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The Gathering - did you take part in any?

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  • 20-04-2013 7:24pm
    #1
    ZombieBride
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,127 ✭✭✭


    Been stuck on a committee for one of these and it is infuriating, we just received the criteria for getting the second half of the funding allocated to us.
    Those who were allocated funding were not actually given the funding that was announced in the press, they were given half up front and then told that the other half would come only if they already spend the second half (so will be out of pocket) and get the number of overseas visitors they were expecting.

    Le sigh.

    Do any of you have any involvement in these and have they actually worked anywhere?


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    #2
    Seachmall
    Registered Users Posts: 7,041 ✭✭✭Seachmall


    The Gathering sounds like some ominous ruse to collect large amounts of people in one area for whatever reason so I've been avoiding it at all costs.


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    #3
    Jimoslimos
    Registered Users Posts: 4,930 ✭✭✭Jimoslimos


    If this was anything else I'd say it smells like a scam....

    ...actually it still does!


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    #4
    humbert
    Registered Users Posts: 5,238 ✭✭✭humbert


    I didn't realise Highlander was based on a true story!


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    #5
    kneemos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,409 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    ZombieBride wrote: »
    Been stuck on a committee for one of these and it is infuriating, we just received the criteria for getting the second half of the funding allocated to us.
    Those who were allocated funding were not actually given the funding that was announced in the press, they were given half up front and then told that the other half would come only if they already spend the second half (so will be out of pocket) and get the number of overseas visitors they were expecting.

    Le sigh.

    Do any of you have any involvement in these and have they actually worked anywhere?

    What are the backrounds of the committe members and who calculates the success of the gathering?


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    #6
    CianRyan
    Registered Users Posts: 14,721 ✭✭✭✭CianRyan


    I'm still not sure what the gathering actually is.


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    #7
    Sergeant
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,362 ✭✭✭Sergeant


    Yes. I intercepted a load of elderly Americans at Dublin Airport and pretended to be their guide. I drove them round in a minibus for a few days and ripped them off at every opportunity.


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    #8
    Fr_Fitzexactly
    Site Banned Posts: 85 ✭✭Fr_Fitzexactly


    CianRyan wrote: »
    I'm still not sure what the gathering actually is.

    Gathering of money for the Irish government to send to Germany


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    #9
    IM0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,390 ✭✭✭IM0


    CianRyan wrote: »
    I'm still not sure what the gathering actually is.

    I think its the new celtic tiger


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    #10
    Peregrine
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 26,399 Mod ✭✭✭✭Peregrine


    Wait

    The gathering wasn't a joke??


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    #11
    Princess Consuela Bananahammock
    Registered Users Posts: 33,043 ✭✭✭✭Princess Consuela Bananahammock


    ZombieBride wrote: »
    Been stuck on a committee for one of these and it is infuriating, we just received the criteria for getting the second half of the funding allocated to us.
    Those who were allocated funding were not actually given the funding that was announced in the press, they were given half up front and then told that the other half would come only if they already spend the second half (so will be out of pocket) and get the number of overseas visitors they were expecting.

    Le sigh.

    Do any of you have any involvement in these and have they actually worked anywhere?

    To be honest, I have no idea, having spend most of the last 5 months in Dubline, what the hell it even is. I saw a few posters, but there was asbsolutely nothing going on at local level.
    Gathering of money for the Irish government to send to Germany

    Waaaay ahead of them, so.

    Everything I don't like is either woke or fascist - possibly both - pick one.



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    #12
    clairefontaine
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,390 ✭✭✭clairefontaine


    CianRyan wrote: »
    I'm still not sure what the gathering actually is.

    It's a scam to shake down Americans, though the Americans have already woken up to the Irish shake down a long long long time ago.


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    #13
    true
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,325 ✭✭✭true


    It's a scam to line the bockets of Bord Failte personnell with excessive pay, freebies, junkets and perks.


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    #14
    DarkJager
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,960 ✭✭✭DarkJager


    humbert wrote: »
    I didn't realise Highlander was based on a true story!

    No the thing in Highlander is called the quickening. For this Irish "Gathering" the 2nd phase will be the quickening - basically how fast can we milk every tourist for their cash. Dramatic lightning may or may not be included in this.


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    #15
    Sergeant
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,362 ✭✭✭Sergeant


    If it gets more people to visit the country than usual, and gets them to spend their money, then it has to considered a good effort. Tourism is important to the country.

    It's the usual whining. Damned if they do something; damned if they don't.


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    #16
    true
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,325 ✭✭✭true


    Sergeant wrote: »
    If it gets more people to visit the country than usual, and gets them to spend their money, then it has to considered a good effort. Tourism is important to the country.

    you do not work for bord failte or one of the other government funded quangos by any chance?


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    #17
    Sergeant
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,362 ✭✭✭Sergeant


    true wrote: »
    you do not work for bord failte or one of the other government funded quangos by any chance?

    No I don't. I just don't dismiss it automatically. I happen to think it's a rather novel idea. Time will tell if it worked. It's a new spin on the advertising Ireland does around the world each year to attract visitors.


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    #18
    humbert
    Registered Users Posts: 5,238 ✭✭✭humbert


    DarkJager wrote: »
    No the thing in Highlander is called the quickening. For this Irish "Gathering" the 2nd phase will be the quickening - basically how fast can we milk every tourist for their cash. Dramatic lightning may or may not be included in this.
    Haha, but The Gathering is what draws them all to New York in Highlander where they "battle to the last".


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    #19
    Wattle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,075 ✭✭✭Wattle


    How's this different to anything that came before? Haven't we always fleeced tourists?


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    #20
    Sergeant
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,362 ✭✭✭Sergeant


    Wattle wrote: »
    How's this different to anything that came before? Haven't we always fleeced tourists?

    How do we fleece tourists? Can you give examples?

    It's an expensive country to visit. The various websites and guidebooks say this. It's not like Hank and Isabel American arriving here expecting things to cost half nothing.


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    #21
    squod
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,704 ✭✭✭squod


    Sergeant wrote: »

    It's an expensive country to visit.

    Small understatement. I don't think anyone is prepared for the level of expensiveness.

    Lad goes to Paris, says hotels are expensive. Lad goes to Switzerland says beer is expensive. Lad goes to Denmark says food is expensive. Lad goes to Ireland....... says Holy Fuhk! Everything is expensive!


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    #22
    SV
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,534 ✭✭✭SV


    I was wondering why the place was littered with Americanos


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    #23
    squod
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,704 ✭✭✭squod


    Is the gathering over so? They had nice weather for it anyway. What clown suggested holding it in the feckin' freezing cold?


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    #24
    NuckingFacker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,221 ✭✭✭NuckingFacker


    Did they gather them all in one spot or was there a sporadic cluster-gather? Along with many other things, this one slipped under my radar. I was busy recessioning. I can though report that apart from a few scobies outside the Spar last friday, there were no gatherings around here.


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    #25
    ilovesleep
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,619 ✭✭✭ilovesleep


    Sergeant wrote: »
    If it gets more people to visit the country than usual, and gets them to spend their money, then it has to considered a good effort. Tourism is important to the country.

    It's the usual whining. Damned if they do something; damned if they don't.

    As others have said, it's a scam and anybody who visits expecting a gathering must feel so deceived. These people are no doubt coming to visit Ireland expecting to find gatherings in towns and villages and there's absolutely nothing outside the norm. If for example organisers took the summer months and encouraged towns, and villages and cities to hold gathering events, it might actually bring a gathering of people together for 'the gathering'. Instead it's all spread throughout the year.

    It's scam.


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    #26
    Wattle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,075 ✭✭✭Wattle


    Sergeant wrote: »
    How do we fleece tourists? Can you give examples?

    It's an expensive country to visit. The various websites and guidebooks say this. It's not like Hank and Isabel American arriving here expecting things to cost half nothing.

    This
    squod wrote: »
    Small understatement. I don't think anyone is prepared for the level of expensiveness.

    Lad goes to Paris, says hotels are expensive. Lad goes to Switzerland says beer is expensive. Lad goes to Denmark says food is expensive. Lad goes to Ireland....... says Holy Fuhk! Everything is expensive!

    And this.


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    #27
    ilovesleep
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,619 ✭✭✭ilovesleep


    I'd love to know how much money is being spent promoting this gathering?

    Galway can definately show what a gathering is. Only 20,000 will come out at 1am on a Monday night. Last year, we had the volvo race back in galway and it brought out thousands of people for the week, put Galway on a world stage and helped hugely with tourism and lifting peoples spirits for the week. The festival organisers came into financial difficulty with debts and money/funding powers that be - maybe failte ireland, i don't know, wouldn't help at saving it and taking the volvo race back to Galway. A gathering right there - dismissed.


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    #28
    the groutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,096 ✭✭✭✭the groutch


    it's all a big sham benefitting those with friends in high places.
    half the money is going to funding people's private parties, out of our pockets.
    whoever came up with the idea needs a Bishop Brennan style kick up the arse.

    edit: looking on the site, one person even has the nerve to use it to fund their wedding reception.


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    #29
    ilovesleep
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,619 ✭✭✭ilovesleep


    NuckingFacker wrote: »
    Did they gather them all in one spot or was there a sporadic cluster-gather? Along with many other things, this one slipped under my radar. I was busy recessioning. I can though report that apart from a few scobies outside the Spar last friday, there were no gatherings around here.

    That's so funny. I'd say the only gatherings that's happening is outside supermacs after closing time.


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    #30
    Sergeant
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,362 ✭✭✭Sergeant


    squod wrote: »
    Small understatement. I don't think anyone is prepared for the level of expensiveness.

    Lad goes to Paris, says hotels are expensive. Lad goes to Switzerland says beer is expensive. Lad goes to Denmark says food is expensive. Lad goes to Ireland....... says Holy Fuhk! Everything is expensive!

    http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/irish-hotels-are-third-cheapest-in-europe-at-81-average-a-night-26894164.html

    The price of a pint in Dublin is less than in Zurich. I can assure you of that.

    The amount of restaurants in Dublin and Galway (the two I would visit) serving wonderful food at prices that reflect our cost of doing business is fantastic. We have wonderful restaurants here. Creative young chefs doing amazing things with local produce.

    As I said, people don't come to Ireland expecting things to be cheap. It may surprise you, but people do some research before handing out money to visit a country on a holiday.

    They come here because it's an amazingly beautiful country with wonderful scenery, attractions, golf courses and fishing (amongst others).

    It's just giving out for the sake of it.


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    #31
    0ph0rce0
    Registered Users Posts: 3,917 ✭✭✭0ph0rce0


    "There are clan gatherings, festivals, special sporting events, music and concerts taking place all across the country, all year long."

    duncan macleod from the clan macleod??????

    I haven't seen any of this? so people have been given funds to do stuff like the above. Where they spending it? No gatherings out this way, haven't even heard anything about it since new years.

    Load of shíté if you ask me?


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