Growing up in the 1980's Ireland

upncmnhistori wrote: »

I thought it was the whole company didn't know it was just one chain. It was lecturer we were given in Entreperneurship about business ethics in GMIT one day. I was wrong so.

whomitconcerns wrote: »

god i remember our tv "warming up" now, the screen would flip for about 10mins before you could watch something!

Dummy wrote: »

In Dublin, pirate radio stations were all the rage then. The early 80's saw the likes of Radio Dublin & Big D Radio. Late 80's saw Radio Nova, KissFM & Sunshine Radio.

The Dandelion Market was on St Stephens Green and you bought your bikes in the Penny Fathing there.

McDonalds opened their doors on Grafton Street in the early 80's and queues were out the door.

If you wanted a phone in your house, you ordered & then waited for almost 2 years (if my memory is correct).

There were lots of postal strikes which was a bummer on Valentine's Day.

I remember petrol strikes too and people making mad dashes to the North with loads of 5 gallon drums in the back of the cars.

I remember people bought butter in the North, and hid it all around the car in case they were stopped. TV's too brought people to the North.

Summer holidays were a 2 week visit to some relations farm in the back of beyond - but they were great. You learned to drive a Massey Ferguson when you were 11 or 12.

You & your brothers would have to hightail it by train, bus or by thumbing it down the country to help uncles save the hay. And they were made into haystacks - none of these circular bales you see now. And to quench your thirst, you were given very cold buttermilk.

After playing a big hurling or football match, you got a glass of Miwadi and a marieta biscuit.

Most cars did not have radios, so you sang all the way on a long car journey. "one day at a time sweet Jesus ......." Or "we're all off to Dublin in the green, in the green .....".

Some parts of the country still used the telephone exchange - you picked up the phone and an operator would answer and you would ask for Dublin 123456.

For free phone calls on a public phone, some people would tap the phone with their finger.

There was always a traffic jam (with cars) on Grafton Street.

There were no contraception machines in the toilets in pubs. In fact you could not buy contraceptives anywhere. In fact you never knew what they were or what they were used for.

You always went to mass on Sunday. In fact you would travel to the other end of the county to get a 6 o'clock mass there. And you listened to the priest very carefully.

You'd have to dance with girls at weddings otherwise you'd be a wallflower.

You had to always get up & sing at weddings.

Some people could be heard asking "what's your 20" down the microphone of their illegal CB radios. (as a result of movies like Convoy and Smokey & the Bandit which were big hits).

These are some of my memories. I'd love to go back - the 80's were great.

Ten ten till we do it again. (CB jingo for bye for now).

Dummy wrote: »

Thanks - You have aged me. There was I, plodding along thinking I was a whipper snapper .....

Cienciano wrote: »

Having more than one car in a household was unheard of. I have photos of my estate when I was a kid, lack of cars is unreal. And cars were proper colours. Not just 20 variations of silver. Black, white, red, orange, green, brown, blue and yellow was every car colour available.

who the fug wrote: »

You are forgetting the Austin Princess , a pug ugly looking yoke

Austin geebag/slapper were more apt