How's Ireland?

Olya

Hi! I'm not originally from Ireland, I come from Russia (well I still live there). I'm taking part in an international contest and I've got to write a short research paper about any country that I want to write about. I've chosen Ireland, I don't know why actually :rolleyes:, maybe cause I think it's so unique and not like my home country...

Anyway, I'd like you to tell me something about Ireland, particularly if you're from this country. I've noticed there're some threads about leaving Ireland, I'm wondering why you want to leave?...

So, what problems do see in Ireland? what do you think of the social and economic policy? what recent achievements are there that are really great? what about education, medical care, entertainment, transport there?

... tell me everything:p

Olya

Olya wrote: »

Hi! I'm not originally from Ireland, I come from Russia (well I still live there). I'm taking part in an international contest and I've got to write a short research paper about any country that I want to write about. I've chosen Ireland, I don't know why actually :rolleyes:, maybe cause I think it's so unique and not like my home country...

Anyway, I'd like you to tell me something about Ireland, particularly if you're from this country. I've noticed there're some threads about leaving Ireland, I'm wondering why you want to leave?...

So, what problems do see in Ireland? what do you think of the social and economic policy? what recent achievements are there that are really great? what about education, medical care, entertainment, transport there?

... tell me everything:p

Dustin rocks.

Olya

who dustin????

Sherifu

Olya wrote: »

who dustin????

A foul puppet.

Olya

yea that's reaaaly interesting! what's this Dustin got to do with me?

Faith

Lads, don't bother posting if you're not going to be helpful. This isn't after hours. Any more of that and there'll be bans.

Olya - Dustin is a puppet of a turkey from children's television here. He's known to be very rude and politically incorrect, while still being very funny. Somehow, he was entered into the competition to choose the Irish entrant to the Eurovision this year, and won. So in the Eurovision, provided we get through the semi-finals, our performer will be a sock puppet for golf balls for eyes.

There's more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dustin_the_Turkey.

Have a look around this website, there's loads of forums where they are discussing issues pertinant to Ireland. Try some of the forums in the 'soc' category: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=2 for an idea.

Zambia

Dustin also ran for president ..

Olya not to be critical but if you ask some more exact questions responses may be more forthcoming. The current question would take a long time to answer.

Reading the wikipedia Ireland page would start you off..

Diairist

Tovarich Olya, looking at http://www.rte.ie/news/index.html
will give you an idea as to what's happening. Some of the talk programmes on http://newstalk.ie/newstalk/podcasts.html
will give you a less 'official' / Pravda version of events.

truthfully, the bits of news on boards.ie really opens my eyes sometimes: what's ACTUALLY happening. Pity it's mostly bad...

Diairist

actually there's often some good stuff in 'the economist':

http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10853887

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Olya wrote: »

Hi! I'm not originally from Ireland, I come from Russia (well I still live there). I'm taking part in an international contest and I've got to write a short research paper about any country that I want to write about. I've chosen Ireland, I don't know why actually :rolleyes:, maybe cause I think it's so unique and not like my home country...

Anyway, I'd like you to tell me something about Ireland, particularly if you're from this country. I've noticed there're some threads about leaving Ireland, I'm wondering why you want to leave?...

So, what problems do see in Ireland? what do you think of the social and economic policy? what recent achievements are there that are really great? what about education, medical care, entertainment, transport there?

... tell me everything:p

Ireland is a country coming down from an econmic high, during which the rch got richer and poor got nothing. We are a very technologically advanced country, but with very poor infrastructure (which should have been sorted out durng the econmic boom, but wasn't). Our Prime minister ("taosieacht") has just resigned, possibly due to dodgy personal finance dealing. Those who are conservative and materialistic are sorry to see him go, those who were liberal were not.

Why do we leave? Well, I'm moving to Berlin because I find Dublin to be very limiting and repressed. Everything socially revolves around alcohol and we're not as open-minded as we'd like to think.

Olya

Faith wrote: »

So in the Eurovision, provided we get through the semi-finals, our performer will be a sock puppet for golf balls for eyes.

sounds funny) I'll have to look at Dustin in the Eurovision this year

Olya

Thanks for the links, everyone who posted them! They're really helpful (but a bit difficult - i'm not an economist)) Now I know about the Lisbon Treaty! That's cool! I mean it's very important and I shouldn't miss it when I'll write the paper.

By the way, I've read that some people are going to vote no, they say the treaty doesn't make sense, that it's not for Ireland and so on... What do you think of that? Is it really 'not for Ireland'?

Sherifu

Olya wrote: »

Thanks for the links, everyone who posted them! They're really helpful (but a bit difficult - i'm not an economist)) Now I know about the Lisbon Treaty! That's cool! I mean it's very important and I shouldn't miss it when I'll write the paper.

By the way, I've read that some people are going to vote no, they say the treaty doesn't make sense, that it's not for Ireland and so on... What do you think of that? Is it really 'not for Ireland'?

It's fairly hotly debated with lots of stories around it. I'd expect it to be a close run thing.

Olya

Zambia232 wrote: »

Dustin also ran for president ..

Olya not to be critical but if you ask some more exact questions responses may be more forthcoming. The current question would take a long time to answer.

Reading the wikipedia Ireland page would start you off..

How could Dustin run for president?? He's a puppet, isn't he? I don't get it, really:o

Anyway, I guess you're right about the questions so I'd better ask this:

How would you judge the systems of transport and education? What good points (and weak points if any) do they have?

By the way, thanks for the tip to read about Ireland on the Wikipedia website but in fact I've already read all I could find there. I came here because I wanted something told by real Irish people, what they (you) want and feel

Sherifu

Olya wrote: »

How could Dustin run for president?? He's a puppet, isn't he? I don't get it, really:o

That was more of a joke than anything else. Much like the eurovision entry but that happens to be real.

Olya wrote: »

How would you judge the systems of transport and education? What good points (and weak points if any) do they have?

Transport isn't too bad. The big problems are too many people rely on cars and major projects go way over budget or there's a castle in the way. Education levels are very good but shortage of places can be a problem and pupil/teacher ratios are too low apparently.

Zambia

How would you judge the systems of transport and education? What good points (and weak points if any) do they have?

The Irish education system is quite good in comparisson to several developed countries. Places are a struggle to get once again due to poor planning on the part of goverment.

In essence

You qalify for secodary eduction

you are tested at arround age 15 in a junoir certificate test

You are tested again at around age 18 in a leaving certificate , pionts you recieve in this test determines your choivce of college.

As for transport , Ireland i heavily dependant on motor transport dueto a few factors

Cars
1: Several people have brought houses a long distance from their place of work. The only accessible means of getting to work is by car.

2:Most people still prefer the freedom a car gives them

Rail

1: A light rail network operates in Dublin called the Dart(wiki this)

2: A tram system was built in dublin recently called the Luas (wiki this too) this links the southside of the city to each other and the city centre

3: The main cities are all linked by a national state rail service which used to be very un-tidy by 1st worl standards but has improved from that condition since.

Air

Local airlines do link most cities