Rag week

Vinz Mesrine

Surely it's time to abolish this ridiculous tradition.

After seeing pictures of the clowns in their donegal jerseys queuing up outside a pub at 9 in the morning in Galway, we all know how it's going to end. Absolute chaos in Eyre Square tonight.

Can someone please tell me the point of it? It's just thuggish behaviour under the banner of "rag week".

Jamie2k9

Nothing wrong with having a good time!!

Menas

Kids like drinkin....simples.
RAG traditionally was also a charity fund raiser, dont know if that happens anymore.

Donkey Oaty

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Surely it's time to abolish this ridiculous tradition.

It seems that is has been abolished - and what you saw was unofficial, at least according to this article:

http://www.connachttribune.ie/galway-news/item/1469-defiant-students-to-flout-rag-week-ban

Sauve

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Can someone please tell me the point of it?

#thebants
#madyoke

The Backwards Man

This is why I never have any sympathy for student protests. Can't afford fees my arse.

Knex*

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Kids like drinkin....simples.
RAG traditionally was also a charity fund raiser, dont know if that happens anymore.

I know in recent years in UCC there was always good money raised for Charity.

My time there is finished, alas, but this year there seems to be a strong ethos towards raising money from what I gather.

Still going to be a piss up for most people, alright, but I'm not going to get on my high horse about it. I certainly enjoyed them.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Surely it's time to abolish this ridiculous tradition.

After seeing pictures of the clowns in their donegal jerseys queuing up outside a pub at 9 in the morning in Galway, we all know how it's going to end. Absolute chaos in Eyre Square tonight.

Can someone please tell me the point of it? It's just thuggish behaviour under the banner of "rag week".

still not a bad as race week

spiralism

Nearly a crowd crush outside electric last night, i mean ****s sake like

Cian92

The Backwards Man wrote: »

This is why I never have any sympathy for student protests. Can't afford fees my arse.

Ara a huge amount are on grants. State subsidised drinking. At least those who receive no state assistance are spending their own money, and that I have no issue with.

Dermighty

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Surely it's time to abolish this ridiculous tradition.

After seeing pictures of the clowns in their donegal jerseys queuing up outside a pub at 9 in the morning in Galway, we all know how it's going to end. Absolute chaos in Eyre Square tonight.

Can someone please tell me the point of it? It's just thuggish behaviour under the banner of "rag week".

You have successfully defined rag week.

I may be branded a cynic but if anyone thinks that RAG week is anything but a week of drinking and missing lectures then I feel you are wrong.

For the record, I have never participated in RAG week, neither the drinking nor the charity side of it.

Also it's R&G week, not RAG week with R&G meaning raise and give week, frankly I feel it's raise glasses and give bouncers hell.

Caliden

I wouldn't mind if it was Galway students but it's not, it's large groups coming down from Donegal for the day to 'wreck the gaff lol' and then head home the following day.

SEPT 23 1989

I thought this was going to be about something else

the groutch

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Nothing wrong with having a good time!!

there is when it puts people's safety at risk

http://www.thejournal.ie/gardai-shut-down-gmit-rag-week-crush-night-club-1321138-Feb2014/

Femme_Fatale

I avoided the "zany" aspects of it, which was most of it.

GenieOz

It's good craic is all.

Lapin

I wish it was RAG Week every week.


Lectures are a lot quieter with all the messers and yappers on the piss and there are less queues around the college in places like Smokies and An Bialainn.




Here's a pic of the queue to The Hole in the Wall pub taken at 10am this morning. Donegal Tuesday but there's always one gobshite in a Mayo jersey!




I don't see the harm in RAG Week myself. As long as no one gets hurt etc. there's nothing wrong with people having a good time.

You only live once fuggit.

spiralism

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

I avoided the "zany" aspects of it, which was most of it.

Always used it as an excuse to head out more, drink from early in the day and head to the clubs earlier. Was never into the whole rioting outside supermacs or wrecking houses craic really though as that's for gomeys imo

yawhat!

Loved Rag Week during college, best week of the year!

It it some banter in fairness!

Talib Fiasco

OP is clearly minus craic

Temptamperu

I would complain about it too but I have friends so im not a bitter cnut.

I drank the head of myself for the rag weeks when I was an undergrad. A full week of all day beering, whats not to like?

Inspector Coptoor

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Surely it's time to abolish this ridiculous tradition.

After seeing pictures of the clowns in their donegal jerseys queuing up outside a pub at 9 in the morning in Galway, we all know how it's going to end. Absolute chaos in Eyre Square tonight.

Can someone please tell me the point of it? It's just thuggish behaviour under the banner of "rag week".

RAG week has now been banned from NUI Galway campus.
It's the pubs in Galway now promoting it.

I remember back in 2003 in Galway when there were 3 college'sRAG weeks & a novena on in the city, it was mad.
The Joe Duffy equivalent for Galway Bay FM had a field day.

We, in the students' Union at the time, ran alcohol free events & tried our best to raise money for charity, raising about €15k that week, an average contribution of €1 per student

The pubs & clubs in town have taken over to make as much money as possible.

I'd like to point out that the students are an easy target here.
It's far worse during Race Week but no one ever says it should be shut down

EyeSight

Until recently i used to partake in the fun. It was fun just having a week of drinking with my friends and the charity aspects of it are fun(and alcohol free).
But the idiots did put a downer on it. I lived on the main strip by college and it was overrun with "visitors". People(you wouldn't know, who didn't live nearby) would try to just walk into your house, piss drunk and trying to wreck the place. The Friday night was always the best as it was a ghost town

Not just on RAG week but every week i think the punishments should be more severe for some drink related crimes. I think 2/3 weeks community service would change people a lot more than an 80 euro fine. I'm talking about for vandals and violent idiots.

Maybe having all colleges RAG weeks at once would be best. Most damage is done by visitors

Duff

It was and probably still is great craic altogether if you're a student.

gobo99

Dermighty wrote: »

Also it's R&G week, not RAG week with R&G meaning raise and give week.

Am, what now??

yawhat!

Raise And Give

R A G = Rag!

mikom

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Surely it's time to abolish this ridiculous tradition.

After seeing pictures of the clowns in their donegal jerseys queuing up outside a pub at 9 in the morning in Galway, we all know how it's going to end. Absolute chaos in Eyre Square tonight.

Can someone please tell me the point of it? It's just thuggish behaviour under the banner of "rag week".

Someone's obviously on the rag....

Doctor Strange

It used to be about charity.

Also, can people stop generalising about this being what students spend grants on? I for one use it for commuting and fees associated with my course, as do most people I know.

Holsten

It was fun during college.

The idea of it now makes me feel sick, all that alcohol... the lack of food/sleep... ughhhh horrible!

Nodin

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Surely it's time to abolish this ridiculous tradition.

After seeing pictures of the clowns in their donegal jerseys queuing up outside a pub at 9 in the morning in Galway, we all know how it's going to end. Absolute chaos in Eyre Square tonight.

Can someone please tell me the point of it? It's just thuggish behaviour under the banner of "rag week".

Why not chase them with buckets of cold water, saying "repent, repent"?

anncoates

Rag week seems appropriate given the amount of aul wans getting in their flowers about it.

renegademaster

The Backwards Man wrote: »

This is why I never have any sympathy for student protests. Can't afford fees my arse.

i've been makign the point that not even 5% of these same students were out protesting against the fees but they'll never miss rag week

Inspector Coptoor

renegademaster wrote: »

i've been makign the point that not even 5% of these same students were out protesting against the fees but they'll never miss rag week

They've seen that no protests ever work in This country obviously.

Galwayguy35

Lapin wrote: »

I wish it was RAG Week every week.


Lectures are a lot quieter with all the messers and yappers on the piss and there are less queues around the college in places like Smokies and An Bialainn.




Here's a pic of the queue to The Hole in the Wall pub taken at 10am this morning. Donegal Tuesday but there's always one gobshite in a Mayo jersey!




I don't see the harm in RAG Week myself. As long as no one gets hurt etc. there's nothing wrong with people having a good time.

You only live once fuggit.

Not the best time to go to McSwiggans so for a pint.

yawhat!

If you don't get a ride during Rag Week, you'll never get a ride!

The King of Moo

Rag Week was tolerable back when I was in college. Some charity stuff, and of course lots of mad drinking. Nothing wrong with that. But the atmosphere was different. It wasn't so childish. You'd go to a pub with your friends and get very drunk.
But there was no wearing Donegal jerseys, burning bins, lepping around Shop Street or other nonsense. There also wasn't the nasty atmosphere you can get now.
I'm not going to try to come up with a complex explanation for why there's this difference, but from spending most of the last 13 years either studying or teaching in NUIG, I can tell you that students are definitely more spoiled and infantile than we were, overall.
But I was never too fond of Rag Week. It always felt like forced spontaneity, boring people trying to have fun.

But in a lot of ways, Race Week is worse. At least those people don't have the excuse of being young students following the crowd, and there's the added pretension factor with w*nkstains in their suits and shades.

Fitz*

If I remember correctly, the last official NUIG RAG week raised the most money that year for charity from any college in Ireland. I could be wrong, but I was a student there then and remember seeing that we raised a crazy amount of money.

The King of Moo

The King of Moo wrote: »

But in a lot of ways, Race Week is worse.

Best week of the year in Ireland, never mind Galway. I'm counting down the days already.

snubbleste

Gmit rag & Nuig rag & the Novena all in the same week = fun times

c_man

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

We, in the students' Union at the time, ran alcohol free events & tried our best to raise money for charity, raising about €15k that week, an average contribution of €1 per student

I was in college at the time, isn't this to be expected when the University essentially made it clear that their grounds were not to be used for drinking etc. Everyone just moved up town naturally. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever did anything in college for all the Rag Weeks. Was anyone even in the college bar?!

The King of Moo

Trinity Cuddly Prison wrote: »

Best week of the year in Ireland, never mind Galway. I'm counting down the days already.

Pubs and streets too crowded (with too many obnoxious arseholes), absolutely mental traffic: I don't see the appeal myself.

Holsten

Wasn't it banned in NUIG last year or the year before?!

Galwayguy35

I'd say the cop who was there was it a year or two ago when they were all shouting "WHO'S THE SEXY GARDA" will be making sure she isn't rostered to work this week at night.

WesternZulu

Lapin wrote: »

I wish it was RAG Week every week.


Lectures are a lot quieter with all the messers and yappers on the piss and there are less queues around the college in places like Smokies and An Bialainn.




Here's a pic of the queue to The Hole in the Wall pub taken at 10am this morning. Donegal Tuesday but there's always one gobshite in a Mayo jersey!




I don't see the harm in RAG Week myself. As long as no one gets hurt etc. there's nothing wrong with people having a good time.

You only live once fuggit.

Fair play to him, at least someone had a bit of sense amidst the madness.

Nemeses

Trinity Cuddly Prison wrote: »

I drank the head of myself for the rag weeks when I was an undergrad. A full week of all day beering, whats not to like?

The hangover afterwards..

hoodwinked

In Ucc as far as i know the term "RAG week" was also banned, instead you have to call it R&G week (raise and give week),and all the events (on campus at least) are non alcohol/ money raising funds or events,


one of the more popular ones is a zombie game physoc set up (where one infected person infects the campus person by person, with each infected person spreading it on, players wear a visible red/white band on their arm if they play so people with no interest don't get dragged into it) it was really interesting too to see how an 'infection' would spread so easily and quickly, i also heard today there was a 40ft slide for €1 a go, no alcohol needed, and it raises a significant amount of money for charity through these fun/humorous events.


of course there are those who use it as an excuse to skip class and get hammered, but they don't need just this week to do it, they have every excuse ready anyway, and i did notice one brand of alcohol giving a free glass with every 6pk sold this week only in an off-campus shop :rolleyes: so they are being targeted by companies to drink, but as far as official college events go, its mostly on campus fun with no alcohol, (they are trying to bring it back to the more pranking as opposed to drinking, have fun type week)

The King of Moo

The King of Moo wrote: »

Pubs and streets too crowded (with too many obnoxious arseholes), absolutely mental traffic: I don't see the appeal myself.

7 days of racing followed by drinking on the streets of Galway with an unbelievable atmosphere and unreal craic that you won't get anywhere else in the world.

You could offer me a free trip anywhere in the world and I'd refuse it if it clashed with race week.

Nemeses wrote: »

The hangover afterwards..

Start drinking first thing in the mornings, then you only have to deal with one hangover at the end of the week. That was our method anyway.

Cian92

hoodwinked wrote: »

In Ucc as far as i know the term "RAG week" was also banned, instead you have to call it R&G week (raise and give week),and all the events (on campus at least) are non alcohol/ money raising funds or events,


one of the more popular ones is a zombie game physoc set up, or i heard today there was a 40ft slide for €1 a go, no alcohol needed, and it raises a significant amount of money for charity through these fun/humorous events.


of course there are those who use it as an excuse to skip class and get hammered, but they don't need just this week to do it, they have every excuse ready anyway, and i did notice one brand of alcohol giving a free glass with every 6pk sold this week only in an off-campus shop :rolleyes: so they are being targeted by companies to drink, but as far as official college events go, its mostly on campus fun with no alcohol, (they are trying to bring it back to the more pranking as opposed to drinking, have fun type week)

As a UCC student I can assure you it is not in anyway a non alcohol event on campus. There were queues to get into the 2 bars on college by half 3 yesterday!

Like it's a grand week really and doesn't cause too much hassle.

Also the term R&G is only ever used by the students union types, basically it's a way of justifying it. It's been a tradition for years and some of the stories my father has about RAG week in the late 70s seem much worse than what happens now.

The local businesses make a rake of money, the students get to do something that they want and the campus makes money from the pubs.

The Cool

To be fair a lot of the damage done is by visiting people who feel like they're on holiday, on the beer in a different place. Donegal Tuesday for example draws students from lots of different colleges and some who aren't even students, but come down for the "wile craic". I'm from Donegal myself but have never attended Donegal Tuesday. That's not anti-RAG snobbery - it's just that there are ALWAYS mid-semester assignments and tests on around then. For example I spent my last RAG week stuck in the library doing 8am-11pm days writing a French essay and crying out the window. So, lots of people who are actually students in the colleges don't have a free reign to go mental all week.

As for the "can't afford fees, me arse" argument: I was one of the poorer students, survived solely on grants, etc. When I did RAG week in 1st and 2nd year, we cut down on the nights out before and after RAG week, did the nights on the cheap etc so that we could afford a bottle or two of Dunnes brand spirits. I won't lie, I had my messy times and all that as you're obviously going to do when you're 18 and 19 - but it wasn't that I had unlimited funds to throw on Jaeger bombs all through the semester.

I can tell you now that Race Week is just as bad - the city is disgusting the morning after Ladies Day in particular. It just doesn't get the same complaining done about it because Race Week is all adults with actual salaries to blow so it brings massive revenue to the city.

Inspector Coptoor

"Ladies Day" my arse.
€30 in to see the racing & the €2 tote "ladies"/Oompa Loompas would make you sick with the stench of fake tan off them