what we already have and our resources. That’s why we use sea glass, bringing more of nature into the city. Feeling more at one, with each other and not feeling that competitive nature. The markets are very friendly and we all want to support each other’s businesses.
Tommy O’Brien – Bartender, D1
My hopes for 2025… Domestically I’d like to see the government get their act together and sort out our disastrous housing crisis. Where my son can afford a house that his grandfather bought on one salary 60 years ago, himself and his girlfriend (both in good jobs) can’t afford to buy that property, that’s outrageous. And I’d like to see Ireland qualify for the USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup 2026. On a personal note, I’m looking forward to a family holiday in January. We’re going to Florida this January. And then my wife’s hitting a big birthday and we’re going on a cruise… Things have never been this good! But I’ve worked hard so I’m enjoying the fruits of my labour.
Smeha – Jane Jewelry
From Thursday to Sunday, we have to clean up the front after the parties that happen in the evenings. It’s not really fair on us and other local businesses. I’ve heard people say they have their shutters broken, things like that. I understand we have parties – I like to party as well – but I just feel we have to be more aware and not leave rubbish on the road. It will improve our surroundings as well.
Wilson – Nana’s Tea Shop
To get a more stable job. Because I’m not from Ireland, I’m from an Asian country, so if given a chance… I’m not sure to be honest… I’m a dietician by profession, so I hope I’ll be able to get a dietetics related job, maybe in Ireland, maybe in my country Malaysia.
Kieron Black – The Grand Social
That the chaos will stop in the world and that loads of people will go to loads of gigs, especially in our brand-new, smaller venue at The Grand Social (200-capacity venue, The Ballroom.) where we will have probably some of the best shows that will ever happen in this country.
Kumayl Vazir – owner of Nawal Sweets on Camden Street
Probably to let more time out of the business and enjoy what Dublin has to offer. Went to a concert on the weekend and I had a really good time with all my friends, so probably do more stuff on the weekends and enjoy life a bit more.
Kara McKenna – The Morning Bakery
I want to start working at a library. There’s one on Kevin Street that I need to look into, but I might have to go back to college for it which I’m not looking forward to.
Lex Doig – Totally Dublin intern
In 2025, I hope to keep furthering my education and if possible, study abroad another time. I’ve had a really lovely experience in Dublin and I feel like I’ve seen and learned a lot, and I definitely want to come back someday soon. People here have shown this foolish American intern a great deal of kindness in the few months I’ve been here, even total strangers such as the woman who helped me defend my slice of pizza from the seagulls at St Stephen’s Green to the men who escorted me to the Giant’s Causeway through frighteningly bad winds. So I also hope I can pay that kindness forward.
Gillian – DCU student and part-time worker at Cat and Cage
I’d like for Dublin to get a bit safer, when you’re going out and stuff, it’s not the safest city. Police it a bit better, more guards, because they always have a load on Grafton Street but never on Henry Street or areas that need it more.
Gemma – Kennedy’s Bar, Drumcondra
My New Year’s resolution is to give up nicotine. Hopefully, I’m going to have my last nicotine pouch at twelve o’clock on New Year’s. And then also I’m trying to get up earlier in the morning, especially on weekends when I’m not working, they’re my two New Year’s resolutions.
Kat Michalak – Totally Dublin intern
In 2025, I want to continue my streak of traveling. I’ve had a few opportunities over the past couple years to see new places, but when I came to Dublin for my study abroad program, the floodgates really opened for me. During my time here, I’ve gotten to explore Ireland but other countries as well, notably Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. I would love to continue exploring more places in the new year whenever I get the chance, whether it’s during school breaks or over the summer. There’s still so much of the world to see and take in, and my time here in Dublin really cemented that for me.
Alan Warner – The Last Bookshop
I would like more people to come into town.
