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The Ballybunion thread
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12-05-2005 12:11am#1
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I'm sorry to hear that.
Putting up that statue of Clinton was a bad omen.
It was such a nice little place the last time I saw it:
Deenihan's little shop at the East End
The bumper cars in the two casinos
The fish and chips van near the bus stop on Main Street
Those great big turnovers (batch bread) from Beasley's bakery
Is there really a caravan park at Ahafona now?0 -
Yes I suppose it still ok for a family outing an a very nice day (once your car is parked in a secure area) - try it a 4pm on a November evening though and that Atlantic breeze would freeze you. Tumble weed blowing across the steet etc.
Yes there is a caravan park there now too - perhaps my last post was slightly overly critical but I think it has lost it appeal as a tourist attraction due to foreign travel being so cheap now.
I still think its quite a dangerous place for a night out during the summer - all to do with the Limerick connection mentioned above.
See link about Limerick - take note of the bottom line. Actually Limerick is not a bad place at all - there are some bad people obviously but a lot of them (bad people) go to Ballybunion for their holiday's :mad:0 -
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reic,
I see in your profile you're a photographer. Do you have any pictures of the village?
Googling images of Ballybunion gets hundreds of pictures of the golf course, but almost nothing around the town.
I found this. I think the shop in on the Church Road.
http://img17.imagevenue.com/loc66/175_irish__on_church_road.jpg
And I found this at Lisselton, but I don't know if that strecth of road is going towards or Listowel.
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The only good thing about BallyB is the road out of it
Hehe, just kidding! In the summer, it's really nice if it's a lovely day - i.e. back in 1995 when we had the heatwave, we used to go to the beach every day. But that's about the only thing to do in BallyB. If the day is crap, then the place just may as well not bother being on the map!
As for the Limerick thing, yes there are certain nights in BallyB where you should be on your guard. Examples include the bachelor festival - usually attracts the top scum from Limerick, I dunno why they bother, but they do, BallyB just seems to draw them - and they would be the worst scum from Limerick now.
And let's not forget when the traveller king of Munster died, and the travs battled it out on the beach one night, complete with knives n such, last man standing was crowned new king.
INSANE!!!0 -
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Alfasudcrazy wrote:Here is a pic of Ballybunion Main St in the late 1950's
Very cool, alfa.
That big building on the right - the one with the Irish flag on top - is that building a casino/arcade with video games and bumper cars today?
As I remember the village, the picture was taken across the street from the entrance to the Central Ballroom/Hotel. There's a little gift shop - Michael Beasley's? - on the photographer's left and a street that leads up to Doon Road.
Am I remembering it right?0 -
tinkerbell wrote:The only good thing about BallyB is the road out of it
Hehe, just kidding! In the summer, it's really nice if it's a lovely day - i.e. back in 1995 when we had the heatwave, we used to go to the beach every day. But that's about the only thing to do in BallyB. If the day is crap, then the place just may as well not bother being on the map!
You're right, tinkerbell. It is a quiet place, but that's what I liked about it. According to the 2000 Census, my neighborhood is 1.2 square miles and the population is 77,000+ :eek: So BallyB, with it's population of 1500 or so is a refreshing change for me.tinkerbell wrote:And let's not forget when the traveller king of Munster died, and the travs battled it out on the beach one night, complete with knives n such, last man standing was crowned new king.
INSANE!!!
I'd like to hear more about this. I'm off now to google the "traveller king of Munster."0 -
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snow scorpion wrote:That big building on the right - the one with the Irish flag on top - is that building a casino/arcade with video games and bumper cars today?
As I remember the village, the picture was taken across the street from the entrance to the Central Ballroom/Hotel. There's a little gift shop - Michael Beasley's? - on the photographer's left and a street that leads up to Doon Road.
Am I remembering it right?
Yes Mr Scorpion you have a very good memory - your picture was obviously taken from the opposite direction looking down towards the sea and the casino / bumper car is now on the left with the yellow doors (obviously the building has been rebuilt/modified over the years.
You can see the old central hotel down the street on you left (the big beige building) Its now called the Golf hotel.
Perhaps I will take a few snaps on one of my drives with my classics and post them here for you - God I am almost feeling a bit nostalgic myself now for the place - something I thought would never happen
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A typical moist summers evening in Ballybunion – taken this evening
My old police station – with the statue of Bill Clinton playing golf.
Standing in front of the Golf (Central) hotel looking up Doon Road
Looking from the same place up Main St (ie away from the beach)
The Railway bar with fast food outlet beside – this is almost opposite the Golf hotel
Another view up Main St – this time standing at the end of Main st at junction with Sandhill Road. (notice the wood railings as in the late 1950’s photo
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Walking across the road another view up Main St
This was an empty and unsurfaced car park when I was stationed here – now it has a large shopping centre.
A view down Main St towards the sea – note the arcade with yellow doors on the left and the Golf hotel now painted red.
Kilcooley’s bar – that’s opposite the Garda station you can see a bit of it on the right of pic.
A view up Church St
A view out the Listowel Road
A view down Doon Road from the Cliff house hotel
A view down the cliff – (opposite the Clif house hotel to the small road down to the beach – walk up that a few times and you would be fit.
Sorry for the dark pics - it was only 4pm but was not the best day for taking photo's
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Yes - its been quite a while since I was there even though I only live in Tralee (25 miles away) but I was alarmed at the general deterioration of the condition of the Garda barracks. It was in excellent shape when I was stationed there in 1992 but you can even see in the close up pic of Clinton that the windows are rotting pretty badly.
Its very hard to get proper maintenance for Garda buildings - budget cuts etc - but it really looks an eyesore now.
That radio tower was there when I was there too (its for the police radios) located in the back yard of the station. I used to curse it in the summer as the birds liked to stand on it and crap down on my car. That antenna had to be extended as the Gardai (police) done a deal with a cell phone company so all their transmitters are also located on it.
The right side of the barracks is a residential section - while the left side is the official portion - obviously the current resident like his satellite tv 0 -
You live in Tralee?! I assumed you lived closer to the village than that - Lisselton or Listowel, maybe. You mention "one of your drives." I hope you were headed to the Ballybunion anyway on one of your drives. I'd feel guilty if you drove 25 miles just to satisfy my feelings of nostalgia.
I love those digital cameras, I can magnify the pics several times and see the details even better.
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2nd picture - Clinton's ... hmmm, how do I say it politely?
Let's just call it "Clinton's approach" and the start of Main Street? (I always thought of Main Street as starting at Ahafona, but maybe that's just me.)
I remember Mikey Joe's Bar on the south side of Main Street. The last time I saw it it had a grey front with a red door. Is one of those shops Mikey Joe's?
And I remember a general store (or maybe a hardware store) of some kind right along there, too... Mossy something? ... Moss somebody? ... Lynch's, maybe? I don't know, the name is gone from me completely.
Why is there a double-yellow line by the curb?
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3rd picture - Standing in front of the Golf hotel (I'm gonna have to get used to thinking Golf instead of Central.)
I think I remember that intersection. The grey building on the right used to be painted yellow and was Michael Beasley's gift shop. Or maybe the gift shop was one block closer to the beach.
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4th picture - Outside the Golf looking down Main Street
I really like this one. I'll be looking at this one long and often. Maybe make wallpaper for my desktop out of this one.
That gap on the left (where the single headlight is on), is that where the bus stop is? Or is the bus stop still there at all?
The Downtown Casino is new to me.
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5th picture - The Railway Bar
A favorite of yours, Alfa? :cool:
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6th picture - Another view up Main St – this time standing at the end of Main st at junction with Sandhill Road. (notice the wood railings as in the late 1950’s photo)
I see the Railway Bar and the fast food joint up the street in this picture.
The parked car on the right has 'KY' in it's license plate, and it looks like the parked car on the left has 'KY' in its license plate, too. Does KY mean the car is registered in Kerry, or is it just a coincidence?
The EU license plates are nice but the old Irish license plates will always have a place in my heart. (I remember the plates for cars registered in Kerry always had "-IN" in them: DIN 732, LIN 375, etc.)
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Let me stop here. I don't want to get on your nerves and I'll have more questions for you tomorrow.
Are you still a policeman, alfa, and transferred away from Ballybunion? Or have you retired or moved on to another line of work?
Did you 'walk a beat' as we say here? Or did you have a patrol car?0 -
No problem – I am big into cars and will avail of any excuse to go for a drive somewhere.you drove 25 miles just to satisfy my feelings of nostalgia.
I know what you mean – I was working there the night that was delivered (around 1998) I used to work there now and again during the summer. It was all covered in plastic with the golf club protruding at a 45 degree angle – it got a lot of laughs.Let's just call it "Clinton's approach"
Those are no parking lines – but there is a fairly easy going attitude to them – except during the busy summer season.Why is there a double-yellow line by the curb?
That’s the entrance to the new shopping centre / area – see picture no 84th picture - Outside the Golf looking down Main Street - That gap on the left (where the single headlight is on), is that where the bus stop is? Or is the bus stop still there at all?
Well I don’t drink but I always liked this bar just to have some food or light refreshments. :cool:5th picture - The Railway Bar - A favorite of yours, Alfa?
Yes that’s my car actually – my new Alfa Gt coupe – the KY stands for Kerry as in the way it was BIN etc did when you were there – first digits indicate the year of the car – then the county of registration and then the sequence number for that year.6th picture - The parked car on the right has 'KY' in it's license plate, and it looks like the parked car on the left has 'KY' in its license plate, too. Does KY mean the car is registered in Kerry, or is it just a coincidence?
Its been quite a while since you have been here – those reg numbers are early to mid 60’s?
No I am still plodding along – 22 years service now and a Sergeant :rolleyes:Are you still a policeman, alfa, and transferred away from Ballybunion? Or have you retired or moved on to another line of work?
Oh yeah – I remember walking the beat there – or should I say I remember that cool sea breeze – I used to be frozen even on summer nights. I used to have a patrol car as well some nights – if you can call a Toyota corolla a patrol car. :rolleyes:Did you 'walk a beat' as we say here? Or did you have a patrol car?0 -
No problem – I am big into cars and will avail of any excuse to go for a drive somewhere
I'm glad to hear that. I feel a lot easier now knowing I'm not being a pest.Those are no parking lines – but there is a fairly easy going attitude to them – except during the busy summer season.
Oh, Ok. I was thinking maybe you had to park the car on the yellow lines. If your car was not touching the lines you get a ticket. (Over here, you can't be more than 12 inches from the curb or you get a ticket.)
Yeah, finding a parking space in Ballybunion is not very hard most of the time. (Although I remember going to 11:00 Mass Sunday mornings; we usually had to park on the church's front lawn.)
When I was a kid, I always loved the way the cars were parked in Ireland: sometimes face-to-face, sometimes back-to-back. I'm glad to see you still do things that way.That’s the entrance to the new shopping centre / area – see picture no 8.
I was looking at picture no. 8 before I went to bed last night and for the life of me I couldn't figure out where the centre might be. I don't remember a lot about the size of the bus stop. I do remember the chip van that was at the left side of the entrance. I used to get Denny's sausages there for 4p each.Well I don’t drink but I always liked this bar just to have some food or light refreshments.
An Irishman who doesn't drink? Thank God I'm not the only one.Its been quite a while since you have been here – those reg numbers are early to mid 60’s?
I checked my passport. I was last in Ballybunion in 1978.I am still plodding along – 22 years service now and a Sergeant
Oh yeah – I remember walking the beat there – or should I say I remember that cool sea breeze – I used to be frozen even on summer nights. I used to have a patrol car as well some nights – if you can call a Toyota corolla a patrol car. Hey, watch it, Sarge! I drive a Corolla.
I have to go run a few errands and then I have some more questions about the rest of the pictures.
Talk to you soon, alfa.0 -
Hey, alfa. I'm back. (That took a lot longer than I expected.)
picture #7 - Walking across the road another view up Main St
The radio tower makes it really easy to tell exactly where you are, doesn't it? Well, you know the place like the back of your hand, but without the tower I don't think I would know where I was in that pic.
I don't remember that sidestreet on the left...
Is that a post office on the right? It looks like the An Post logo above the red station wagon.
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picture #8 - This was an empty and unsurfaced car park when I was stationed here – now it has a large shopping centre.
I was wondering where this was. That's the old bus stop? I didn't realize it was that big. It really goes back a good distance, doesn't it?
OK, I have to ask about that chimp. It looks like he's on the back of a truck. What company is using a chimp to sell their product?
And is that a supermarket in the back - the red and white sign? Is that the entrance under the clock tower?
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picture #9 - A view down Main St towards the sea – note the arcade with yellow doors on the left and the Golf hotel now painted red.
Ah, that's an updated version of the picture that starts this thread. (I found that pic at some website about bicycling around Ireland. The bikers passed through Ballybunion in their travels.)
Ooh, there's one of those now-infamous Limerick cars (undoubtedly owned by a trouble-making ne'er-do-well) across the street from the arcade.
Isn't there - or wasn't there - some important building right beside the Golf Hotel? The bank, maybe. Or was it the post office?
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picture #10 - Kilcooley’s bar – that’s opposite the Garda station you can see a bit of it on the right of pic.
That's the wildest pic, alfa . Last time I was there, I don't remember Kilcooley's being there at all. I remember a small open field with a cinder block wall facing the barrack with 4-5 horses for rent grazing in there.
I don't remember that street on the left side of the picture. Where does it go?
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picture #11 - A view up Church St
I really like this one.
Two questions: What's the name of the market? It looks like Scanlon's Foodmarket. Is that where Beasley's used to be? Or is Beasley's a little east of that market? (Beasley's was a general store / small grocery store.)
2nd question: all the way down church street, there's a yellow building. In picture 3, there's a yellow building in the background. Is that the same building in both pictures? As I remember leaving St. John's, you go north and then you turn left there's a very short block there.
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picture #12 - A view out the Listowel Road
Of the fourteen pictures you took, alfa, this is my favorite of them all.
You crossed the street after the Kilcooley picture to take this one, didn't you?
That's the sidestreet that I don't remember.
Quick story:
A couple months ago I was at the website
http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/inc/planner_places_redirect.jsp and just for fun I asked for the driving directions from Ballybunion to Listowel. A straight line, right?
But the website said start at Ballybunion and drive 7/10ths of a mile to Ahafona.
I showed that to my brother and that started a conversation between us: Is it really 7/10ths of a mile from the barrack to Ahafona? (I assume the barrack is where they measure the start of the town.) I didn't think so, but looking at your picture #12, (and I've been looking at this one A LOT,) now I guess it is that far.
For the life of me, I can't remember that street on the right hand side of the
picture. Where does that go?
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Picture #13 - A view down Doon Road from the Cliff house hotel
Picture #14 - A view down the cliff – (opposite the Clif house hotel)
Doon Road has changed a lot since I last walked along it. I recognize nothing in those two pics, alfa. I have no clue where along Doon Road the Cliff House is. and a road to the beach?
No matter how much I stare at #13 and #14, I come up completely blank.0 -
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snow scorpion wrote:alfa,
I was reading a thread at another website about Smart Cars. :eek:
I thought my Corolla was small, but Smart Cars .... it looks like you don't have to park them, you just put them in your pocket and bring them with you.
Are there any Smart Cars around Kerry? I didn't see any in your photos of Ballybunion.
Nope not many around here - seen as too gimicky for Irish tastes and also very expensive here too.
They are very popular on the european continent though - plenty of them in Spain.
There was talk recently that Mercedes (who own Smart) was going to discontinue the brand as it is always in the red. Personally I think they are ugly.
Ballybunion people have very conservative tastes in everything including cars - the Toyota Avensis or Opel Vectra would be the car of choice - but 4WD jeeps are now very popular vehicles with farmers 0 -
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snow scorpion wrote:alfa,
did you bet on McBride? :eek:
Generally don't bet - I assume its a horse? I haven't a clue about horse racing - so I would only be throwing my money away if I did :rolleyes:
The stockmarket can be fun but I worry too much about it so I don't get involved in it too much 0 -
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