RagFest20

FitzShane

FitzShane wrote: »

Sometimes I think that a properly organised week in the college grounds with suitable charity events would result in less bad incidents in the city. Give the students events where they can partake in early in the day, say 14.00 or 15.00 which runs for an hour or two and then they can go into the college bar after that or back to their house for cans. Still gives them their day and/or night out, but also delays the drunkeness levels in the city until more 'normal' bar hours. Starting drinking at 11.00 am is a lot different to starting drinking at 15.00.

I don't think events are going to stop people drinking early, it certainly never stopped me.

When I was in NUIG rag week was 100% official and there were events all over the college. We still started drinking first thing in the morning and rarely if ever went to any events organised by the college.

Let them at it for the week but just come down very hard on bad behaviour so that people know its unacceptable. Only a very small percentage of people cause trouble and these should be targeted not the majority who just have the craic for the week.

Fitz*

Kade Alive Mouser wrote: »

I don't think events are going to stop people drinking early, it certainly never stopped me.

When I was in NUIG rag week was 100% official and there were events all over the college. We still started drinking first thing in the morning and rarely if ever went to any events organised by the college.

Let them at it for the week but just come down very hard on bad behaviour so that people know its unacceptable. Only a very small percentage of people cause trouble and these should be targeted not the majority who just have the craic for the week.

That's true to be fair, but maybe events inside in the campus can keep drinking some bit regulated and under control. Lads less likely to pay for a double vodka in a bar than pour one from an own brand bottle at home. Maybe I'm just being too idealistic, as I like you was very partial to a pre drink before events too!

I do think that the drink culture from my era to now has changed. I think there's a lot more emphasis in image on students especially in males. GAA and sport has a big part to play in this. I remember we would easily do a few day sessions during the day and nights. A lot of beer guts were grown and we would slap on any t-shirt and try get in somewhere that night and see what happens from there. I get the impression now that a lot of younger lads are taking sport, and fitness a lot more seriously. They are trying to keep in shape for sport, but also the image for Instagram and the likes. It's just the thought I have from the outside looking in. Maybe try and play to this crowd if possible.

For example, would I be interested in a 5-a-side tournament one day and drinking afterwards? Absolutely. Is there any harm in trying it? There are already the facilities for this in Corrib Village and I think maybe Dangan too, both NUIG facilities. GMIT could use Mervue grounds.

pure.conya

anybody interested in raising a grand for charity at all?

Ficheall

The raising money aspect of it leads to the uni's involvement/endorsement, making it more difficult for the uni to absolve itself of any blame. The uni's lack of involvement is definitely a contributing factor in the calming of recent rag weeks.

Wompa1

FitzShane wrote: »

Galway got a reputation as being the most craic during a RAG week, so people started to come here for the week from their own college somewhere else in Ireland. I even done myself the same once or twice, visiting friends in Limerick for their week. And while being biased towards Galway's NUIG week, I did think it was much better craic! People wanted to come to Galway and experience a new city, new pubs and locations etc and generally the idea of being somewhere where nobody knew you.

I know that a few years ago, in the height of the Donegal Tuesday problems, there was multiple buses driving from Donegal to Galway on the Tuesday morning of RAG week, just for people to go on the beer here, do what they want and leave again. Perhaps to not be seen again here for months or years. Do you think those people would care if they broke something down here? It might not actually be students based in Galway that performed vandalizing acts last week, or within the last few years. There's probably a higher chance that it was a student, or someone from Galway, but there is a chance that it was a visitor too.

While I was a student the year it happened, thankfully I didn't live in Dun na Coiribe for those incidents with the bottles. It was pretty shocking even for fellow students. I did live there the year previous and we actually had some decent congregations on the grass as from memory there was good weather that year. I also think that there might have been security doing patrols that year too I think and they were fair (or maybe we just self policed, to be honest it was about 10 years ago now so memory is a bit hazy!). Empty bottles etc back into a box or plastic bag to keep the place clean. Groups of 20 or so allowed, but anything more were told to break up. The congregations never got out of hands, while people were still allowed to sit and chat together, play music or with a ball.

Sometimes I think that a properly organised week in the college grounds with suitable charity events would result in less bad incidents in the city. Give the students events where they can partake in early in the day, say 14.00 or 15.00 which runs for an hour or two and then they can go into the college bar after that or back to their house for cans. Still gives them their day and/or night out, but also delays the drunkeness levels in the city until more 'normal' bar hours. Starting drinking at 11.00 am is a lot different to starting drinking at 15.00.

I can remember as a child, during RAG Week there were actually students from the University out in Headford doing a charity car wash. You might be right on the attitude changing too. I think I had said before, my mother noticed the younger crowd becoming more mannerly and friendly over the last few years. Toward the tail end of my time in college, it seemed like there was all kinds of student related problems in the city, not just during RAG Week but rental properties getting destroyed. Green areas around neighborhoods turning into make shift bottle banks.

I had always wondered if the litter problem around Galway was to do with the fact most of the people in the city on a given day don't live in it and don't take any pride in the place. You see great efforts in places like Westport, Kilcolgan, Kinvara to keep the places tidy. In Galway City, it's the opposite.

xckjoo

FWIW, when the college wanted to ban it the Gardaí asked them not to but instead to make an effort to move it back on-campus and focus on the charity aspect. I still think it was poor form for them just to absolve themselves of all responsibilities and leave it up to everyone else to take care of.

Andrew00

It was quiet because HoIe In The Wall is dead. Even on a regular Friday and Saturday night there's nobody in it now.