Is rural Ireland as backwards as people say?

wendell borton

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Actually the thread is about "backwards country people", it's a bit odd to ignore that generalisation and get upset about dubliners.

Furthermore a criticism of inner city Dublin does not exempt other bigotries elsewhere. Nevertheless I think there are safer parts of the city to be gay or different than others.

Well it is part of the cultural internal colonialism perpetrated by the west brits inside the pale.:D

sugarplum202

The only people that think Dublin is forward thinking are those from Dublin. Everyone else realises it is a culture-barren, scummy sh1thole. It takes 3 hours approx. from where I live to get to Dublin. I could be in London in an hour on a plane, Paris and Edinburgh in 2. Heck, even Belfast is safer and has more going for it these days. The irony being that when you go outside of Ireland, and say where your from, they say "oh I love Ireland-except Dublin."

Asmooh

Well i have the feeling that Ireland is still stuck 10 years back compare to the rest of europe..

Grayson

sugarplum202 wrote: »

The only people that think Dublin is forward thinking are those from Dublin. Everyone else realises it is a culture-barren, scummy sh1thole. It takes 3 hours approx. from where I live to get to Dublin. I could be in London in an hour on a plane, Paris and Edinburgh in 2. Heck, even Belfast is safer and has more going for it these days. The irony being that when you go outside of Ireland, and say where your from, they say "oh I love Ireland-except Dublin."

I've never ever heard anyone say "I love Ireland, except Dublin". I'm pretty well travelled and in 99% of cases Dublin is the only city people have heard of in Ireland. Hell, half the time I have to explain that Holland and Ireland are different countries.

As for people who actually visit Ireland, they love Dublin. They never see anything outside of the touristy bits which are extremely well developed for tourists.

Even the bad bits are considered quaint. I once brought a friend who was a teetotler, evangelical christian around Dublin city centre. I picked a really bad day for it. It was freshers week and it was Arthurs day. Temple bar was a mess. I said sorry, it's not normally this bad at 7pm and he said "I'll be honest it's about as stereotypical as you can get. I'm getting some great photo's"

Now you can hate Dublin all you want and only visit once a year to do your xmas shopping but it's not as bad as you make out. Sure there are some parts I wouldn't walk into but there are some parts even rougher in the midlands town I grew up in. Dublin had amazing museums, gallery's and venues. The Georgian architecture looks amazing. Trinity is whack bang in the centre of the city and the only place with a campus that close to the city centre is Cork. It has a bigger and better selection of restaurants, bars and shopping than anywhere else in the country.

Not saying the rest of the country isn't worth seeing but to say that Dublin is the worst pat of the country is simply stupid.

I mean there's Limerick for a start.....

And as for Belfast. There was an EU survey on racism that found that Northern Ireland was the most racist place in the EU. Over 50% of people said they would not want a person of a different race or religion to move into their street. Even more said they would not want a family member to date/marry outside of their race/religion. I've known many nice people from NI but that place does have a lot of problems. Pick a particular week in July to pop up there and see how many places give you a welcome.

FTA69

wakka12 wrote: »

Well I live in middle class Dublin and its really not okay at all with the vast majority of people, a person saying they're voting no would be met with a gasp

And putting down or being mean to somebody just because they're a different race? That just does not ever happen, ever

The more wealthy a region or area is the more it corresponds me with liberal values , this trend is noticed almost everywhere in every place on earth

I'm sorry but that's simply a massive load of sh*te, this notion that the rich are all tolerant liberals while the poor are ignorant plebs is nonsense. A few examples, my old doll is a black woman who works as a corporate lawyer in minerals and oil. She works primarily with privately-educated people from wealthy backgrounds and encounters prejudice or patronising attitudes on a weekly basis. Likewise working as a bouncer in Ireland, if you think the only people abusing the toilet attendant or the Chinese man selling pizza next door were working class people you're f*cking codding yourself.

Wealthy areas being more liberal? Try being a black fella buying a house in some of the wealthiest parts of America and see how you get on.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/yes-canvassers-claim-social-class-a-factor-in-marriage-vote-1.2215451

Lastly have a read of this, and perhaps drop some of your preconceived notions.

The J Stands for Jay

For Forks Sake wrote: »

Yeah, that wan't amusing the first time.

He also wants to have a go at the Greeks because they invented gayness [/Fr. Ted reference]

Getting sick of his repetitive posts in various threads.

old_aussie

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I have no farm, hate the GAA ( no club here anyway) and I'm not a Catholic, and you have the cheek to call me backwards?!!

So he left the "The" and "Man" out, lol

RonanP77

Grayson wrote:

Now you can hate Dublin all you want and only visit once a year to do your xmas shopping but it's not as bad as you make out. Sure there are some parts I wouldn't walk into but there are some parts even rougher in the midlands town I grew up in. Dublin had amazing museums, gallery's and venues. The Georgian architecture looks amazing. Trinity is whack bang in the centre of the city and the only place with a campus that close to the city centre is Cork. It has a bigger and better selection of restaurants, bars and shopping than anywhere else in the country.

Do people really still go to Dublin to do their Christmas shopping? There really isn't any need, any medium sized town has enough to keep anyone going these days.

Grayson wrote:

And as for Belfast. There was an EU survey on racism that found that Northern Ireland was the most racist place in the EU. Over 50% of people said they would not want a person of a different race or religion to move into their street. Even more said they would not want a family member to date/marry outside of their race/religion. I've known many nice people from NI but that place does have a lot of problems. Pick a particular week in July to pop up there and see how many places give you a welcome.

I thought we were discussing our country here, the North is a separate country and can't be included in any comparisons.

sugarplum202

Grayson wrote: »

Even the bad bits are considered quaint. I once brought a friend who was a teetotler, evangelical christian around Dublin city centre. I picked a really bad day for it. It was freshers week and it was Arthurs day. Temple bar was a mess. I said sorry, it's not normally this bad at 7pm and he said "I'll be honest it's about as stereotypical as you can get. I'm getting some great photo's"

Lovely, so he got some stereotypical pictures of some drunk, fighting Irish and you consider that showing him culture? Puhlease!
And as well, I've lived in Belfast. I've been there for the marches (which btw don't just happen July). No, its not ideal but tbh I've never felt less welcome than anyone else. My first night in Belfast, my friends and I walked into the first pub we saw. We had just called out our order, when my eye fell on a massive portrait of Rev. Ian Paisley right behind the bar. Were we run out of the place with pitchforks? No, we were not. Half the bar were buying us drinks and telling us our accents were lovely (never happens in Dublin). Why? because they know how they are perceived and want to show that they are just as human as everyone else.
You can quote EU surveys about people not marrying outside their religion, but it simply isn't the reality on the ground (except on Andersontown Road and East Belfast say), having spent a lot of time in both I'd pick a Belfastian(of any religion) over a Dubliner any day of the week, less of a misguided superiority complex, and more open minded of places that don't have a postcode beginning with D.

fizzypish

My primary school had 45 people in it total at one stage. I had a class of 7 and that was a big class. Today that class has produced:
1 instrumentation electrician
1 Engineer
1 Nurse
1 teacher
1 hair dresser
1 Dr of Food Science
1 ??????

All of us country bumkins! I know some lads that are farmers and mechanics and are rough as a badgers arse but backward? Nope. I only know a handful of old bachelors who are genuinely backwards. I don't think that there's proportionally more smart ****ers in the city than the country but I do know we have much less hipsters.

Balmed Out

jonnypacket wrote: »

With all the talk about the upcoming referendum on gay marriage, I often hear people worry that it will be rejected due to the conservative, backward nature of rural Ireland. Obviously rural Ireland is not as cosmopolitan as Dublin and so the people there are less exposed to gay culture so perhaps their opinions stem from innocent ignorance. I'm not familiar with Ireland outside of Dublin but I imagine rural dwellers are more fixated on farming, GAA and the Catholic church. How true is this?

How are so many people taking this thread seriously? Read the OP, do you really think anyone thinks this way?

The OP is designed to either make Dubliner's come off as pricks or to try to make the rest of the country come across as idiots. Reading some of the responses he seems to a degree to have succeeded.

buck65

I live in the country, I like GAA, I don't like the Catholic (or any) church and don't go. I have no farm but wouldn't mind buying a house on a few acres to plant some trees and veg and have a run around with the kids.
I will vote yes, please help me.

topper75

jonnypacket wrote: »

... Hasn't Donegal voted no to most referenda in the past in an effort to stifle progress? ...

No = stifling progress! So anything a government proposes MUST be progress and right-thinking people always vote Yes?

I'm concerned now. Because you are probably a real person with the power to cast actual votes in a ballot box.

Zirconia

Lets just clear this all up with an objective summary:

People from Dublin are either.....

or.....


People from outside Dublin are either....

or.....

wakka12

sugarplum202 wrote: »

The only people that think Dublin is forward thinking are those from Dublin. Everyone else realises it is a culture-barren, scummy sh1thole. It takes 3 hours approx. from where I live to get to Dublin. I could be in London in an hour on a plane, Paris and Edinburgh in 2. Heck, even Belfast is safer and has more going for it these days. The irony being that when you go outside of Ireland, and say where your from, they say "oh I love Ireland-except Dublin."

Nobody says that

John_Rambo

sugarplum202 wrote: »

The irony being that when you go outside of Ireland, and say where your from, they say "oh I love Ireland-except Dublin."

I have never ever here people saying this. I frequently here people say they can't ever see themselves move back home after moving to Dublin.

sugarplum202 wrote: »

The only people that think Dublin is forward thinking are those from Dublin. Everyone else realises it is a culture-barren, scummy sh1thole

Is Dublin Culture-barren or are you simply clueless about Dublin? Have you visited the museums, galleries, restaurants, theatres, concert halls, bars, parks, beaches etc in the city? Have you a notion of what culturally goes on in the city whilst you're pounding away on your keyboard?

I see most of your six posts are bitching about Dublin in general. Was it a girl? Would you like to talk about it?

jimgoose

Zirconia wrote: »

...People from outside Dublin are either....

or.....

This does considerable disservice to Wexford fellas in waxed donkey-jackets and black wool monkey-caps sitting on stone walls who've been on the dole for eighteen years and yet mysteriously know more about JCBs than the manufacturers. For shame, sir. For shame!

Crooked Jack

jonnypacket wrote: »

With all the talk about the upcoming referendum on gay marriage, I often hear people worry that it will be rejected due to the conservative, backward nature of rural Ireland. Obviously rural Ireland is not as cosmopolitan as Dublin and so the people there are less exposed to gay culture so perhaps their opinions stem from innocent ignorance. I'm not familiar with Ireland outside of Dublin but I imagine rural dwellers are more fixated on farming, GAA and the Catholic church. How true is this?

*sigh*

meeeeh

John_Rambo wrote: »

I have never ever here people saying this. I frequently here people say they can't ever see themselves move back home after moving to Dublin.



Is Dublin Culture-barren or are you simply clueless about Dublin? Have you visited the museums, galleries, restaurants, theatres, concert halls, bars, parks, beaches etc in the city? Have you a notion of what culturally goes on in the city whilst you're pounding away on your keyboard?

I see most of your six posts are bitching about Dublin in general. Was it a girl? Would you like to talk about it?

I think there might be a difference between living in Dublin and visiting Dublin. As a biggish city Dublin is nothing special and I know quite a few visitors who would say it is grand but not a place they would visit agaIn. Because of the weather you miss the whole "cafe culture" that is so nice in a lot other cities around Europe. People actually are the biggest asset Ireland has, the buildings and museums are interchangable with similar stuff in other European cities that have better weather.

From my experience if you discount drinking parties, nature is a lot more stunning and unique for visitors, especially if you get really nice day.

However visiting somewhere is different than living somewhere. Those visitors who are admiring countryside would be soon frustrated with quality of broadband If they had to live there.

BuilderPlumber

meeeeh wrote: »

I think there might be a difference between living in Dublin and visiting Dublin. As a biggish city Dublin is nothing special and I know quite a few visitors who would say it is grand but not a place they would visit agaIn. Because of the weather you miss the whole "cafe culture" that is so nice in a lot other cities around Europe. People actually are the biggest asset Ireland has, the buildings and museums are interchangable with similar stuff in other European cities that have better weather.

From my experience if you discount drinking parties, nature is a lot more stunning and unique for visitors, especially if you get really nice day.

However visiting somewhere is different than living somewhere. Those visitors who are admiring countryside would be soon frustrated with quality of broadband If they had to live there.

Dublin is the same as any other city in the world in most regards. There is plenty for tourists to see, there is wealth and opportunity but there's also a lot of bad things going on too. A typical tourist will only see the positive aspects of Dublin (unless they go looking for the other side: I know an Australian friend of mine who went to Dublin because he watched Love/Hate and wanted to sample all the locations for himself).

Like everything, Dublin is what you make it. There is something for everyone and there are things unique about it as well as things in common with all cities. Despite a lot of real life Nidges, Dublin is one of the safer capital cities in the world. Most crime is like what we see in Love/Hate (gangsters killing each other). Terrorist threats are much lower than anywhere else in Europe at present. And it is a friendly place generally.

Makaveli

sugarplum202 wrote: »

The only people that think Dublin is forward thinking are those from Dublin. Everyone else realises it is a culture-barren, scummy sh1thole. It takes 3 hours approx. from where I live to get to Dublin. I could be in London in an hour on a plane, Paris and Edinburgh in 2. Heck, even Belfast is safer and has more going for it these days. The irony being that when you go outside of Ireland, and say where your from, they say "oh I love Ireland-except Dublin."

lol mad

Bobking

Taxburden carrier wrote: »

Or you could just have a Dail vote. :rolleyes:

This way they don't lose any votes and it has the added bonus of distracting a nation filled with self doubt for a good couple of months.

We are all somewhat educated and ignorant in equal measure.

Eugene Norman

Asmooh wrote: »

Well i have the feeling that Ireland is still stuck 10 years back compare to the rest of europe..

Except the east. And much of the south. It'll be a long time before most traditionally Eastern Orthodox countries have gay marriage and Russia and its satellites are moving the other direction. With the exception of abortion -- where basically we just don't want to have that referendum because it's so divisive -- we are bang in the middle of west European liberalism.

Eugene Norman

FTA69 wrote: »

I'm sorry but that's simply a massive load of sh*te, this notion that the rich are all tolerant liberals while the poor are ignorant plebs is nonsense. A few examples, my old doll is a black woman who works as a corporate lawyer in minerals and oil. She works primarily with privately-educated people from wealthy backgrounds and encounters prejudice or patronising attitudes on a weekly basis. Likewise working as a bouncer in Ireland, if you think the only people abusing the toilet attendant or the Chinese man selling pizza next door were working class people you're f*cking codding yourself.

Wealthy areas being more liberal? Try being a black fella buying a house in some of the wealthiest parts of America and see how you get on.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/yes-canvassers-claim-social-class-a-factor-in-marriage-vote-1.2215451

Lastly have a read of this, and perhaps drop some of your preconceived notions.

I'm pretty sure the rich and middle classes are snobs, possibly hidden racists, certainly hypocrites. However those canvasser opinions may reflect shy NO working class voters rather than anything else. I did say that it's the underclass you worry about in Dublin distinguishing them from the working class, the vast majority of inner and north Dublin being the latter.

If the canvassers are right then it's a sea change from other votes on social issues with regards to class. It *could* be true though as the grip of the Catholic Church was stronger on working class and rural constituencies and therefore the bigger post-Catholic change would be in those communities.

Also we are not in America. Let's stick to Ireland.

Eugene Norman

Thinking about it some more and reading the Irish times article more fully I can see that there may be more conservatism in South Dublin than used to be traditionally. Relative to everywhere else. Besides the loss of the grip of the Catholic Church on rural and working class Dublin being lightened the real divisions are old and young/middle aged. The demographics of South Dublin trend older as it was and is too expensive to buy a house in. Younger families are outside the city, or on the northside and west. Immigrants and young people in general move into the inner city.

FTA69

Eugene Norman wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the rich and middle classes are snobs, possibly hidden racists, certainly hypocrites. However those canvasser opinions may reflect shy NO working class voters rather than anything else. I did say that it's the underclass you worry about in Dublin distinguishing them from the working class, the vast majority of inner and north Dublin being the latter.

If the canvassers are right then it's a sea change from other votes on social issues with regards to class. It *could* be true though as the grip of the Catholic Church was stronger on working class and rural constituencies and therefore the bigger post-Catholic change would be in those communities.

Also we are not in America. Let's stick to Ireland.

My point wasn't focussing solely around the Times article, rather the person's contention that wealthy people are liberal and tolerant while poorer people aren't. That's complete sh*te. Personally I'm not really interested in "underclass" or whatever term you want to use as they're a small minority who don't represent anywhere or anyone.

Similarly I brought up America because the same poster suggested this was a worldwide trend, the U.S. is one example but Tory heartlands in Britain would be another.

John_Rambo

FTA69 wrote: »

I love the way talk of racism and homophobia in Dublin gets tagged to the inner city, as if middle class people are somehow incapable of being bigots. Give over.

And as if there's no mixed race relationships and kids in the inner city! Some people really don't know what's going on.

sugarplum202

wakka12 wrote: »

Nobody says that

The amount of people (of all generations and walks of life) who have said that to me, isn't even funny.
Maybe you look like a stereotypical love\hate dub and they're afraid to say it to you.

strobe

sugarplum202 wrote: »

The amount of people (of all generations and walks of life) who have said that to me, isn't even funny.
Maybe you look like a stereotypical love\hate dub and they're afraid to say it to you.

If your posts on here are anything to go by maybe it's because all you talk about is that you don't like Dublin and they figure you're what my grandmother would have called "touched by an angel" and so they just kind of smile and nod and agree with you and look around nervously for your carer to show up?






Can't say I've noticed any difference in terms of 'backwardness' between rural people and urban people. Perhaps between elderly and younger people, as I guess you'd expect. Not sure backwards is the phrase I'd use though, just people of their time. Very few of peoples opinions on things are born in isolation freely inside their own heads. I have to reckon a high percentage is just leached from whatever environment you start formulating opinions in with very little personal control over it.

sugarplum202

strobe wrote: »

If your posts on here are anything to go by maybe it's because all you talk about is that you don't like Dublin and they figure you're what my grandmother would have called "touched by an angel" and so they just kind of smile and nod and agree with you and look around nervously for your carer to show up?






Can't say I've noticed any difference in terms of 'backwardness' between rural people and urban people. Perhaps between elderly and younger people, as I guess you'd expect. Not sure backwards is the phrase I'd use though, just people of their time. Very few of peoples opinions on things are born in isolation freely inside their own heads. I have to reckon a high percentage is just leached from whatever environment you start formulating opinions in with very little personal control over it.

Nope the information was volunteered unasked. The reason that most of my posts hate Dublin is that I've just joined and its an issue I feel particularly inscensed about. But thank you for your lighthearted jibes at people suffering from mental health issues.