How two recent trips to Dublin reminded me that our capital has always been a tale of two cities

Although criticised by the masses, the Spire is now one of the only constants. It’s a reminder that, yes, you are actually standing in the capital city.

Recently, a stranger online wrote that Dublin has simply morphed into just another overcrowded European metropolis. I still think it has its own distinctive charm, but I can see why some believe the multinational and corporate world clusters have dampened the mood.

These business interests have also brought great wealth. When I lived in Dublin, I was always aware of the deep ravine that divided it. Now as an outsider, I sense it even more.

On two recent return visits, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would the city be quieter? Would the streets and shops be empty? It seems like every second person in Ireland is on a one-way flight to Melbourne and a cost-of-living crisis is gripping homes.

I didn’t anticipate that Grafton Street would be thronged and one of its most expensive shops busy and thriving. I always enjoy a stroll around Brown Thomas. The prices terrify me, but I love to have a look. Fashion is a weakness of mine, so it feels like a museum of style in a sense.

The beautiful store was buzzing with people buying and investing in luxury. Outside, people wandered in and out of shops with bags in hand. On Chatham Street, high-end Italian watch brand Panerai has recently opened a boutique, as has Cartier. “It looks like there’s no shortage of money in Dublin anyway,” remarked one friend as we window-shopped.

After a difficult few years, it’s heartening to see shopping streets bounce back. Money flows, jobs are created and the economy moves. However, when a watch in these new stores costs between €1,000 and €10,000 (some pieces are even estimated to retail for €100,000) the chasm becomes clear.

For many years, Dublin has been a tale of two cities. This is especially true now. There is growing affluence on one corner and someone sleeping rough on the other.

Recent figures show 11,632 people in Ireland are living in emergency accommodation. Dublin accounted for the majority of those homeless in the week leading up to Christmas Day last year. A recovering economy is all well and good, but seeing such grandeur in plain sight when so many are struggling is somewhat uncomfortable.

Despite tech company layoffs, business is booming in the town on the Liffey. Despite so much wealth accumulation, not everyone benefits from the fruits. Prosperity resides beside unthinkable hardship.

Walking right beside both makes you wonder about possibilities. If an economy can create a market for €100,000 time-pieces, surely temporary housing can become permanent?

Dublin’s fable also has other layers. For too long, it has been the economic centre of this country, making it notoriously expensive and almost impossible to survive in. So much wealth has gathered in one place.

Yes, it has our most connected air hub and busiest port, but we live on an island. We are not landlocked. Opportunities to develop other cities and towns in this country have most certainly been botched. Or maybe our leaders just didn’t want to try a different route or place the focus elsewhere.

For now, Dublin’s machine keeps running. Watches glisten and people sleep on the street. Capitalism in motion.

The day I left the city, the sky was clear and the air glacial. I could hear the seagulls and the Luas bell. I always loved this type of morning when I lived there.

As I began to leave, I saw a man in a sleeping bag on the footpath. A woman was bending down to him with a coffee and food in hand. Tourists glided past them. Shops filled up quickly.

Beyond them was a building site, the noises of construction started to clatter through the air. Retail and office space to let. Dublin’s divided tale continues to write itself.