Has Irish tourist board no shame?

disgruntled visitor

I have visited your country recently and I hope I do not offend any of you here, but I will not be doing so again. Why you may ask? Well I guess it’s not only shock from my experience but anger given that I spent my hard earned money visiting your country going on what your tourist board sold in the brochures and promotional videos.

I genuinely thought that you had a beautiful country here but having only visited I was disgusted at what I saw. Where I am from and in every other country that I have visited, what is called the countryside seems to be non-existent in Ireland. I am not suggesting that there is no greenery as the famous images of Ireland show, but to be honest what met my eyes for the duration of my visit up and down the length and breadth of your land was what appeared to be one never ending string of suburbs nestled along nearly every single road in your country.

I have looked into this recently and it appears that it relates to a phenomenon called one off housing. And why they call it this in your country I do not know, but what I saw during my visit was not one off buildings but instead one long ugly string of ribbon development and the most hideous eyesores I have ever seen. I have been in many countries across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia and I have seen many different cultures and housing styles which makes it for an interesting visit those places.

However what I saw in Ireland was nothing short of a disgrace and I would be personally ashamed if where I’m from became like Ireland. I spent a lot of money on this trip which in part was thanks to your tourist boards promotion of the country. However I am angered at what I saw and in particular the contrast with the image your tourist board puts across and will not be visiting again, nor would I encourage anybody else I know to do so either.

While there are of course some interesting places in Ireland, overall I think it is a very disappointing country and shame on your tourist board for the false images it gives to tourists elsewhere so that they will invest their hard earned cash in a visit. I will not be paying to visit again to one gigantic suburb when there are many other places to visit. I also think your tourist board needs to be honest and explain the situation regarding what you call one off housing because they are selling a false image to people in other countries regarding your nation and its image.

Thank you.

MitchKoobski

People need places to live.
Empty fields are good places to build houses for people to live in.
The country is still majority countryside.



Get over it.

old hippy

Ireland does not live up to hype shocker!

Daegerty

disgruntled visitor wrote: »

Has Irish tourist board no shame?

No. They gave all their shame to the council who then spread it on the road when the grit ran out during the cold spell

BraziliaNZ

You're right. Poor planning over decades and no bloody trees in the countryside. For real rugged beautiful scenery try the highlands in Scotland, you wont get ripped off as much either it's cheaper. Ireland is a nice place to live but I feel sorry for tourists that come here, with cheaper, nicer options available.

BraziliaNZ

MitchKoobski wrote: »

The country is still majority countryside farms



Get over it.

FYP

Chairman Meow

Let me guess, you drove around dublin for a day or two and thought "wheres the ****ing rolling green hills and ****? Wheres my ****ing leprechauns?!"

Brotip: Capital cities arent well known for lush expanses of greenry

stevenmu

Where did you visit and how did you get there? It sounds very much like you stuck to fairly major roads between main population centres.

bleg

disgruntled visitor wrote: »

I have visited your country recently and I hope I do not offend any of you here, but I will not be doing so again. Why you may ask? Well I guess it’s not only shock from my experience but anger given that I spent my hard earned money visiting your country going on what your tourist board sold in the brochures and promotional videos.

I genuinely thought that you had a beautiful country here but having only visited I was disgusted at what I saw. Where I am from and in every other country that I have visited, what is called the countryside seems to be non-existent in Ireland. I am not suggesting that there is no greenery as the famous images of Ireland show, but to be honest what met my eyes for the duration of my visit up and down the length and breadth of your land was what appeared to be one never ending string of suburbs nestled along nearly every single road in your country.

I have looked into this recently and it appears that it relates to a phenomenon called one off housing. And why they call it this in your country I do not know, but what I saw during my visit was not one off buildings but instead one long ugly string of ribbon development and the most hideous eyesores I have ever seen. I have been in many countries across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia and I have seen many different cultures and housing styles which makes it for an interesting visit those places.

However what I saw in Ireland was nothing short of a disgrace and I would be personally ashamed if where I’m from became like Ireland. I spent a lot of money on this trip which in part was thanks to your tourist boards promotion of the country. However I am angered at what I saw and in particular the contrast with the image your tourist board puts across and will not be visiting again, nor would I encourage anybody else I know to do so either.

While there are of course some interesting places in Ireland, overall I think it is a very disappointing country and shame on your tourist board for the false images it gives to tourists elsewhere so that they will invest their hard earned cash in a visit. I will not be paying to visit again to one gigantic suburb when there are many other places to visit. I also think your tourist board needs to be honest and explain the situation regarding what you call one off housing because they are selling a false image to people in other countries regarding your nation and its image.

Thank you.

You went to the wrong places.

Steyr

So..........OP where are you from>?

ibarelycare

*waits for influx of AHers who usually never stop complaining about our country to start defending it*

BraziliaNZ

Steyr wrote: »

So..........OP where are you from>?

that doesn't matter, he's just saying it's false advertising on Bord Failte's part.

OutlawPete

You're looking for Bertie Ahern.

Actually, he might sell you the good bits of the countryside for you to take back with you if you want.

http://fisnua.com/?p=442

Chairman Meow

ibarelycare wrote: »

*waits for influx of AHers who usually never stop complaining about our country to start defending it*

Your country is like your family. Its fine to complain about your own family, and get pissed off with them, argue with them, but if an outsider tries to tell me my family are a bunch of arseholes, he can get tae f*ck

johngalway

Tourist my eye.

fakearms123

I smell a troll!

Gunsfortoys

fakearms123 wrote: »

I smell a troll!

Or an actual disgruntled visitor.

Poor Uncle Tom

Exactly what piece of pristene wilderness are you from?

old hippy

Chairman Meow wrote: »

Let me guess, you drove around dublin for a day or two and thought "wheres the ****ing rolling green hills and ****? Wheres my ****ing leprechauns?!"

Brotip: Capital cities arent well known for lush expanses of greenry

He or she's lucky they didn't go to Cork City, that always brings me down

Korvanica

Gunsfortoys wrote: »

Or an actual disgruntled visitor.

a disgruntled troll visitor...

fup off...

BraziliaNZ

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

Exactly what piece of pristene wilderness are you from?

but he's not asking you to visit his country or comparing ours to his. He's a disgruntled visitor who bought into something false. Where he comes from is of no relevance.

dan1895

Sounds like someone did a tour of the East coast and and didn't leave the pale.

Sea Sharp

I feel your pain OP. When I went to visit Texas, there were no cowboys or Indians. :mad:

Prettyfireworks

OP definitely must have gone to the wrong places! I've been on drives around the country where'll you'll not see a house or housing estate for miles.. total countryside by anyones standards!

greyed

You're definetely right about the crap planning and the plight of "one-off housing", but if this is all you saw then you were looking in the wrong places. Where did yo go?

bonerm

disgruntled visitor wrote: »

I have seen many different cultures and housing styles which makes it for an interesting visit those places.

I imagine you also take a keen interest in the various bridge styles found around the world also?

Pauleta

Thanks for your money. Make sure to tell all your mates to come also.

Dravokivich

Gunsfortoys wrote: »

Or an actual disgruntled visitor.

who managed to find the right place to complain... like the majority of threads started by other "disgruntled" posters?

Sugarfree

Jesus we have just left winter and your expecting to see green rolling fields.

Zebra3

The OP is right.

One off housing is destroying the country.

It's also economically unviable.

mikom

disgruntled visitor wrote: »

I genuinely thought that you had a beautiful country here

Here........ meaning you are still here.
Troll slip up 101 right there.
You are the weakest link....... goodbye.

Korvanica

disgruntled visitor wrote: »

Well I guess it’s not only shock from my experience but anger given that I spent my hard earned money visiting your country going on what your tourist board sold in the brochures and promotional videos.

a bunch of cowboys ted...

disgruntled visitor

disgruntled visitor wrote: »

I have visited your country recently......Thank you.

No problem.
SUCKA!!!!!!

LifesaverNiall

I live 20 minutes on a bus out from dublin city, and i can tell you there are alot of back country roads where you can see lovely fields with cows and sheep just like in the adds!
If you went to dublin at all for a scenic holiday that was your first mistake, you should have stuck to the West/ North west and traveled around donegal etc, because u cannot say that driving on a tiny windy road with turf fields on either side of you, divided by old stone walls while giant looming moutains are on either side of you isnt scenic!
you obviously didnt research properly!
But yea,
Slán agus beannacht!

KeithAFC

Did you visit Antrim? Its the best place. Go to http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/

AnnyHallsal

Shoulda gone to (West) Kerry.

EverEvolving

OP - can you give us some more information on your visit. Where did you visit and from the advertising you saw - what exactly did you expect? What did the advertising show that you didn't experience when you got here? Just curious as to why it was so bad. From what you described it seems you spent your time here in Dublin/cities.

Ireland has a lot of faults but as a holiday destination it's not a bad wee spot. Depending where you go obviously!

mahamageehad

OP clearly didnt go to clare/ connemara. Fúckin place barely has phone coverage, asian beours and internet porn yet, not to mind houses! :P

Cheap Thrills!

ha ha

Ireland is a dump shocker.

Hold the front page.

Thank your lucky stars you don't have to live here OP.

I'd say sorry about the wasted money, but I'm not.

OutlawPete

When I was in England, I was shocked to see Toast, done on both sides

My name is URL

Where are you from OP?

Nolanger

Should have driven on the smaller roads to see the housing-free country.

ejmaztec

The only visitors that Ireland gets are IMF debt-collectors and people who get on the wrong plane.

bonerm

Sea Sharp wrote: »

I feel your pain OP. When I went to visit Texas, there were no cowboys or Indians. :mad:

Dunno why you missed the indians but the cowboys were all over here building one off housing.

Wolfe Tone

I dont mind Irish people bitching about Ireland, but when foreigners do it it pisses me off

tommiejoie

OP, you clearly didn't put much effort into finding the green and special countryside you were looking for. I am in the suburbs of a city right now and in 15mins I could be standing to face one of the many beautiful landscapes across my country.

Also, Ireland is not a packaged tourist resort, it is a place where people live and work and enjoy a friendly and relaxing culture and socitey. Part of that is the oppertunity for people not to live in Citys or huge suburbs but instead have the choice to find a site to built a home.

If you can't respect another culture and society then you may as well stay at home.

KeithAFC

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/media/hi-res/Antrim/Antrim_GlensAntrim.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/County-Antrim-hi-res-images--A2529&usg=__P0q8adZ4VBGI6BVMsw-r4up9UqM=&h=1600&w=2400&sz=2083&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=mJj-SRUnLBle7M:&tbnh=138&tbnw=206&ei=q1R6TYzgDtOEhQf-2LjtBg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAntrim%2Bglens%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D745%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=134&vpy=85&dur=532&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=156&ty=101&oei=q1R6TYzgDtOEhQf-2LjtBg&page=1&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

Badgermonkey

OP,

Imagine my disgust when, after 94 minutes, I had to tell my distraught children the 'Neverending Story' had been falsely advertised. :mad:

Wolfe Tone

Ya shudda went here OP

http://www.eps2010.com/files/8712/6338/4646/Glendalough.jpg

Badgermonkey

KeithAFC wrote: »

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/media/hi-res/Antrim/Antrim_GlensAntrim.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/County-Antrim-hi-res-images--A2529&usg=__P0q8adZ4VBGI6BVMsw-r4up9UqM=&h=1600&w=2400&sz=2083&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=mJj-SRUnLBle7M:&tbnh=138&tbnw=206&ei=q1R6TYzgDtOEhQf-2LjtBg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAntrim%2Bglens%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D745%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=134&vpy=85&dur=532&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=156&ty=101&oei=q1R6TYzgDtOEhQf-2LjtBg&page=1&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

Dogging holiday?

KeithAFC

Badgermonkey wrote: »

Dogging holiday?

Was the OP wanting to see lots of green fields or something?