Will the good times ever return?

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121070856#Comment_121070856

mmmmhmmm eau de Benson et Hedges

foxsake

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121070260#Comment_121070260

while you are right on the income tax the percentage of income - but what of the other taxes introduced in the meantime - it took to buy big ticket items like a house was much less - nowadays there appears to be no housing available unless you are double income and pretty rich.

They have ruined our currency and wages have not kept pace - the only thing preventing Ireland and the west being a 3rd world shithole is the advancement in technology has made our lives easier.

I grew up in the 1990 was 18 in 1996 and it was more fun and easy going. Ive a son who is 21 now and his life is good some stuff is better than mine was but often time it's not . the things suggested in the OP are valid.

I think there are more opportunities now for young people but I think previous life goals like family , house etc.. aren't as attainable and as you get older these things matter. Can you rent forever ? sure but why be at the mercy of a vulture fund? In my area at present there are some evictions of people who have rented for over a decade in the same house - built a life here but landlord (as is his right) says no. That's hard but a reality for a ever increasing segment of our population.

I think also that society was way cooler back then - I'd say social media is to blame but we didn't have that many perpetually offended people or back then payroll made sure you were paid now there is a HR system to control (in some cases) your entire existence.

Fred Cryton

The elephant in the room is the difference between 1990 and now is that women have entered the workforce en masse, meaning two pay cheques chasing a similar number of homes, pushing up the house price. Then the cost of child care on top of that which wasn't an issue in 1990.

You could argue its better that smart women (lets say the top 20% of women by IQ) should move into the work force otherwise their talents are wasted. But the middle 60% of women doing admin or retail work that they hate, could make a strong case that society and the women themselves are worse off than if they had stayed at home.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071011#Comment_121071011

How do you know they hate their work? Why can't the men stay at home instead?

Flinty997

What I find weird was back in the 80s and 90s emigration was very common. Half your class would emigrate. It only started to change in late 90s and 2000s.

Whereas now no one wants to emigrate. People think that the only option is staying in Ireland. Why is that the only option?

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058312282/will-the-good-times-ever-return

Then in 2001 something happened at the World Shìte Centre and nothing has been the same since.

They were called the World Trade Center you obnoxious prik.

Will we ever see a return

No

Maybe you had it that good but not everyone had.

I finished school in the late 90s and it was only in the mid to late 90s that things got good for my parents.

Before then times were hard.

I had to work a horrible job that I hated for over a decade but hey the money was good and I bought my house.

Times are good for many people in the country now maybe not everyone but certainly a lot. I do not think as you say that we will ever see anything like the World Cup Euphoria of 1990 ever again.

Maybe when Humans get to Mars there will be a huge celebration for the whole World but otherwise I do not see it ever as good again.

.

quokula

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071045#Comment_121071045

Because Ireland is objectively one of the best countries in the world to live in in terms of quality of life and opportunities. That's why vastly more people want to come here from abroad than want to leave. This was not the case in the 80s or early part of the 90s.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121070861#Comment_121070861

I might have agreed with you a few years ago, but seeing our adult children trying to get started out now in their own lives - not anymore. Combine that with the changes obvious to our demographics when you walk down the street of any city or town.

Nope this country is heading towards a slippery slope. I fully expect to see a much greater division between the haves and have nots. And increasing division with violence on the streets.

ArthurDayne

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058312282/will-the-good-times-ever-return

We will always glorify the old days when we were young and carefree. We will always think that times were better when we were better looking, free, experiencing growing up, not worrying about the future etc. We look at the changing world the same way our parents did when we were the new age little bollixes engrossed in our SEGAs and Nintendos.

I mean, you talk about there being no "extreme PC culture" back in the day which, with all respect, is nonsense. Political correctness was just different back then — it was correct to follow Church teachings, it was correct that gay marriage was not legal, it was correct that stigma should be attached to those experiencing unplanned pregnancies. My girlfriend, only 31, remembers her mother being refused communion after divorcing the husband — at a time when they were the first married couple for miles around to get divorced. The 80s and 90s were absolutely rife with political correctness — but simply the kind that screamed in horror at the thoughts of a son being gay or, even worse, openly gay.

My advice to you is to take a step back and learn to appreciate what a gift it is to live in a tolerant, comfortable, stable, safe country like Ireland — instead of rose tinting the past.

Lillyfae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071152#Comment_121071152

This is not true anymore, Numbeo has Ireland at about 30 in the world and 20 in Europe, not great, even behind the UK. The welfare state would be a bigger reason as to why people would come and not leave I'd say.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071169#Comment_121071169

Where isn't? Unless you want to move to places like Northern England, Eastern Germany, Southern Italy and can find work in those places or remotely, your children's options are very, very limited. I'm approaching 40 and I'm paying almost a grand a month for a bedroom in London. This problem is everywhere and it's not getting better.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071011#Comment_121071011

That wasn't my experience of the 90s and 2000s. Lots of women in all sorts of jobs at all levels.

What pushed up house prices was a booming economy and easier access to credit, lower interest rates.

https://www.moneyguideireland.com/history-of-mortgage-rates-in-ireland.html

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071201#Comment_121071201

London is hardly a benchmark for affordable places to live is it?

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071194#Comment_121071194

The stats on employment and unemployment disagree with you.

Lillyfae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071258#Comment_121071258

It's not my opinion though, it's measured using indices other than employment. Hence "Quality of Life index" and "Employment statistics".

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071045#Comment_121071045

Bar housing and healthcare which lets be honest, affects only the minority of the population, Ireland has it all.

High paying jobs, good career progression, fantastic worker protections. Very safe in terms of violent crimes, people generally calm and friendly, politically stable, no weather extremes (I have US colleagues who laugh at me when Ireland freaks out over 4 inches of snow, or temperatures near 30C) No shortages of food or energy, government benefits if you need them, great scenery, easy to get to anywhere in Europe..

There's single digits of countries that beat Ireland for overall quality of life and no where else I'd like to raise a family.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071185#Comment_121071185

I'm not on Twitter, and I rarely read print or online newspapers.

Every so often I'll stumble across some new term or a thread on Boards.ie and read that people have been losing their minds at some perceived outrage, and at the end of the day, it's just a meaningless flash in the pan.

A quick scan of theJournal gives you endless bad news stories, designed to shock and outrage people to drive engagement (read: profit)

I highly encourage people to disengage with modern up to the minute news media. Your life will be much better off. It's so much calmer to read a news story after it's played out and properly disseminated,the way print media used to be.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071329#Comment_121071329

That seems to imply the 20~30s are scared to try their chances elsewhere

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071392#Comment_121071392

I would say that 20-30s are the most well travelled of any Irish generation.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071401#Comment_121071401

Travelling for leisure is not the issue.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071329#Comment_121071329

..and you'll pay for it.

rogber

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121069661#Comment_121069661

I think both tendencies are very common!

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071287#Comment_121071287

You'll have to explain your point.

You disagreed with comments that people come where for the quality of life and the employment. You're inferring people instead come to survive on the welfare state. Then argue about employment statistics and quality of life index.

Maybe explain what you mean in plain language.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121070931#Comment_121070931

It is hard to gauge individual sentiment, but the overwhelming objections to any development suggest that at least a very sizeable portion of homeowners in fact do not care. Or at least do not care sufficiently to allow it impact them personally one iota.

rob316

I think your more looking back at been young OP.

I agree though to a certain extent though, ultra consumerism and social media have poisoned society.

Lillyfae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071476#Comment_121071476

If people coming to Ireland don't have the right to work, then they will be excluded from employment statistics.

And if I could draw your attention to the post I was responding to:

Because Ireland is objectively one of the best countries in the world to live in in terms of quality of life and opportunities. That's why vastly more people want to come here from abroad than want to leave. This was not the case in the 80s or early part of the 90s.

I hope this explanation is sufficient for you.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071455#Comment_121071455

Im quite happy to pay for it.

Everything I want is in Ireland. Friends, family, job, my home, my hobbies. I have colleagues from China, India, US and Brazil. They all love their own country, and could work in any country, but they want to live in Ireland.

If you can suggest somewhere that has a better overall quality of life then be my guest.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071482#Comment_121071482

People object to daft plans. Maybe it's the daft plans at fault.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071529#Comment_121071529

Not really. They still are attracted here for the quality of live and opportunities even if they are temporality blocked by the bureautic process.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071561#Comment_121071561

The point being thats why it expensive and there an extra demand for housing and resources'. That wasn't the case on the 1990s.

There are places in the world with a better quality of life than Ireland. This is why people don't solely emigrate to Ireland. They emigrate to lots of other countries as well.

Lillyfae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071601#Comment_121071601

Ok, I take it you've asked all of them? I'm pointing out that there are many countries with a better quality of life and more opportunities so if that's why people are flooding in then why aren't they going to the many countries that are faring better than Ireland on those scales?

I do feel like Ireland was a bit of a Utopia to grow up in in the 90s and early 00s. It probably wasn't the case but that's what it felt like. Yes there are more freedoms, technological advancements and better infrastructure now but also disconnects in inflation, more widespread drug use, the downsides to social media.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071579#Comment_121071579

It would appear most people's definition of "daft" is anything that isn't a semi-detached house.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071579#Comment_121071579

Or maybe they're happy to screw over a generation if it means they keep their assets growing.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071624#Comment_121071624

There are better places in the world sure, but very few, and everywhere has its own set of pros and cons.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071648#Comment_121071648

Daft is trying to add 200 cars onto a road (or junctions) thats already gridlocked 4 hours a day. Daft is trying to cram another 400 people onto a train thats already well over dangerously overcrowded. No school capacity no GP capacity.

But yeah its because everyone want to live beside Semi'Ds. Makes sense.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071694#Comment_121071694

Not that everything is about wealth.

But we are 31st in the list of Billionaires. They don't know what they are missing eh?

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071693#Comment_121071693

Do you know many people who spend their day scheming way use a "generation" to grow their own property empire of a single house or apartment. So that when they die and the property is sold they'll have made a profit they can't spend.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071761#Comment_121071761

I know that here in the UK, pretty much everything gets objected to on that basis. If you can prove that they're only objecting to "daft" plans, please do so.

thegetawaycar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121070861#Comment_121070861

For me this post sums most of it up

Biggest issues now are based on services and infrastructure. We've a government that have more money to work with than ever before. It's easier for them to just say, more money is the answer than actually look at what's needed. Services are poor and those on welfare struggle, more cash isn't always the answer, provide them the services to live comfortably, cheaply and improve everyones quality of life, it will also bring down the cost of living instead of throwing cash around and upping minimum wage.

Housings is the main thing worse than before. Planning needs to be looked at but until building can be increased rapidly the government need to limit the influx of people, basic supply and demand concept needs to be in place. There's lots of derelict houses and areas outside the cities (some inside too) problem is you can't commute in a timely manner, while building tons of houses public transport, metros, trains etc... should be being built non stop while the tax take is high.

Build houses and apartments, 1 beds are massively needed. Huge numbers should be built for rent, most young single people can't get the freedom they want as it's prohibitively expensive all while we continue building everything but 1 beds.

The 80s was mass unemployment, huge tax and interest rates, mass emigration and poverty.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071789#Comment_121071789

So we'll take that as a no. That a grand conspiracy to use a "generation" to grow a single asset make zero sense.

First example I look up in the UK is people objecting to traffic being pushed out of an existing congested junction. "developer says its not viable if they have to meet all its planning obligations, and has reduced its funding for open space provision and highways costs." Scheme went ahead regardless.

What you want is to steamroller objections, to allow bad planning, that will repercussions for generations. Good luck with that.

dublincc2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121070308#Comment_121070308

It wasn’t even a blip in economic terms. Wall Street dusted itself off as soon as it reopened.

dublincc2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121070346#Comment_121070346

No they don’t because they’ll be accused of sexual harassment or being a stalker or just laughed at.

Boggles

So you miss drugs?

lbunnae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121072081#Comment_121072081

Hahahah you don't actually believe that's how young lads think now do you?

dublincc2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071127#Comment_121071127

Cool the jets, seriously what’s your problem calling people obnoxious pricks because they had a different experience of that time than you.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121072081#Comment_121072081

Ehh... No.

That's not happening. At least not on any night out I've been on since forever.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121072118#Comment_121072118

I think it's obvious he was specifically referring to the disparaging remarks about the 9/11.

dublincc2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121072158#Comment_121072158

What disparaging remarks? I didn’t make any, simply pointed out that 11/9 (to use the correct date) was the point where the timeline of euphoria and optimism got wrecked.

kravmaga

Ireland and Europe are in general decline since 2001, Asian countries are the new super rich and in culture, food, streetscape.

Look at Singapore for an example, spotless clean city, great public transport.

Europe is in crisis as is our our country and don't get me started on the state of the capital city, I think the Government, DCC, Dublin Chamber of commerce, An Garda Siochana have all given up on the capital, in Dublin 1, north inner city, its a sh1t box, filthy, homeless, drug addicts every where, have ya got some change for the hostel man.

lmao10

With respect, you're too old to be able to get in touch with how things are for modern young people today. It's a completely different world to anything you would have seen. We have abortion now for example. Another thing you mentioned approaching a girl and all that. Its done online these days and it's a great way to do things. I have a lovely girlfriend at the moment and I didn't have to "approach" or any of that, it was her who messaged me on tinder and things went smoothly. Who wants to be going around "approaching" people. Weird stuff. Different times now. Money is also there to be made if you put the work in. It's easy to travel around Europe and enjoy life. You didn't consider that the way you made your "good times" sound is actually quite off-putting to a younger person today. Younger people are not online complaining about immigrants, feminists and whatever other weird stuff the old lads complain about which makes their lives miserable. Look at the guys with 20000+ negative posts about the current state of the world and Ireland and so on. Do you think these lads are happy people with fulfilling lives? Would you actually want to know them irl? Maybe a similarly minded person would enjoy their company and they could both be miserable together but to the young generation that kind of stuff is kind of seen as a thing old wasters do. I suppose it's all relative.