Isn't Galway such a wonderful place in the sunshine..

Iwannahurl

More water, but not so much adventure. One of Galway's canals* earlier today.




*Does this canal have a name? It's the one that goes under O'Brien's Bridge and enters the river in a rather nice-looking cascade.

jkforde

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Does this canal have a name? It's the one that goes under O'Brien's Bridge and enters the river in a rather nice-looking cascade.

Friars' River, it was a feed mill race for a flour mill on Jury's site in the mid 1800s

TheBorg

stunning!!!

jmapell

Must say I wouldn't live anywhere else when the sun shines, it's magic. :-)

MadYaker

Was done at the Spanish Arch yesterday evening with a few friends drinking cans, it was absolutely packed. So nice though. There was a load of hippies playing guitar, and a group of old german fellas in Lederhosen drinking cans :pac: It was really lovely. Took a few pics with my phone but they're rubbish.

snubbleste

MadYaker wrote: »

Was done at the Spanish Arch yesterday evening with a few friends drinking cans, it was absolutely packed. So nice though. There was a load of hippies playing guitar, and a group of old german fellas in Lederhosen drinking cans :pac: It was really lovely. Took a few pics with my phone but they're rubbish.

If that was Rag week, the Garda would be confiscating the alcohol.

Iwannahurl

snubbleste wrote: »

If that was Rag week, the Garda would be confiscating the alcohol.

And the lederhosen.

snubbleste

snubbleste wrote: »

If that was Rag week, the Garda would be confiscating the alcohol.

My sage advice is being heeded
Gardaí in Salthill say they will clamp down on anyone drinking alcohol in public places. They will charge people who drink alcohol in public spaces, whether they are adults or children. http://connachttribune.ie/salthill-gardai-vow-to-clamp-down-on-anti-social-behaviour/

Walking home on Monday evening with two bottles of Grolsch in my hand I was stopped by two guards who asked what I thought I was doing drinking in public. I pointed out that neither bottle was open and was on my way home to enjoy them as I sat in my back garden and enjoyed the last of the sun. One of the guards took the bottles off me and as they are the resealable bottles he thought he was being smart and opened one to show "how I had been drinking them" even though the seals on both were intact. Spent a good 5 minutes have to listen to the two of them spout crap and then be told "next time we see you with drink in public it's confiscation and a trip to the barracks".

Yesterday, I picked up some of the vintage aged Ale that's in the Spar down by the Bank of Ireland. It comes in a box and is supposed to be left a few years before you open it and truly appreciate the flavor. I also grabbed a few bottles of various other ales and while walking up shop street a guard puts his hand on my shoulder and asks me where am I going "with so much alcohol", I had five bottles in a carrier bag. I told him I was in town picking picking up a few things and was heading home.

He spent the next few minutes interrogating me and kept asking who did I "think" I am "if I believe I can drink in public". I pointed out that the bottles were unopened in a bag and he said "don't take me for a fool, I know damn well that you're heading down to the Arch". I pointed out that the Arch was in the opposite direction to where I was walking when he stopped me and he told me "not to be smart". Now I wasn't being dick to him, I wasn't angry or aggressive yet you'd swear I had kicked some old granny to death the way he kept telling me how he knew what I was up to. During the time he was chatting to me two people walked by openly drinking from cans of beer and it wasn't till I pointed out a group who were all drinking Budweiser in the street that he let me get on with my day.

I know people will tell me that the incidents are isolated and that the guards were just doing their job but that's just crap. I was walking home, minding my own business and twice within a matter of days I was treated like a criminal for doing nothing wrong. People say we should respect the police but respect is earned and none of the cops I met in the past few days earnt any. What makes it worse is that talking with friends, they have or know quite a few others who had similar experiences. One lad told me that the guards took a pack of 4 beers off him as he walked down by the sparch as according to them he had "obviously drank two already as they only come in a six pack". He had only bought the four and was heading to his house in the claddagh. And to make it all the more annoying, as the guards took his beer there were groups of people openly drinking in the Sparch and the guards didn't so much as pay them any heed. They seemed to only be interested in a few people, generally those on their own.

Iwannahurl

Deleted User wrote: »

And to make it all the more annoying, as the guards took his beer there were groups of people openly drinking in the Sparch and the guards didn't so much as pay them any heed. They seemed to only be interested in a few people, generally those on their own.

I would make a formal complaint If I were you. If you were not drinking at the time, or did not appear to a reasonable person to be already inebriated, then in my unprofessional opinion they were being heavy-handed and possibly exceeding their powers.

They couldn't seize your car keys as you were driving to the pub on the grounds that you might drive home drunk later, so I can't see how they can legally seize your purchases. If that was the case then they could just take any alcoholic beverages out of my shopping on the way home from Dunne's, just because they don't like the look of me.

If what you say is true and AGS were ignoring groups of people already drinking in public, then at face value it sounds as if they are being discriminatory and going for soft targets.

Iwannahurl

Iwannahurl wrote: »

I would make a formal complaint If I were you. If you were not drinking at the time, or did not appear to a reasonable person to be already inebriated, then in my unprofessional opinion they were being heavy-handed and possibly exceeding their powers.

They couldn't seize your car keys as you were driving to the pub on the grounds that you might drive home drunk later, so I can't see how they can legally seize your purchases. If that was the case then they could just take any alcoholic beverages out of my shopping on the way home from Dunne's, just because they don't like the look of me.

If what you say is true and AGS were ignoring groups of people already drinking in public, then at face value it sounds as if they are being discriminatory and going for soft targets.

Can't see the point in making a complaint, I didn't make a note of the Guards name or number on either occasion. I was stone cold sober on both occasions and was making my way home and it really was a case of them looking at quotas more likely and seeing me as an easy target. A gang of people heavily inebriated and drinking in public is far more work than simply piking out people on their own and zeroing in on them. Had they actually confiscated my beer then I'd be more inclined to take it further but as I said, from talking about it with people it's not all that uncommon for those minding their own business and doing nothing wrong to be picked on.

The guard yesterday saw a number of people walking by openly drinking from cans and seemed to have no interest in me. I pointed it out to him but it properly looked like more trouble that it was worth to him.

Tardful Slakerly II

Deleted User wrote: »

Can't see the point in making a complaint, I didn't make a note of the Guards name or number on either occasion. I was stone cold sober on both occasions and was making my way home and it really was a case of them looking at quotas more likely and seeing me as an easy target. A gang of people heavily inebriated and drinking in public is far more work than simply piking out people on their own and zeroing in on them. Had they actually confiscated my beer then I'd be more inclined to take it further but as I said, from talking about it with people it's not all that uncommon for those minding their own business and doing nothing wrong to be picked on.

The guard yesterday saw a number of people walking by openly drinking from cans and seemed to have no interest in me. I pointed it out to him but it properly looked like more trouble that it was worth to him.

Without reporting, even if it does nothing for you personally, these problems will never be addressed in a larger context - not without figures indicating that there is a problem. Most people don't complain though so officials can point to that fact and say there's no behavour with the gardaí.
I've only ever seen them go for soft targets. They'll walk right past large groups and bully whoever they think they can get away with, and that's normal practice for them. It's pathetic.

B Rabbit

The energy in Galway on a sunny day is just electric. There is definitely something special about it.

Iwannahurl

Deadly buzz for sure. The canal area was teeming with visitors early yesterday evening, and around 6:30 an Irish-American (bag)pipe band marched over Wolfe Tone Bridge and up Quay Street.

snubbleste

Last rainfall 2014-06-14 10:07 :cool:
That's friggin nine days ago

Quite a number drinking from bottles of Vodka and WKD at 10 this morning. Few guards walked by and not a word was said to any of the group.

snubbleste

Deleted User wrote: »

Quite a number drinking from bottles of Vodka and WKD at 10 this morning. Few guards walked by and not a word was said to any of the group.

It's a disgrace. Contact Joe Duffy Keith Finnegan at once

snubbleste

snubbleste wrote: »

It's a disgrace. Contact Joe Duffy Keith Finnegan at once

More to do with the fact that the Guards have over the past few weeks been "cutting down" on drinking in public and have hassling people walking home with beer. Happened to me twice aswell as a number of other people, yet today a number of guards ignored a group drinking and being somewhat aggressive.

Norma_Desmond

Deleted User wrote: »

More to do with the fact that the Guards have over the past few weeks been "cutting down" on drinking in public and have hassling people walking home with beer. Happened to me twice aswell as a number of other people, yet today a number of guards ignored a group drinking and being somewhat aggressive.

The problem with Gardai is that they are afraid to approach people who they would consider to possibly be dangerous. It's a problem within the Gardai in general in this country. The majority of Gardai would be people from middle class families who joined the force because it is a good job with good benefits etc.

So while they would be intimidated by scumbags and not want to approach them for fear of being hurt, they would have little problem with approaching anyone who is law abiding and going about their business (under the guise of "doing their job and being a visible force", when in reality they are just pissing regular people off).

TL;DR - Gardai are scared to approach scumbags, not afraid to approach non-scumbags though.

wp_rathead

I like the fact in Galway the guards have a kinda boards view of public drinking - ie Don't Be a Dick.
Few cans lying out on the Claddagh listening to iPod or reading a book is bliss. If you are acting the maggot the guards should interfere obvo enough

wprathead

wprathead wrote: »

I like the fact in Galway the guards have a kinda boards view of public drinking - ie Don't Be a Dick.
Few cans lying out on the Claddagh listening to iPod or reading a book is bliss. If you are acting the maggot the guards should interfere obvo enough

Actually it's quite the opposite, they seem to be targeting people on their own or small groups of people and ignoring the large aggressive groups and for want of a better word, scumbags who are at it. It's the people not being a dick who are being targeted, easy targets and all that

wp_rathead

That must be a new initiative or something as for as long as I can remember was other way around. Only once two guards came over to myself and a friend sitting down at the Sparch and all they said when they saw the cans was "Make sure to clean up after yourself lads"..

wprathead

wprathead wrote: »

That must be a new initiative or something as for as long as I can remember was other way around. Only once two guards came over to myself and a friend sitting down at the Sparch and all they said when they saw the cans was "Make sure to clean up after yourself lads"..

Always been a case of the guards going after soft targets. It's a lot less hassle for them than actually putting a stop to the trouble makers.

I was sitting on the steps down near the Arch the other day eating some Boojum when I saw the guards take cans off of one group of lads who were just sitting around having a chat and being quiet. Beside them were four drunks who were loud and aggressive and the guards didn't so much as pay them a second glance.

wp_rathead

Deleted User wrote: »

Always been a case of the guards going after soft targets. It's a lot less hassle for them than actually putting a stop to the trouble makers.

I was sitting on the steps down near the Arch the other day eating some Boojum when I saw the guards take cans off of one group of lads who were just sitting around having a chat and being quiet. Beside them were four drunks who were loud and aggressive and the guards didn't so much as pay them a second glance.

hmm have to say I've always seen the opposite - iv seen them reprehend more loud and intimidating folk

Suppose is the problem with qualitative research- depends on the gardaí in question

Wompa1

Personally, I reckon they should crack down on the boozin' in public in General around the city. We've done a great job of re-adjusting how people view drink driving (for the most part), In my opinion I think with the obvious alcohol dependency we seem to have as a nation should also be re-adjusted. A start would be making drinking seem like a less appealing option, or at least not to just accept that people can get off their t1ts where they like. Just my opinion, of course.

Eeden

BornToBe? wrote: »

Isn't it......

Its worth all the wind and rain when we have days like this....

What a wondeful little city.

A bit too bad that we've moved away from the original idea of the OP...

Wompa1

Wompa1 wrote: »

Personally, I reckon they should crack down on the boozin' in public in General around the city. We've done a great job of re-adjusting how people view drink driving (for the most part), In my opinion I think with the obvious alcohol dependency we seem to have as a nation should also be re-adjusted. A start would be making drinking seem like a less appealing option, or at least not to just accept that people can get off their t1ts where they like. Just my opinion, of course.

I don't think that there is anything wrong with people sitting in the sun and having a beer. The vast majority of people will have a couple and leave it at that, most don't get off their tits and honestly you see people drinking in public all over the world.

Wompa1

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't think that there is anything wrong with people sitting in the sun and having a beer. The vast majority of people will have a couple and leave it at that, most don't get off their tits and honestly you see people drinking in public all over the world.

If it was just every now and again, only two drinks then I don't think Ireland would have the image or problems that we have.

When the weather is bad, sure feck it, might as well just go for a few.
When the weather is good, mighty, throw on the shorts and head out for a few drinks.
There's a wedding? Better get hammered.
Funeral? Irish Wake!
There's a gig? Can't handle that sober.
It's X-Mas Eve, have a few drinks.
St. Stephens Day, Pints!
It's our national holiday, Scoops!
Horse Racing is made better with Booze.
Going on Holidays, get pissed at the airport!

Again, just an opinion. I don't think you can take cans away from students at RAG Week and then turn a blind eye to the rest. It's inconsistent. We're also continuing to glorify drinking. That this is what you do when you want to relax on a Sunny day. I went on a 2 week holiday with a girlfriend. She wasn't a particularly heavy drinker. She probably was by other countries standards. She drank every single night of that holiday. That's relaxing, that's letting your hair down by Irish standards. It's a toxic attitude which is being propagated through our society with this acceptance and glorification of drinking.

MadYaker

That's a fine axe you're grinding there.

Wompa1

MadYaker wrote: »

That's a fine axe you're grinding there.

no axe to grind here. I don't live there any more.

I doubt anyone would argue that an adjustment in the attitude towards alcohol in Ireland would be a positive thing. I just happen to think that the abuse of alcohol is having an immeasurable negative impact on the country