Most miserable and grim towns and villages in Ireland

pgj2015

Did someone just say Dromod was a kip? lol its a lovely village.

Darksoul

Mountrath looks like a right ****hole.

Clonmel1000

ItAintMeBabe wrote: »

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.

The whole of Clare, total kip.

kitkatman

ten years ago, I spent three months touring around South America and most of the so called towns and villages at face value were no more than shanty towns on physical appearance. Inside the shops/hotels they were fine. There seemed no pride in appearance.

Compared with South America, most of the Irish towns do have a structure. The old estate/planted towns of the 17th/18th centuries still hold a charm, although they are not conducive to modern traffic.

I would be older than most on this thread and can remember the state of the Irish towns from the 1970s and 1980s and back then small factories could be located in most towns manufacturing something or other. The likes of the cheaper Asian countries destroyed these factories from a cost point and these industries have never been replaced. The result the younger generations left and the older folk were unlikely to invest in upgrading a run down town.

The single biggest kip in Ireland, has been and will continue to be is Tipp town.

Back in the day a handful of towns were noted for the Traveller presence which instantly negatively impacted those town's reputation.

I guess over the last 20-30 years the bigger towns and cities and local authorities have pushed the next generation of travellers or half travellers to the smaller towns on the margins and the problem has spread.

Is there a town or village in this day and age devoid of a traveller presence?

Samsgirl

Have the misfortune to live within 15kms of Tipp town. It's an utter ****e hole.

Up to last week it smelled like one too with the smell of waste coming from the creamery.

Only way forward for the town is to bulldoze it and start again.

pgj2015

The one and only (hopefully last) time I passed through Athy, I felt like fr Kevin in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NjISA-FIIA

Doctors room ghost

Hulk Hands wrote: »

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

Athenry is a one horse town and the same horse is lame and a bout of colic going.
90 percent of the shops and pubs are gone out of it and Galway’s own dr evil has a stranglehold on what’s left.
It’s an awful pity cos it was a cracking town but it’s gone back something terrible

Better Than Christ

Deleted User wrote: »

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...

"A few undertones of lower class"? It's like a scene from The Walking Dead. And I'm talking about the main street and the Dart station, not Fassaroe (which, incidentally, is far from the worst part of Bray).

Deleted User wrote:

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.

It got worse during the recession, but it's been struggling since before the celtic tiger. I'm not sure an overpriced cinema will save it.

ArnoldJRimmer

Better Than Christ wrote: »

"A few undertones of lower class"? It's like a scene from The Walking Dead. And I'm talking about the main street and the Dart station, not Fassaroe (which, incidentally, is far from the worst part of Bray).

Bray is pretty consistent with every county's largest town. Mullingar, Tralee, Letterkenny, Drogheda, Navan. All can be pretty rough, but have redeeming qualities too, it just comes with a larger population of scrotes. I like Bray, nice seafront, the Harbour Bar is great and some decent dining options

I've never been to Tipp town, but given this thread, and its last incarnation, it sounds like its the winner. Granard, Ballbay and Swinford are the most depressing towns I've been to in Ireland

Del.Monte

pgj2015 wrote: »

Did someone just say Dromod was a kip? lol its a lovely village.

It hasn't been the same since the delightful meat plant closed - it was breathtaking - literally.

pgj2015

Del.Monte wrote: »

It hasn't been the same since the delightful meat plant closed - it was breathtaking - literally.

There are some really nice houses in it, that have great views of the shannon, quiet village, no scumbags wrecking it and causing trouble, there are a lot of people with holiday homes there.

heldel00

Ballybay, Co. Monaghan.

Weepsie

I'm not reading through the thread, but if it's not been mentioned, my nomination is Granard

ShamNNspace

I don't know why Irish in general don't want to live in towns? All those floors over shops and pubs left empty. Lovely little townhouses just boarded up.. Why cant derelict shops be repurposed as living spaces?too many gaudy neon signs I'd ban em.. I wonder were the authorities overzealous in applying rules from Brussels? 8 butchers in a small galway town when I was growing up now only 1 barely surviving. 3 bakerys now all gone.. Newsagents all gone.. The town Cross taken down an moved to a church where no-one can admire it. A dirty black high rise carpark like a prison on the way into the town. It's our own fault we let it happen

Rufeo

Casey78 wrote: »

Blanchardstown

I used to live there a long time ago. I thought it's a right busy spot. Unless it's gone downhill in recent years.

ShamNNspace

ShamNNspace wrote: »

I don't know why Irish in general don't want to live in towns? All those floors over shops and pubs left empty. Lovely little townhouses just boarded up.. Why cant derelict shops be repurposed as living spaces?too many gaudy neon signs I'd ban em.. I wonder were the authorities overzealous in applying rules from Brussels? 8 butchers in a small galway town when I was growing up now only 1 barely surviving. 3 bakerys now all gone.. Newsagents all gone.. The town Cross taken down an moved to a church where no-one can admire it. A dirty black high rise carpark like a prison on the way into the town. It's our own fault we let it happen

Because people in general are far bigger **** than they used to be, so it’s a good idea not to have them living too close to you.

Rufeo

heldel00 wrote: »

Ballybay, Co. Monaghan.

There are some nice lakes around Ballybay. There's a mart near the town as well. I don't think it's that bad of a spot.

Mocha Joe

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

Athenry is a one horse town and the same horse is lame and a bout of colic going.
90 percent of the shops and pubs are gone out of it and Galway’s own dr evil has a stranglehold on what’s left.
It’s an awful pity cos it was a cracking town but it’s gone back something terrible

Who's Galway's Dr. Evil?

Doctors room ghost

Mocha Joe wrote: »

Who's Galway's Dr. Evil?

Who took over most of the town mocha lately?
He was also mentioned lately on here for price gouging.

Mocha Joe

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

Who took over most of the town mocha lately?
He was also mentioned lately on here for price gouging.

Pat Joyce?

armaghlad

corks finest wrote: »

Larne is grim,as is Craigavon

Craigavon has improved somewhat but in its day (about 25 years ago) it was literally like Beirut and nobody (government wise) cared about it.

Whole housing estates lay derelict and unoccupied, some estates completely flattened because the design was so bad they barely lasted 20 years. Of the estates that did survive you had rows of houses burnt out, travellers camped out wherever they wanted, horses grazing, joyriding, house breaking, arson, drug dealing against a backdrop of sectarian killings in the late 80s/early 90s.

Now not many will believe this but it was voted the most desirable place to live in NI a year or two ago.

dh1985

Del.Monte wrote: »

It hasn't been the same since the delightful meat plant closed - it was breathtaking - literally.

Are.your sure that's not rooskey you are talking about with the meat factory
Dromod is the village two mile down the road. Pretty nice village with a harbour on the shannon and well landscaped green areas

Liamo57

Daingean in Offaly - Kip.

snotboogie

Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »

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.

Agreed, Passage is a bit rough around the edges but calling it the worst town in Ireland is an absolute joke; nice greenway, right by the ocean, accessible to both the Cork City and harbour pharma economy. It's down near the bottom of Cork City suburbs (at the moment, ageeed it's got potential) but there are dozens of towns in North and East Cork that are far worse off and that's before you even start talking about the truly bleak spots up the country.

cml387

Weepsie wrote: »

I'm not reading through the thread, but if it's not been mentioned, my nomination is Granard

In the very first post.

Isn't it the home of Pat The Baker?

shaveAbullock

tastyt wrote: »

Far far worse towns in tipp unfortunately

Tipp
Templemore
Roscrea
Carrick
And Clonmel ten times worse for drugs

Exactly, I have no idea why anyone would pick Thurles and ignore those nearby towns.

Is Thurles run down? Yes
Is it infinitely better than many of the surrounding towns? Also yes.

The thing is, except for a few ares with extreme crime rates you can make a nice life for yourself in just about anywhere in Ireland.

TheRiverman

FintanMcluskey wrote: »

If my job requires hotel stays, I will choose a night in Athlone over Ballymahon.

One positive for Athlone is that the hotels are very good.

Mad_maxx

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

Athenry is a one horse town and the same horse is lame and a bout of colic going.
90 percent of the shops and pubs are gone out of it and Galway’s own dr evil has a stranglehold on what’s left.
It’s an awful pity cos it was a cracking town but it’s gone back something terrible

Mr j

Mad_maxx

armaghlad wrote: »

Craigavon has improved somewhat but in its day (about 25 years ago) it was literally like Beirut and nobody (government wise) cared about it.

Whole housing estates lay derelict and unoccupied, some estates completely flattened because the design was so bad they barely lasted 20 years. Of the estates that did survive you had rows of houses burnt out, travellers camped out wherever they wanted, horses grazing, joyriding, house breaking, arson, drug dealing against a backdrop of sectarian killings in the late 80s/early 90s.

Now not many will believe this but it was voted the most desirable place to live in NI a year or two ago.

Didnt think the tinkers would settle or even stop off in craigavon ,even the fcuking lampposts are protestant there and in nearby portadown

Casey78

Liamo57 wrote: »

Offaly - Kip.

Agreed

armaghlad

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Didnt think the tinkers would settle or even stop off in craigavon ,even the fcuking lampposts are protestant there and in nearby portadown

Big traveller population there. A couple of sites. Craigavon would be mixed with slight catholic majority. Has a strong dissident republican presence (CIRA). The last police officer shot there by a sniper 2009

Better Than Christ

Better Than Christ wrote: »

"A few undertones of lower class"? It's like a scene from The Walking Dead. And I'm talking about the main street and the Dart station, not Fassaroe (which, incidentally, is far from the worst part of Bray).



It got worse during the recession, but it's been struggling since before the celtic tiger. I'm not sure an overpriced cinema will save it.

I think you need to get out more. Like any town, the main street has a diverse mix ...it's no different to walking down a busy street in Dublin. There's lovely houses and suburbs within Bray. I think you need to understand there's a population of over 40,000 people and with a property range from a few hundred thousand up to a couple of million, you get that diversity which is really important.

If you judge anywhere from just a train station and a main Street in a large town then you've problems. I'd love to know what you think of Blackrock Village and dart station too or even Greystones too on a busy evening...🙄

fleet_admiral

Better Than Christ wrote: »

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

There is, in the same county. Arklow is an awful dump

maestroamado

howareyakid wrote: »

A lot of rural towns and villages appear to be stuck in a time warp. Plenty I could name but I don’t want to single out particular places. With more people choosing to live in cities and with not many social opportunities for young people apart from the GAA, it’s hard to see how the situation will improve for many towns and villages.

I have had this debate in the area i live as i wanted to develop a community centre.
There is no interest in any other sport in Ireland only gaa. I had this conversation with people with young families and i was told how great it was they providing.
I agreed great organization and added "but it's the only game in town"
It's that way as that's what we want....

funkey_monkey

Weepsie wrote: »

I'm not reading through the thread, but if it's not been mentioned, my nomination is Granard

What is the issue with this place? Is it a stigma around what happened there or is it genuinely a hole?

FloatingVoter

Newcastle West is pretty ****. Not because it's just empty - because they believe they're NYC at the same time. And stop marrying your cousins.

Better Than Christ

Deleted User wrote: »

If you judge anywhere from just a train station and a main Street in a large town then you've problems. I'd love to know what you think of Blackrock Village and dart station too or even Greystones too on a busy evening...🙄

There are plenty of nice big houses, etc, but to be fair, the main street is an important part of any town. And Bray's main street (along with its surrounding roads) is quite the shithole, and has been for a long time now.

Blackrock and Greystones seem fine, by the way. Way too much traffic and on-street parking, but no sign of the kind of neglect that seems to have plagued Bray in recent years.

shaveAbullock

Better Than Christ wrote: »

There are plenty of nice big houses, etc, but to be fair, the main street is an important part of any town. And Bray's main street (along with its surrounding roads) is quite the shithole, and has been for a long time now.

I think you need some perspective and look outside the pale.

That said Bray has so much potential but falls very short of it.

FloatingVoter

shaveAbullock wrote: »

I think you need some perspective and look outside the pale.

That said Bray has so much potential but falls very short of it.

Complwtely off-topic, but shave a bullock ?. Are you on medication ?:cool::D

Better Than Christ

shaveAbullock wrote: »

I think you need some perspective and look outside the pale.

That said Bray has so much potential but falls very short of it.

I've lived outside 'the pale', and I can understand why towns in the midlands can end up grim and neglected, especially after a recession. Bray has no such excuse.

maestroamado

ShamNNspace wrote: »

I don't know why Irish in general don't want to live in towns? All those floors over shops and pubs left empty. Lovely little townhouses just boarded up.. Why cant derelict shops be repurposed as living spaces?too many gaudy neon signs I'd ban em.. I wonder were the authorities overzealous in applying rules from Brussels? 8 butchers in a small galway town when I was growing up now only 1 barely surviving. 3 bakerys now all gone.. Newsagents all gone.. The town Cross taken down an moved to a church where no-one can admire it. A dirty black high rise carpark like a prison on the way into the town. It's our own fault we let it happen

I agree with this post completely as i think terrace houses have real character. I have being thinking of re-locating to a town from rural for the last few years but i cannot decide where to go, i did not get too much encouragement here.
I notice the houses going south on the left hand side of Crusheen in Clare, whoever designed knew what they at, Terraced modern houses all different design and it works, well i think it works.
Another town i used to like is Carrick on Shannon but parties and some shoddy apartment and shopping centre have taken from it...

shaveAbullock

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Complwtely off-topic, but shave a bullock ?. Are you on medication ?:cool::D

shaveAbullock

Better Than Christ wrote: »

I've lived outside 'the pale', and I can understand why towns in the midlands can end up grim and neglected, especially after a recession. Bray has no such excuse.

I understand and did say that Bray falls short of its potential.
But to claim it's the worst town in Ireland?

nc6000

I watched a repeat of John Creedon's Atlas of Ireland the other day. He had a good quote in it about someone who walked through everyone town in Ireland but ran through Ballaghaderreen.

Thedogsbolix

Clones

Kurtzman

Donegal town.

shaveAbullock

Listing towns is meaningless. A number of places have been listed that I would not like to live in but without context it's pointless just to name them.

Better Than Christ

shaveAbullock wrote: »

I understand and did say that Bray falls short of its potential.
But to claim it's the worst town in Ireland?

I'd be inclined to cut a lot of the other grim towns some slack because they don't have the sea, the mountains and the capital city on their doorstep.

addaword

Kurtzman wrote: »

Donegal town.

Donegal town is not bad. To me Bundoran is worse, with its slot machines and what not.

cbreeze

Bangor: a main street with four or five charity shops does not speak of prosperity
Skerries: nice views but God in heaven it must be the dog dirt capital of Ireland - you are in danger of running into lamp posts while you keep your eyes on the ground trying to avoid the crud!