Topic: The Irish Politics Thread.

[Corkboy]

I remember my grandad, an English WWII veteran living in NI,  told me a story about the OO when I was young that I never forgotten.

A member of a local lodge who met him through work invited him along to a D-day commemoration they were holding. He had fought a year and spent a further 3 as a POW and despite not being in the OO he was happy to go along as he figured he’d get to meet other veterans. He only vaguely knew what the order were.

After the church service he went to the lodge for tea and sandwiches. While there, a guy he knew from the legion told his brethren that my grandad was a Catholic - he’s converted to marry his Scottish wife. These brave men, who themselves hadn’t fought for their beloved country, subsequently and very impolitely made him leave. They accused him of misleading him and gave the veteran pensioner the utmost sectarian abuse. He was gobsmacked.

Their hatred trumps any love of their country. He gave up on the legion after that too.

A bit off topic but I have a Legion story.

My father in law knew of a man who died homeless in his locality, in Co Cork. Despite not being especially well off, he thought that nobody should have a pauper's funeral so he arranged for a simple service for him with a decent coffin and so on, and wrangled a few people to go along and pay their respects.

Unknown to my father in law, the man was a British army veteran. About a year later, some bloke from the Legion showed up at his door, asked him if he had paid for the man's funeral and how much had it cost and then gave him a cheque to reimburse him on the spot.

[thejbs]

https://twitter.com/DavidYoungPA/status/1532701722547732482?s=20&t=8hmfHpvtXh6wwcv5IyLNZQ

Laughable.

The “we ask for privacy at this time” bit is hilarious.

[TSC]

The “we ask for privacy at this time” bit is hilarious.

Its (JWB Consultancy) website doesn’t appear to be loading.  I wonder why?

[BarryCrocker]

https://twitter.com/DavidYoungPA/status/1532701722547732482?s=20&t=8hmfHpvtXh6wwcv5IyLNZQ

Laughable.

Are they apologising for singing the song on video or for the fact that they know the words and have probably sang it many times before?

[thejbs]

Are they apologising for singing the song on video or for the fact that they know the words and have probably sang it many times before?

I read it as:

“We’re sorry we were caught on video singing a vile song we found hilarious. We’re not saying it was because of alcohol, but it was only because we were drinking alcohol.

We ask for privacy at this time.”

[DangerScouse]

RTE news : Mother shot by solider in 'unjustified' circumstances

http://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2022/0629/1307551-ni-inquest-kathleen-thompson/

[thejbs]

Rare to write ‘uplifting story’ and ‘northern Ireland’ in the same sentence, but here you go;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-northern-ireland-61986069

[Nobby Reserve]

'We don't believe that sufficient progress has been made to address the issues of concern to the people we represent'

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has been giving a statement ahead of last minute power-sharing talks before tonight's midnight deadline

https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1585587864770846720?s=20&t=wYTs-JjBXBJKF_06fLqJJQ


These c*nts sure know how to have a very long tantrum

[BarryCrocker]

https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1585587864770846720?s=20&t=wYTs-JjBXBJKF_06fLqJJQ


These c*nts sure know how to have a very long tantrum

It would fantastic if the DUP got smashed in a new election over this stonewalling.

[Nobby Reserve]

It would fantastic if the DUP got smashed in a new election over this stonewalling.

I'm sure their 'loyalist' paramilitary goons/organised crime gangs will be out amongst the electorate, doing some 'persuading' on their behalf.

[BarryCrocker]

I'm sure their 'loyalist' paramilitary goons/organised crime gangs will be out amongst the electorate, doing some 'persuading' on their behalf.

It's the everyday people who are looking at these clowns being paid good money not to work while they're struggling to meet ends meet with the cost of living crisis.

Gerry Carroll (MLA) just ripped them for keeping the Tories in power and therefore supporting austerity against their own constituents.

Mind you, there alway some clown finishing off his speech with the typical 'No Surrender'.

[SouthDerryLaggo]

none of this matters. What will happen is there will be another election The DUP will rabble rouse and fear monger and convince other unionist parties to not run in certain constituencies so that there is a united unionist candidate. They are calling the Alliance party IRA sympathisers to try and scare off moderate unionists who may vote alliance. This could all work to make them the biggest party again. They will then cite some stupid modification to the protocol that does not exist or else will say they have been given a mandate to fight the protocol by taking their seats and will nominate a first minister.
this whole thing is to stop SF having the Token first minister title.

[Indomitable_Carp]

I guess no chance of Alliance nicking the spot for the second biggest party then? Wouldn´t that be a fantastic outcome?!

[SouthDerryLaggo]

I guess no chance of Alliance nicking the spot for the second biggest party then? Wouldn´t that be a fantastic outcome?!

Does it actually matter? I think they would have to declare as nationalist or unionist. The way our system of power sharing is set out, I think there needs to be a unionist and nationalist party in power. I guess alliance would just mean it’s three first ministers/ deputy, as opposed to two.

[Mister Flip Flop]

It would fantastic if the DUP got smashed in a new election over this stonewalling.

Don't hold your breath. The people who vote DUP are similar to those who vote Republican in the states. They take a side and nothing will ever change that view no matter how ridiculous it may seem to level headed folk.

[SouthDerryLaggo]

https://twitter.com/ursomeboyyouhi/status/1585595710208098304?s=46&t=_FSavaRVwR32qzUDFHktqw

Summed up nicely

[Nobby Reserve]

https://twitter.com/ursomeboyyouhi/status/1585595710208098304?s=46&t=_FSavaRVwR32qzUDFHktqw

Summed up nicely

Insane, isn't it?

Angry Woman adorned with red/wite/blue crap - The DUP do nothing for people like us, nothing!

Interviewer - Did you vote DUP?

Woman - Yes

interviewer - Will you vote for them again?

Woman - Yes

[TSC]

Does it actually matter? I think they would have to declare as nationalist or unionist. The way our system of power sharing is set out, I think there needs to be a unionist and nationalist party in power. I guess alliance would just mean it’s three first ministers/ deputy, as opposed to two.

Need the UU to take the DUP spot then although I’d guess that’s unlikely.

[BarryCrocker]

It's been interesting over the past few weeks seeing the increase in anti-migrant protests across Ireland. I know there hasn't been large numbers of people at these protests, but I do find it laughable that some of the people backing it are convicted drug dealers complaining that their communities are being ruined by 'non-nationals'.

They rant about their ethnicity being diluted, claiming to be 'the 90%' without realising that when Ireland was 100% Irish it was a shithole. There's a reason why the Irish fled to the four corners of the planet in search of a better life. It amazes me that it's all fine for nearly 1m irish people to live outside Ireland (diluting those cultures) but not ok for people fleeing war and famine to come to to theirs.

I know there is a serious housing shortage in Ireland (like many western countries) and the government really need to address that through better policy regarding tax breaks for 'cuckoo funds' and to activate the large number of dormant property across the country.

Maybe some of these protestors should call their overseas relatives and tell them all to come home.

[MBL?]

The reason Ireland was shit wasn’t just because it was 100% Irish, there’s a very good reason for that and the emigration. Anyway I digress.

These racists are hand in hand with the right in Britain who hate Ireland and celebrate when their murderers get out of jail time for their atrocities here. These c*nts have the gall to call themselves patriots.

[BarryCrocker]

The reason Ireland was shit wasn’t just because it was 100% Irish, there’s a very good reason for that and the emigration. Anyway I digress.

These racists are hand in hand with the right in Britain who hate Ireland and celebrate when their murderers get out of jail time for their atrocities here. These c*nts have the gall to call themselves patriots.

I wasn't suggesting Ireland was shit because it was 100% Irish. What I was saying is that the last time Ireland was shit in 70/80's lots of them fled to every part of the world in massive numbers for a better life. Naturally, over the past few years Ireland has been booming (although not for all) and as a result it's had the capacity to take others in and give them a better life.

[MBL?]

That’s fair enough. The reason was the same but I’m nit picking and I do get your point.

[didi shamone]

Ireland was a shithole due to British and Catholic Church repression.  Joining the EU and shaking off the church were game changers. It's now a wealthy country where people aspire to live. It's also now a country with an increasing number of entitled c*nts who act hard done by and blame refugees for their imagined plight.

There's a generation here who feel they're the most put upon people on earth. They connect with similarly put upon people through their €800 phones, sporting a few grands worth of tattoos and holiday out foreign every year. The moaning when we got a giveaway budget last time was epic. Nothing is ever enough.
That's not to say that everything is perfect obviously.

But I'm hearing more and more of it. All the Ukrainians are driving expensive cars , they can get the dole and work etc.  All bollocks but it's a narrative that's increasing.

Incidentally you'd be pretty dumb not to use your car when fleeing war if that's an option.  But our new fascists are too dumb to put that logic together.

[Riquende]

Ireland was a shithole due to British and Catholic Church repression.  Joining the EU and shaking off the church were game changers. It's now a wealthy country where people aspire to live.

You mean that people thought about it at some point and said "There's more to Ireland than this" ?


"Good slogan for the tourist board"

[thejbs]

I always love the “if they’re refugees, why do they have phones?” Question. If I was made a refugee right now, I’d be showing up in whatever country agreed to take me with the latest iPhone. I’d probably have some other expensive electronics and decent clothes with me. If possible, I’d have my car too.

You leave in a hurry, you’ll absolutely have your phone. There’s a weird belief that if you’re coming from  war torn country, you should have noting more than some raggedy clothes with you.

[Ray K]

The other thing to note is that when you look at the anti-immigration twitter accounts, there is a 100% chance that you read an anti-vaxxer, covid-is-a-con tweet in the space of a couple of tweets.

These are people who have been completely indoctrinated by the extremists online. And it's very fucking difficult to stop the spread of disinformation among people whose only source of information is twitter bots and Facebook groups.

[BarryCrocker]

The other thing to note is that when you look at the anti-immigration twitter accounts, there is a 100% chance that you read an anti-vaxxer, covid-is-a-con tweet in the space of a couple of tweets.

These are people who have been completely indoctrinated by the extremists online. And it's very fucking difficult to stop the spread of disinformation among people whose only source of information is twitter bots and Facebook groups.

Totally agree. The type of people who'll end up branding themselves as sovereign citizens.

Nice back story from the Irish Indy about the people lurking in the shadows pushing this forward.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/irelands-far-right-problem-messages-reveal-the-hate-stirred-up-behind-the-scenes-42328135.html

[darragh85]

I always love the “if they’re refugees, why do they have phones?” Question. If I was made a refugee right now, I’d be showing up in whatever country agreed to take me with the latest iPhone. I’d probably have some other expensive electronics and decent clothes with me. If possible, I’d have my car too.

You leave in a hurry, you’ll absolutely have your phone. There’s a weird belief that if you’re coming from  war torn country, you should have noting more than some raggedy clothes with you.

Or the nonsense that Ukrainians fleeing the war are supposed to be poor.

I know of some people here with very right wing views and each and every one of them are bitter cowards with a huge chip on their shoulder. You will not see any of them out canvassing and expressing their views at the doors come election time.

[MBL?]

The other thing to note is that when you look at the anti-immigration twitter accounts, there is a 100% chance that you read an anti-vaxxer, covid-is-a-con tweet in the space of a couple of tweets.

These are people who have been completely indoctrinated by the extremists online. And it's very fucking difficult to stop the spread of disinformation among people whose only source of information is twitter bots and Facebook groups.

Ive a few friends going this way since Covid became a thing and it’s awful.

[fowlermagic]

Sorry to say this but if you travel to the Irish areas in the States some of the most racist people you met were first generation Irish as they were in the same neighbourhoods as black, Puerto Ricans etc. Thankfully most were normal decent folk but a small percentage were Irish racist dicks. There is an element of that still in Ireland just a few but they make their opinions known especially after a few pints blaming the foreigners for everything. It's laughable.

Ireland was shyte prior to the Celtic Tiger too as think unemployment for college graduates was through the roof. It's why a lot of us went abroad in the 80s early 90s. Even when things got better the cost of living went sky high and doing it again 15 years later. Basically if you think you are doing well then watch the house prices double and here we are back into being house poor again. It's a great place to be from but jesus everything is twice the price than other similar countries in Europe.

[CraigR2323]

It's a great place to be from but jesus everything is twice the price than other similar countries in Europe.

I've been here over 6 years, and it really isn't 'double'. When all said and done, it's almost identical to the UK. Some things more, some less. It basically balances out for my family of four - 2 adults, 2 kids. But I don't live in Dublin!

[fowlermagic]

I've been here over 6 years, and it really isn't 'double'. When all said and done, it's almost identical to the UK. Some things more, some less. It basically balances out for my family of four - 2 adults, 2 kids. But I don't live in Dublin!

You definitely don't want to be living in Dublin 😜 but when i said similar countries in Europe i didn't mean England, more like Portugal, Belgium etc in terms of size and where we all were thirty forty years ago. Even if you compare us to England the cost of living is 20% more. Compare us to Belguim we are closer to 40% more expensive. Think we rank in the top five most expensive countries to live in and considering where we were when i was a teenager the cost of living must have gone through the roof. If you want to find a cheap home in Ireland in 1990 you could get a place for 25k now it's closer to 250k. Im sure in the UK i could still find a house somewhere for 60k and in Liverpool probably 100k. You couldn't get a shed in Cork for less than 50k.

Anyway its not twice the price but for a country that use to be relying on farming and tourism for their main income prior to 2000 the cost of living has gone sky high.

[Jiminy Cricket]

It is striking how Ireland has changed since I visited as a kid. I recall some years ago a mate of mine who, like me, is of Irish heritage describing Ireland as 'a third-world country in 1980' - and it was! When I visited my grandparents in Co. Clare in 1977, they had no running water or electricity. I remember using an oil lamp at night and having to fetch water from a spring. Of course, it was an outside toilet - I assume a cesspit arrangement. Not so bad in the summer (though maybe a stench - I cannot recall now) - but I am sure it would be less fun if you need to go in the winter or in the middle of the night (as becomes the norm for men as we age). Use of a bucket at the stage, I guess.

It was not all like that of course. My Dad's family had electricity installed in the mid-50s - still very late by UK standards. My Dad would tell me how he could not quite believe being able to able to turn on the lights from a switch on the wall, and would spend an age repeatedly flicking a switch on and off.

[Indomitable_Carp]

You definitely don't want to be living in Dublin 😜 but when i said similar countries in Europe i didn't mean England, more like Portugal, Belgium etc in terms of size and where we all were thirty forty years ago. Even if you compare us to England the cost of living is 20% more. Compare us to Belguim we are closer to 40% more expensive. Think we rank in the top five most expensive countries to live in and considering where we were when i was a teenager the cost of living must have gone through the roof. If you want to find a cheap home in Ireland in 1990 you could get a place for 25k now it's closer to 250k. Im sure in the UK i could still find a house somewhere for 60k and in Liverpool probably 100k. You couldn't get a shed in Cork for less than 50k.

Anyway its not twice the price but for a country that use to be relying on farming and tourism for their main income prior to 2000 the cost of living has gone sky high.

Yeah I live in Barcelona these days and have a couple of Irish mates here who said they'd love to go back to Ireland, but it's just too expensive. We were planning our honeymoon in Ireland, but sacked it off because of the price. We had 10 days in Croatia instead, for the same amount of money it cost just to hire a car in Ireland for a week without even getting into accommodation (that wasn't cheap either!). We didn't fancy getting the bus up and down the West Coast on our honeymoon so sacked it off.

[fowlermagic]

Yeah I live in Barcelona these days and have a couple of Irish mates here who said they'd love to go back to Ireland, but it's just too expensive. We were planning our honeymoon in Ireland, but sacked it off because of the price. We had 10 days in Croatia instead, for the same amount of money it cost just to hire a car in Ireland for a week without even getting into accommodation (that wasn't cheap either!). We didn't fancy getting the bus up and down the West Coast on our honeymoon so sacked it off.

Crazy rental car prices since 2020. I mean they got to the point where laws surely were getting broken. An American was quoted €20k for a minivan for six weeks last summer. 20k for 6 weeks. He obviously said fuck off. Another friend came home for his father's funeral and was quoted 2k for a week. Midsize car 2k. Again he ended up borrowing a family car. The rental car companies in their wisdom got rid of their stock when covid hit, thinking there would be no problem buying new cars once travel opened up. Now there is a limited stock so they can charge what they like. Modern day piracy.

There is no way Ireland is an affordable place to live or visit. The yanks are lucky the dollar is so strong but then again the vendors are charging them more because of it.

The country was not exactly third world fifty years ago but things have changed and not all for the better. When houses in the west are getting sold for 500k to wealthy Dubs or expats for their holiday homes then the locals are getting screwed as no way can they get on the housing ladder.

[Zlen]

Food prices have gone up considerably, rent is out of control, mortgage rates are climbing.
It's not a very comfortable place to live, that's for sure.

[CraigR2323]

I'm not disagreeing with any of those posts! The hire car thing is mental. Pre Covid19 we had a few summers where we literally had a day on our own before more family/friends would arrive. I'm not complaining, saves me going anywhere to see them  A benefit of living somewhere where people go on holiday (our location, and a lot of Ireland). Hiring a car was not just affordable, but cheap! I think some were getting a small car for around 18-20 euro a day. A mate looked into it recently and is driving over as it works out pretty much the same when all said and done, and as a few are coming to hit golf balls about the place, can split all the costs which makes it cheaper!

The cities are stupid prices rent/houses wise, and risen considerably since we arrived. However, there is value in the countryside if you don't mind being a taxi service to kids (but that's the same pretty much everywhere these days) and commuting for work.

When looking at property, we saw a good few places that were complete wrecks, some without power, some without a roof  One sticks in my mind - just into Wicklow (Wexford end) , completely run down, but someone clearly lived and died there recently. Tiny, tiny 2 bedroom farmstead. Sold for 225k, but it did come with a shit load of very good land. Without that it would have been 50k and someone would have bought it even then to renovate.

It's the same argument all over; houses sold for inflated prices, pricing out the local community etc. I don't know the answer to that. We bought our place as no one else would! I don't feel guilty for pricing out a local as they didn't want it (access issue meant no bank would give a mortgage on it), we first saw it 14 months before we actually bought it.

As with the outside toilet experiences, we've not a cesspit, but a septic which requires looking after. We don't have mains gas or water, gas comes in bottles, the water from the ground - not a bucket job, we have a bore and pump etc! But that is the same in most countries, rurally. It's not for everyone, but we fucking love it 

[fowlermagic]

Just looked up the price for a minivan out of Dublin this summer. 3k for a week lol think before 2020 it was around a 1k which was still crazy compared to what you pay for a similar van if i went to Florida in 2019.

There is still the odd bargain in ireland if you don't mind something that has 150k work to be done to it to make it comparable to the neighbours. We have the septic tank, our own well etc the single bathroom with a wall heater etc which 95% of current buyers would probably run away from as they crave the open space perfectly BER rated heated homes that have no character to them as they overlook next door. The neighbours up the road paid 600k for their place in 2007 i think and just sold for low 500s. Probably would have been better off renting a farm house the past 15 years as they were available for 1k n less a month until 2020. Some of the shoddy building we saw during the Celtic Tiger will probably end up with the state shelling out billions in payouts. You wonder who was signing off on the houses and apartments that were crumbling within a decade of their construction.

[FlashGordon]

Just looked up the price for a minivan out of Dublin this summer. 3k for a week lol think before 2020 it was around a 1k which was still crazy compared to what you pay for a similar van if i went to Florida in 2019.

There is still the odd bargain in ireland if you don't mind something that has 150k work to be done to it to make it comparable to the neighbours. We have the septic tank, our own well etc the single bathroom with a wall heater etc which 95% of current buyers would probably run away from as they crave the open space perfectly BER rated heated homes that have no character to them as they overlook next door. The neighbours up the road paid 600k for their place in 2007 i think and just sold for low 500s. Probably would have been better off renting a farm house the past 15 years as they were available for 1k n less a month until 2020. Some of the shoddy building we saw during the Celtic Tiger will probably end up with the state shelling out billions in payouts. You wonder who was signing off on the houses and apartments that were crumbling within a decade of their construction.

Well there's only ever been two parties in power so it's easy to single out who to blame.

[fowlermagic]

Well there's only ever been two parties in power so it's easy to single out who to blame.

Not exactly sure who takes care of construction regulations but thought it was the local council surely.

Was amusing watching the clowns in the Dail sharpening their knives over someone paying for election posters when every single one of them are probably getting wine n dined most weeks. Was it not a few years ago some party leader was getting questioned how she could afford a luxury house in Dublin on an average wage and now rumoured to be worth €5m plus when her take home pay was probably 60k a year. Nothing fishy to see there at all 🤣