Stuff we did before the UK

JupiterKid

Allow gay men and lesbian women to openly serve in the military - we did so in 1993 with the decriminalisation of homosexuality but although Britain decriminalised in 1967 for consenting males over 21, the army ban remained in place there until 2000.

Have a drive-thru McDonalds - Nutgrove in Rathfarnham was the first one in Europe when it opened in early 1985.

Internet connectivity, speed and broadband availability - in the 2000s we were definitely ahead of the Brits on this.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122229645#Comment_122229645

I don't think this is correct.

My understanding was the two lads got the ferry to the UK, a train to London and then an Air India flight from Heathrow to NY.

Photobox

Cheese and onion crisps

Lewis_Benson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122222363#Comment_122222363

I haven't heard anyone use that term since the 90s....class.

tinytobe

Fluoride in the drinking water across the whole country. The UK doesn't do that across the whole country, albeit maybe some councils?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122241429#Comment_122241429

I think that's more of a "still do after much of the UK stopped" thing.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122216234#Comment_122216234

I fail to see how that omnishambles cluster-*uck of a system is ahead of anywhere.

Plus, I remember they had a deposit return scheme on bottles of Irn Bru in the 80s. And it came in glass bottles. Our system doesnt do glass.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122241434#Comment_122241434

The non existence of water meters.

Capt'n Midnight

They were using telephone operators long after we had nationwide direct dialling

Commuter trains.

Spaces between written words.

Going fully metric for everything but the pint.

Adopting the Euro.

In Ireland you need at least 10 years experience as a solicitor or barrister to become a judge. The president appoints judges based on advice from the government and the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board advises them.

vs.

In the UK the legal qualification to become a magistrate is to be aged 18-74.

In the UK all criminal cases begin in a magistrates’ court.

Magistrates pass the most serious crimes (for example murder, rape
and robbery) to the Crown Court. Magistrates decide if the defendant
should be:

kept in custody - for example in a police or court cell

let out on strict conditions - for example to keep away from named places or people

Hotblack Desiato

625-line analogue TV when the Brits were still stuck on 405.