If you could change one thing about Ireland....

MadMardegan

Would be cool having hot summers etc but then Ireland wouldn't be as green as it is now, that wouldn't sit well with me.

I'm gonna agree with the one other person who said it: the whole attitude towards the Irish language should be changed, and the way it's taught needs to be completely revised.

It's ignorant to think "well people learn it in school for 12 years so if enough people aren't speaking it it's the people's problem". It's the educational systems problem. Needs to be taught at conversation level rather than short stories/poems and enough basic answers to pass an exam.

Also, more benefits for people who actually speak Irish.

It needs to be revitalised. It's such a shame that polish is the second most spoken language in the country.
I don't know why more people don't care about it either

Irish Guitarist

There would be more done to keep the country clean. There should be very heavy fines for littering for the Irish. Non Irish litterers would be deported back to their own country. I find it sickening to see someone from another country move here and think they can treat the place like crap.

There would be less cars on the roads. It should be illegal to drive any distance less than a mile if you don't have any health problems or aren't carrying anything heavy.

mattjack

I'd arm everybody with dueling pistols.

Merkin

I'd like if it became an affordable and competitive place to live instead of having our insides ripped through our arses at every opportunity. Anywhere else in the world if you want to buy a consumer good for example you shop around and there are genuine incentives/real value whereas in Ireland we're shafted at every hand's turn for every single thing we've to pay for :mad:.

Captain Graphite

Would love to have at least two or three other cities the size of Dublin. Coming from the rural backarse of North Cork it seems like absolutely fúck all happens outside the Pale.

Every time I'm floored by overwhelming boredom (which is about 80% of the time that I'm awake) I'm extremely bitter about the fact that I'm not from Dublin. I'm only about 35 minutes or so from Cork but even our nation's second biggest city feels like a small-ish town.

There's plenty of nice things about Ireland but none of them overshadow the fact that it's too fúcking small. :mad:

booth70

Better public transport so that I don't have to fceking drive for hours just to get to and from work

Wanderer2010

I would like to see Ireland enforce the law on politicians/bankers and big businessmen who keep their assets out of reach, dodge tax and accept bribes. We dont do that in this country, we just set up a red herring of an investigation or a protracted tribunal to throw to the angry masses and at the end of which we have forgotten about it and the culprits walk free with a massive pension/payout etc.

Definitely the worst thing about this country is the cronyism and corruption that is almost an accepted part of our culture. Can anyone see Sean Quinn, Seanie Fitzgerald or Fingers Fingleton doing one single second of hard time?

Dostoevsky

faceman wrote: »

So lets say you are granted a wish by genie, and the wish is that you can change one thing about Ireland for the better. What would it be?

Planning policy. Planning permission is granted to so many ugly buildings totally out of sync with the traditional and natural environment that it continues to destroy the countryside and by extension the tourist industry. It breaks my heart to see eyesores built in the most beautiful parts of Ireland - completely inappropriate for the area.

The fact that the body which grants planning permission, the local authority, is also the same body which will receive the development fees would be considered a clash of interest in more environmentally enlightened societies. There's so little vision in local authorities' planning departments.

Odysseus

mattjack wrote: »

I'd arm everybody with dueling pistols.

I concur, I wish my brother and me had a set right now actually. Best way to solve issues;)

Teyla Emmagan

I would like to see the Irish population instilled with a greater sense of civic responsibility. I think it's appalling how many people are brought up thinking that it's okay to throw litter, deface public property, vandalise and cover anything that doesn't move in grafitti. It drives me insane that in this country we can't have more street assets like flowerpots and art and benches even, because in Ireland anything isn't nailed down is immediately knicked/broken/peed on or in some other way wrecked. In Spain they have tables and chairs with parasols placed in public places, like along the sea front, just so people can sit and relax in the shade. In Ireland they would be gone in the morning. And Irish people can be terrible at even maintaining their own property - there are so many houses with gardens filled with rusting cars or knee high weeds that just ruin everyone else's enjoyment of their own neighbourhood.

We place too much weight on our 'individualism' in this country I think, as if not following the country's laws is something to be proud of. They should teach respect for the community and public property in schools, people don't actually seem to realise/care here that when they deface a bus shelter they are wasting public money, or that when they dump bags of rubbish someone else is going to have to come along and pick them up. It comes down to a total lack of pride and it drives me bonkers.

Madam_X

mike65 wrote: »

Weather, this is it for the summer btw, muck all the way.

I thought long-range forecast wasn't possible?

emzolita

dunno if it was said already, but low pollen levels. other than that I quite like Ireland.

the culture of deference

Defiler Of The Coffin wrote: »

More social activities that don't revolve around the pub or alcohol.

Legalise drugs

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

I would like to see the Irish population instilled with a greater sense of civic responsibility..

Think junior fire service, german kids get to join junior versions of adult jobs. Teaches them to be productive.

darragh16

I'd change the negativity of the people and the ability to accept criticism...

Two very common traits among Irish people, sadly

paddyandy

Only Authorities have duties and the rest of us have rights these days and in the crossfire nobody is really listening .Don't ordinary people have duties too ????

NIMAN

I'm sorry but it would have to be the weather for me too I'm afraid.

I always say that this would be one of the best countries around if we had guaranteed sun for the summer.

filmbuffboy

i would make irish summers last longer than 3-4 days! :D

the culture of deference

NIMAN wrote: »

I'm sorry but it would have to be the weather for me too I'm afraid.

I always say that this would be one of the best countries around if we had guaranteed sun for the summer.

What would irish people talk about then.

It would be like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar3EA5rynJQ&feature=related

Irish Guitarist

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

I would like to see the Irish population instilled with a greater sense of civic responsibility. I think it's appalling how many people are brought up thinking that it's okay to throw litter, deface public property, vandalise and cover anything that doesn't move in grafitti. It drives me insane that in this country we can't have more street assets like flowerpots and art and benches even, because in Ireland anything isn't nailed down is immediately knicked/broken/peed on or in some other way wrecked. In Spain they have tables and chairs with parasols placed in public places, like along the sea front, just so people can sit and relax in the shade. In Ireland they would be gone in the morning. And Irish people can be terrible at even maintaining their own property - there are so many houses with gardens filled with rusting cars or knee high weeds that just ruin everyone else's enjoyment of their own neighbourhood.

We place too much weight on our 'individualism' in this country I think, as if not following the country's laws is something to be proud of. They should teach respect for the community and public property in schools, people don't actually seem to realise/care here that when they deface a bus shelter they are wasting public money, or that when they dump bags of rubbish someone else is going to have to come along and pick them up. It comes down to a total lack of pride and it drives me bonkers.

The council planted trees in the town centre in Carlow years ago. At least I think they were trees; whatever was in the plant pots never got a chance to grow because everyone used them as ashtrays. There was about ten pots and every one of them were filled with cigarette butts. After they had been here for about four years the council just gave up and removed them.

paddy147

Tie Enda Kenny and Michael Noonan to a pallet and set them adrift out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Jester252

A better justice system

ukonline

Spread wrote: »

Turn all the Romas into Brazilian swimwear models!

-

(Google's "Brazilian Swimwear Models" for educational
purposes.)

-

Helix

the fact that it's above sea level

Daveysil15

I'd like to see a change in the social and dating scene - Something like America where its ok to approach random people and ask them out, rather than relying solely on the pubs and clubs to meet people of the opposite sex.

paddyandy

If Ireland had lotza great weather the Island would look like some Kitschy resort.

paddy147

Daveysil15 wrote: »

I'd like to see a change in the social and dating scene - Something like America where its ok to approach random people and ask them out, rather than relying solely on the pubs and clubs to meet people of the opposite sex.

Eh,Ireland is a democratic country too you know


So are you saying that you yourself can only ask a person out when you are in a pub or nightclub??



If you cant mingle and chat to a person in a shop,on the street or in a cafe or on public transport and then chance your arm to ask them out on a date,then thats a confidence problem that you have.

Daveysil15

paddy147 wrote: »

Eh,Ireland is a democratic country too you know


So are you saying that you yourself can only ask a person out when you are in a pub or nightclub??



If you cant mingle and chat to a person in a shop,on the street or in a cafe or on public transport and then chance your arm to ask them out on a date,then thats a confidence problem that you have.

No I'm saying its not the norm here. Dating cultures differ from place to place. I'm not saying its impossible to meet people outside of the pub/club scene, but Irish do rely on it a lot. And what does Ireland been a democratic coutry have to do with it?

grindle

paddyandy wrote: »

If Ireland had lotza great weather the Island would look like some Kitschy resort.

That's where most Irish go on their holidays, so good for them.

Areas like Kerry, Mayo, Cork, Galway and Wicklow would finally look beautiful all the time, instead of two months a year.
Unless the great weather made it all the greenery dry out.
I'm sure we can import the correct plants for the weather, it'll be grand.

YouTookMyName

Sort out the Roads

paddy147

Daveysil15 wrote: »

No I'm saying its not the norm here. Dating cultures differ from place to place. I'm not saying its impossible to meet people outside of the pub/club scene, but Irish do rely on it a lot. And what does Ireland been a democratic coutry have to do with it?

I dont rely on the pub/club scene.Never have solely relied on the pub/club scene to get a date,to be honest with you.I am confident to talk and chat to anyone anywhere really.My parents instilled it into me from a young age,to be confident in all that I do.

A simple polite and mannerly hello is a great way to start off a chat and conversation with a female in any loaction (cafe,bus,train,shopping centre and so on).

I met my missus when she was working in the retail sector,started to chat to her a few times over a week or 2 of a timescale,then one day I asked her out on a date and 7 years later we are still together and very happily in love.:D

Confidence in one self plays a big part too.


Your original post seemed to "suggest" that no one in Ireland can get a date,unless its "solely" from the pub/club scene.

mattjack

mattjack wrote: »

I'd arm everybody with dueling pistols.

I'd also give everyone x ray glasses , just like mine.

Azure_sky

I'd tax the churches.

christmas2012

nepotism and quangos like fas and jobbridge blocking up what could be paid jobs advertised in the public domain..

SocSocPol

Political and historical illiteracy, and revisionism.

faceman

faceman wrote: »

So lets say you are granted a wish by genie, and the wish is that you can change one thing about Ireland for the better. What would it be?

The only catch is that it is must be realistic and positive in nature and have nothing to do with politics.

I'll kick off with a revised education system that puts greater emphasis on encouragin students to think for themselves, fosters creativity and less focus on data retention.

Good question. Personally i would revamp Health. Ambulance services in particular as two weeks ago up the road from my house, there was a man who had a bad motorcycle crash and it was an hour and a half from the time they were called to come 20 miles. Heard of contrasting cases where two ambulances were called to the one scene. Now i dont blame the ambulances or even the dispatchers as they are under resourced and in life or death situations they have to decide quick.

weemcd

Everything has to start with education, standards have been slipping for years, and while I didn't want to admit it at school I always passed everything while doing next to no work. I shouldn't have been able to do that an achieve A grades etc. I think it should be harder than that.

I want the youngest generations to be educated, with manners and able to look at history and see mistakes that should not be repeated. I want them to be in power when I am a young man, forward thinkers, who can look after society better than we do now, look after elders etc.

^unfortunately the current real world situation is the polar opposite

Daveysil15

Legalise and regulate prostitution. Get rid of the stigma as well as the pimps.

paddyandy

What are we really serious about when discussing Ireland .We don't understand Nationhood .Why a Nation is Great .....or Collapses .Some of the most beautiful Scenic parts of the world have nothing for most people .They don't understand nor care either just like us ? As long as we can pay our bills ???? That's what the present Political Furore is really about and not much else ....

christmas2012

less drunken teenagers they can be rowdy and come up to you and start **** for no reason so ya thats another thing i would change on top of the jobbridge job blocker free labour quango and fas..

Funglegunk

Everyone gets a hover car and Fridays off.

flyswatter

Get rid of all Catholic run schools and make them multi denominational.

Crooked Jack

A third tap on all sinks. Hot water. Cold water. Guinness.

Crooked Jack

flyswatter wrote: »

Get rid of all Catholic run schools and make them multi denominational.

No more catholic school girls walking round the town upsetting the nuns by rolling their skirts up above their knees?!?!?!!?
Get ta fuck ya maniac!

Bad Panda

Proper f*cking drivers licences!!

The credit cards ones are all laughing at our paper yokes with the bit o' laminate!

Patrick Cleburne

flyswatter wrote: »

Get rid of all Catholic run schools and make them multi denominational.

Agree. Help save the children of today and not put them through such a bull**** religion.

smash

Can we cut off cork and let it float away?

Crooked Jack

Patrick Cleburne wrote: »

Agree. Help save the children of today and not put them through such a bull**** religion.

Good man Keith. Defending Ulster at every waking moment. I dread to think what she will do when you grow up and move on from this shit.

Nodin

Patrick Cleburne wrote: »

Agree. Help save the children of today and not put them through such a bull**** religion.

You're an atheist now Patrick?

paddyandy

Could we pump Rainwater to the saudis in a long tube and they pump oil and sand on the return flow .Is that possible ?

Swampy

Taco bell. That is what I want.