Dublin and New York are now linked up by a ‘portal’ and locals are using it to flirt with strangers
Want to see what people in New York are up to without taking a flight over there? People on the streets of Dublin have been peering into the lives of New Yorkers thanks to a new ‘portal’.
The futuristic installation shows a round-the-clock livestream of the two iconic cities, and there are plans to link up other cities in the future.
Intended to mark Dublin as the European City of Smart Tourism 2024, city dwellers have been using the connection for, well, other purposes.
Read on for some of the best ways the portal has been used so far.
Why have Dublin and New York set up a 'portal'?
“We are delighted to connect Dublin with New York which we share a deep historical and cultural bond with,” says Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste, after the portal launched to a crowd of hundreds of people in Dublin on Wednesday.
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“From July the Dublin Portal will also connect to other global city destinations in Poland, Brazil and Lithuania.”
The main idea behind the portal is connection. It was given the green light in Dublin as part of the city’s recent designation as European City of Smart Tourism 2024.
Hello New York! The @LordMayorDublin has officially launched 'The Portal' connecting the great cities of Dublin and New York! It's a 24/7 visual live stream, come wave to your friends, family or even complete strangers in The Big Apple! @NYC_DOT @DublinTown @LovinDublin… pic.twitter.com/xsH0b5MyIw - Dublin City Council (@DubCityCouncil) May 8, 2024 “Portals are an invitation to meet people above borders and differences and to experience our world as it really is-united and one,” says Benediktas Gylys, a Lithuanian artist who invented the Portal.
Chatting up locals through the portal
The portal has proved popular with Dublin locals, with crowds gathering to check out what’s happening across the ocean.
There have been some.. ahem.. interesting encounters in the 24 hours since it launched.
Who’s idea was it to have a portal from Dublin to New York I’m actually in bits pic.twitter.com/l91SlosDN3
- Mel (@melsanobrain) May 8, 2024 In one clip shared on social media, a Dubliner can be seen trying to communicate his phone number to a special someone on the other side in New York.
@murdog247 Bunch sheep the lot of em #portaldublin #fyp #fyo #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypシ #irish #fatmoths ♬ original sound - murdog247
And another one doing the rounds showed a girl in New York calling a guy in Dublin after connecting through the portal.
@thatgirl.br #nyc #dublin #portal #nyctodublin ♬ i like the way you kiss me - Artemas
A video was also circulating of the police physically removing someone who was standing in front of the portal.
In a more heartwarming scene, an Irish university shared a picture of one of its American students linking up with their mom in New
York through the portal camera.
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The Portal forms an unprecedented visual bridge between New York and Dublin.
Each sculpture features a 24/7 visual live stream from the Portal in the other… pic.twitter.com/ODfmLPRfWx - University College Dublin (@ucddublin) May 9, 2024
In a statement to Euronews Travel the team behind the portals responded to these creative scenes: "We are overwhelmed by the reactions, which are vastly positive. We are not trying to suggest any particular way in how people should interact with the Portals or with each other." It continued: "Instead, Portals are an invitation to meet fellow human beings and for people to draw their own interpretations and feelings. In this sense, we are also just observers of this event, and it's great to see the amount of creative energy that people have and how powerful human connection can be."
Where can I see the portal?
Running until autumn, visitors and locals can find the portal on Dublin’s O’Connell street, with the iconic GPO building and the Spire as the backdrop.
In New York you can find it on the Flatiron South Public Plaza at Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street, next to the famed Flatiron Building.
Other portals are also installed in Lublin in Poland and Vilnius in Lithuania, according to the maker’s website.