A YouTuber’s description of Dublin as a “s**t city” has been slammed as “just not balanced”. 

Anthony Lees, who is often called Spanian and has 893,000 subscribers, visited the capital after a trip to Belfast and said he was “in shock” at what he saw. 

Although he insisted he “loves Ireland”, he did think Dublin is in urgent need of change. 

“I don’t know how long your city’s been like this but that’s yuck,” he said. 

“That’s my breakdown, I know it’s harsh, but I have to keep it real.

“I know I’m not going to lose Irish fans over it, you probably know this city’s rubbish itself. 

“I didn’t expect this from Ireland, it’s something you’d expect when you’re in Rome or somewhere like that.”

On The Hard Shoulder, Psychiatry Professor Brendan Kelly acknowledged there are problems with the city but said Spanian’s view was simply not an accurate portrayal of Dublin. 

“There is also a great deal that is good and that is being done,” he said. 

“I honestly believe that there’s nothing wrong with Dublin city centre that cannot be fixed by what is right in it… I don’t think it’s fair to do a blanket denunciation as we heard in the clip you played.

“That’s just not balanced in my view.” 

Wooden Bridge and Poolbeg reflections in the water at Clontarf in Dublin, 17-07-2024. Image: Sryan Bruen / Alamy

Professor Kelly added that while some problems - such as crime - have become “more visible” since the pandemic, he added that there have been “problems for a long time”. 

“I worked for 10-years on a community mental health team dealing with people in the inner city,” he said. 

“There are profound problems but there are also solutions and a lot being done by businesses, community groups who could certainly do with more support in relation to this.”

Luas tram passes in front of the GPO on O'Connell Street, Dublin. Image: Ben Ryan Photography / Alamy Stock Photo

Cllr Mannix Flynn, who represents the inner city on Dublin City Council, said tackling crime would significantly improve people’s impressions of the city. 

“It’s very difficult to police a city when your Gardaí have no confidence in their Commissioner,” he said. 

“It’s very difficult to have people love a city when you don’t have a public lavatory. 

“I deal with people who are from all walks of life - north, south, east and west of the city, different walks of life and they have a foreboding [sense] about the city.” 

Spanian’s next stop during his visit to Ireland will be to Limerick.

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Main image: Spanian. Picture by: TikTok.