The recording playing from ~ 45 seconds to the end is recorded as I walk down Grafton Street in Dublin – one of the most popular tourist spots in the country. I was on my lunch break, so this was around two in the afternoon.  

The street transforms from a quiet atmosphere, full of commuters all on their separate journeys, and delivery drivers getting all the local pubs ready for the day ahead. And by lunchtime the street is transformed into a busker’s paradise. Packed with tourists from all over the world, pop up flower shops and souvenir kiosks fill the street.  

The street, lined with shops and restaurants, obviously has an original purpose of consumerism. But as you can hear in the recording, it is a prime spot for singers and buskers alike. Only 500 meters long, on a nice day, it is not uncommon for six or seven people to be performing at once, staggered up and down the street. Once the delivery drivers have come and gone, the street becomes ‘pedestrian only’ so you can imagine how many people flood out on a sunny day. As I walk down this street, I always make a point of taking out my headphones to listen to all that is going on around me. The sounds of Grafton used to be a lot different to me when I first moved to Dublin – when I still felt like a tourist even though I do live here. Now, I take my headphones out and try to soak it all in, because I have a feeling this is something that I will miss most when I am back in Canada.

Sydney McVicar