Race Week Yay or Nay

AnFearDorcha · 02-08-2013 2:51am #1

Hi all.

I've been living in Galway for four years now but this week has been my first proper encounter with the races.

Today, in the space of 40mins walking through town, I witnessed a shoplifting, three full on fights, dozens of miserable couples, was accosted four times by drunk strangers and saw a man try to fight a tree in Eyre Square.

He seemed to be losing.

What I'm asking is, am I in the minority in hating the Galway Races? Because I thought rag week was bad but never feared for my safety the way I did today.

And why does everyone complain about rag week (supermacs "riot" aside) but love the races?

What do ye think of it?

hamsterboy · 02-08-2013 2:55am

****in hate the races. Brings a awful breed of scum to the place. Usually avoid town this time of year. Actually live a stones throw from the racecourse so I'm bunkered down here with a PS3 and loads of alcohol

inisboffin · 02-08-2013 3:40am

Same discussion happens every year. Some love it and have an honestly good time out at the racecourse and it's great craic. But walking through town and the amount of grief being doled out is disproportionate to any craic imo.

Give me the arts festival/fringe/fleadh/bag of rocks instead any day.

Seaneh · 02-08-2013 5:13am

Just don't cross the bridge...
The Bridge is magic, all the gob****es tend to stay on the eastern side of it.

General rule of thumb for Galway:
West is best. Never cross the bridge.

thesandeman · 02-08-2013 5:25am

You're lucky you weren't around a few years ago before the plastic glasses came in.
I've said said it before, I hate the things normally but those plastics are the best thing that ever happened in town for Race Week.

Missyelliot2 · 02-08-2013 5:46am

Lived in Galway all my life and make a point to being out of the place during the races. For me, it all started during the BS Celtic tiger rubbish - am sure you have discussed all this.

But, (in my opinion, for what it's worth), the races have lost a lot of the fun - it was always a family occasion, but not any more. Dodging between bottles and P€&?ed women in heels ain't fun!

So, OP, a huge NAY, (with an apology for the rant!)

ted2767 · 02-08-2013 5:56am

Agree 100% have lived in Galway 8 years and absolutely love the place (bit hard to stay on straight and narrow though).
But I HATE race week.
Pissed groups of lads all over the shop,
Hassle,rubbish can't go into town at night and as for ladies night don't get me started.

El_Dangeroso · 02-08-2013 9:08am

Seaneh wrote: »

Just don't cross the bridge...
The Bridge is magic, all the gob****es tend to stay on the eastern side of it.

General rule of thumb for Galway:
West is best. Never cross the bridge.

Absolutely, was down in Massimo's for a bite to eat yesterday and it was very civilised. I don't know what we'll do if the tourists ever discover the west..

ArtyC · 02-08-2013 10:18am

Before the plastics it was very bad!! I always ended up with glass in my feet -- that went through my shoes!
I think it used to be better-- now it's bring a bottle of vodka to shop street week and I don't enjoy it anymore... Few pints and banter- great- legless groups roaring and shouting in people's faces, puking and piddling on the street I don't care for. I went home with my bottles of beer after work and chilled out. Roll on Monday... Silence and free seats in pubs

pleasant Co. · 02-08-2013 11:32am

It's a YAY for race week from me, just wish the crowd it drew were more of the volvo ocean race ilk, soz current crowd ilk.

joeKel73 · 02-08-2013 11:56am

I enjoy a day out at the track but generally avoid the city center.

Some locals enjoy it:

Diabhal Beag · 02-08-2013 12:39pm

There's a good reason why a lot of Galwegians go on holidays for Race Week. I didn't venture past Dominick St yesterday but even walking to Salthill there were a few scraps and teens vomiting everywhere. The bad weather didn't even seem to deter the bushing, which warmed my heart to see such dedication from the 14 year old's of Galway.

I always feel awful for staff working in pubs for Race Week. The amount of abuse they get is unreal. Supermacs is probably twice as bad.

snubbleste · 02-08-2013 12:46pm

That poor woman..

inisboffin · 02-08-2013 12:55pm

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Absolutely, was down in Massimo's for a bite to eat yesterday and it was very civilised. I don't know what we'll do if the tourists ever discover the west..

Ditto. Although there was a small stream of racers around the West that must have been dropped in via helicopter or snuck across! Still, nothing like the other side.

Eeden · 02-08-2013 1:14pm

Also dislike race week. It really attracts a sleazy element. I'm usually out of town for it, but didn't manage to get away this year.

Redhairedguy · 02-08-2013 1:17pm

Big nay from me. I was working all this week so far, so I haven't (thankfully) had any negative encounters this year. First day off today, and I'm sitting in terminal 1 of Dublin Airport about to get the frak outta here for the weekend!

I worked the races for a number of years, so all the glam and glitz washed off about 7 years ago. It's pretty much people in cheap suits and sunglasses thinking that because they're dressed 'fancy', it gives them the right to act like arséholes. :pac:

James Forde · 02-08-2013 1:19pm

Redhairedguy wrote: »

I worked the races for a number of years, so all the glam and glitz washed off about 7 years ago. It's pretty much people in cheap suits and sunglasses thinking that because they're dressed 'fancy', it gives them the right to act like arséholes. :pac:

This is the perfect description of race week.

ScumLord · 02-08-2013 1:28pm

hamsterboy wrote: »

Actually live a stones throw from the racecourse so I'm bunkered down here with a PS3 and loads of alcohol

Back in my day it was a high powered rifle, kids today and they're playboxes, shot them with real guns!

El_Dangeroso · 02-08-2013 1:34pm

Shouldn't the title be Yay or Neigh?

I'll get me coat.

Wompa1 · 02-08-2013 2:20pm

Yay for the increased foot fall, Nay for the fact it's mostly gob****es. If you live within 20 miles of the city, it impacts you. When I lived outside the city, it always meant houses getting broken into. When I lived in the city, it meant putting up with drunken a-holes acting like entitled d1cks.

As for the RAG week comparison. I dislike both RAG week and Race week, though I've witness much more criminal damage from RAG week. Race week seems better policed, also.

AnFearDorcha · 02-08-2013 2:44pm

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Shouldn't the title be Yay or Neigh?

I'll get me coat.

:cool:

02-08-2013 3:03pm

I tend to stay away from town as much as possible during race week. Had to head in on Monday and between the Bohermore post office and Eyre square I passed three separate groups of people who were so drunk that standing up was impossible. This was at 2 in the afternoon and was far from an isolated incident.

I could forgive the drunk idiots and the pools of vomit if it weren't for the fact that places jack up the prices the week before the races. Out in Massimos last Saturday and a bottle of beer was €5.10. An absolute rip off if there ever was one and one of the reasons I have no sympathy for pubs that close down.

Ludikrus · 02-08-2013 3:08pm

HATE race week. Sh*te horse racing and drunk fools falling around in their confirmation suits. I've loaded the car with food & booze and heading for a mobile home in Kerry. Call me when they're all gone.

Seaneh · 02-08-2013 3:27pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Out in Massimos last Saturday and a bottle of beer was €5.10. An absolute rip off if there ever was one and one of the reasons I have no sympathy for pubs that close down.

What beer was it?

I haven't noticed their prices being any different than the last few months... 5am Saint, Hooker, Hooker Stout and the few others I'd drink are all the same price...

02-08-2013 3:40pm

Seaneh wrote: »

What beer was it?

I haven't noticed their prices being any different than the last few months... 5am Saint, Hooker, Hooker Stout and the few others I'd drink are all the same price...

Was a bottle of Corona. Noticed in a few places that a beer was more expensive, maybe it's just me but a pint last weekend was a minimum of €4.80 to €5.00 and bottles were around the same and more in some places. I have no problem paying €6.00 for a bottle of something interesting in the Salthouse but €4.80 for Coors is ridicolous and €5.10 for a 330ml bottle of Corona is robbery

pleasant Co. · 02-08-2013 3:54pm

That's actually the price they charge for a bottle of corona, I was caught out by that one a few weeks ago after I'd moved off the heavier more [usually] expensive beers.

02-08-2013 4:08pm

pleasant Co. wrote: »

That's actually the price they charge for a bottle of corona, I was caught out by that one a few weeks ago after I'd moved off the heavier more [usually] expensive beers.

It wasn't just Corona at that price. One order we got was for a bottle of Corona and a bottle of Bud and that came to 10.20. I didn't notice the cost of the first few bottles as there were Vodka and Red Bull and a few other things in the round but when we got the two bottles and I questioned the barman I found out just how costly a bottle was.

Is it any wonder that so many pubs are in trouble, rather than try and keep customers they alienate them with their ridiculous prices. Massimo must be making a fortune on a bottle of Corona, I doubt they pay much more than a euro a bottle and while some will say that the cost of that bottle has to pay for wages, lighting, rent etc it's still a rip off.

Seaneh · 02-08-2013 4:41pm

in fairness, people who drink muck like Bud and Corona deserve to be ripped off for drinking fizzzy yellow water :pac:.

But yeah, that's just the price of their bottles, they haven't put the prices up.