Most miserable and grim towns and villages in Ireland

corks finest

PTH2009 wrote: »

The whole county of Tipperary is grim and Limerick too

Theres a village in Limerick which still has there Special Olympics signs up
Up
Courtown Harbour in Wexford sounds grims and has that social welfare summer holiday caravan feel to it. Holiday shops cheap and tacky grim feeling. Rosslare is a kip too (fishguard in Wales is nothing better either)

Limerick oh God only reason to go there is to pass through it ,,,, quickly

corks finest

An Ri rua wrote: »

You need to walk the wide leaning boulevards of Daingean. You will change your mind. The jewel in Henry VIII's crown and voted best reformatory for over 100 years in a row. The place oozes. Just oozes...

U mean boozes boozes and it's Dingle,,,,,, couldn't resist

Ich liebe Berlin

Radio5 wrote: »

Why?

There's absolutely nothing to do there. The locals are very clannish. Nightlife non existant for over 35s. Feral teenagers everywhere.

whisky_galore

corks finest wrote: »

Yep it's dire as is passage west

Populated by die hard pub republicans festering in dingy bars. Highlights are a boarded up convent school and the scrap metal pile.

Casey78

Tallaght

gmisk

If we are including Northern Ireland...I vote for larne...kip

LuasSimon

Many country towns started declining in the 70:80s emigration period but as what remained died off in the last twenty years there’s nobody left to replace them . Many of the brainier young people had to go to Dublin or abroad for jobs .
Drugs in the last ten years have accelerated the demise of many towns and village's, no garda stations , no employment .

Casey78

Finglas

snotboogie

Seamai wrote: »

Well as someone who has Glanmire in my address and I am the fifth generation of my family to have lived there I feel I must come to it's defence. When I was young Glanmire and Riverstown were two distinct villages a mile apart, Riverstown always had a bit of a rougher reputation but due to geography (Glanmire proper had nowhere to expand) it's grown huge sucking any bit of life out of Glanmire, I remember when it had 3 shops and 3 pubs, even Glanmire post office is now in Riverstown.
Most of the people living in Riverstown will tell you they live in Glanmire, in fact I hear the name Riverstown rarely being used these days.
True there is little in Glanmire proper but you have to admit that the view of it from the road near the entrance to the Vienna Woods hotel with the river , steep wooded hills and church steeple is one of the prettiest villagescapes in the country.

Nobody cares about de parish boundaries from half a century ago. You're all in Cork city now, get with the program

Church on Tuesday

L1011 wrote: »

Kiltimagh. One of the grimmest places I've ever had to stay over in.

Charlestown up the road is pretty bad too; and Swinford further up. An axis of awful

Nah Charlestown is grand enough.

Think more Ballaghadereen. Hope left Ballagh a long time ago.

Sgt Hartman

Someone mentioned Balbriggan. The town centre is totally run down, so many boarded up buildings and pubs left there to rot. The coastline and surrounding areas there are fantastic though. It definitely has potential if Fingal County Council bothered to invest properly in it.

maxwell smart

Longford - by a mile. Actually by several miles.

Chinasea

If they just planted some trees it would make a huge difference. That's why most of them look so bleak and desolate.

Spencer Brown

the dark phantom wrote: »

It got worse in the last twenty years. These places don't the population to support thriving towns and most of the people who have the power or means to effect change in these towns don't actually live in them so they have no incentive to do anything.

It's too far from Waterford and Cork cities to be considered a commuter town. This is probably the main reason it has gone downhill over the years. A poster was bemoaning the conversion of the railway line into a greenway but this could actually work out well for Youghal. It won't attract workers with a railway line but it might do well out of attracting tourists for the greenway.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

corks finest wrote: »

Yep it's dire as is passage west

Passage West has come on leaps and bounds over the years. Locals care about the place, Tidy Towns, newish local Market too. Greenway is very nice, and in a few years time, with proper investment, I can see it and Monkstown becoming a minor tourist attraction - especially now that they're so close to the Ringaskiddy port and Glenbrook ferry for Cobh (also big with tourists)

Huge potential in our harbour towns in Cork to be fair. But yes, neglect for the past few decades have caused them to look and feel rough.

Mad_maxx

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

Someone mentioned Balbriggan. The town centre is totally run down, so many boarded up buildings and pubs left there to rot. The coastline and surrounding areas there are fantastic though. It definitely has potential if Fingal County Council bothered to invest properly in it.

awful dump considering its location

Mad_maxx

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Kilkenny.

Im sorry if you are from there. But just nope. Maybe its me.

kilkenny is a great spot , great tourism , plenty of wealth ( as rural ireland goes ) around its catchment area too

Mad_maxx

from_atozinc wrote: »

Driven through Athenry a few times. Seems very run down.

not run down , just never awake , place people sleep in , they work , shop and party in galway

you never experience anything exciting or dangerous in athenry

Mad_maxx

PTH2009 wrote: »

The whole county of Tipperary is grim and Limerick too

Theres a village in Limerick which still has there Special Olympics signs up

Courtown Harbour in Wexford sounds grims and has that social welfare summer holiday caravan feel to it. Holiday shops cheap and tacky grim feeling. Rosslare is a kip too (fishguard in Wales is nothing better either)

Tipp folk are a naturally surly bunch

Casey78

Clondalkin

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Chinasea wrote: »

If they just planted some trees it would make a huge difference. That's why most of them look so bleak and desolate.

This x1000.

Many of our towns and villages are just bland concrete with very little greenery. You see it as well in some of our bigger cities like Cork. Very little trees being planted.

Mad_maxx

amadangomor wrote: »

Youghal mentioned a lot. Not sure about it being the biggest kip in Ireland. It is probably the biggest underachiever though.
Has great potential - great beach, lot of history with some fine buildings.

The quays area could do with a total revamp and I reckon it would make the place way better. Few bars and restaurants and shops with outdoor sitting and tastefully done there would get people in.

What's the story? Have to got no local TD to get stuff done?

Youghal is a better example of a place who,s glory days are long behind it than almost anywhere else

pity as its a very scenic setting

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Youghal is a better example of a place who,s glory days are long behind it than almost anywhere else

pity as its a very scenic setting

Complete lack of investment and care from the local authority.

Some bizarre planning approvals down there too, like near the Quality Hotel. Some new pool development next to it. Such an eyesore.

Mad_maxx

Deleted User wrote: »

Galway has its share of kips too.
Dunmore is mid 20th century grim, while Kilcolgan must be the least picturesque village in Ireland.

no county relies more on its city or largest town than galway

if you exclude galway city , the county of galway neither has money - real opportunities or charm in terms of its towns

Mad_maxx

Seamai wrote: »

Mountmellick
Tipperary
Tralee
Kilgarvan
Ballybunion
Carrick on Suir
Bundoran

mountmellick is indeed a pug ugly town , even the right turn you take for portlaoise from the tullamore side is slightly unnerving

Mad_maxx

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

The village of Killimor between Portumna and Loughrea in Galway.

Knock

Edenderry

Dundalk

woodford in galway looks the same as it did in 1973 , awful dive of a village

Mad_maxx

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Castlerea 1000% the town should be flattened with a bulldozer.

Surprised I haven't seen Edgworthstown on the list, if you want to see a town stuck in a time warp, Edgerwortstown is it. Rooskey and Dromod are another two hellholes. They have shop fronts that look like they haven't been touched since the 1930's.

boyle is a bigger dive than castlerea , at least castlerea has a prison and a very big mart in terms of providing employment

Thelonious Monk

Chinasea wrote: »

If they just planted some trees it would make a huge difference. That's why most of them look so bleak and desolate.

Unfortunately jamming as many cars into main streets in towns seems to be priority over public space and trees. Trees make anywhere look nice.

Squeeonline

This thread is a great way to guess where people grew up and have family in, or currently live in.

Casey78

Ballymun

ShamNNspace

Mad_maxx wrote: »

not run down , just never awake , place people sleep in , they work , shop and party in galway

you never experience anything exciting or dangerous in athenry

That oul battle in 1316 knocked the stuffin out of them I'd say

FarmerBrowne

Dunmore in County Galway, it maybe home to the incredible dynasty of Donnellan footballers but it looks a place time forgot.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Unfortunately jamming as many cars into main streets in towns seems to be priority over public space and trees. Trees make anywhere look nice.

That's exactly it. Our small towns and villages main streets are filled with cars parked on either side, many also mounting the already narrow footpaths.

It wrecks the look of the place and allows little space for public Realm improvements like seating, trees, flowers etc

Thelonious Monk

Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »

That's exactly it. Our small towns and villages main streets are filled with cars parked on either side, many also mounting the already narrow footpaths.

It wrecks the look of the place and allows little space for public Realm improvements like seating, trees, flowers etc

Yes but I have come to the conclusion that that's what most people in Ireland want. Plus most people live so far from the towns and villages that they have to drive there. I suppose the solution would be car parks outside the town and pedestrianising the centre, like you have in France etc.

ItAintMeBabe

The whole of Tipperary, total kip.

Agree with Shannon, had so much potential but it’s just a town that’s completely dead and looks absolutely grim.

Casey78

Darndale

the dark phantom

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Yes but I have come to the conclusion that that's what most people in Ireland want. Plus most people live so far from the towns and villages that they have to drive there. I suppose the solution would be car parks outside the town and pedestrianising the centre, like you have in France etc.

There is a town in north Tipp and the locals are furious because the evil council controlled by them up in Dublin want to improve the town by removing street car parking spaces and begorrah plant trees.

Thelonious Monk

the dark phantom wrote: »

There is a town in north Tipp and the locals are furious because the evil council controlled by them up in Dublin want to improve the town by removing street car parking spaces and begorrah plant trees.

This is why we can't have nice things

cml387

Mad_maxx wrote: »

mountmellick is indeed a pug ugly town , even the right turn you take for portlaoise from the tullamore side is slightly unnerving

As someone who drove from the south to Mullingar for years, there is a way around Mountmellick which I always took because I couldn't bear to go through it ever again.

PsychoPete

Wouldnt normally be in that side of the country but a months ago I drove through Tipperary Town for the first time in years. Truly awful kip of a town

funkey_monkey

Infernal Racket wrote: »

Granard, Co Longford, stuck in a time warp it can't escape from.

Googled that place and wish I didn't. The story of Ann Lovett was awful.

Sober Crappy Chemis

PsychoPete wrote: »

Wouldnt normally be in that side of the country but a months ago I drove through Tipperary Town for the first time in years. Truly awful kip of a town

Tipp town makes Finglas look like Bel Air.

Better Than Christ

Better Than Christ wrote: »

If there's a bigger shithole than Bray, I've yet to visit it.

Harsh. It's a fantastic middle class place with a few undertones of lower class scattered around but this is way off as a statement. There's houses in Bray selling for millions. It's got diversity and like everywhere, depends on where you're located. Sounds like you spent the day in Fassaroe...

Agree the town itself and main street is struggling post recession but so is every town since the last recession. They are due a Stella Cinema and a new shopping centre and if done right, I'm totally confident can replicate the success of the sea front.

Thelonious Monk

I like Bray, it's not perfect but at least it's interesting and unique. What's the story with that creaky old hotel at the foot of the head? Is it listed I wonder? It's such a weird relic, still has old blinds in some of the windows.

Casey78

Blanchardstown

gourcuff

gorey definitely, gets infested with the costa del sol 'boozed up brits abroad' type of irish every summer which absolutely ruins it.. and the beaches on the east coast are terrible and usually negatively impacted by a nearby wasterwater treatment plant malfunctioning

Curb Your Enthusiasm

the dark phantom wrote: »

There is a town in north Tipp and the locals are furious because the evil council controlled by them up in Dublin want to improve the town by removing street car parking spaces and begorrah plant trees.

What town is that?

chopperbyrne

I live in Bunclody.

It's a ****hole.

The answer is Arklow though. Sister in law used to be a social worker there. Grim doesn't even begin to describe the place.

Hulk Hands

smelly sock wrote: »

Athenty is another kip along with Headford.

Headford is fairly desolate alright but Athenry? It's a heritage town with a lovely castle, abbey, arch etc. It has redeeming features compared to some of the right kips around rural Ireland like Strokestown or Tipp town. Athenry's close to Galway city too and house prices there are high, albeit slightly too far from the city if I was looking

iamstop

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