I have never been so ashamed to be Irish

Kold

ajeffares wrote: »

OP, if you hate Ireland so much then leave, but don't be giving out.

/facepalm

blackbox

Originally Posted by Hazys
I have never been so ashamed to be Irish

stovelid wrote: »

I raise you Westlife.

I'll see your Westlife and raise you Anglo Irish Bank.:D

Dudess

ajeffares wrote: »

OP, if you hate Ireland so much then leave, but don't be giving out.

Oh that's a new one - never heard it before!

Wagon

x in the city wrote: »

Ireland is a joke, most people (well most sensible people) realise it by now, and havana browns is a kip of a place, like most clubs in cork tbh.

I do my socialising in Frankfurt, different world

I dunno...Didn't the power frequently get cut between 1939 and 1945? Doesn't sound too safe to be honest...

Dudess

People have every right to bemoan certain stuff about Ireland and not be instructed to "gtfo". Maybe they'd still like to stay here?
But also, being "ashamed" of being Irish because certain aspects of Irish life don't measure up to that of other countries, is rather sad.

Overall, the quality of life in Ireland is pretty darn good.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Donald-Duck wrote: »

Googling suggests otherwise

Living here doesn't.

Jumpy

ajeffares wrote: »

OP, if you hate Ireland so much then leave, but don't be giving out.

We have to come up with a name for this. An Irish "Godwins Law".

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Dudess wrote: »

People have every right to bemoan certain stuff about Ireland and not be instructed to "gtfo". Maybe they'd still like to stay here?
But also, being "ashamed" of being Irish because certain aspects of Irish life don't measure up to that of other countries, is rather sad.

Overall, the quality of life in Ireland is pretty darn good.

Have to disagree (and I gtfoed!). It's only when you see a modern European city in action that you see how awkward life really is. Especially when it comes to getting pissed.

As regards the "if you don't like it, leave" crew - fine, but if you stand by that opinion, and Ireland is beyond reproach, then STOP MOANING about rip-offs, licencing laws, 2am public transport (or lack thereof), Brian Cowen, Mary Harney, taxi-drivers, foreigners, the economy, the Catholic church, the guards....

...or get the **** out.

robinph

I'd have taken the OPs night in the club as an example of why things are so great here, not the opposite.

"In Boston..." people would have been screaming the place down thinking that some foriegners were about to try and kill them, or trying to find a step to trip overs so that they could then sue the establishment for a couple of million for breaking their shoes. But in this wonderful country people are perfectly able to survive a couple of lights going out and continue to have a good time regardless without making a scene about it.

Terry

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Have to disagree (and I gtfoed!). It's only when you see a modern European city in action that you see how awkward life really is. Especially when it comes to getting pissed.

As regards the "if you don't like it, leave" crew - fine, but if you stand by that opinion, and Ireland is beyond reproach, then STOP MOANING about rip-offs, licencing laws, 2am public transport (or lack thereof), Brian Cowen, Mary Harney, taxi-drivers, foreigners, the economy, the Catholic church, the guards....

...or get the **** out.

Or you could actually try to do something about the problems.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Hazys wrote: »

Cork is not as big as Dublin. I walked down Washington Street then over to HillBillies then down Patricks street then back up Patricks street into the Coal Quay where i found 2 Gardai. I also walkied back past HillBillies got food, headed down the South Mall to get a taxi saw no Gardai. The only place i missed out was MacCurtain street maybe thats where they all were??

Cork is small & I partically walked the whole City and saw only 2 Gardai. I dont think this information about the lack of Gardai in Cork on nights out is a shocker to Cork people.

If i could take back comparing Cork to Boston or any other city I think i would have saved this thread a couple of pages

Now I know your ripping the piss. Cork is not small, Cork has more than 3 streets, there is no way you walked the whole city. You lie.

Are you sure you were in Cork?

Darragh29

robinph wrote: »

I'd have taken the OPs night in the club as an example of why things are so great here, not the opposite.

"In Boston..." people would have been screaming the place down thinking that some foriegners were about to try and kill them, or trying to find a step to trip overs so that they could then sue the establishment for a couple of million for breaking their shoes. But in this wonderful country people are perfectly able to survive a couple of lights going out and continue to have a good time regardless without making a scene about it.

Very good post! That's what I love about here, the "sure it'll be grand!"... In the US they'd be assuming it is a terrorist attack... As for asking for your 15 Euro back 'cos the lights went out... :D:D

Puddleduck

Its funny when people turn around and say the Irish dont complain enough, then turn it round and say we do it too much. Its one or the other, not both. I dont see the problem here. You thought that it was terrible that the club operated in the dark, you complained and got a refund, what more do you want? The other people there were happy enough to drink in the dark and didnt see a problem just because you did. As someone else mentioned it seems to be an American thing to take advantage of a bad situation and fling themselves down some stairs for some money. Im sure most of the people there stayed put until the problem was rectified. You can be pretty sure someone was looking up the problem somewhere and didnt just think 'Ah sure itll sort itself out'.
Then you complained to the Guards, fair enough, but maybe, just maybe they had to go back to the station for something? Also, they could have pulled people out of the club but hey, there's a hazard there too. How do you evacuate people in the dark?
As for fights breaking out, Im so sick of people assuming that this is just an Irish thing, the sterotype of the leprichauns and the fightin Irish should be long dead by now. Fights break out everywhere, and yes, alot of it is fuelled by drink. You may think boston is the dogs bollox but you could be pretty sure on a night out that somewhere in Boston people are fighting.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

<3BeingIN6th wrote: »

Or you could actually try to do something about the problems.

True, but unfrotauntely you'd be fighting a losing battle. There's just isn't the support.

dSTAR

OP I have been on the piss all day with work mates. We started off in a park at lunch time and had a BBQ then proceeded to get pissed. We got cactused pretty quickly because it was a warm day.

After many drinks in the park the designated driver drove us to a number of different watering holes. Now this is city is probably 10 times bigger than Cork and we didn't once come across a cop either driving or on foot in two well known inner suburbs.

Not only that but the DD's car only had one handlamp working. Just think of the danger this could have put me in. Yet I am still here albeit half pissed but after having a cracker of a night. Stop dissin Irish people and Cork in particular otherwise I will set my biatch Dudess on you :mad:

Kold

Dudess wrote: »

Overall, the quality of life in Ireland is pretty darn good.

I disagree.

Gelio

Kold wrote: »

I disagree.

Why?

Marcus.Aurelius

Kold wrote: »

I disagree.

I totally agree with your disagreement. We are financially ass-raped for our half decent lifestyles.

Look at Australia or the US for a real lifestyle at proper costs of living.

Rev. Kitchen

Id say the reason there are no cops on the streets is because they are all off investigating clubs with the lights out.

Kold

ajeffares wrote: »

Why?

The amount of clinical depression, stress and apathy.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

House wrote: »

I totally agree with your disagreement. We are financially ass-raped for our half decent lifestyles.

Look at Australia or the US for a real lifestyle at proper costs of living.

Hehe, look at america for the differance in between the rich and poor. Look at america for education, healthcare and their minimum wage.

Ireland has a great lifestyle, and quality of life. Just because you pay more for something doesn't mean that that the quality of life is bad. There are plenty of substitutes. Oh and there's the internet (Obviously I know we get raped on some things, such as internet prices)

RoMiLe

Fernanda Warm Chestnut wrote: »

Ireland has a great lifestyle, and quality of life. Just because you pay more for something doesn't mean that that the quality of life is bad.

You're right. It just means that the quality of life is worse than places where they get the same things for less. We're talking 'relatively' here.

Jesus people talk some bs.

The Minstrel

Hazys wrote: »

I have never been ashamed to be irish in my life. I just arrived back for Boston this morning for christmass. I used to laugh at the americans for being so pedantic when it came to service in bars etc My attitude was look at those egijjts, just get over it and have a good time.

But i have never been left feeling so angry after a night out. I went out to Havanna Browns in Cork this evening with my buddies which i havent seen in months. But the lights went out in the club. Half the club was pitch dark. I was sitting there in the dark enjoying my pint talking to my friend with only the light off my phone aluminating the area around us. Lights were out still after an hour but the bar was still serving...what a f*cking joke. Nobody seemed to care that this was seriously dangerous, my buddies were still drinking away having the time of their lives.

After an hour of pitch dark i went up to the bouncer to ask why they hadnt cleared people out of the pitch dark areas because if any1 fell the club would be extremely liable. The bouncer made a joke about how the club was trying to reduce its carbon footprint (Im pretty sure this joke would still be that funny if the place had been Stardust2). I was shocked at his response. The club didnt give a sh1t as long as it was making money and the customers didnt give a sh1t as long we were getting served. Are we that dependent on alcohol that we dont care if our safety is being threaten in the persuit of getting hammered?

I got pissed of and went downstairs to demand a refund, i got my 15 euro back(the most expensive night club in boston is $15). So i went to find a Garda to complain about it. It took me 45 mins to find a Garda on the streets of Cork city on one of the busiest drinking nights of the year. I found two Gardai outside the coal quay on their way to the bridewell station, explained the situation to them, they said they'd get on it right away after they went into the station to fill out some paperwork. W*nkers completely blew me off, didnt give a sh1t. Whats amazing is last year my best friend's brother, a 1st class primary school teacher was jumped from behind on MacCurtain street and beaten within an inch of his life 3 days before christmass. The only thing that saved him was his girlfriend screaming as the scumbag jumped on his head. On MacCurtain street not a garda in sight!!!! The Gardai are dicks.

After the Gardai blew me off I went to Hillbillies to get food. Got my food, crossed the road to eat it in a bus stop. As i was eating, outside hillbillies a fight broke out. What i could see from across the road was a guy's girlfriend trying to stop him from fighting, ending up ur1 getting slapped to the ground by her boyfriend for getting in the way. Eventually friends stopped the fight and ur1 and the boyfriend hopped in to a taxi together! Again not a Garda in sight


Im not trying to come across as holyier than thou, as i like to go on the piss just like every1 else. I normally wouldnt even complain about service in a restaurant or a bar but what i witnessed in Havannas was a disgrace. I was talking about how it was a disgrace to my friends, they were agreeing but really didnt care as long as they had a pint in their hands, just like every1 else in the club. At least i know in Boston this wouldnt happen as their is generally a police pressence in most clubs every odd week and also americans wouldnt stand for it. But are we so reliant on getting hammered that we dont give a sh1t about anything else? Are the same people who complain about getting ripped off in Ireland sitting in a pitch dark night club paying for drinks and admission that are way more expensive than the top notch nightclubs in Boston and other cities?

The funniest thing about this out-of-control rant is that he posted it at 4 in the morning.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

RoMiLe wrote: »

You're right. It just means that the quality of life is worse than places where they get the same things for less. We're talking 'relatively' here.

Jesus people talk some bs.

Are you suggesting I am talking BS? The quality of life in Ireland is amazing, but people are too ignorant to realise that. Travel to any other less developed country and come back to me. We are in the top few % I would say.

You need to explain your post a bit more RoMile as I cannot understand what you are trying to say exactly, sorry.

OK-Cancel-Apply

I can understand people needing a good rant now and then, but remember, when you go to another country, you usually just see a small slice of the one area to stay in, for a couple of nights, whereas you'll see the worst parts of your own country after living there most of your life.

RoMiLe

Fernanda Warm Chestnut wrote: »

Are you suggesting I am talking BS? The quality of life in Ireland is amazing, but people are too ignorant to realise that. Travel to any other less developed country and come back to me. We are in the top few % I would say.

You need to explain your post a bit more RoMiLe as I cannot understand what you are trying to say exactly, sorry.

Of course it's amazing compared to places where the quality of life is worse. I never said it wasn't.

What I said was our quality of life is not as good as places where they pay less for the same services.

Relative to most countries, we obviously have it pretty good here. It's just a pity our governors don't know what they're doing.

Kold

Fernanda Warm Chestnut wrote: »

Are you suggesting I am talking BS? The quality of life in Ireland is amazing, but people are too ignorant to realise that. Travel to any other less developed country and come back to me. We are in the top few % I would say.

Are you kidding me? Development, money and technology don't mean a good quality of life. We work 40 hour weeks, compare that to tribes people that need only hunt once a week.

But consider that Ireland's development is sh*t, our money can't buy us sh*t, and we pay through the nose for technology. There's a reason so many of us spend so much time drinking and taking drugs.

Marcus.Aurelius

Fernanda Warm Chestnut wrote: »

Are you suggesting I am talking BS? The quality of life in Ireland is amazing, but people are too ignorant to realise that. Travel to any other less developed country and come back to me. We are in the top few % I would say.

You need to explain your post a bit more RoMile as I cannot understand what you are trying to say exactly, sorry.

The quality of life for the average Joe Soap is great in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, to name but a few.

Most of whom have lower costs of living than us. Relatively speaking, we're just stupid enough to pay through the nose for everything.

We let everybody make profits of multiples of 100%, now everybody has to, to make enough to pay the ridiculous wages so people can have their ridiculously expensive lifestyles.

You're wearing a blindfold, aren't you? :pac:

nytraveller

blackbox wrote: »

I'll see your Westlife and raise you Anglo Irish Bank.:D

I'll see your Anglo Irish Bank and raise you this

Donald-Duck

Funny how many of the users in this thread would've been banned for what they've said to the OP if he was one of the popular members of AH.

Edit: Ikky, here you go:

Germany: Personalausweis (German Wikipedia): It is compulsory for all German citizens age 16 or older to possess either a "Personalausweis" (identity card) or a passport, but not to carry it. While police officers and some other officials have a right to demand to see one of those documents, the law does not state that one is obliged to submit the document at that very moment. Fines may only be applied if an identity card or passport is not possessed at all, if the document is expired or if one explicitly refuses to show ID to the police. If one is unable to produce an ID card or passport (or any other form of credible identification) during a police control, one can (in theory) be brought to the next police post and detained for max. 12 hours, or until positive identification is possible. However, this measure is only applied if the police have reasonable grounds to believe the person detained has committed an offense.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Donald-Duck wrote: »

Funny how many of the users in this thread would've been banned for what they've said to the OP if he was one of the popular members of AH.

Edit: Ikky, here you go:

Germany: Personalausweis (German Wikipedia): It is compulsory for all German citizens age 16 or older to possess either a "Personalausweis" (identity card) or a passport, but not to carry it. While police officers and some other officials have a right to demand to see one of those documents, the law does not state that one is obliged to submit the document at that very moment. Fines may only be applied if an identity card or passport is not possessed at all, if the document is expired or if one explicitly refuses to show ID to the police. If one is unable to produce an ID card or passport (or any other form of credible identification) during a police control, one can (in theory) be brought to the next police post and detained for max. 12 hours, or until positive identification is possible. However, this measure is only applied if the police have reasonable grounds to believe the person detained has committed an offense.

There may have been a misunderstanding. Intially, you posted:

He forgot to say that they're required to carry ID in Germany

by which, I assumed you meant have it on your person at all times. The law states "not to carry it".

Certainly I don't, and am pretty sure no one else does (unless driving).

deadwood

Hazys wrote: »

45 mins on the street looking a garda no matter if you think my crusade was worth it or not, is a disgrace.

Hang on O.P.
You spent 45 minutes walking aound looking for a Guard to complain about a club you had just left and then...

you stood at a bus stop eating chips watching a girl getting a slap without even ringing the cops? :eek:

Genius.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

deadwood wrote: »

Hang on O.P.
You spent 45 minutes walking aound looking for a Guard to complain about a club you had just left and then...

you stood at a bus stop eating chips watching a girl getting a slap without even ringing the cops? :eek:

Genius.

Legend of a post...

miss no stars

There aren't enough gardai - this is not the fault of the gardai themselves as for the most part ,they're hard working people that are over stretched. We need to be looking to our government and asking "Hey! Where is our first world police service?"

dSTAR wrote: »

Things like fuses blowing and not having a replacement can't be helped.

They can. Before moving to a more up to date system at home here, we kept spare fuses. It's not that difficult! Proper management would have allowed for the fact that hmmm, maybe a fuse could blow! (wow shock horror, imagine that happening!) That place is obviously badly managed, were it properly managed the bar would have stopped serving until the fuse was restored. Oh and, it doesn't matter if this spoils the craic if it saves a life! (Which is what it comes down to)

I'd also like to highlight that the reaction to this thread just proves the OPs point even further. Irish people are willing to lay down, fork out extortionate amounts of money and accept awful service. Having travelled extensively, I can GUARANTEE you that the level of customer service is waaaaaaaaay below par here.

Why shouldn't the OP be ashamed that, despite so many years of economic boom, the consumer is treated like **** and there's no decent public service in place? I'm ashamed of it. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm ashamed to be Irish as I think Irish people have a lot of good going for us but, as a nation, we're addicted to alcohol at all costs.

If I'm going out I will pay the entrance fee. However, I expect certain things in return for this, such as lighting and a generally safe environment (nothing's 100% safe especially with alcohol in the mixture) with approachable staff. I'm fairly sure the OP expected this too. Good service would have been for management to refund everyone their entrance fee.

We're going into a recession now and I hope that it's the wake up call businesses need. When I go into a shop/pub/club and hand over my money, I don't want "service with a snarl" as primetime recently covered. With people being more fussy about where their money goes, hopefully public service will improve.

But then again, this is Ireland.

I'd love to be able to stay here but I'm working my way into an industry that's currently imploding (construction) so I doubt I'll be able to, at least in the immediate future. The OP is Irish and has returned home for christmas. Who here knows the OP and knows why they left to begin with? But maybe while the OP was away, they got a taste of customer service and can't understand, or accept the disappointment upon discovery of, the complete and utter lack of service here.

Telling the OP to p!ss off back to Boston is a stupid idea. Why not have an objective look at what the OP is saying (as really, it's present in every single aspect of life in Ireland at the moment) and why not question why it is so? Then maybe it'd be a better place for everyone to live.

:mad:

Epic Tissue

nytraveller wrote: »

I'll see your Anglo Irish Bank and raise you this

that's awesome:D

davyjose

Springsteen wrote (and performed (and made famous)) the song Dancing in the Dark!!!

He's American

Insect Overlord

This thread just wasted the last 45 minutes of my life. If I turn off the lights, does that mean I can get my minutes back?

Dave!

Lights go out in the pub, so the OP sits there for an hour then complains to a bouncer and a Garda.......

Anyone else? Did you tell a priest about it? Librarian?

What utter tosh

davyjose

When a guy from the "non drinkers group" tells you your behaviour in a nightclub is utter tosh, take note.

Dave!

lol... I'm just the mod, don't worry, I enjoy the odd glass of brandy

dSTAR

miss no stars wrote: »

Proper management would have allowed for the fact that hmmm, maybe a fuse could blow! (wow shock horror, imagine that happening!) That place is obviously badly managed...

News Flash

Management fails to have supply of fuses causing black out in popular city night spot

Its a bit of a stretch to say the place is poorly managed when there could have been any number of reasons why it occurred. I would venture to say it was more of a simple oversight at most. The point is that the punters seemed to enjoying themselves and the lack of lighting probably added to the overall ambiance.

Hardly worth getting your knickers in a twist and whingeing about how bad Ireland has become or how the level of service compared to other countries is appalling.

dan_d

In America you can't drink legally til you're over 21.
But you can own gun when you're 18.And use one under supervision from any age.
They've got a whole other bunch of problems.;)

Dudess

Donald-Duck wrote: »

Funny how many of the users in this thread would've been banned for what they've said to the OP if he was one of the popular members of AH.

Can you provide examples of that occurring elsewhere?

Here's a tip: it's all in your head.

Jumpy

Dudess wrote: »

Can you provide examples of that occurring elsewhere?

Here's a tip: it's all in your head.

SILENCE POPULAR MEMBER.

Dudess

I was once a newbie too. I once had very few posts. I saw interaction and banter between AH regulars and between people (members and mods alike) who clearly knew each other and I wasn't included... Guess what? It didn't bother me because these things happen, they're normal, nothing personal meant.

Jeesh...

Terry

Dudess wrote: »

I was once a newbie too. I once had very few posts. I saw interaction and banter between AH regulars and between people (members and mods alike) who clearly knew each other and I wasn't included... Guess what? It didn't bother me because these things happen, they're normal, nothing personal meant.

Jeesh...

I banned her last week.

It was a mistake on my part, but I still banned her.

I don't give a flying **** who you are. If you break any rules here, I will ban you.

Dudess

Yep, and the message I got wasn't "I'm really sorry Dudess, I know you're here three and a half years and you've a lot of posts and you're a moderator and you're well known... but I'm going to have to ban you because you broke a rule", it was "You're banned from After Hours for a week for the following..."

Fuk's sake... will people ever let the mod/well-known member conspiracy sh1t go...?

walrusgumble

Raze_them_all wrote: »

Maybe but we dont run the risk of being shot by trigger happy police or our fellow countrymen. Why because we can go on the piss and if worse comes to worse have a lil scrap, Not go off home for a handgun

those days are unfortuntely coming to an end - be it gun or knife

Jumpy

Dudess wrote: »

Fuk's sake... will people ever let the mod/well-known member conspiracy sh1t go...?

Never!

Help us Run_to_da_hills, you're our only hope.

carlowguy32

im just wondering did the music go in the night club aswell, then there would have been a reason to get ur money back but if the drink is flowing and there was music then I dont see a problem