Just two weeks to go!! [it's over]

torres9kop

Lads whats the story with the prices of hotels? Madness €600 for 2 nights without breckfast....anywhere doing reasonable price?

Tugboats

Tugboats wrote: »

you don't have a passion for horses you have a passion for horse racing.

http://www.horsedeathwatch.com/

No people have a passion for the horses and the racing.

This view that horse racing is somehow cruel is complete and utter nonsense. It's the horses not involved in racing that people should be devoting their time to as these are the ones that need our attention. Yet the same people complaining about horse racing probably drive past starving horses tied to poles out in carrowbrowne everyday and don't bat an eyelid :rolleyes:

JillyQ

Tugboats wrote: »

you don't have a passion for horses you have a passion for horse racing.

http://www.horsedeathwatch.com/

Actually I ride out at least once a week and have done for over 30 years.

snubbleste

JillyQ wrote: »

Actually I ride out at least once a week and have done for over 30 years.

Oooh matron!

TimeToShine

torres9kop wrote: »

Lads whats the story with the prices of hotels? Madness €600 for 2 nights without breckfast....anywhere doing reasonable price?

Anything reasonable is long gone. We booked back in February.

irish_major

There are still some reasonable rates up on booking.com I was surprised to see, maybe try for some b and bs out in oranmore too. A 10-15 minute spin from town.

antoobrien

Deleted User wrote: »

It's amazing that the Arts festival can pass so quietly and free from trouble yet the races can't.

Not really, the races are held during the traditional holiday fortnight (no it's not just a Galway thing, the builder's holiday is nationwide), where the arts festival is like any other midweek festival.

The arts festival also lacks the scale of the race festival in both visitors and the festivities. The arts festival is a series of small events, spread out over town, where the race festival is one event per day. Add to that the visitor numbers are well up, there are probably more visitors to in Galway for the Monday of the races than there are for the entire arts festival.

You also must remember that far more people make a holiday out of the races, than they do the arts festival. There are also people that come to Galway, simply to be around town that might never go to Ballybrit.

With that scale any amount of sh*tehawking will be amplified and made look worse than it actually is.

Diabhal Beag

Is that site the Blackfish of horse racing?

_Whimsical_

Has anyone noticed that taxis have already got more expensive in anticipation of race week?
Presumably so none of us will be shocked next week when going any places costs double what it usually does.

Zzippy

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Has anyone noticed that taxis have already got more expensive in anticipation of race week?
Presumably so none of us will be shocked next week when going any places costs double what it usually does.

Not really, got one on Sun nite (on the meter) and it was same as usual. Did you mean hackneys that are not on the meter? Always worth agreeing a price in advance if a car isn't on the meter...

Mrs OBumble

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Has anyone noticed that taxis have already got more expensive in anticipation of race week?
Presumably so none of us will be shocked next week when going any places costs double what it usually does.

Nope. Was running late for work this am, and the cab was 10c less than the average fare for that trip. Independent driver too.

_Whimsical_

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Has anyone noticed that taxis have already got more expensive in anticipation of race week?
Presumably so none of us will be shocked next week when going any places costs double what it usually does.

Taxis home for me cost the same race week as any Saturday night.

thesandeman

The metered fare can't be changed. The only way there can be a difference is if the car is held up due to traffic or whatever which is very possible next week.

_Whimsical_

I got 2 hailo taxis this week, a trip I often take door to door and at the same time too as it's for an appointment. This week the trip cost me 10 euro with one driver and 11.90 with another. It usually costs around 6ish. There was no extra traffic. Got in the cab at 10:50 to arrive when I was going for 11 as usual.

maki

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

I got 2 hailo taxis this week, a trip I often take door to door and at the same time too as it's for an appointment. This week the trip cost me 10 euro with one driver and 11.90 with another. It usually costs around 6ish. There was no extra traffic. Got in the cab at 10:50 to arrive when I was going for 11 as usual.

That's pretty strange, but there has to be some explanation.
They certainly can't double the price. Prices are assigned a maximum by the regulator and I'd be fairly sure that most if not all companies already charge the maximum.

_Whimsical_

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

I got 2 hailo taxis this week, a trip I often take door to door and at the same time too as it's for an appointment. This week the trip cost me 10 euro with one driver and 11.90 with another. It usually costs around 6ish. There was no extra traffic. Got in the cab at 10:50 to arrive when I was going for 11 as usual.

Did you challenge them on it?

I know what a taxi home costs me (+/- a small amount due to traffic conditions, pick up point etc) and if I got asked to pay above I'd refuse.

evil_seed

Could be a hailo thing

thesandeman

Have a look at the receipts and see what extras they added.

Mrs OBumble

evil_seed wrote: »

Could be a hailo thing

Doubt it. I've used it a few times lately and if anything the fare has been on the lower side of what I expected.

snubbleste

evil_seed wrote: »

Could be a hailo thing

Possible http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057251615

_Whimsical_

I'm afraid I didn't question it on either occasion, both because I'm annoyingly slow to do that and because I had to be where I was going a min after I arrived for an appointment.

It wasn't one of the premium cabs because I think they show as blue on your app so you can decide which you want, I've never seen one in Galway actually.I was wondering if maybe Hailo have stopped their policy of not starting the meter for 2 mins after you enter the cab or something. In the past I'd always found them cheaper. I have all the receipts anyway and I will ask next time what the change is if it's more expensive again.

MadYaker

Classy http://connachttribune.ie/garda-crackdown-galway-races-prostitution/

Mrs OBumble

MadYaker wrote: »

Classy http://connachttribune.ie/garda-crackdown-galway-races-prostitution/

That article, like this thread, is pretty much an annual event.

ben.schlomo

MadYaker wrote: »

Classy http://connachttribune.ie/garda-crackdown-galway-races-prostitution/

You wouldnt want to go to Cheltenham if you think the few here are bad.

MadYaker

MadYaker wrote: »

Classy http://connachttribune.ie/garda-crackdown-galway-races-prostitution/

People are easily shocked of this sort of thing gets their attention.

zarquon

Romina Tall Calendar wrote: »

People are easily shocked of this sort of thing gets their attention.

Fair stretch to say that people are easily shocked if they are put out by the human sex trafficking that feeds events such as this

A good story here from a former victim of these type of brothels:

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/a-woman-trafficked-into-the-sex-trade-in-ireland-tells-her-story-29760573.html

Sadly a surplus amount of sex trafficking victims located around Ireland are shifted into Galway for race week as there is lots of demand

snubbleste

Cllr Conneely is most quiet these days..

Diabhal Beag

If you don't want to go Races there's always the fantastic scenery of Connemara. There'll be little to no traffic once you pass Salthill and you can pick between great spots like Clifden, Roundstone, Spiddal, Twelve Pins, An Cheathrú Rua........to an endless list. You'd be surprised how few people living in Galway actually venture out west.

snubbleste

snubbleste wrote: »

Cllr Conneely is most quiet these days..

What's that supposed to mean?

I'm wondering are you paid to be an annoyance on this forum or are you doing it for fun?

Only two days to go!!!!!!

mrkiscool2

Romina Tall Calendar wrote: »

Because its an absolutely amazing week. You wont get a week like it anywhere in the world and people have the best week of their year every year here.

Being from co. Galway I'm going racing every year since primary school so I've been brought up with it as have all my friends who all love it. Some like myself love both the racing and the going out,others just the going out.

I also have friends from Italy and Brazil to name two places, they came once a few years ago for a one day and night and have been back every year since and increased the number of days each year. They think its absolutely brilliant and something you won't find anywhere else. From the craic at the course and the excitement of the betting and a few pints to the craic and banter on the streets, the fantastic atmosphere created by the massive crowds and of course whats not to like about spending hours drinking on the streets of the best city in the world .

But no, all some care about is a bit of puke and piss (which doesn't bother me in the slightest). Fighting is extremely rare, I've probably been out during race week as much as anybody (5 night in a row ,thurs - sun, for years) and I can remember only a handful of fights of the top of my head, no more than Id have seen on a random saturday night.

If there is one bit of advise I'd give anyone not from Galway its try to get to Galway during race week if you ever have the chance.

Sorry, what the fcuk are you on? You've clearly never been to anything in the history of anything if you think there is nothing like Race Week. As someone who has been at both Race Week and the Olympics I can far and away say the 4 days I spent in London for the Olympics was the single greatest experience of my life and has actually got me saving for Rio. Another mate of mine (who is actually from Galway-I've only lived here for a few years) was at the Olympics with me and the World Cup in Brazil and while he ranks the 4 days of the Olympics as the greatest days of his life, he ranks the two weeks at the World Cup a very close second.

If you think the Galway Races is the best thing ever you are very sadly mistaken. It's very sad you can even say that and not be called on it! As a racing fan I enjoy going to the races, however I prefer the Derby in the Curragh. Way better atmosphere at the course and nowhere near as many problems in the local town (Newbridge). Sure, people go drinking there and you do get idiots, but nowhere near as many as you get in Galway during Race Week. It's actually very sad that people think Galway Race Week is the greatest event in Ireland when it's not even close.

Also, it's way more than a "bit of puke and piss". People think it's perfectly ok to sh1t on people's lawns, start fights, stab people, wreck property and cause general mayhem in the city. You're either a person involved with the races or an idiot if you believe that the Galway Races are a. The best event in Ireland every year and/or b. only causes a bit of piss and puke in the town.