You probably think you know a thing or two about the Irish already. Historically, emigration has taken Irish culture to all four corners of the world – and opened a pub there.

But these days the Irish economy has become one of the strongest in the EU, attracting multinationals to set up shop and talent to pour in from far and wide.

Dublin, Ireland’s capital, has become a top destination for job seekers.

Dublin is a great city to live and work in, and a fantastic place to kickstart your career. Besides work opportunities, Dublin offers a rich cultural experience and a renowned social scene.

Here are 5 of the best reasons to consider making Dublin your next port of call.

1/ The present is the future

Thousands of startups and hundreds of international tech firms call Dublin home.

Dublin has come along way from humble origins as a Viking trading post. Today its trade routes are driven by data, not longboats, as the city has become a major technology hub.

While its earliest residents struck upon the name of Dublin – roughly translating as “dark pool” – in more recent times the commercial district in the city’s east has been dubbed “Silicon Docks” (due to the concentration of Silicon Valley tech companies to have based their European operations there).

Almost every global tech firm you might care to think of has a presence in Dublin, including, Workday, AsanaAmazon, SalesforceDocuSign, HubSpotDellLionbridge, BettingCompassMastercard, and Google – we could go on.

And this has done no harm at all to the city’s thriving startup scene. Dublin hosts thousands of startups, and they attracted just shy of $900 million in funding in 2016 alone.

Demand for talent is extremely high in Dublin, which has, in turn, fuelled the city’s diversity. As an international entrepôt with a dynamic and firmly-rooted tech sector, Dublin’s future appears rife with opportunity.

2/ A safe investment

Dublin plays host to a variety of multinational companies and is a world leader in attracting investment.

There is more to Dublin’s economy than big tech.

The city has the 5th largest financial sector in Europe, is the home of Guinness – one of the most successful drinks brands in the world – and hosts multinationals of all varieties.

The pharmaceutical industry is especially strong in Ireland, and Dublin plays its part in that, while the city has also attracted the likes of Accenture, a global consultancy.

In short, there are opportunities for new graduates of all backgrounds in a great range of sectors.

At 12.5%, Ireland has one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the EU and attracts huge amounts of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). But this is not the only secret to its success.

The city is rated extremely highly for ‘ease of doing business’, and was ranked first in ‘economic potential’ by the ‘Global Cities of the Future’ report for 2018/19.

Dublin is a solid foundation upon which to build your career. Stung in recent times by a rollercoaster of economic boom and bust, the capital of Europe’s fabled “Celtic Tiger” now enjoys a stable and robust economic outlook.

3/ A port in a storm

After Brexit, Ireland will become the largest English-speaking country in the EU.

English is the most widely understood language in Europe, and proficiency in English gives so many the opportunity to live and work throughout the continent.

English is also the lingua franca of global business, and starting your career in an English-speaking city is a good way to both expand your horizons and boost your employability.

When the UK does eventually leave the EU, Ireland and Malta will be the only member states with English as an official language, making Dublin the biggest English-speaking city where EU citizens can come and go as they please.

As part of the world’s biggest trading bloc, Ireland will be insulated somewhat from the heavy weather of “Brexit”, and may, in fact, benefit from the fallout by acting as a safe haven for talent, entrepreneurs, and international business which may otherwise have headed to (or stayed in) Britain.

Dublin compares favourably to London, Britain’s metropolis, in terms of affordability (especially for housing) and arguably offers better ‘quality of life’ in the form of abundant accessible green space, cleaner air, and a less grueling daily commute.

4/ The Fair City

Dublin is a world-renowned cultural capital with a rich history but still retains that “small town feel”.

Dublin scores highly on both culture and quality of life and is an easy city to get to know.

With a population of around 500,000, Dublin is big enough to offer endless entertainment and top-class amenities without the overwhelming crowds, on a par with many capital cities across Europe.

It is also a walkable city (so long as you can handle the weather), and there is plenty to see and do.

Tourists tend to agree. The tourism sector is booming in Ireland, with the majority of the record 11 million people (almost double the country’s population) who visited in 2018 traveling to Dublin.

As befits a city inhabited for over one thousand years, there is history at every turn. Most visitors flock to the medieval grandeur of Dublin Castle, and there are plenty of museums, galleries, and heritage sites dotted around the center – many free to visit.

The setting for James Joyce’s Ulysses and Dubliners, Dublin’s literary heritage is particularly rich, and the city was the hometown of both Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett.

If it’s culture you’re after, you’ll have come to the right place.

5/ Fun and games

Dublin boasts a distinctive and celebrated social scene and follows sports you’ve probably never heard of.

Most first-time visitors to Dublin eventually end up, one way or another, in Temple Bar. Best known for its historic pubs, the area is also home to restaurants, shops, and art galleries.

Dubliners are notoriously friendly, and residents of Dublin are never short of social opportunities. And, as a global city, expats will have little trouble building networks.

The pub is a place of special significance to Dubliners. It’s the ultimate social scene, the home of the craic (meaning something like ‘the chat’, or ‘the gossip’), a place to both meet new people and catch up with old friends. It’s also often a venue for the best Irish music, traditional and contemporary.

Pubs are also where many Dubliners go to watch sport. While rugby and football are obsessions known to most, the most popular sport in Ireland is Gaelic football. And hurling and Gaelic handball are all watched and played widely.

Despite the global reach of Irish culture, there’s plenty new to discover about living in Ireland. While you might be familiar with your Guinness and your Jameson whiskey, you’re probably less so with céilí dancing, the hurl, and chip sandwiches.

What’s not to love?