Galway Races- people with "that" attitude

skelliser

What is with these people that come to the races?
You know the type; suits, shoes and wads of cash.
For the ladies; dolled up to the max with huge heels.
They both have one think in common, a stuck up nasty attitude.

Now this rant will only resonate with the galwegians and blow-ins to galway. Ye all know who im talking about.
And im no prude or killjoy either, there is just something about the crowd during race week which i dislike.
Maybe its the shock of going from the laid back relaxed attitude of the arts festival to the beer and vomit of race week.

This nasty streak wasnt always there as well, maybe its a product of the celtic tiger?

rant/

discuss...

hoody

Bit of a sweeping generalisation don't you think? Plenty of Galway fellas will have been in there in suits with wads of cash, plenty of Galway girls will have been in there dolled up to the max with huge heels on.

I can see where you are coming from about the attitude, I have two theories, the first being that people have been looking forward to this big event for a long time, and are adamant they are going to have a good time, so they will react badly to anything that they perceive as going against that, including (and maybe especially) other people.

The second is that they are just generally that way, day in, day out, but it's still not down to the suits or the heels.

Zillah

There's something pretty ironic about seeing a gang of lads dressed up in fine suits acting like obnoxious thugs. I was ordering a pint last night, only one girl behind the bar on her own, and the asshole next to me thought it would be hilarious to smack the spill-tray off the bar onto the floor beside her and then look away as if nothing happened. Felt like giving him a smack. The bar-girl just stopped and stared for a few seconds, really embarrassed and obviously kind of nervous (there were about twenty of them and had been roaring at each other for the last hour).

Lads, I know ye think you're mad and brilliant and all, and I know it's the races, but we have to live here and you're acting like five year olds on coke.

Diabhal Beag

Nothing wrong with 99.9% of the people dressed up nicely and they mean no harm to anybody. They are also helping put some much needed money into our economy. Sure some people will act the smug gob****e but you'll get them at any big event. It just comes with the popularity of such a big event.

Jim

I have to walk home from work through this

http://www.thecladdagh.com/cam1.php

ben.schlomo

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Nothing wrong with 99.9% of the people dressed up nicely and they mean no harm to anybody. They are also helping put some much needed money into our economy. Sure some people will act the smug gob****e but you'll get them at any big event. It just comes with the popularity of such a big event.

Well put. Think the op has branded too many with the brush. Arseholes will be arseholes any night out not just raceweek.

discodiva92

Zillah wrote: »

There's something pretty ironic about seeing a gang of lads dressed up in fine suits acting like obnoxious thugs. I was ordering a pint last night, only one girl behind the bar on her own, and the asshole next to me thought it would be hilarious to smack the spill-tray off the bar onto the floor beside her and then look away as if nothing happened. Felt like giving him a smack. The bar-girl just stopped and stared for a few seconds, really embarrassed and obviously kind of nervous (there were about twenty of them and had been roaring at each other for the last hour).

Lads, I know ye think you're mad and brilliant and all, and I know it's the races, but we have to live here and you're acting like five year olds on coke.

you a guy?did you not help her out?

thesandeman

Strangely enough I found them to be better behaved this year than usual (possibly because of the Rag Week thugs and I was expecting more of the same). I got talking to quite a few of the suited/skirted types and they were definately more into having the craic than BEING the craic. I probably just got lucky with the ones I met.
Only thing that pissed me off was that I was talking to the connections of the Hurdle winner the night before but they never told me who they were :-(

inisboffin

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Nothing wrong with 99.9% of the people dressed up nicely and they mean no harm to anybody. They are also helping put some much needed money into our economy. Sure some people will act the smug gob****e but you'll get them at any big event. It just comes with the popularity of such a big event.

While I agree that it's not everyone, the a**hole percentage is WAY more than .1%!:mad:

Had to walk home through town tonight after a long day and travelling, and just counting the number of 'incidents' that I witnessed, the numbers go way up. Don't get me started on the looney drivers tonight, got a taxi and we had to swerve to avoid *two* U turns and one dead stop in the middle of the road:eek:. Cars full of suits and hats with feathers/pomp

Percentage of people wise, way less a**holery for the Arts Festival and Film Fleadh. Different crowd, different behaviour.

Zillah

discodiva92 wrote: »

you a guy?did you not help her out?

And what would you have me do, start an argument with a gang of drunk lads looking to show off? I'm sure that would make her night easier.

Rinker

Maybe its the shock of going from the laid back relaxed attitude of the arts festival to the beer and vomit of race week.

This has always been the way. The change in atmosphere between the arts festival and the races is mirrored by the change in dress code. Although its a broad generalisation, the boys and girls in the suits and heels are less well behaved and the stuck up nasty attitude is definitely more a feature of the races.
In a way its like comparing the atmosphere at a festival to that of a wedding.

ben.schlomo

inisboffin wrote: »

While I agree that it's not everyone, the a**hole percentage is WAY more than .1%!:mad:

Had to walk home through town tonight after a long day and travelling, and just counting the number of 'incidents' that I witnessed, the numbers go way up. Don't get me started on the looney drivers tonight, got a taxi and we had to swerve to avoid *two* U turns and one dead stop in the middle of the road:eek:. Cars full of suits and hats with feathers/pomp

Percentage of people wise, way less a**holery for the Arts Festival and Film Fleadh. Different crowd, different behaviour.

Of course there is much less, as there aren't an extra 20000-30000 on the streets all drinking during the Arts Fest or Film Fleadh. Spent all of last night around the Bunch of Grapes part of High St and no incidents all night. Much larger Garda presence around too, found the atmosphere to be a lot better and less messy than recent years.

SparKing

Race week is anathema to most Galwegians, I had the pleasure of walking through Cross St. last night at about 11 and was reliably informed that an ambulance had come and gone 6 times at that point, it reminded me of what I imagine Oxegen must be like. I would disagree that most people were acting like assholes however, but there was no consideration shown and far too much drink had been consumed by a lot of people.

ben.schlomo

SparKing wrote: »

Race week is anathema to most Galwegians, I had the pleasure of walking through Cross St. last night at about 11 and was reliably informed that an ambulance had come and gone 6 times at that point, it reminded me of what I imagine Oxegen must be like. I would disagree that most people were acting like assholes however, but there was no consideration shown and far too much drink had been consumed by a lot of people.

Was standing on the Cross St/High St junction from about 8pm and the ambulance came around 1130pm and was outside Buskers area for about twenty minutes so i'd question just how reliable your info was

thesandeman

Yep. Only one ambulance followed by some other flashing type vehicle which I presume was just an escort to get it through the crowds.

skelliser

maybe im generalising abit, il admit that but i cant help it!

and its great that local businesss capitalises even if its a little too much!

but a few of my friends agree, there is something undesirable about some of the people that come for the races.

something about drunken fights in suits and girls in heels hunkered down outside o'briens newsagent urinating that sticks in brain!!

WallyGUFC

Galway businesses need Race Week and other festivals to survive. If a few fools from the back of beyond dressed in suits want to cause trouble, it's a small price to pay. Any Saturday night is the same just on a smaller scale.

galwayrush

2 builders out my area, they both owe me and quite a lot of other people a lot of money, were able to hire a mini bus to bring themselves and families to the races every day so far.

loser2old4board

Alcohol. in general, makes people more boorish, particularly young people who are not as well able to handle it. What you are seeing is the same as rag week, multiplied by maybe a thousand. The fact that they are dressed in 'suits and skirts' just makes it that bit more bizarre. Interesting to see what it would be like if no alcohol was available for just one day.

achmairt

thesandeman wrote: »

Yep. Only one ambulance followed by some other flashing type vehicle which I presume was just an escort to get it through the crowds.

Why drink so much you can't even remember whether you enjoyed yourself or not ?? The women are worse than the men. Boasting about how much you drank the night before is so stupid - get a life

discodiva92

Zillah wrote: »

And what would you have me do, start an argument with a gang of drunk lads looking to show off? I'm sure that would make her night easier.

Im a girl and work in a bar part time and have had male customers help me out/stand in a few times

thesandeman

achmairt wrote: »

Why drink so much you can't even remember whether you enjoyed yourself or not ?? The women are worse than the men. Boasting about how much you drank the night before is so stupid - get a life

WTF??? Think you quoted the wrong post. Or else you're having a few pints yourself lol.

inisboffin

ben.schlomo wrote: »

inisboffin wrote: »

While I agree that it's not everyone, the a**hole percentage is WAY more than .1%!:mad:

Had to walk home through town tonight after a long day and travelling, and just counting the number of 'incidents' that I witnessed, the numbers go way up. Don't get me started on the looney drivers tonight, got a taxi and we had to swerve to avoid *two* U turns and one dead stop in the middle of the road:eek:. Cars full of suits and hats with feathers/pomp

Percentage of people wise, way less a**holery for the Arts Festival and Film Fleadh. Different crowd, different behaviour.

Of course there is much less, as there aren't an extra 20000-30000 on the streets all drinking during the Arts Fest or Film Fleadh. Spent all of last night around the Bunch of Grapes part of High St and no incidents all night. Much larger Garda presence around too, found the atmosphere to be a lot better and less messy than recent years.

I did stress *percentage of people wise* for a reason. There are definitely more people for race week, but arts fest does bring a smaller surge. My point was that there is a larger *percentage* of a**hole behaviour during race week than the other festivals, and I still believe that. Even MORE after all the sh*t I witnessed this week.

daithi55

was in galway thursday night
i used to live there and return to see the mates every once in a while
we went into town at 10 oclock and what a mistake it was
most of the people in there were locked drunk falling around the place
pissing and getting sick all over shop street
any tourist that was in galway will no doubt never return to it

ben.schlomo

daithi55 wrote: »

was in galway thursday night
i used to live there and return to see the mates every once in a while
we went into town at 10 oclock and what a mistake it was
most of the people in there were locked drunk falling around the place
pissing and getting sick all over shop street
any tourist that was in galway will no doubt never return to it

i saw loads of tourists having drinks on the street and enjoying it, taking photos of the large crowds as this sort of large scale open air drinking/festival atmosphere is not found everywhere.

ben.schlomo

inisboffin wrote: »

I did stress *percentage of people wise* for a reason. There are definitely more people for race week, but arts fest does bring a smaller surge. My point was that there is a larger *percentage* of a**hole behaviour during race week than the other festivals, and I still believe that. Even MORE after all the sh*t I witnessed this week.

i agree with you but in fairness there is no comparison crowd wise or even just logistics wise between the races and anything else in town so obviously there will be more trouble, a lot of the people are 'blow-ins' too and they tend to take advantage of the relaxed attitude to everything. There is no open air drinking during the Arts fest so therefore it cant happen.

citycentre

I think the atmosphere has been a lot better this year than the last few, however the attitude of a lot of the race week crowd stinks. One relatively minor thing that really gets to me is the growing trend for lads to literally piss anywhere, seemingly the more visible and obvious to passers by the better... Just one symptom of a total lack of respect and consideration for anyone else. A few more bookings for indecent exposure needed...

ben.schlomo

citycentre wrote: »

I think the atmosphere has been a lot better this year than the last few, however the attitude of a lot of the race week crowd stinks. One relatively minor thing that really gets to me is the growing trend for lads to literally piss anywhere, seemingly the more visible and obvious to passers by the better... Just one symptom of a total lack of respect and consideration for anyone else. A few more bookings for indecent exposure needed...

I live in town and see this every Sat night, any doorway or wall becomes a toilet when they see fit.

inisboffin

ben.schlomo wrote: »

, a lot of the people are 'blow-ins' too and they tend to take advantage of the relaxed attitude to everything. There is no open air drinking during the Arts fest so therefore it cant happen.

Arts Fest and Fleadh crowd have just as many blow-ins!:)

There's open air drinking *every* night;) but yes, not on the 'endorsed' scale.

Nope, can't be convinced, it's just the type of crowd it draws. People wanting different things in a week out. That's just the way it is.
Hope local businesses are happy and their staff can chill a bit now!

Mrs OBumble

Remember back to the Volvo ocean race in 2009: Huge crowds, but afterwards we were commenting here about how much nicer they were than the race week crowds.

(If I wasn't so lazy, I'd even search for the thread!)

snubbleste

It's just a glorified rag week..

Robbo

snubbleste wrote: »

It's just a glorified rag week..

It's Rag Week with better PR.

JustMary wrote: »

Remember back to the Volvo ocean race in 2009: Huge crowds, but afterwards we were commenting here about how much nicer they were than the race week crowds.

(If I wasn't so lazy, I'd even search for the thread!)

The Volvo was a more laid back affair. There wasn't any perceived dress code or kettling of crowds.

The problem with Race Week is the kind of **** who wears a suit twice a year. Once to the Races and then again for the obligatory appearance in front of a District Justice.

Wompa1

Don't like the Arts Festival crowd or the Race Week crowd. Loved the Volvo Ocean Race...it was just much more friendly than either of the other two. Galway would have won a lot of fans and hopefully return visitors from that.

I went into town Thursday night. I lasted 30 minutes before going home. Spikey haired arseholes in pink shirts or pink ties making smart arse comments to guys and girls trying to do their jobs in pubs does not make me very happy. In that 30 minutes I saw a girl in heels fall spread Eagle in front of me Flesh coloured panties was a bold choice lady!!

I saw some old guy grab a girls ass, have heard from female friends that they had their skirts lifted up and got grabbed a lot. There's a bad vibe with the Race Week crowd. There has been for a good few years now.

barryd09

The SHTATE of town last night.

Absolute warped arseholes & arseholettes.

LimGal

I was in town on Thursday mostly in the Cross street area,had a great night no hassle at all!

I was talking to a few different people on Friday thou who told me they had heard of a lot of young women passed out down at the Arch with young lads jumping on them and having their way with them.

Very fecking disturbing if true.

inisboffin

LimGal wrote: »

I was in town on Thursday mostly in the Cross street area,had a great night no hassle at all!

I was talking to a few different people on Friday thou who told me they had heard of a lot of young women passed out down at the Arch with young lads jumping on them and having their way with them.

Very fecking disturbing if true.

'having their way'? Do you mean raping them??

Jesus, I'm assuming if this is true, someone who 'saw' it rang the Guards?

LimGal

inisboffin wrote: »

'having their way'? Do you mean raping them??

Jesus, I'm assuming if this is true, someone who 'saw' it rang the Guards?

Yup,thats what I mean.Hoping somebody rang the gardai too.The people that I was talking too didnt see it directly themselves so maybe it isnt true but no smoke without fire.

barryd09

Women passed out at the arch,really lady like.
Maybe they should drink less.

inisboffin

barryd09 wrote: »

Women passed out at the arch,really lady like.
Maybe they should drink less.

yeah, being unladylike and drunk is FAR worse than raping someone

WTF???

barryd09

inisboffin wrote: »

yeah, being unladylike and drunk is FAR worse than raping someone

WTF???

I never mentioned rape,thats obviously worse than being passed out.
But when will people be responsible for their boozing?

inisboffin

barryd09 wrote: »

I never mentioned rape,thats obviously worse than being passed out.
But when will people be responsible for their boozing?

The poster before me mentioned women passing out in Spanish Arch and then (they heard) being raped by young lads. I agree with you that people need to be responsible for boozing, but nothing *justifies* rape. I hope to God this incident was exaggerated by word of mouth, and it wasn't as horrible it sounds.

barryd09

inisboffin wrote: »

The poster before me mentioned women passing out in Spanish Arch and then (they heard) being raped by young lads. I agree with you that people need to be responsible for boozing, but nothing *justifies* rape. I hope to God this incident was exaggerated by word of mouth, and it wasn't as horrible it sounds.

Oh i know,nothing justifies rape,nothing.

Im just shocked by the amount of things that happen that people justify with drink/i was drunk etc etc.
People wont find themselves in casualty,in court,in mill street etc if they could ACTUALLY drink or just drank less.
Its completely acceptable to be ****ing blocko drunk at every & any occassion but yet taking responsibility for your dumbass decisions & incidents while drunk is non existent.

milehip1

loser2old4board wrote: »

Interesting to see what it would be like if no alcohol was available for just one day.

Most punters couldn't deal with the fact there was no cider or heineken on sale in Ballybrit it would be like Scanners if punters got to the racecourse to find a dry bar!

LimGal wrote: »

I was talking to a few different people on Friday thou who told me they had heard of a lot of young women passed out down at the Arch with young lads jumping on them and having their way with them.

Very fecking disturbing if true.

sounds like a unsubstantiated rumor hopefully tbh,
dont know what would be worse that it happened or that people saw it happen and didn't make any effort to put an end to it.

yer man!

Eyre square last night was extremely bad, saw one guy get shoved off the top of an esb sub station building and fall about 10 - 15 ft and was completely unresponsive, ambulance called and other lads who pushed him ran off in different directions. People were ripping bikes from the bike rakes and smashing them against benches and trees. I got hassled by about 3 lads who had just done there leaving cert and thought they were the bees knees, they wanted to fight me for the craic. They weren't the only ppl who hassled me for no reason at all, I was just waiting quietly on a bench with a friend to get a lift home. I hated the attitude around town, found it to be extremely unfriendly and threatening.

skelliser

yer man! wrote: »

Eyre square last night was extremely bad, saw one guy get shoved off the top of an esb sub station building and fall about 10 - 15 ft and was completely unresponsive, ambulance called and other lads who pushed him ran off in different directions. People were ripping bikes from the bike rakes and smashing them against benches and trees. I got hassled by about 3 lads who had just done there leaving cert and thought they were the bees knees, they wanted to fight me for the craic. They weren't the only ppl who hassled me for no reason at all, I was just waiting quietly on a bench with a friend to get a lift home. I hated the attitude around town, found it to be extremely unfriendly and threatening.

That guy is in intensive care fighting for his life!
http://www.galwaynews.ie/20762-gardai-seek-two-men-connection-eyre-square-incident

maybe you should contact the gardai if you saw the lads that did it

milehip1

from the report

''One man was wearing a black shirt and a grey tie, while the second man was wearing a purple and black shirt and a red tie.''

feck sake, you can dress them up but you can't bring the out springs to mind.

Zillah

yer man! wrote: »

Eyre square last night was extremely bad, saw one guy get shoved off the top of an esb sub station building and fall about 10 - 15 ft and was completely unresponsive, ambulance called and other lads who pushed him ran off in different directions. People were ripping bikes from the bike rakes and smashing them against benches and trees. I got hassled by about 3 lads who had just done there leaving cert and thought they were the bees knees, they wanted to fight me for the craic. They weren't the only ppl who hassled me for no reason at all, I was just waiting quietly on a bench with a friend to get a lift home. I hated the attitude around town, found it to be extremely unfriendly and threatening.

You're a witness to what is at least assault, possibly more severe depending on how he does. You need to contact the guards. Even if you didn't make out their faces or anything, you still need to tell them everything you saw.

celty

According to that report, both guys were wearing shirts and ties. Dressed up Race Week thugs.

I do think some posters here have very valid points about Irish people being responsible for their drinking. If you go racing at 1pm and you are still drinking at 3am then chances are you are going to make a right t-i-t of yourself, male or female.

I hate Shop Street, Quay Street, or High Street on the Thursday of Race Week, it's virtually impossible to get from one end of the street to the other, everywhere is so crowded it's no wonder people with full bladders decide to relieve themselves on the street. It's so crowded, it's just not fun.

I have just read Brian O'Connell's book about being sober (a dry alcoholic) in drunken Ireland and it is no fun at all to be stone cold sober in the middle of such loud, obnoxious behaviour.

Of course the Races are good for Galway, they bring in money and people, and most people have fun ... but in this country in general we have to stop glorifying effectively getting out of our minds with a drunk which is actually a depressant, it doesn't matter if it's for weddings, GAA games, or watching horses run around a track.

barryd09

Zillah wrote: »

You're a witness to what is at least assault, possibly more severe depending on how he does. You need to contact the guards. Even if you didn't make out their faces or anything, you still need to tell them everything you saw.

x2

yer man!

skelliser wrote: »

That guy is in intensive care fighting for his life!
http://www.galwaynews.ie/20762-gardai-seek-two-men-connection-eyre-square-incident

maybe you should contact the gardai if you saw the lads that did it

It all happened really quickly and i barely saw the lads involved, I wouldn't be able to identify them as there was a lot of ppl around, just saw two guys running away in opposite directions and guards rushing to aid the guy who fell. I didn't realise the drop was that high as it's lower on the side i was looking from. I thought the lads were fleeing because of the guards so made nothing of it until i went around the building and saw the man on the ground with ppl around him. The point where the man had fallen from was out of my view, so i can't be sure what happened on top of the building.

civis_liberalis

skelliser wrote: »

What is with these people that come to the races?
You know the type; suits, shoes and wads of cash.
For the ladies; dolled up to the max with huge heels.
They both have one think in common, a stuck up nasty attitude....

Don't give a damn what attitude they have as long as they are separated from the contents of their wallets and a bit of positivity is felt around the town.