Most Depressing Towns & Villages in Ireland

2ndcoming

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120764307#Comment_120764307

Get tee f

iniscealtra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120765151#Comment_120765151

Any bypass I’ve seen has improved the town. Less through traffic. Locals come back in for shopping and living due to less traffic. Better vibe. Improved Gort a lot.

Adare is a town that could do with a bypass.

iniscealtra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120763675#Comment_120763675

Was in County Meath at the weekend. Had lunch in Athboy. Very nice town. Great lunch. Lovely park and walks. Seems to have everything you would want in a small town.

hoodie6029

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120765151#Comment_120765151

The young people who left in the recession will never come back. They’re middle aged now and settled in Australia, Middle East etc. Boom era builders are retired or almost retired by now.

The mechanisation of agriculture of decades has led to nearly all farms becoming one person operations and even part time operations. The drop in the need for farm labour has a knock on effect on all the towns.

Increasing automation in factories means less labour even where there are factories for farm produce.

As someone already said, if a town can’t sustain itself and it’s not a commutable distance to bigger town with more opportunity, what hope is there for it?

I see some of these towns just becoming retirement villages essentially, full of pensioners and a few retirees looking for cheap accommodation.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120754991#Comment_120754991

This. Although southside of city is lovely.

Walked the length of O'Connell St on Wednesday evening from a restaurant on Dorset St to catch the train home from Tara. (I live on Southside)

There was a full on brawl at the ambassador literally two gangs at it, fellas on the ground being kicked in the head by a pack of absolute feral scum. Then 2 instances of open drug dealing and then 2 scrambler bikes tearing around driven by lads with no helmets with a Garda van chasing them around the traffic island. All this within 5 minutes.

Mrs was absolutely terrified and shaking. I've seen it all before.

All this watched on by tourists. Our Government are an absolute state letting the entire country go to rack and ruin.

As a lifetime resident of Dublin I would also be concerned observing the rapid decline which in reality has been over the last 15 years or so.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120766092#Comment_120766092

Gort is commuting distance to Galway and Limerick and is on the tourist trail, so is probably fine regardless. Macroom is similar, the bypass will probably improve it.

Maybe it's a different context.

Maybe passing trade is a lifeline for Stroketown. I could be wrong though.

Adare is getting bypassed soon. Listowel also.

I think since we don't need anymore motorways, every town in Ireland is getting bypassed to keep the road builders busy.

briany

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120764307#Comment_120764307

Adare's main street seems to be one long strip of cosy restaurants with thatched roofs. Drive through it on a Summer's morning, before 9AM and the main street is heaving with tourists, a lot of them having breakfast in those very restaurants. I was told that JP McManus has invested heavily in the town and that a lot of coaches stop there on their way down to Kerry, further pumping up tourist engagement, which makes me wonder if the locals are for or against the proposed bypass. It can be quite a traffic jam.

Straight Talker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120752770#Comment_120752770

It get's worse i'm afraid!

BK5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120766098#Comment_120766098

Thanks iniscealtra, I was born and raised in Athboy and most of my family still live there, not the worst place in fairness and fair play to you for standing up for the oul place.