The 70's and 80's in Ireland

Heroditas

farmchoice wrote: »

it was brilliant and joyous and it primed the pump for 1990. the day we beat England!! the 12th of June 1988 ill never forget it it was the day idid my confirmation and i refused to go out to a restaurant for something to eat, i had to go home to watch it.


then afterwards everyone was mad for Jackie Charlton and the team every qualifying game was followed so it just built and built for italy.
the qualifying home games were always on a wedensday afternoon because there were no floodlights in lansdowne road at the time. so everyone would be trying to get off school. the principle took to making up spurious reason to have half days!! i think we were only school for one of them!!

Yeah I'm around the same vintage as you and that all rings very true for me.
We used to have half days on Wednesdays so I always got to see the home games. Malta and Hungary were on at the weekend though, just after the Hillsborough disaster. I think some of the Liverpool players missed the Malta game because they had been playing a couple of days previously
Sure, the football wasn't pretty but Ireland were appearing on the global stage and it instilled massive national pride in people.
Funnily enough, I preferred the older format Euros with fewer teams. It was such an accomplishment to even get there and the quality was also better because the vast majority of teams were strong. Amazing to think that Croatia, Armenia, Ukraine etc didn't exist then!

Edgware

farmchoice wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpKM4JPzeGQ


Joxer goes to Stuttgart sums up the whole thing.


''that day will be the highlight of many peoples lives''


the live version is particularly good just for the cheer that goes up when ''ray Houghton stuck it in the net''

Pathetic lives if thats the case

SharpshooterTom

Edgware wrote: »

Pathetic lives if thats the case

Beating England (who I think went as favourites) in one of the biggest sporting competitions in the world?

'Sporting highlights' would be more appropriate I think.

Hotblack Desiato

Edgware wrote: »

Pathetic lives if thats the case

It's a f**king song.
NB Bryan Adams doesn't really want to run to you, either.

Grandeeod

I spent most of my teen years in the 80's and I have nothing but happy memories. I firmly believe that most people from Dublin have better memories because it was far ahead of the rest of the country, while far behind a lot of other European cities. I have no memories of all this doom and gloom people talk about, not that it wasn't like that in some parts. I wasn't from a wealthy family either.

If you were an adult in the 80's I suppose it was different. The work situation, particularly outside Dublin and other cities was bleak. I came to appreciate that in the early 90's when I knew loads emigrating after we finished college. For me, the Church had no influence on me after the age of 13. We actually had sex in our teens too.:eek: We even had cable TV. In fact all my life from my first memory of TV we had RTE and the English channels. Playschool, Rainbow, Blue Peter, Magpie, Corrie etc. Being off school sick in the 70's and watching Mr. Benn and Trumpton at lunchtime. I think the main problem with 70's/80's Ireland was outside Dublin.

EmmetSpiceland

Grandeeod wrote: »

I spent most of my teen years in the 80's and I have nothing but happy memories. I firmly believe that most people from Dublin have better memories because it was far ahead of the rest of the country, while far behind a lot of other European cities. I have no memories of all this doom and gloom people talk about, not that it wasn't like that in some parts. I wasn't from a wealthy family either.

If you were an adult in the 80's I suppose it was different. The work situation, particularly outside Dublin and other cities was bleak. I came to appreciate that in the early 90's when I knew loads emigrating after we finished college. For me, the Church had no influence on me after the age of 13. We actually had sex in our teens too.:eek: We even had cable TV. In fact all my life from my first memory of TV we had RTE and the English channels. Playschool, Rainbow, Blue Peter, Magpie, Corrie etc. Being off school sick in the 70's and watching Mr. Benn and Trumpton at lunchtime. I think the main problem with 70's/80's Ireland was outside Dublin.

People from the country, especially older ones, are always going on about Dublin like it’s the “last days of the Roman Empire”.

Never anything nice to say. They’re particularly harsh on the people. I’m guessing it stems from jealousy and an inability to compete with the Dublin wit.

Baybay

Grandeeod wrote: »

I spent most of my teen years in the 80's and I have nothing but happy memories. I firmly believe that most people from Dublin have better memories because it was far ahead of the rest of the country, while far behind a lot of other European cities... I think the main problem with 70's/80's Ireland was outside Dublin.

I think if you look at some of the earlier posts in this thread, Dublin did not have a monopoly on relatively doom free years for some other teenagers & some grew up nowhere near Dublin!

Edgware

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

People from the country, especially older ones, are always going on about Dublin like it’s the “last days of the Roman Empire”.

Never anything nice to say. They’re particularly harsh on the people. I’m guessing it stems from jealousy and an inability to compete with the Dublin wit.

Ya. Really jealous of those tenements and gob****e comedians

FatherTed

Grandeeod wrote: »

I spent most of my teen years in the 80's and I have nothing but happy memories. I firmly believe that most people from Dublin have better memories because it was far ahead of the rest of the country, while far behind a lot of other European cities. I have no memories of all this doom and gloom people talk about, not that it wasn't like that in some parts. I wasn't from a wealthy family either.

If you were an adult in the 80's I suppose it was different. The work situation, particularly outside Dublin and other cities was bleak. I came to appreciate that in the early 90's when I knew loads emigrating after we finished college. For me, the Church had no influence on me after the age of 13. We actually had sex in our teens too.:eek: We even had cable TV. In fact all my life from my first memory of TV we had RTE and the English channels. Playschool, Rainbow, Blue Peter, Magpie, Corrie etc. Being off school sick in the 70's and watching Mr. Benn and Trumpton at lunchtime. I think the main problem with 70's/80's Ireland was outside Dublin.

I'm from down the country and I remember being envious of some friends who had this special antenna mounted on the chimney of their house that could receive the UK channels if pointed correctly towards the North. They'd be going on about blue peter or whatever and how great it was and how RTE was pure muck. So we badgered my Dad to get one and he finally relented and got one and put it up. Sure enough we got English sounding noise coming from the television but could barely see anything the reception was so bad. But us kids persisted watching the snowy television anyway so we could yap on about it with our friends at school the next day.

Grandeeod

Baybay wrote: »

I think if you look at some of the earlier posts in this thread, Dublin did not have a monopoly on relatively doom free years for some other teenagers & some grew up nowhere near Dublin!

Ah I know that. But outside of major towns and cities is where I believe most of the doom and gloom comes from. That said there were many towns that had absolutely nothing going for them either. I met many in College that never had any TV channels beyond RTE 1/2 growing up. The local cinema was a run down kip with limited selection. But sure look, even after all these years and a so called boom, many many towns are no better off than the 80's. Some would say they are worse now.

Cryptopagan

Grandeeod wrote: »

We actually had sex in our teens too.:eek:

Where’d you get the johnnies?

Grandeeod

Cryptopagan wrote: »

Where’d you get the johnnies?

Stole them off our parents. FACT!

4ensic15

topper75 wrote: »

I can't pretty up unemployment for anyone.

But the high rates meant little or no speculation in the housing side of things.

If you did get that job, then a house would follow. The mortgage deposit % wasn't as rigourous something like 10%. Yes the monthly repayments would be rough. But it was at least ATTAINABLE. Big difference to today.

It is pointless looking back at a historical period saying Oh they had no X like we have today. We didn't know about it back then, and what you don't know ...

An Irish CB ran the rate for the punt. It was a currency/rate for OUR economy, not for a depressed German banking sector or a roaring Parisian property market. It was ours. By us, for us.
And our politicians gave that away without ever asking us.

I don't know what decade you are talking about but it is not the 70's. Ireland had sterling throughout the 70s. the British Pound or GBP. Interest rates were decided in London. Deposits for houses were 20%. Repayments were cheap because there was mortgage interest relief in full and wages went up every few months due to high inflation.

Grandeeod

4ensic15 wrote: »

I don't know what decade you are talking about but it is not the 70's. Ireland had sterling throughout the 70s. the British Pound or GBP. Interest rates were decided in London. Deposits for houses were 20%. Repayments were cheap because there was mortgage interest relief in full and wages went up every few months due to high inflation.

Have you ever read;

Diarmaid Ferriter’s book, Ambiguous Republic: Ireland in the 1970s?

4ensic15

Grandeeod wrote: »

Have you ever read;

Diarmaid Ferriter’s book, Ambiguous Republic: Ireland in the 1970s?

What of it?

Grandeeod

4ensic15 wrote: »

What of it?

Worth a read. Could inform you.

4ensic15

Grandeeod wrote: »

Worth a read. Could inform you.

Of what?

Grandeeod

Buying a house in the 1970's.

4ensic15

Grandeeod wrote: »

Buying a house in the 1970's.

I remember the 70's. I don't need to read books about it.

Mam of 4

Cryptopagan wrote: »

Where’d you get the johnnies?

The ads section in the Sunday World used to have a P.O.Box number where people could send off for condoms , when it was impossible to buy them anywhere !
(Or illegal , dunno which )

JupiterKid

I agree with some of the posters on this thread who opined that in the 1970s and 80s Dublin and to a lesser extent the regional cities were way ahead of the rest of the country in terms of quality of life and technology and opportunities.

That said, the 80s was pretty bleak for most adults. High unemployment, high interest rates, high emigration. If you were a child in a middle class family- as I was - it was largely happy.

SEPT 23 1989

I was going to post this in the chooone thread but this seems more fitting
Enjoy 80's kids

Mena Mitty

Cryptopagan wrote: »

Where’d you get the johnnies?

The Condom king as he likes now to be known. A lad I know saw an opportunity and went for it, selling condoms in dancehalls, nightclubs and discos. I didn't know him in the early and mid 80's but he told me he'd be selling lads one condom at a time and after a year or two the lads would be looking for them by the box.

I think he was getting 50p a condom in the early 80's which believe it or not was a fortune.

Hard to believe you couldn't buy condoms here in the 8o's.

I have a vague memory of a stall selling them in the Dandelion market around 1981 before they were confiscated, does anyone else remember that ?

JupiterKid

Mena Mitty wrote: »

The Condom king as he likes now to be known. A lad I know saw an opportunity and went for it, selling condoms in dancehalls, nightclubs and discos. I didn't know him in the early and mid 80's but he told me he'd be selling lads one condom at a time and after a year or two the lads would be looking for them by the box.

I think he was getting 50p a condom in the early 80's which believe it or not was a fortune.

Hard to believe you couldn't buy condoms here in the 8o's.

I have a vague memory of a stall selling them in the Dandelion market around 1981 before they were confiscated, does anyone else remember that ?

It was only about 1991 or 1992 when johnnies could be sold in pub toilet vending machines. Virgin Megastore in Dublin got into trouble for selling them around 1989 or so.

This country really was unbelievably backwards just a generation ago. We have since come a long, long way...

Sardonicat

Mam of 4 wrote: »

Cryptopagan wrote: »

Where’d you get the johnnies?

The ads section in the Sunday World used to have a P.O.Box number where people could send off for condoms , when it was impossible to buy them anywhere !
(Or illegal , dunno which )

They weren't illegal in the early 80s but in order to get them you had to have a prescription (!) . By law they could only be prescribed for 'genuine family planning purposes' meaning a Dr should only really prescribe them if you were married. Many Drs wouldn't prescribe them at all. I remember overhearing my mom's friend complaining that she and her husband had to travel to her old gp where she used to live two counties away in order to get a prescription for condoms as her new gp wouldn't prescribe them. In 85 the law was liberalised to allow their sale to those without a prescription but you could only get them in the chemist. They couldn't be on display. They were behind the counter. And if course, many refused to stock them. Remember the hullabaloo over The Virgin Megastore displaying and selling condoms illegally in the early 90s? The law finally changed in 92.

A far cry from now, when you can pop in the supermarket, grab a few things for dinner, some toiletries and a box of Ribbed for Her Pleasure and a tube of smooth glidin' lube then off to the checkout with ne're a blush! These young ones don't know they're born. No pretending to the gp their 'cycle' is irregular so they can get the pill anymore.

Nobelium

Some things were better then. some things were worse then.

What I really miss most are the family and friends that were alive then and not now. Some truly wonderful people I didn't appreciate enough at the time.

Otherwise, overall things are slightly better now than then.

Onwards and upwards.

Sardonicat

JupiterKid wrote: »

It was only about 1991 or 1992 when johnnies could be sold in pub toilet vending machines. Virgin Megastore in Dublin got into trouble for selling them around 1989 or so.

This country really was unbelievably backwards just a generation ago. We have since come a long, long way...

In 92 I moved to England, just before the laws liberalised here. My first night there I broke the condom vending machine in the ladies of the student accommodation. I just couldn't believe my eyes. A condom machine! In a ladies toilet! A machine that would give you a condom if you just put in a pound! I kept feeding the thing pound coins and eventually I broke the dispenser drawer.

Can I just add, this was for the novelty of doing it. I wasn't planning an orgy or anything. Honest...

Mena Mitty

Sardonicat wrote: »

Can I just add, this was for the novelty of doing it. I wasn't planning an orgy or anything. Honest...

We believe you but thousands wouldn't.

SharpshooterTom

Just a question for you guys, is it the 70s and 80s in general you guys despise or is the 70s and 80s specifically in Ireland?

There's a lot of anti 70s/80s and even 90s sentiment in here I'm just wondering if that's related to those times in general or just in Ireland.

Do you think it was possible you could have been happier had you spent those periods in the USA/Australia or even Southern England?

SharpshooterTom

Are all those who dislike the 70s/80s/90s jealous you didn't grow up as a child now in todays world instead?

Hotblack Desiato

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

Just a question for you guys, is it the 70s and 80s in general you guys despise or is the 70s and 80s specifically in Ireland?

Ireland was a horrible little kip in the 70s and 80s, massively backward and deprived compared to just about any other western European country, priests raping kids with impunity.

Hotblack Desiato

Grandeeod wrote: »

I spent most of my teen years in the 80's and I have nothing but happy memories. I firmly believe that most people from Dublin have better memories

Yeah it was a land of milk and honey. Sheriff St. Darndale. Ballyfermot. The Mun. Heroin everywhere. No jobs. Great times :rolleyes:

Nobelium

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

Just a question for you guys, is it the 70s and 80s in general you guys despise or is the 70s and 80s specifically in Ireland?

There's a lot of anti 70s/80s and even 90s sentiment in here I'm just wondering if that's related to those times in general or just in Ireland.

Do you think it was possible you could have been happier had you spent those periods in the USA/Australia or even Southern England?

I think it's a case of nostalgia is just not what it used to be

cj maxx

70’s too young to remember. 80’s crap music , good football ( soccer and GAA ) awful awful hair styles, absolutely no money in the country. Worse than the recent bust scraps at the school bust stop, . Music was absolute shyte ( thank god for the 90’s) but grand all the same

SharpshooterTom

Nobelium wrote: »

I think it's a case of nostalgia is just not what it used to be

Well I started this thread with regards to how the 2010s will remembered and I didn't get a lot of positive responses https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin//showthread.php?t=2057963075

So I just assume some people just don't like any era. :pac:

freshpopcorn

JupiterKid wrote: »

It was only about 1991 or 1992 when johnnies could be sold in pub toilet vending machines. Virgin Megastore in Dublin got into trouble for selling them around 1989 or so.

This country really was unbelievably backwards just a generation ago. We have since come a long, long way...

Sorry for asking you this JuipterKid but I thought you might know/remember.
What was it like just before they decriminlised homosexuality?
What were the debates like? Was it supported?
Don't answer if you don't want to.

Hotblack Desiato

IIRC it was basically Maura Geoghegan-Quinn pushing it through saying it was required because of the European Court of Human Rights*

No great enthusiasm in government for it


* Didn't stop them ignoring decisions of the ECHR in relation to abortion though.

Seanachai

Mena Mitty wrote: »

The Condom king as he likes now to be known. A lad I know saw an opportunity and went for it, selling condoms in dancehalls, nightclubs and discos. I didn't know him in the early and mid 80's but he told me he'd be selling lads one condom at a time and after a year or two the lads would be looking for them by the box.

I think he was getting 50p a condom in the early 80's which believe it or not was a fortune.

Hard to believe you couldn't buy condoms here in the 8o's.

I have a vague memory of a stall selling them in the Dandelion market around 1981 before they were confiscated, does anyone else remember that ?

The barber in my local town used to hide them in a Child Of Prague statue and fellas would get them on the down-low.

cgcsb

Grandeeod wrote: »

I spent most of my teen years in the 80's and I have nothing but happy memories. I firmly believe that most people from Dublin have better memories because it was far ahead of the rest of the country, while far behind a lot of other European cities. I have no memories of all this doom and gloom people talk about, not that it wasn't like that in some parts. I wasn't from a wealthy family either.

If you were an adult in the 80's I suppose it was different. The work situation, particularly outside Dublin and other cities was bleak. I came to appreciate that in the early 90's when I knew loads emigrating after we finished college. For me, the Church had no influence on me after the age of 13. We actually had sex in our teens too.:eek: We even had cable TV. In fact all my life from my first memory of TV we had RTE and the English channels. Playschool, Rainbow, Blue Peter, Magpie, Corrie etc. Being off school sick in the 70's and watching Mr. Benn and Trumpton at lunchtime. I think the main problem with 70's/80's Ireland was outside Dublin.

A guy I know told me that pre internet the gap between Dublin and the rest was way bigger than it is now in terms of trends, fashion, food and even things like music and even commonly owned household appliances.

cgcsb

Edgware wrote: »

Ya. Really jealous of those tenements and gob****e comedians

beats your hovels and gobsh***e comedians

Hamsterchops

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

Are all those who dislike the 70s/80s/90s jealous you didn't grow up as a child now in todays world instead?

No, not jealous at all, just glad that the country got a whole lot better in the intervening years since the 70s/early 80s. No longer can people say that Ireland is twenty years behind ... (insert country name).

Remembering how dull it was gives a great sense of perspective in today's modern Ireland.

cgcsb

Grandeeod wrote: »

Ah I know that. But outside of major towns and cities is where I believe most of the doom and gloom comes from. That said there were many towns that had absolutely nothing going for them either. I met many in College that never had any TV channels beyond RTE 1/2 growing up. The local cinema was a run down kip with limited selection. But sure look, even after all these years and a so called boom, many many towns are no better off than the 80's. Some would say they are worse now.

The Celtic Tiger brought out of town shopping centres, which were built pretty much because of corruption. That ended a lot of towns, and short of taking the wrecking ball to the Tescos outside of the towns, they ain't coming back.

cgcsb

JupiterKid wrote: »

It was only about 1991 or 1992 when johnnies could be sold in pub toilet vending machines. Virgin Megastore in Dublin got into trouble for selling them around 1989 or so.

As a millennial, I just can't get my head around this. Who enforced this? who cooperated with this regime? Are they alive today? why aren't they on trial? HAve they been executed already? AIDS was rampant in the western world, they were putting people's lives in danger.

Deebles McBeebles

cgcsb wrote: »

As a millennial, I just can't get my head around this. Who enforced this? who cooperated with this regime? Are they alive today? why aren't they on trial? HAve they been executed already? AIDS was rampant in the western world, they were putting people's lives in danger.

The church and those afraid to go against the church. They have other trials to be worrying about right now. Like all those unwanted children which could have been prevented by the use of.....

cgcsb

Sardonicat wrote: »

A far cry from now, when you can pop in the supermarket, grab a few things for dinner, some toiletries and a box of Ribbed for Her Pleasure and a tube of smooth glidin' lube then off to the checkout with ne're a blush! These young ones don't know they're born. No pretending to the gp their 'cycle' is irregular so they can get the pill anymore.

I worked in the country with bunch of 40 something local lads, at the lunch table, one of them quite innocently asked what a vibo-ring was (I think there was an ad in the paper or something) and of course I quite casually explained what it was. Well I was the only face that wasn't bright red for the next half hour. Still don't get it, they all have a penis, and presumably enjoy sex, but can't seem to tolerate a mention of same without melting into the floor.

This was last year.

cgcsb

Deebles McBeebles wrote: »

The church and those afraid to go against the church. They have other trials to be worrying about right now. Like all those unwanted children which could have been prevented by the use of.....

I'd have been locked up then, having gone full Charles Manson on anyone who believed they could appoint themselves to make decisions on my sexual health.

conorhal

cgcsb wrote: »

As a millennial, I just can't get my head around this. Who enforced this? who cooperated with this regime? Are they alive today? why aren't they on trial? HAve they been executed already? AIDS was rampant in the western world, they were putting people's lives in danger.

All these things, from condoms to the pill were available in your pharmacy.
The weird hysteria and bizarre ignorance of people that think the 80's were like some kind of medieval inquisition is pretty funny.

Grandeeod

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Yeah it was a land of milk and honey. Sheriff St. Darndale. Ballyfermot. The Mun. Heroin everywhere. No jobs. Great times :rolleyes:

I grew up in Finglas south and Neilstown during the 80s. It wasn't a picnic, but my memories are happy. But then my father a had a full time job as a truck driver and my mother was a cleaner in the local school. They eventually bought their own house. I went to college and didn't take heroin. Loads like me from the areas we've both mentioned.

ohnonotgmail

conorhal wrote: »

All these things, from condoms to the pill were available in your pharmacy.
The weird hysteria and bizarre ignorance of people that think the 80's were like some kind of medieval inquisition is pretty funny.

By that stage condoms were available in SOME pharmacies but the pill was prescription only.

Deebles McBeebles

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

By that stage condoms were available in SOME pharmacies but the pill was prescription only.

And both were so frowned upon it was worth going a few towns over to get them.