‘I love love, so I got really excited': Restored Love Lane in Temple Bar draws tourists
Dublin's Love Lane, on Crampton Court in
Temple Bar
, has been a beacon of love for many locals and tourists for more than a decade.
Sitting behind the 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin city centre and with an entrance a stone's throw from socialist bookshop Connolly Books, it stands at the intersection of culture and bustle in
Dublin
.
Eleven years ago, a local initiative saw the lane adorned with a mural of love hearts and sentimental messages, many of which were later complemented by couples scribbling their names and initials.
Although it may not have the name-recognition of the Love Lock Bridge in Paris, it nonetheless acts as a small escape for loved-up passersby.
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The lane recently underwent a restoration from Dublin City Council and the Temple Bar Company, in which mural artist Anna Doran imposed song lyrics, poems and famous quotes alongside deconstructed hearts.
Love Lane has gone viral online many times over, notably on the online video-sharing platform TikTok, and before its recent restoration had names and messages in every nook and cranny.
The Irish Times visited the lane on a Wednesday afternoon to see the completed restoration.
Marc and Noelia, a Spanish couple visiting Dublin for a few days, weren't aware of the lane's newfound TikTok fame and stumbled upon it by chance.
'We just saw a group of people turning right and after a second we followed them,' Noelia said.
'We don't usually do this, going to romantic attractions,' she said, but they enjoyed reading the lane's singular Spanish-language quote: 'Eres para mi', which translates as: 'You are mine'.
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The couple didn't think Dublin city centre had a particularly romantic atmosphere. However, in an unusually warm midday sun, they said they were going to enjoy a pint somewhere in Temple Bar.
The lane played host to love of all shapes and sizes, with many best-friend pairings also making the pilgrimage to write their names on its wall.
Becky and Alannah, best friends from Manchester, were in Dublin for only one day.
'This is our first love mural, but we do a lot of 'couply' things,' they said, almost in unison.
Friends Becky and Alannah, from Manchester, write their names on the wall at Love Lane, Temple Bar. Photograph: Stephen Conneely
Their day-trip city break plans included 'to drink, eat, and explore ... like a couple would!' Alannah said while Becky laughed.
'I saw that it was shut the other day, but we just thought we'd come over and see it,' Becky said after calling the now-washed-away love notes 'so cute'.
Becky then wrote the pair's name on a tile, which read: 'You're my best friend'. However, she had to ask Alannah whether she had one or two 'l's in her name, prompting more laughter between the friends.
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Kiara and Isis, friends from San Francisco, 'didn't really plan anything in Dublin' for their four-day trip to the city.
'We're just seeing where the vibes take us,' Kiara said.
They had seen a few TikTok videos of Love Lane before they left the US, many of which describe it as a 'must-do when in Dublin'.
'I love love, so I got really excited,' Kiara said, encapsulating the heart of the lane.
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