Did you go on holidays as a child?

Tope

I was a kid in the 80s; we never went abroad but used to go visit relations in Down and Cavan for a week or two every summer (I'm from Dublin). I was perfectly happy with that, loved going down the country and running around on my granny's farm and playing with my cousins.

A lot of kids I knew went on foreign holidays every year though, your typical two weeks in Spain usually. I thought that was the height of luxury. But it never occurred to me that I was deprived or anything, I was always mad excited to go visit my granny!

Finally when I was 16 my mum brought me and my sister on a trip to Florence because she'd always wanted to go but my dad couldn't stand hot weather. That was my first time on a plane and I was ridiculously thrilled - I still love flying now, the novelty has never worn off! Kids these days don't know they're born etc. etc...

xavier8228

We went with my mother to Boyle, Co Roscommon every year for 4 nights leaving our dad at home with the two oldest kids. I know it may sound incredibly cool but..

We lived in Sligo! (1/2hr away) :rolleyes:

Pottler

xavier8228 wrote: »

We went with my mother to Boyle, Co Roscommon every year for 4 nights leaving our dad at home with the two oldest kids. I know it may sound incredibly cool but..

We lived in Sligo! (1/2hr away) :rolleyes:

You win, I bow down to the crappiness of your hols!:D

Chucken

Chucken wrote: »

The only holiday I had with my parents was when I was 15.
I screamed bloody murder at the thoughts of spending a week with them on my own, so 2 friends came along with me.....to a caravan...in Lahinch...in October

xavier8228 wrote: »

We went with my mother to Boyle, Co Roscommon every year for 4 nights leaving our dad at home with the two oldest kids. I know it may sound incredibly cool but..

We lived in Sligo! (1/2hr away) :rolleyes:

Mine beat that..I didnt even get to leave the county :pac:

professore

I grew up in the early 80s. We went a few times to Lough Derg (the big one on the Shannon, not the religious one), and once to Knock in Co. Mayo. That was it.

Ghost Buster

Holiday???? Sure who would get in the hay, silage and turf if we all went swanning off on a 'la-de-da' holiday every summer.?

seven_eleven

Went on my first holiday in 1997 to Majorca. During the Celtic Tiger I went on holidays twice a year with my family to sunny resorts. Now I just go places myself, never with the family or families money. I guess im still pretty young and only in my 20's.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Neewbie_noob wrote: »

What's your tally ?? Mine is quite high because I have been on a few cruises, but I have countries like Gibraltar, Haiti and other exotic destinations on my portfolio.

Just counting here in my head and I visited 17 countries altogether with my parents. Some of the more unusual destinations would be Wyoming in the States, Montevideo in Uruguay, Hanoi in Vietnam and the Cayman Islands.

A cruise is something I'd love to do, I was looking up Arctic cruises only recently, a real trip of a lifetime I'd imagine.

Fluorescence

I was quite fortunate. We went to Bundoran for weeks every summer to stay with family there. We went on a ferry once to France to stay in one of those UK camping holiday sites when I was around 11 or so (c 2003). We also went to the USA four times, to visit family over there.

MadYaker

I was born in 1990 and we would go on at least 1 holiday a year, I have 1 sibling. Usually 1 in summer and then a trip to New York just before christmas. I used to love that when I was a kid, such a great city so magical at christmas, haven't done that in a few years though. Bloody recession. But now I'm not really interested in holidaying with my family anymore, cos they're old and boring.

Neewbie_noob

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Just counting here in my head and I visited 17 countries altogether with my parents. Some of the more unusual destinations would be Wyoming in the States, Montevideo in Uruguay, Hanoi in Vietnam and the Cayman Islands.

A cruise is something I'd love to do, I was looking up Arctic cruises only recently, a real trip of a lifetime I'd imagine.

I've been to Cayman too.

Overall:

1. UK
2. France
3. USA
4. Mexico
5. Jamaica
6. Mexico
7. Haiti
8. Cayman Islands
9. Italy
10. Vatican
11. Monaco
12. France
13. Germany
14. Luxembourg
15. Spain
16. Netherlands
17. Portugal
18. Gibraltar
19. Croatia
20. Greece
21. Slovenia
22. Turkey

Madam_X

80s child - England most years, Wales and the Isle of Man once each. Also uncle's caravan in Kerry - Father Ted is so spot-on. First time I went further afield was America when I was 14 with my mum to visit relatives - that was the early 90s.

mikemac1

Nope, grew up on a farm so work to be done everyday, not a hope of going for a long holiday and especially not during summer

Spent my summers working and I was a slim & scrawny young lad, now I'm carrying a few extra stone

A holiday was a day out in Leisureland in Salthill, Galway

sellerbarry

Butlins all the way....................
Showing my age now.

mrsdewinter

If my parents hadn't taken us on holidays around Ireland in the 80s, I'm not sure I'd ever have got to see the likes of Donegal or East Cork.

MadYaker

I've never been to kerry. Or the North.

Vivok

Grew up in 80's so had the trips to Brittas bay etc... Then one year we ventured to France! The excitement.... I ended up in hospital for 3 nights after injuring my shoulder and arm pretty bad. A lot of hassle for my parents trying to re arrange boat home and booking accommodation as our trip was extended. It was back to Brittasbay after that.

_Kaiser_

Nope.. times were hard in the 70s/80s

barbiegirl

I'm a 70's baby and my parents definitely tried to get us on holidays every year, Butlins/Money 5-6 years, Isle of Man once, Donegal once. Money was tight but they did their best.

W123-80's

When I was ten we drove to London for a cousins wedding.
It was June 1990. Mum and Dad in the front, my two sisters in the back seat and me in the boot (Estate Car) all the way from Mayo to London..Bloody epic trip..!
That was my only real family holiday. Better than any Sun holiday. Got to watch O'Leary score that penalty in a pub full of drunken Irishmen.. good times...

Auldloon

mikemac1 wrote: »

Nope, grew up on a farm so work to be done everyday, not a hope of going for a long holiday and especially not during summer

Spent my summers working and I was a slim & scrawny young lad, now I'm carrying a few extra stone

A holiday was a day out in Leisureland in Salthill, Galway

Leisureland is it! Ye were one of them posh farmers with the new carina's I suppose.

sassyj

70's kid here, holidays abroad each year, great memories of long days in pools and waterparks. Wouldn't have been unusual , neighbours and a lot of school friends would be going away also.

mikemac1

Auldloon wrote: »

Leisureland is it! Ye were one of them posh farmers with the new carina's I suppose.

Yes, a Carina, how did you know? :eek:

phasers

Born in 1991 I was the youngest of five kids and money was tight,but we had a week in Trabolgan one year and a week in Youghal another. Generally though we went on a ton of day trips around the country rather than holidays. I loved those.

I went to Paris and London as a teenager but Youghal is still my favourite holiday ever.

shalalala

We used to spend all the summer holidays in Ireland. We used to come over from England on the boat. I lived for those summers.

DylanII

I'm a 90's child, I went away foreign most years and a holiday in Ireland every year (including when went foreign) each usually for two weeks.

I also went camping once per year.

Recently, not so much,I'm 19 now and parents couldn't afford too much the last 3 or so years.

billybudd

Mosney every year, can still smell the bleach/dounuts/vomit.

Rush some years, small poxy caravan, lovely beach though, still is!

rainbowdrop

ejmaztec wrote: »

I was brought up in England, and each year we would go to Ireland for our holidays. My parents would load the car up with all kinds of crap for our "poor" relations, and this would be gratefully received by the cousins, aunts and uncles. What my parents didn't seem to realise was that the relatives were fuckin loaded and that we were skint. The canny relatives didn't let on, the greedy fuckers.:mad:

Are we related?:D

We used to come over by Slattery's coaches/ferry, you were lucky getting to travel in a car. 17-18hrs of misery stuck on a bus, eating soggy ham sandwiches my Mam had made for 'd journey'

I also grew up in England, came back to Ireland for our holidays every year and our cousins thought my Mam and Dad were millionaires because we lived in England and could afford holidays to Ireland. My parents used bring everyone really good presents which only compounded the notion that we were loaded!

What they failed to realise (and my parents would never give to say) was that they had scrimped and saved for months for the holiday/presents, and we'd be living on spuds/sausages/baked beans and not a lot else for weeks after we got home again!

demanufactured

Lahinch Co Clare was our holiday....love the place still

pontia

rush most years,house on the beach,seemed far away but was only up the road

summerskin

early 70's child, from one of the early single parent families in the UK, so not exactly rich but my mother always believed that holidays were important and worth saving for, and we usually went with my grandparents too.

Went to Spain at 7 months old, and then at least once a year we would go on a sun holiday somewhere in Europe, the US or north Africa until i was about 11. After that i used to go and spend every school holiday, so about 18 weeks a year, in a beautiful part of Germany visiting family until I was about 17 and discovered piss-up holidays away with the lads. Up until last year, I'd never actually had a holiday in the UK, which is where i was born and raised.

I suppose I've followed her example, as we take at least one sun holiday with the kids every year, plus one or two short breaks or adventure holidays. It's always just been normal for me.

Sunnyisland

My aunt brought us all to courtown for a week,most of my early holidays were one dayers out to Dublin's seasides or now and again out to rush,In late 70,s I was sent for three years in a row across to Galway to the Gaelscoil,(speideal,barna,lurgan) great craic all together,first holiday on my own.learned how to drink and kiss a girl :-) and some Irish to.From 80,s on it was all foreign holidays for me and lived abroad in Europe for years.

Shenshen

We did, usually several times a year.
Mostly, we would go to the farm where my grandmother grew up in Austria, usually 2 or 3 times a year. The farm wasn't active any more, and my parents and my father's siblings had converted most of the building into holiday apartments. They weren't lived in year-round, so whenever we went there we spent a lot of time fixing things up.

We started going for holidays in then Yugoslavia when I was around 10, we always went camping in a nudist resort there, usually during the spring holidays. Great fun altogether.

Mind you, since I came to live in Ireland I haven't been on a lot of holidays, it just seems so much trouble having to fly everywhere.

sbsquarepants

We never wen't on holidays when i was a kid - a few days out here and there but never actually stayed anywhere and certainly never left the country. I was about 19 or 20 when i first left the country and late 20's before i had an actual "holiday". I went on a spate of going away 3 or 4 times a year then for a few years, (you gotta love that celtic tiger) but now my wings have been clipped again so god knows when i'll get away for the next one:mad:

Rubberlegs

I was a 70's baby, born and lived in London til I was 8. Any holidays we had were back here to stay with my grandparents in Wexford. After we moved here, the only holidays we had were back to visit relations in England.
I went on my first sun holiday with a friends family, when I was 15. I was given the choice between this, and the school trip to France, Switzerland etc. There just wasn't the money for both:(. I was glad I went with my friend to Spain, but pretty sick when they all headed off on the school trip.
Ten years ago, my parents, my sister, me and my kids, all headed up to Donegal, which was nice.
Since then I've been to Fuerteventura, Portugal, Lanzarote, and Florida with himself and the kids. New York with my sister. No holidays now in almost 3 years

Also grew up in England and spent at least a few weeks in Ireland every year. We went to France almost every summer as well and when we got a bit older, started going to Spain or Italy instead. Always on the ferry/driving. First long-haul flight was to New York when I was 13. We went to the States a few more times and a few city breaks to London/Prague/Paris.

Lollipops23

Born in the late 80s, and we hadn't a bean for most of my childhood. However, my mam really loved traveling so we scrimped and saved and managed a few good ones (Majorca, Italy and USA when I was between 6 and 11). Couple of trips to the UK to visit my aunt too.

I was pretty lucky.

stargazer 68

We used to go to a caravan in Bettystown or Donabate (70's) and we thought it was miles away! Then we started going to Wexford which was miles away and a 4 hour drive with my grandad driving and smoking! :eek:

Been to much more exotic places since then as have my kids. Think if I suggested a caravan now they would keel over!

Kev.OC

Born in 88, only child. I'd say on average maybe 2 holidays a year, til I reached 20. Then I felt I was too old to go on holidays with the parents. Except skiing. When it comes to a family skiing holiday you're never too old. :pac:

harr

Salthill,Galway every year for two weeks in a caravan,we did not have much but my mother would save a little every week so we could getaway for a few weeks.Have great memories of my trips to Galway.
My first trip over seas was a school trip that took in 5 different countries,I was 15 at the time and my innocent eyes were well and truly opened on that trip

Plazaman

artvanderlay wrote: »

My family were a bunch of lazy sods, I never went anywhere on holiday as a kid and I'm quite bitter about it . I recall going for an occasional day out (to Knock, amongst other nightmares) but I never actually spent nights away with family. I'm curious did people of a similar age to me go on hols regularly?

I'll see your Knock and raise you Lough Derg. Was brought on "holiday" there when I was about 12. Tantamount to child abuse if you ask me, walking round rocky paths in bare feet, fasting for 24 hours and staying up all night. Still I giggle when I remember some traveller kids going around with smelling salts and woe betide anyone who nodded off.

Ya can't beat a good mass at 3am.

Aglomerado

artvanderlay wrote: »

My family were a bunch of lazy sods, I never went anywhere on holiday as a kid and I'm quite bitter about it . I recall going for an occasional day out (to Knock, amongst other nightmares) but I never actually spent nights away with family. I'm curious did people of a similar age to me go on hols regularly?

A couple of trips to Kerry and Waterford, only for about 3 days each time though.

Lots of "Days out" to Dublin, Cork, Galway, Sundays in Lahinch and Spanish Point, not to mention the odd day in Knock!!!! What was it with that place... like a Catholic Theme park out of Father Ted.

Naid23

Always had a summer holiday! Was lucky in that regard - even got to disneyland in Florida when I was 9. Never went on holidays in Ireland thou. Have to thank the old people for it all though because if it wasnt for them I wouldnt have the ambition to travel that I have now.

theteal

I spent all my childhood summers in a bungalow in the hills behind croagh patrick. Days were spent cutting turf and herding sheep, savage "holidays" they were. . .ah the 80's

brendanL

every year without fail 2 weeks in wexford, usually my mams side would also rent a few houses or early days would have been caravans.. good memories!

LoonyLovegood

90s baby. I was lucky, we'd go to Spain/Majorca/Lanzarote every two years ever since I was five until I was about eleven. Last family holiday was a trip to Boston for New Years three years ago? We probably won't have another holiday for another three years, although I've gone on weekend trips to England with friends.

old hippy

England aged 3, USA aged 7, France 10, Menorca 12 & 14, France & UK 16...then finally travelled on my own at 16... to Belgium :eek:

Bundoran, Ennistymon/Lahinch, Ballybunion (convinced my parents to stop in the Bridewell in Tarbert on the way back), I'm told I went to Tramore but I was too young to remember, Achill Island, Strandhill, Kilkee (I think).

Couldn't go until the hay and turf was saved so it tended to be just before going back to school and co-incide with the rose of Tralee.

I don't remember any of my friends going anywhere more exotic during the 80s.

bigneacy

We were really really lucky. Child of the 80's here - We weren't rich, not at all, but my parents worked very very hard and were obviously quite good at saving money... my parents used to take 2 months off work every summer and they would pile me and my bro into the back of our VW camper van (with the bunk beds in the push up canvas roof!!). We'd go across to the UK or europe on the ferry and drive around for 8 weeks. They took us to nearly every country in western europe. We loved it! Pulling up in caravan and camping parks and setting up for the night. There were a few bad times too but I don't remember them much.

When the camper van finally gave up and died (in remote france, no less) we done the beach/resort holiday thing almost every year, along with a few trips to (getting in the late 90's early 00's here!) london or new york and even a four week winter holiday to South Africa (sun stroke on xmas day anyone?)

I really am very grateful to my parents for letting us travel so much growing up - I will be doing the same for my kids!!

EDIT: Jaysus reading back it seems a lot of people never went on holidays or if they did, very little... I should feel bad but **** it.... yore ma is not as good as my ma.

Red Hand

Child of the early eighties, here. Nope, didn't go on foreign holidays as a child. Up until the age of 9, we might have had a trip to Galway or Wexford for a few days a year. Nothing after that.

I wasn't on a plane until 2010.:pac: