Here's a fix to that one: without pubs, people would INITIALLY not know how to spend time outside their homes and then eventually cop on and make better use of their time. Ever heard of a hobby?
Ireland is not the land of a thousand welcomes. There are plenty of other countries that are much friendlier and a lot less suspicious of strangers. Irish families are actually very closed and private when compared to other cultures.
Ireland is one of the most cliquey places on Earth. You will never be friends with the group that are friends since school. And the people that are nice to you in pubs couldn’t give two shits about you and they will ignore you passing by on the street.
This is just a take on the general population though, there are plenty of lovely, genuine Irish people too of course.
I moved here from the US for college many years ago, I was hanging out with this guy in my masters course. We were going to grab a pint then see a movie. He ran into people on campus from his undergrad, they asked him if he'd like to grab a pint with them (only asked him, not me) and he said "sure" and started walking away. I said "whoa hey buddy I thought we were hanging out right now?" He just looks between me and them and says "yeah but I've known them longer" and walks away. It was my 2nd month in the country, like f*ck me I guess I don't deserve to have friends for being a newcomer right? We were 22 yo at the time btw, it felt like something from preschool. My first year in this country was incredibly lonely, I had a much easier time making friends in Korea than I did in Ireland, and Korea there was a language barrier
Lots of people from aboard complain that we are very easy to talk to but hard to get to know. It is a bit of culture clash. But there are lots of communities that are very closed off, my parents moved from the west to Meath in the 60’s (they were teenagers at the time). They had a very hard getting accepted and it took a long time. Some aggression, a lot snobbery and the fact they weren’t related to existing families in the area.
A CEO of some tech firm said this a while back and was crucified, but he was right, we are a nation of clicks. Friendly if you ask for directions but beyond that you’re in your own
Yes, coming from Ireland, I actually felt unnerved in California and Texas at how friendly people were.
I've lived in England and I found it much easier to make friends in work with English people. Relationships that flourished outside the office. In Ireland, work colleagues don't want to know you socially as everyone still hangs around with their school friends.
There's so much American hate on this subreddit that reading comments like this genuinely puts a smile on my face. As an American who's been living here nearly a decade, just got citizenship, about to have a child who will be raised here, I've heard so much prejudiced, hateful things about Americans it really brings me down; and I mean stuff that's way beyond slagging and banter
Exactly my experience. Everyone is nice to talk to and all but no one lets you in their circle or lives or invite in their homes and break bread together.
It's very hard to break that barrier.
Gambling is a cancer in society and there should be a clear and concise path towards removing it. Instead, we subsidise and glorify it, we know the destruction it causes and also the associated animal abuse that’s inextricably linked to it.
I also find it weird how we’re constantly being told that alcohol is bad yet as soon as a “dignitary” visits us, we’re falling over ourselves to get a photo of them with a pint of Guinness. Fuck Diageo too😊
It’s the only problem I know where doing more of it and going all in is a possible solution to the problem. At least with alcohol and drugs there’s a limit to what you can do, but with gambling there’s no limit.
I am very uncomfortable with how is been allowed takeover mainstream sport. For example, watching a premier league game on Sky Sports, constant gambling ads, jersey sponsors, advertising hoardings, it’s non-stop for 2 hours.
I don't even see it as a crisis, its deliberate inaction by the government designed to keep the rents and selling prices insanely high, just greed. It's an industry / scam more than a genuine crisis
Im sick of the state of our capital city. Sick of reading how An Bord Pleanala will block the development of a 20 story landmark building on a decades old derelict site because there's a Georgian street beside the site, or because one person objected. Travel to any European capital and see the scale of their buildings and then then come home and see ours... embarrassing. No ambition, no vision, no pride.
Terms of venery (collective nouns for animals) are utter bullshit. They were first concocted to distinguish people of a social and wealth class that would be hunting vs the plebs who wouldn't be welcome in the hunting club. And they've now gotten so wanky and pretentious and not actually based on anything.
☝🤓: "um, I think you'll find that a group of crows is called a murder"
No. Fuck you. It's a flock. Fuck it, I'll call it a pack of crows if I want. "A group of stouts is called a caravan" eat shit. Says who? Pack of stouts, rake of lions, murder of pidgeons. I dont give a fuck.
CCTV should be put in place in towns specifically to target litterers and those people caught on camera should be fined.
I'm sick of seeing a group of feral teenagers dumping empty drinks etc on the ground.
The “it’s ok not to be ok” statements and how little has changed in mental health in Ireland in 15 years.We still have people doing fundraising to “raise awareness” it’s depressing in its own right.People are making money off it.
A lot of people have the most self indulging conversational habits and drive every conversation they have to a place where they can get caught on the same loop again and again because deep down conversation is a way for them to pacify themselves and not actually connect/empathise with people.
These people moan about the same things again and again, tell the same stories again and again, regurgitate the same opinions again and again.
I'm guilty of it too...
Thank you. It makes no sense that a horse should risk its life for the entertainment of drunk oldies. I worked at both greyhound and horse racing stadiums and everyone who attended was a drunk, rich and often racist piece of shit.
I've yet to see a competent police force anywhere. Class traitors all of them. Never actually giving a shit about problems of regular people. Your bike got robbed? Woopsies! We'll spend about a week pretending to care. Your family was threatened in broad daylight? Sorry we were... anywhere else. Your friend got raped? We literally do not give a fuck and plan on doing nothing. I hate every single one of them
Same thing that should happen when these same people land bikes on people's heads, or do wheelie through a crowd at a bus stop or knock someone down when they are driving the car they stole or assault people when they are stealling the property. I'd say that's what should happen. Letting them get away with it isn't working
Fun fact: the very same guards that don't bother to do anything about these scumbags, also won't do anything when you give one of those scumbags a kicking.
A few of my friends are guards. They would love nothing more than to hear about some scumbag they encounter on a regular basis getting a smack in the mouth. Unless you land him in a coma or get posted on YouTube, they'll show the same enthusiasm as dealing with any other potentially unsolvable crime. Add to this them being vastly over worked and understaffed, and your odds of getting away scot free are quite high.
most people are completely clueless how living costs work.
General rule of thumb is that the poorer the country is the more expensive it is to make a living and you need to work more hours. Meanwhile most people fall into dumb "tourist perspective" way of judging whether a country is cheap to live in
It's easier for people to believe that they are relatively worse off here than other European countries, it helps the victim mindset and the idea that people somehow don't have agency to change their economic positions. Neoliberalism has fucked us over but not as badly as some other countries (yet).
Herself is Romanian and when you see the prices of food there versus the average wage or pension you realise how lucky we really are.
We're a wealthy nation but the wealth is not being used in the correct manner and reflected in facilities and infrastructure, or quality of life.
It's so frustrating when you think we were once a very poor nation and now we're very wealthy and yet we still have such shit infrastructure and services for most people.
It's not about how much money you have, it's how you're spending it that counts.
The Sunday thread is filled with people who are desperate for attention for getting up early and claiming they've their lawns cut, washing on, dog walked, dishwasher unloaded and fry eaten before 8am. Yeah, sure Jan.
The English countryside is far superior to the Irish countryside.
They have nice small collection of local villages, plenty of walking paths across farm lands for locals and areas of forest all over.
Irelands countryside is all kept behind locked up gates and walls and barren of nature.
Want to go for a walk in the countryside here generally involves walking on narrow roads trying not to get ran over
The culture around alcohol in Ireland is absolutely terrible and insanely destructive. It has held us back as a nation. It’s the only aspect of many people personality’s.
People nowadays say you're responsible for your own life, if you're depressed it's your fault.
Man, bullshit. I've studied, changed jobs due to studying to get better jobs, been to therapy for years and am pretty active in general (gym and music in my case) I'm still depressed af and dk wtf I'm doing w my life.
Life throws you in shit circumstance and it really isn't just something in your fucking control frankly.
saw a "working" American truck ie a F150 Raptor with company credentials on the side.
Pissed laughing to see that there was a length of tubing wedged inside the cab instead of in the truck bed, since the truck bed is so useless as a haulage space.
And that's the smaller end of the wannabe macho pickups
I've driven the ranger raptor before and it's completely useless. The bed cover on it limits the space so much. The only thing it had going was it was relatively comfortable.
I always ask people what did we do before the normalisation of driving big cars, swear I said something inappropriate
People want hot takes so I’ll bite 😊
The dole should be steadily decreasing for people on it 1,3,5,7,10,15 years etc .
( this does not include disabled people )
Obviously it can’t go to 0 but there should be incentives to work .
Also I believe people on the dole should be made clean the streets , paint schools etc . Even 6 hours per week . It would help the community and give them some positive momentum .
The problem with this is that we would end up with thousands of desperate people on little to no income, the hassle and danger that would cause to society would far out way any financial or social benefit of decreasing the dole.
Also how would that work with people who have dependants?
I agree with this. I would also like to add that people that lose a job get a higher rate that decreases until they find another job.
I’ve been paying tax for 30 years and no way would I be staying on the dole long term if I suddenly lost my job.
There is a simpler solution: give everyone the dole. Everyone. If you need it, it’s enough to get by. If you don’t, it’s a reward for paying taxes. Then there is always the incentive to work: you will always be better off working.
If that army lad wasn’t Irish there would be uproar about the suspended sentence - think back to Aisling Murphy’s murder and outpouring of grief. Organised marches at the weekend across the country and how only a few hundred showed up… is that because the lad was Irish?
Well I think the majority of the country are shocked he wasn't jailed to be fair. The marches aren't a a great indicator of anything because most people probably didn't know they were happening and we're pretty shit in this country for marching about anything.
No one should wear outside shoes inside. Bum guns (bidets) should be mandatory everywhere. It’s filthy not to wash your ass after sh***ing, but wipe it around.
They are behind in 2 ways - the colour scheme, ugh.
And that they have no loyalty scheme. The only reason I fly Aer Lingus is because I fly enough to get a Platinum Aer Club card so I get lounge access etc etc
Plus I collect Avios points and I have the AL credit card so I get free flights every year.
But I hate AL. They’re a terrible airline, their customer service is MILES behind Ryanair’s. Even most of their staff are worse than Ryanair’s.
If Ryanair introduced a proper loyalty scheme I’d switch tomorrow, but that’s just not their gig and I respect them for that.
Having flown on both recently I found the new ones smaller than the old ones, less leg room or elbow space.
But having said that they have in-house mechanics and more likely to go in general as op said
I actually disagree that they're "better", but I definitely prefer Ryanair. People go on about Aer Lingus like your getting treated like fucking royalty when you fly with them. Even if they're marginally better, it's not worth it for the extra price.
I honestly believe it's because a lot of people see them as the national carrier and it's a national pride thing. That and every ad they turn out bangs the green drum and flies the tricolour. People don't care they haven't been Irish owned in decades.
I flew a lot with work and whilst I never had a bad experience, it was always just mweh. The only saving grace I will give them is their food, even in economy it's actually edible compared to the north american airlines, with an honourable mention to Air Canada for their utter gruel.
I think Irish people, even though economically we may be better off than other eu countries, are pretty miserable. In other places people with way less are much more positive, welcoming and willing to share. In general the Irish are greedy and don't want to see others do well
Dublin is an absolute hole, with an incredibly high number of scumbags living in it, there's nothing to do or unique about it and I have no idea why anyone from abroad would want to visit.
I don’t get why people defend travelers, all my experiences with them have been overwhelmingly negative it’s constant littering, theft parking 20 odd caravan and campers wherever the fuck they want leaving human faeces on the ground why can’t they assimilate into regular Irish society? immigrants prove you can even coming from halfway across the world so why can’t travellers just settle down?
Irish mammies are nothing special in fact they are statistically pretty awful.
Worst rate of drinking alcohol while pregnant by miles.
Lowest rate of breastfeeding by an absolute mile.
Highest rate of smoking while pregnant too.
Aside from that Irish mothers don't do anything special that other countries don't do.
I'll take the downvotes now but it's all fact.
Lowest rate of breastfeeding due to no support!
I asked to see the lactation consultant three times and she NEVER came near me. I was struggling to breastfeed my second. Lasted a week coz it was to painful.
I have PTSD from breastfeeding my first. It landed me in Holles street for a week with mastitis which required two trips to St. Vincent’s to get the abscess drained.
I’m a huge breastfeeding advocate but it just didn’t work for me and I feel like a massive failure for it.
For drinking while pregnant we’re not even top 3 according to [this study.](https://womensmentalhealth.org/posts/alcohol-pregnancy-attitudes-around-globe/)
As for smoking, I imagine you are looking at [this study](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(18)30223-7/fulltext) from 2018; Perhaps I’m reading it wrong, but is that not the amount of smokers who continued smoking through pregnancy, rather than number of pregnant women smoking? Still an awful fact, but I don’t think it’s true to say we are a nation of pregnant smokers?
Finally, mothers who don’t breastfeed aren’t awful so we don’t need any stats on that.
Anyone giving out about breastfeeding riles me up immediately. Breastfeeding is not only an INSANELY demanding 24/7 365 job it also sucks the life out of some people, and others physically can’t do it. Drives me demented. Couldn’t give a shit that our numbers are low
Reading this while breastfeeding my baby and I think anyone that judges a mother for not breastfeeding clearly has never tried it themselves or been close to anyone who has because if they did they would know how difficult it can be and shut the hell up.
Yeah if we’re talking unpopular opinions, the benefits of breastfeeding over bottle feeding are so marginal that if difficulty with breastfeeding is distressing to the mother, I’d contend it’s far more beneficial for a child to have a less stressed mother bottle-feeding than a stressed one breastfeeding.
That and the fact that bottle-feeding makes it far more straightforward for dad to pull his weight.
What ever about drinking and smoking
Breastfeeding isnt a thing only good mothers do, it doesnt make you a better mother if you do it its a privilage in this day and age to be able to
I have a few:
1. I don’t think Irish families are close. They live together for ages but the family dynamics and structure is pretty bad, the kids are adult teenagers and Irish parents are often too lazy to parent them properly. What happens is 30 year old brats.
2. make up on girls… I am a women myself and I have never seen women using this much (bad) make up. Like, no your fake tan doesn’t look real at all, it’s orange. No your fake lashes don’t look good. And no that make up does not match your skin colour. They look so trashy and don’t even realise it
Pure lack of funds I think. It’s crazy how expensive it is. I paid €20 for a sick note I could’ve typed in 30 seconds, in top of GP fee & on top of prescription. It cost me over €100.
My GP is constantly rushing me whenever I see her; I feel like I can't find a new one bc it was so difficult to get a spot with her to begin with, plus she has specialization in a specific health issue that I have
Irish "fashion" is absolutely shite, The skinfades and tracksuits, lululemon or whatever preteens wear are NOT needed.
Ireland is DEFINITELY not as welcoming and happy as what most people say, I and many of my friends get harrassed/assualted on an almost daily basis.
I know the Irish hate being stereotyped as aggressive alcoholics (which is completely fair) but every time I'm asked out it's either a pub or a movie, a lot people wouldn't know any other places. Most houses I've visited had a whole cabinet dedicated to JUST alcohol.
Everybody blames politicians, but the reality of the situation is that public/civil servants run the show, don't want change and are a majorly entitled and incompetent bunch in disproportionate numbers. Everybody still talks about the 'job for life'. It's absurd.
We are so far behind Europe. I just moved to the Netherlands, and no joke people took the piss out of me back home because I was "metropolitan" and modern, but i feel like such a hillbilly over here.
Everything, is so far behind, and we can blame the Brits, and the famine, and whoever else, but at the end of the day, no matter what, we always find a way to fuck things up or take action. Just embarrassing.
More people are alcoholics but don't realize it. If you need it to socialize, relax, unwind after a day, get through your week knowing you'll have it on the weekend then bad news for you, you are dependent on it.
People period. You should see the US side of most multinationals. Meetings with 5 tiers of management. Billions pissed up the wall on cancelled projects, politics at a scale we can scarcely dream of. Irish operations actually have a reputation for being lean, revenue-wise.
Greeting cards with only the senders name on the bottom of the page suck. Write me a letter. Two pages of it. I would keep that forever. The cards. I chuck them in the bin.
I think the main reason you have to pay to park in hospitals is due to the insensitive pricks who would you hospital car parks when they don't actually need to use the hospital themselves.
People who are fat that take up more room than 1 seat on a bus (coach) should pay for 2 seats instead of trying to squeeze into 1 seat but end up squishing the person they have sat beside.
People (usually younger people) are almost romanticising mental disorders, and self-diagnosing themselves with things like ADHD, Autism, Bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder just to feel like they’re part of an exclusive group/ different from others
This type of attitude actually leads to it being harder to get actually diagnosed though. People see it as just people who want to be different.
And then you end up having people who self diagnose because they have the symptoms but they can't get a referral to be tested.
As someone who has ADHD, I once had a gp tell me he didn't believe it existed and was an excuse for lazy people. Like this guy has a medical degree, is qualified to treat people, and this is the shit he thinks. Ignoring all of the scientific research supporting the disorder's existence.
Like, yes, there are people who want to seem cool and different and self diagnose for that purpose, but I actually think there's more people who just either can't afford to spend the money to get tested as an adult, or have been failed by the system and accept their mental health problem as "that's just life."
I've met people who I can tell probably have adhd, but they almost laugh about it as if it's something that doesn't exist.
I believe prostitution should be legalised and regulated. I also think all drugs should be legal, prohibition just makes things worse, our laws aren't the reason why I'm not smoking meth; I don't see how the gards can help with this one, to my knowledge they're not doctors who are trained in how to deal with addiction issues.
Farmers have ruined almost all of the natural beauty in Ireland. In Europe there’s an average of 35% forest cover and in Ireland there’s 11%.
Most farms are unprofitable and just a waste of space, I think this country would be so much nicer if there wasn’t so many animals grazing
participation in elections (both voting and running for office) should be locked behind some kind of exam covering basic knowledge of economy, finances, international relations, law and gov budgeting (advanced version for people running for an office). Eg voting could be valid for something like a decade and you would have to pass it each time you want to be a candidate
Yeah this isn't popular for a reason. The whole point of democracy is that everyone gets a say in society because everyone lives in society. You just want to disenfranchise people you don't agree with. This type of shit has been used to deny voting to disabled people and less educated people - usually poor and minorities - throughout history.
As much as I want to get behind this, it only works in an ideal world......I don't trust the worst of people, as soon as voting eligibility is controlled be people with power, there is opportunity for those with malicious intentions to strip votes form people who would vote against their interests.
Imagine a fascist in control of this system......but my god some people do deserve to lose their right to vote
Mandatory voting - Let people spoil votes if need be but 50-60% turnout seems wrong. I know if you really want you can get time too in most cases but let's just make it a public holiday with some kind of repurcussion for those who don't
Dogs should be kept on lead in all public areas. I am sick of everyone thinking because they are friendly with pets, everyone is. I have been in so many situations in my estate or along the canal or phoenix park etc where a dog comes charging in my direction (to play apparently) and the owner is 30-40m behind
It's a terrible place to be in as a person who does not hate dogs but is simply afraid
The food in Ireland (in general) is absolute shite. "Rate my Plate" on a bad day.
And on that note, fresh Jalapeno peppers should be eaten daily, with every meal, and shouldn't cost an arm and a leg
Don't get me started.
That the government is intentionally leaving you as poor as possible. Lower corporate rates to bring in companies... Which brings in expats and jacks up cost of living while at the same time having sky high personal taxes and even now they want to jack up property taxes in Dublin... While pretending it won't make rent even higher.
Weed is most definitely harmful its most definitely addictive and it most definitely can ruin your life. It also should definitely be legalised in order to properly deal with the above points.
There are too few rubbish bins, too many litterers, not enough accountability for littering, and not enough education in schools on being personally responsible for their own rubbish (“pack it out, pack it in”).
Some restricted dog breed owners should require a license to prove they have handling and training for the breed, the owner should have to prove they can keep the dog safely enclosed and from escaping (as best as possible), and they should lose the dog and be fined on the first infraction (walking without a lead/muzzle, etc). I’m all for responsible people owning the dog they want - but some dogs definitely require extra precautions, and some owners flaunt their dangerous dogs all too casually in public spaces.
On the topic of dogs: all dogs should be registered via a national DNA database. Dog waste isn’t cleaned? Then the registered owner of said dog is fined and charged for the violation, clean up, and DNA testing required to locate the animal.
All bus stops should have coverage and seating to keep out of inclement weather. It should have shade for summer, heated seats for winter, and be rain proof.
All politicians should be required to disclose their landlord status and investments - fully transparent portfolios for all to see. Too many of them vote for their own greedy interests.
There is a serious lack of services for people with disabilities in this country, and it is a critical issue for families who cannot work normally due to their responsibility of care.
I hate the current trend of tight shorts and leggings designed to go right into the arse crack and show off the entire anatomy down there. I'm a fervent feminist and believe people should wear whatever they want to wear, but I really dislike seeing people's vulva or bum when I'm buying milk. It makes me really uncomfortable, especially as the trend seems most popular with young girls.
It’s ridiculous we have political parties based on civil war rivalry or post 1970s Northern Ireland conflict. In other European countries new parties can be formed and win majority seats in 1 year. That could never happen here. We need true left and right parties instead of pretending they aren’t ideology driven when they often are.
Without pubs, most people wouldn't know how to spend time outside their homes.
Here's a fix to that one: without pubs, people would INITIALLY not know how to spend time outside their homes and then eventually cop on and make better use of their time. Ever heard of a hobby?
You’d be surprised how many people would not develop any hobbies besides alcoholism
Don't you think that could be due to the culture around drinking in the first place?
Ireland is not the land of a thousand welcomes. There are plenty of other countries that are much friendlier and a lot less suspicious of strangers. Irish families are actually very closed and private when compared to other cultures.
Ireland is one of the most cliquey places on Earth. You will never be friends with the group that are friends since school. And the people that are nice to you in pubs couldn’t give two shits about you and they will ignore you passing by on the street. This is just a take on the general population though, there are plenty of lovely, genuine Irish people too of course.
I moved here from the US for college many years ago, I was hanging out with this guy in my masters course. We were going to grab a pint then see a movie. He ran into people on campus from his undergrad, they asked him if he'd like to grab a pint with them (only asked him, not me) and he said "sure" and started walking away. I said "whoa hey buddy I thought we were hanging out right now?" He just looks between me and them and says "yeah but I've known them longer" and walks away. It was my 2nd month in the country, like f*ck me I guess I don't deserve to have friends for being a newcomer right? We were 22 yo at the time btw, it felt like something from preschool. My first year in this country was incredibly lonely, I had a much easier time making friends in Korea than I did in Ireland, and Korea there was a language barrier
My 5th year, never made an Irish friend. Still lonely 💀😂
[удалено]
Yer man sounds like an absolute arsehole, so indecent.
Agree, if you've lived abroad for more than a couple of years the mental illness of the stuff you've described seems very pronounced.
Lots of people from aboard complain that we are very easy to talk to but hard to get to know. It is a bit of culture clash. But there are lots of communities that are very closed off, my parents moved from the west to Meath in the 60’s (they were teenagers at the time). They had a very hard getting accepted and it took a long time. Some aggression, a lot snobbery and the fact they weren’t related to existing families in the area.
That's been my experience exactly, people are friendly but not nice.
'Friendly but not nice'.... what a bang on description.
You are still a "blow in" for 30 years after you've moved some places.
Ahhh this is called the Wexford Welcome
I was considered a blow in despite being born and raised in the place. My mam was very noticeably Dublin, and my dad was from the North.
A CEO of some tech firm said this a while back and was crucified, but he was right, we are a nation of clicks. Friendly if you ask for directions but beyond that you’re in your own
I 100% agree. We are very closed off. I lived in the US for a while and my god they are the nicest, friendliest people I've ever men.
Yes, coming from Ireland, I actually felt unnerved in California and Texas at how friendly people were. I've lived in England and I found it much easier to make friends in work with English people. Relationships that flourished outside the office. In Ireland, work colleagues don't want to know you socially as everyone still hangs around with their school friends.
Texas is unbelievable friendly I couldn’t believe it
Mate of mine went to the states a few years ago, his Da is from Nigeria, he got a Lot of shit for 'pretending to be Irish'
There's so much American hate on this subreddit that reading comments like this genuinely puts a smile on my face. As an American who's been living here nearly a decade, just got citizenship, about to have a child who will be raised here, I've heard so much prejudiced, hateful things about Americans it really brings me down; and I mean stuff that's way beyond slagging and banter
I wish someone had told me that before I ended up living there for two years.
Exactly my experience. Everyone is nice to talk to and all but no one lets you in their circle or lives or invite in their homes and break bread together. It's very hard to break that barrier.
Gambling is a cancer in society and there should be a clear and concise path towards removing it. Instead, we subsidise and glorify it, we know the destruction it causes and also the associated animal abuse that’s inextricably linked to it.
I also find it weird how we’re constantly being told that alcohol is bad yet as soon as a “dignitary” visits us, we’re falling over ourselves to get a photo of them with a pint of Guinness. Fuck Diageo too😊
It’s the only problem I know where doing more of it and going all in is a possible solution to the problem. At least with alcohol and drugs there’s a limit to what you can do, but with gambling there’s no limit.
I am very uncomfortable with how is been allowed takeover mainstream sport. For example, watching a premier league game on Sky Sports, constant gambling ads, jersey sponsors, advertising hoardings, it’s non-stop for 2 hours.
We should be doing a number on it the same way as we did on smoking
Cash machINE
You always gotta scroll down to the bottom of these things to find the actual unpopular opinion
Filter by controversial
"Ireland is full" of derelict and abandoned properties. There is a housing crisis only because the government doesn't do shit to resolve this problem.
I don't even see it as a crisis, its deliberate inaction by the government designed to keep the rents and selling prices insanely high, just greed. It's an industry / scam more than a genuine crisis
I counted over 25 vacant properties driving through Chapelizod recently. Anything vacant 5yrs should automatically become council property.
Im sick of the state of our capital city. Sick of reading how An Bord Pleanala will block the development of a 20 story landmark building on a decades old derelict site because there's a Georgian street beside the site, or because one person objected. Travel to any European capital and see the scale of their buildings and then then come home and see ours... embarrassing. No ambition, no vision, no pride.
Dublin has the potential to be such a great European capital. It’s such a shame that it’s let down
Terms of venery (collective nouns for animals) are utter bullshit. They were first concocted to distinguish people of a social and wealth class that would be hunting vs the plebs who wouldn't be welcome in the hunting club. And they've now gotten so wanky and pretentious and not actually based on anything. ☝🤓: "um, I think you'll find that a group of crows is called a murder" No. Fuck you. It's a flock. Fuck it, I'll call it a pack of crows if I want. "A group of stouts is called a caravan" eat shit. Says who? Pack of stouts, rake of lions, murder of pidgeons. I dont give a fuck.
I love how passionate you are about the subject 😆
This is niche content and I’m all for it
I think youlld find a group of stouts is called a round
This thread needs more of this nonsensical ranting. 10/10. Understood the assignment.
CCTV should be put in place in towns specifically to target litterers and those people caught on camera should be fined. I'm sick of seeing a group of feral teenagers dumping empty drinks etc on the ground.
Fine litterers. Very hot take. Careful about spouting that one around mates!
People that take coke are muppets and full of shite talk.... why can't afew pints satisfy for a night out
Well this is popular with me. Coke turns people into gobshites. And makes already gobshites into absolute gowls.
The “it’s ok not to be ok” statements and how little has changed in mental health in Ireland in 15 years.We still have people doing fundraising to “raise awareness” it’s depressing in its own right.People are making money off it.
A lot of people have the most self indulging conversational habits and drive every conversation they have to a place where they can get caught on the same loop again and again because deep down conversation is a way for them to pacify themselves and not actually connect/empathise with people. These people moan about the same things again and again, tell the same stories again and again, regurgitate the same opinions again and again. I'm guilty of it too...
Horse and dog racing are cruel, inhumane, and should be illegal.
The govt should not be supporting them with funding. I have never gone to horse of dog racing, I think it’s barbaric.
Thank you. It makes no sense that a horse should risk its life for the entertainment of drunk oldies. I worked at both greyhound and horse racing stadiums and everyone who attended was a drunk, rich and often racist piece of shit.
I wholeheartedly disagree. Some of them are drunk, poor, racist pieces of shit.
These threads always bring out the most lukewarm of takes.
The most milquetoast of threads
I PUTS DE MILK IN WITH DE TAYBAG FIRST BEFORE DE WAHER FIGHT ME HAHAHA IM CRACKED
Yep, it's usually popular opinions. Notice how most of the "unpopular opinions" get upvotes rather than downvotes.
Because the actual unpopular opinion is that unpopular opinions are not allowed on Irish Reddit.
Irish people dress like shit.
Tracksuits as far as the eye can see
Women look better without fake tan
Not everything has to be built in dublin
How’s that an unpopular opinion ?
We were all better off without social media
The guards are useless and I wouldn't blame someone for taking the law into their own hands
It’s a shame since a lot of people who join the guards are genuinely nice people who want to help, but the culture from the top is just no support
I've yet to see a competent police force anywhere. Class traitors all of them. Never actually giving a shit about problems of regular people. Your bike got robbed? Woopsies! We'll spend about a week pretending to care. Your family was threatened in broad daylight? Sorry we were... anywhere else. Your friend got raped? We literally do not give a fuck and plan on doing nothing. I hate every single one of them
The gards should chase motorcycle and car thiefs, burglar etc, and if they die while evading arrest, fuck them.
The cops don't care either. But it's the hapless random pedestrian that gets killed or maimed in the process who cares.
Same thing that should happen when these same people land bikes on people's heads, or do wheelie through a crowd at a bus stop or knock someone down when they are driving the car they stole or assault people when they are stealling the property. I'd say that's what should happen. Letting them get away with it isn't working
Fun fact: the very same guards that don't bother to do anything about these scumbags, also won't do anything when you give one of those scumbags a kicking.
I actually don't believe that to be fact, if I'm being honest with you
A few of my friends are guards. They would love nothing more than to hear about some scumbag they encounter on a regular basis getting a smack in the mouth. Unless you land him in a coma or get posted on YouTube, they'll show the same enthusiasm as dealing with any other potentially unsolvable crime. Add to this them being vastly over worked and understaffed, and your odds of getting away scot free are quite high.
I'd gladly pay a subscription to watch dashcam footage of Darren and Anto being turned into jam on their DIY Chinese scrambler by a Garda interceptor.
Don't baptise your babies if you aren't really invested or involved in the Catholic Church. Doing it to keep your family happy is ridiculous.
All new homes should use gray water in their toilets. We shit and piss in potable water. It's mind boggling.
We are not as “rich” as we think we are and Eastern Europe or southern Europeans live better more fulfilling lives
you make more money in Ireland, but quality of life is on similar level
You make more but also spend more on the basics.
nominal - yes, but as % of salary it's not the case https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20231103-1
Thank you for providing sources against people spouting shite.
most people are completely clueless how living costs work. General rule of thumb is that the poorer the country is the more expensive it is to make a living and you need to work more hours. Meanwhile most people fall into dumb "tourist perspective" way of judging whether a country is cheap to live in
It's easier for people to believe that they are relatively worse off here than other European countries, it helps the victim mindset and the idea that people somehow don't have agency to change their economic positions. Neoliberalism has fucked us over but not as badly as some other countries (yet). Herself is Romanian and when you see the prices of food there versus the average wage or pension you realise how lucky we really are.
We're a wealthy nation but the wealth is not being used in the correct manner and reflected in facilities and infrastructure, or quality of life. It's so frustrating when you think we were once a very poor nation and now we're very wealthy and yet we still have such shit infrastructure and services for most people. It's not about how much money you have, it's how you're spending it that counts.
Just because you don’t have a fulfilling life doesn’t mean everyone else is the same
'Graduating' from playschool is not an achievement.
That’s not what my pasta photo frame says
👏👏👏
To be fair, It’s only a bit of harmless craic for the kids
Who roped you into attending one? 🤣
Yesssss 😂😂😂
Why not? It's a nice thing for 4/5 year olds and for them its huge. Typical negative irish mentality.
The Sunday thread is filled with people who are desperate for attention for getting up early and claiming they've their lawns cut, washing on, dog walked, dishwasher unloaded and fry eaten before 8am. Yeah, sure Jan.
The English countryside is far superior to the Irish countryside. They have nice small collection of local villages, plenty of walking paths across farm lands for locals and areas of forest all over. Irelands countryside is all kept behind locked up gates and walls and barren of nature. Want to go for a walk in the countryside here generally involves walking on narrow roads trying not to get ran over
The culture around alcohol in Ireland is absolutely terrible and insanely destructive. It has held us back as a nation. It’s the only aspect of many people personality’s.
People nowadays say you're responsible for your own life, if you're depressed it's your fault. Man, bullshit. I've studied, changed jobs due to studying to get better jobs, been to therapy for years and am pretty active in general (gym and music in my case) I'm still depressed af and dk wtf I'm doing w my life. Life throws you in shit circumstance and it really isn't just something in your fucking control frankly.
Most Irish men aren't toilet trained. They leave pi55 all over the toilet seats and don't wash their hands.
SUVs should be banned. Pure status symbol in majority of cases, take up more space, heavier and cause more wear and tear on roads.
100%. Absolutely no need for them in Ireland. Small 4x4s are the ideal for Irish country driving and farm labour.
This. I'll need the space for business reasons soon enough, even then I feel I'd survive with an estate.
saw a "working" American truck ie a F150 Raptor with company credentials on the side. Pissed laughing to see that there was a length of tubing wedged inside the cab instead of in the truck bed, since the truck bed is so useless as a haulage space. And that's the smaller end of the wannabe macho pickups
I've driven the ranger raptor before and it's completely useless. The bed cover on it limits the space so much. The only thing it had going was it was relatively comfortable. I always ask people what did we do before the normalisation of driving big cars, swear I said something inappropriate
They should be insurable on commercial only, like vans.
People want hot takes so I’ll bite 😊 The dole should be steadily decreasing for people on it 1,3,5,7,10,15 years etc . ( this does not include disabled people ) Obviously it can’t go to 0 but there should be incentives to work . Also I believe people on the dole should be made clean the streets , paint schools etc . Even 6 hours per week . It would help the community and give them some positive momentum .
High earning tax evaders should be tracked and made to pay back everything they stole from the state with interest.
The problem with this is that we would end up with thousands of desperate people on little to no income, the hassle and danger that would cause to society would far out way any financial or social benefit of decreasing the dole. Also how would that work with people who have dependants?
I agree with this. I would also like to add that people that lose a job get a higher rate that decreases until they find another job. I’ve been paying tax for 30 years and no way would I be staying on the dole long term if I suddenly lost my job.
There is a simpler solution: give everyone the dole. Everyone. If you need it, it’s enough to get by. If you don’t, it’s a reward for paying taxes. Then there is always the incentive to work: you will always be better off working.
If that army lad wasn’t Irish there would be uproar about the suspended sentence - think back to Aisling Murphy’s murder and outpouring of grief. Organised marches at the weekend across the country and how only a few hundred showed up… is that because the lad was Irish?
Well I think the majority of the country are shocked he wasn't jailed to be fair. The marches aren't a a great indicator of anything because most people probably didn't know they were happening and we're pretty shit in this country for marching about anything.
I'm confused... There is uproar over the suspended sentence?
I've seen plenty of outrage over it
there were protests yesterday around the country ...
If he wasn't Irish, he'd have been jailed
There is outrage
No one should wear outside shoes inside. Bum guns (bidets) should be mandatory everywhere. It’s filthy not to wash your ass after sh***ing, but wipe it around.
Ryanair are head and shoulders better than aer Lingus in most respects.
Definitely not in colour scheme. The blue and yellow is jarring!
They are behind in 2 ways - the colour scheme, ugh. And that they have no loyalty scheme. The only reason I fly Aer Lingus is because I fly enough to get a Platinum Aer Club card so I get lounge access etc etc Plus I collect Avios points and I have the AL credit card so I get free flights every year. But I hate AL. They’re a terrible airline, their customer service is MILES behind Ryanair’s. Even most of their staff are worse than Ryanair’s. If Ryanair introduced a proper loyalty scheme I’d switch tomorrow, but that’s just not their gig and I respect them for that.
I have been saying this for years. Flights are more likely to be on time, usually cheaper and more location options.
Ryanair uses newer planes too
Having flown on both recently I found the new ones smaller than the old ones, less leg room or elbow space. But having said that they have in-house mechanics and more likely to go in general as op said
I actually disagree that they're "better", but I definitely prefer Ryanair. People go on about Aer Lingus like your getting treated like fucking royalty when you fly with them. Even if they're marginally better, it's not worth it for the extra price.
I honestly believe it's because a lot of people see them as the national carrier and it's a national pride thing. That and every ad they turn out bangs the green drum and flies the tricolour. People don't care they haven't been Irish owned in decades. I flew a lot with work and whilst I never had a bad experience, it was always just mweh. The only saving grace I will give them is their food, even in economy it's actually edible compared to the north american airlines, with an honourable mention to Air Canada for their utter gruel.
I think Irish people, even though economically we may be better off than other eu countries, are pretty miserable. In other places people with way less are much more positive, welcoming and willing to share. In general the Irish are greedy and don't want to see others do well
Dublin shouldn't play it's home games at Croke Park.
Dublin is an absolute hole, with an incredibly high number of scumbags living in it, there's nothing to do or unique about it and I have no idea why anyone from abroad would want to visit.
Religious people are intellectually lazy.
People downvoting unpopular opinions in this thread didn't understand the question.
I don’t get why people defend travelers, all my experiences with them have been overwhelmingly negative it’s constant littering, theft parking 20 odd caravan and campers wherever the fuck they want leaving human faeces on the ground why can’t they assimilate into regular Irish society? immigrants prove you can even coming from halfway across the world so why can’t travellers just settle down?
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Irish mammies are nothing special in fact they are statistically pretty awful. Worst rate of drinking alcohol while pregnant by miles. Lowest rate of breastfeeding by an absolute mile. Highest rate of smoking while pregnant too. Aside from that Irish mothers don't do anything special that other countries don't do. I'll take the downvotes now but it's all fact.
One of the worst things Irish mammies do is raise useless, spoilt, avoidant sons.
Who think they're god's gifts to the universe because they're the craic (according to themselves)
Lowest rate of breastfeeding due to no support! I asked to see the lactation consultant three times and she NEVER came near me. I was struggling to breastfeed my second. Lasted a week coz it was to painful. I have PTSD from breastfeeding my first. It landed me in Holles street for a week with mastitis which required two trips to St. Vincent’s to get the abscess drained. I’m a huge breastfeeding advocate but it just didn’t work for me and I feel like a massive failure for it.
For drinking while pregnant we’re not even top 3 according to [this study.](https://womensmentalhealth.org/posts/alcohol-pregnancy-attitudes-around-globe/) As for smoking, I imagine you are looking at [this study](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(18)30223-7/fulltext) from 2018; Perhaps I’m reading it wrong, but is that not the amount of smokers who continued smoking through pregnancy, rather than number of pregnant women smoking? Still an awful fact, but I don’t think it’s true to say we are a nation of pregnant smokers? Finally, mothers who don’t breastfeed aren’t awful so we don’t need any stats on that.
Anyone giving out about breastfeeding riles me up immediately. Breastfeeding is not only an INSANELY demanding 24/7 365 job it also sucks the life out of some people, and others physically can’t do it. Drives me demented. Couldn’t give a shit that our numbers are low
Reading this while breastfeeding my baby and I think anyone that judges a mother for not breastfeeding clearly has never tried it themselves or been close to anyone who has because if they did they would know how difficult it can be and shut the hell up.
Yeah if we’re talking unpopular opinions, the benefits of breastfeeding over bottle feeding are so marginal that if difficulty with breastfeeding is distressing to the mother, I’d contend it’s far more beneficial for a child to have a less stressed mother bottle-feeding than a stressed one breastfeeding. That and the fact that bottle-feeding makes it far more straightforward for dad to pull his weight.
What ever about drinking and smoking Breastfeeding isnt a thing only good mothers do, it doesnt make you a better mother if you do it its a privilage in this day and age to be able to
I have a few: 1. I don’t think Irish families are close. They live together for ages but the family dynamics and structure is pretty bad, the kids are adult teenagers and Irish parents are often too lazy to parent them properly. What happens is 30 year old brats. 2. make up on girls… I am a women myself and I have never seen women using this much (bad) make up. Like, no your fake tan doesn’t look real at all, it’s orange. No your fake lashes don’t look good. And no that make up does not match your skin colour. They look so trashy and don’t even realise it
I don't like this time of year I prefer winter.
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Pure lack of funds I think. It’s crazy how expensive it is. I paid €20 for a sick note I could’ve typed in 30 seconds, in top of GP fee & on top of prescription. It cost me over €100.
It costs a fortune to go to the dentist. We have a shortage of GPs.
My GP is constantly rushing me whenever I see her; I feel like I can't find a new one bc it was so difficult to get a spot with her to begin with, plus she has specialization in a specific health issue that I have
I had to wait a year and a bit to see a gynaecologist
I genuinely think that vigilantes should take out violent offenders and enjoy the same lack of fucking consequences.
Irish "fashion" is absolutely shite, The skinfades and tracksuits, lululemon or whatever preteens wear are NOT needed. Ireland is DEFINITELY not as welcoming and happy as what most people say, I and many of my friends get harrassed/assualted on an almost daily basis. I know the Irish hate being stereotyped as aggressive alcoholics (which is completely fair) but every time I'm asked out it's either a pub or a movie, a lot people wouldn't know any other places. Most houses I've visited had a whole cabinet dedicated to JUST alcohol.
Everybody blames politicians, but the reality of the situation is that public/civil servants run the show, don't want change and are a majorly entitled and incompetent bunch in disproportionate numbers. Everybody still talks about the 'job for life'. It's absurd.
We are so far behind Europe. I just moved to the Netherlands, and no joke people took the piss out of me back home because I was "metropolitan" and modern, but i feel like such a hillbilly over here. Everything, is so far behind, and we can blame the Brits, and the famine, and whoever else, but at the end of the day, no matter what, we always find a way to fuck things up or take action. Just embarrassing.
More people are alcoholics but don't realize it. If you need it to socialize, relax, unwind after a day, get through your week knowing you'll have it on the weekend then bad news for you, you are dependent on it.
Most Irish people work pointless filler jobs so companies can cash tax. Probably more than half the people working in the country.
People period. You should see the US side of most multinationals. Meetings with 5 tiers of management. Billions pissed up the wall on cancelled projects, politics at a scale we can scarcely dream of. Irish operations actually have a reputation for being lean, revenue-wise.
Give me some examples?
People should have to retake a driving test, or at least a knowledge test, every time their license is renewed.
Greeting cards with only the senders name on the bottom of the page suck. Write me a letter. Two pages of it. I would keep that forever. The cards. I chuck them in the bin.
You shouldn't have to pay for parking anywhere. Especially feckin hospitals.
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Well it's definitely daft so I can see how it's unpopular. Nobody would ever build a car park in that scenario.
I think the main reason you have to pay to park in hospitals is due to the insensitive pricks who would you hospital car parks when they don't actually need to use the hospital themselves.
People who are fat that take up more room than 1 seat on a bus (coach) should pay for 2 seats instead of trying to squeeze into 1 seat but end up squishing the person they have sat beside.
People (usually younger people) are almost romanticising mental disorders, and self-diagnosing themselves with things like ADHD, Autism, Bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder just to feel like they’re part of an exclusive group/ different from others
I find it's often those who don't have ADHD who romanticize it. Anyone who has it knows it blows
This type of attitude actually leads to it being harder to get actually diagnosed though. People see it as just people who want to be different. And then you end up having people who self diagnose because they have the symptoms but they can't get a referral to be tested. As someone who has ADHD, I once had a gp tell me he didn't believe it existed and was an excuse for lazy people. Like this guy has a medical degree, is qualified to treat people, and this is the shit he thinks. Ignoring all of the scientific research supporting the disorder's existence. Like, yes, there are people who want to seem cool and different and self diagnose for that purpose, but I actually think there's more people who just either can't afford to spend the money to get tested as an adult, or have been failed by the system and accept their mental health problem as "that's just life." I've met people who I can tell probably have adhd, but they almost laugh about it as if it's something that doesn't exist.
Speed limits should be enforced properly, and less of the ‘ah shur that road should be 100 anyway’ type of attitude. Severe penalties for speeding.
I believe prostitution should be legalised and regulated. I also think all drugs should be legal, prohibition just makes things worse, our laws aren't the reason why I'm not smoking meth; I don't see how the gards can help with this one, to my knowledge they're not doctors who are trained in how to deal with addiction issues.
An awful lot more Irish lads say (and actually seem to believe) that they're heterosexual than actually are
Farmers have ruined almost all of the natural beauty in Ireland. In Europe there’s an average of 35% forest cover and in Ireland there’s 11%. Most farms are unprofitable and just a waste of space, I think this country would be so much nicer if there wasn’t so many animals grazing
That happened way before modern farming though. Forests of Ireland have been fucked for centuries sadly
participation in elections (both voting and running for office) should be locked behind some kind of exam covering basic knowledge of economy, finances, international relations, law and gov budgeting (advanced version for people running for an office). Eg voting could be valid for something like a decade and you would have to pass it each time you want to be a candidate
Yeah this isn't popular for a reason. The whole point of democracy is that everyone gets a say in society because everyone lives in society. You just want to disenfranchise people you don't agree with. This type of shit has been used to deny voting to disabled people and less educated people - usually poor and minorities - throughout history.
only if there's easily accessible classes to such
But then begs the question of who teaches these classes, based on whose agenda
As much as I want to get behind this, it only works in an ideal world......I don't trust the worst of people, as soon as voting eligibility is controlled be people with power, there is opportunity for those with malicious intentions to strip votes form people who would vote against their interests. Imagine a fascist in control of this system......but my god some people do deserve to lose their right to vote
Half our population is too disinterested in politics for democracy to work. The other half is too stupid .
Mandatory voting - Let people spoil votes if need be but 50-60% turnout seems wrong. I know if you really want you can get time too in most cases but let's just make it a public holiday with some kind of repurcussion for those who don't
Burritos are overrated
"Alcohol. The cause of... and solution to - all of life's problems." -Homer Simpson
Joanne Cantwell is an annoying gobshite
Long term benefits are way too generous and doesn't encourage people to look for work.
We Irish are an ugly people
Loyalists are keeping the divide going.
If you were against the Blasphemy Law yet are in favour of the Hate Speech Law, you’re a hypocrite.
Dogs should be kept on lead in all public areas. I am sick of everyone thinking because they are friendly with pets, everyone is. I have been in so many situations in my estate or along the canal or phoenix park etc where a dog comes charging in my direction (to play apparently) and the owner is 30-40m behind It's a terrible place to be in as a person who does not hate dogs but is simply afraid
Shane McGowan couldn’t sing. Gifted writer, but shouty, slurring, often incomprehensible singing.
The food in Ireland (in general) is absolute shite. "Rate my Plate" on a bad day. And on that note, fresh Jalapeno peppers should be eaten daily, with every meal, and shouldn't cost an arm and a leg Don't get me started.
Bohemian rhapsody is only an ok song...hell it isn't even Queens best song
Most Irish girls have too high standards relative to their own attractiveness. Particularly compared to other Europeans
All *drugs* should be legalised
That the government is intentionally leaving you as poor as possible. Lower corporate rates to bring in companies... Which brings in expats and jacks up cost of living while at the same time having sky high personal taxes and even now they want to jack up property taxes in Dublin... While pretending it won't make rent even higher.
After living in the north, I don’t want a United Ireland.
Expand?
Long term dole kings and Queens should be randomly drug tested and serve a dole ban if test is positive.
Weed is most definitely harmful its most definitely addictive and it most definitely can ruin your life. It also should definitely be legalised in order to properly deal with the above points.
There are too few rubbish bins, too many litterers, not enough accountability for littering, and not enough education in schools on being personally responsible for their own rubbish (“pack it out, pack it in”). Some restricted dog breed owners should require a license to prove they have handling and training for the breed, the owner should have to prove they can keep the dog safely enclosed and from escaping (as best as possible), and they should lose the dog and be fined on the first infraction (walking without a lead/muzzle, etc). I’m all for responsible people owning the dog they want - but some dogs definitely require extra precautions, and some owners flaunt their dangerous dogs all too casually in public spaces. On the topic of dogs: all dogs should be registered via a national DNA database. Dog waste isn’t cleaned? Then the registered owner of said dog is fined and charged for the violation, clean up, and DNA testing required to locate the animal. All bus stops should have coverage and seating to keep out of inclement weather. It should have shade for summer, heated seats for winter, and be rain proof. All politicians should be required to disclose their landlord status and investments - fully transparent portfolios for all to see. Too many of them vote for their own greedy interests. There is a serious lack of services for people with disabilities in this country, and it is a critical issue for families who cannot work normally due to their responsibility of care.
I hate the current trend of tight shorts and leggings designed to go right into the arse crack and show off the entire anatomy down there. I'm a fervent feminist and believe people should wear whatever they want to wear, but I really dislike seeing people's vulva or bum when I'm buying milk. It makes me really uncomfortable, especially as the trend seems most popular with young girls.
Service is shit everywhere in Dublin
It’s ridiculous we have political parties based on civil war rivalry or post 1970s Northern Ireland conflict. In other European countries new parties can be formed and win majority seats in 1 year. That could never happen here. We need true left and right parties instead of pretending they aren’t ideology driven when they often are.