The Orphanage The Hague

6541

So Boards.ie this will test you. Does anyone remember the Orphanage in The Hague in Holland.
For people that don't it was a massive squat that thousands of Irish passed through. When I think about it, it was amazing, all ya had to be was Irish. The Nordie Lads used to do security making sure nothing got out of hand !
The year was around 1999-2000. The parties were legendary ! Massive raves. I wonder what happened to it. Irish from all over Europe used to go to it.

Banjo String

It's a hard knock life.

jaja321

Was never at a party in it, but was in there once. Strange strange place...

qt3.14

Would these be the Nordie lads that got involved in the drug trade to raise revenue? That wouldn't have had anything to do with their altruistic policing of well known drug taking spot?

Hande hoche!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3jpDZJgHAM

6541

jaja321 wrote: »

Was never at a party in it, but was in there once. Strange strange place...

Yeah it was edgy alright. But think about it how cool was it to have a Squat in a foreign country dedicated to Irish folks.

6541

qt3.14 wrote: »

Would these be the Nordie lads that got involved in the drug trade to raise revenue? That wouldn't have had anything to do with their altruistic policing of well known drug taking spot?

I had to reread that, are you referring to a certain pub in the Hague?

Lapin

I lived in The Hague but never knew heard of this place.
Although I was there in 93.

There was a big squat right opposite the Houses of Parliament there. Is that the one? Mind you it was full of people from everywhere. Not just Irish. Had many a great night in there

6541

Lapin wrote: »

I lived in The Hague but never knew heard of this place.
Although I was there in 93.

There was a big squat right opposite the Houses of Parliament there. Is that the one? Mind you it was full of people from everywhere. Not just Irish. Had many a great night in there

My guess is that in 93 the Irish started to arrive, FDS and ICDS were bringing in loads of Irish workers.
I can't remember where it was, but it was 100 percent Irish. More ran by folks from Belfast. It was huge.
I remember the Irish had to stick together as their were many gangs on the go, Turkish Moroccan etc.
Have to say the Irish had a terrible name in the Hague.
I remember a loads of madness that went on out there.
One quick story, there is a statue of William of Orange, it was near an Irish bar, I sh*t you not but I knew a load of Irish that would not use the toilet in the pub, they would relieve themselves on the statue.
I'd love to know are all the Irish gone. It was mental, thousands of Irish gone wrong in The Hague.

Autosport

I was living there for a few months ( 2014-2015) and the Irish are still there along with other nationalities. it's a great city with plenty of establishments that the Irish frequent . The Dutch like their raves and parties.

anncoates

6541 wrote: »

But think about it how cool was it to have a Squat in a foreign country dedicated to Irish folks.

Cool isn't exactly how I'd describe it. I keep picturing Kila on pills.

wtfdublin

First time poster but had to post as I was only thinking about this place last week.
Stayed in The Orphanage in 1996 for a weekend after a contract with FTS ended and they transferred us out of our accommodation for the last weekend.

It was a crazy place back then. There were about 30 people living there at that time in the most appalling conditions. Mountains of rubbish everywhere. You had to climb in a back door only after someone unlocked it from the inside. Someone had constructed huts made from pallets in the living room. Two guys we spoke to had fled Ireland and had warrants out on them and could never go back. We all stayed awake for the two days we were there afraid that our stuff would be robbed. The guys who lived there full time worked hard by day digging the canals and by their own admission spent all their money on prostitutes and drugs on payday.

I have a photo of the front of the house somewhere that I took with a disposable camera.

The following year the Sunday World did a two page investigation on the place.

Lapin

We got work out of this massive flower auction place south of the city. Bloomingveilinginginjinjinjin or something like that it was called.

We'd get sent to different glasshouses to go picking peppers or tomatoes and stuff like that. We kept on getting sacked for turning up for work late or pissed or stoned but it didn't matter. All we had to do was go back to the flower auction place again the next day and we'd be sent somewhere else until we got the bullet from that place.

Weekends were spent out at the beach in Schevingininjinjinjin or whatever it's called with the odd trip up to the Dam when we were rich. Happy days . Can't believe I haven't been back there since. Been over to the Dam a good few times but must try and get The Hague this year for old times sake!

Aye the Turks and Moroccans we met were as dodge as fook. Treated women like shít too.

jaja321

6541 wrote: »

Yeah it was edgy alright. But think about it how cool was it to have a Squat in a foreign country dedicated to Irish folks.

I dunno about cool. My memory is of people sleeping in holes in the wall, rubbish everywhere, and a lot of seriously dodgy people. I couldn't wait to get out of the place.

6541

The Hague was overran by the Irish back then. Now here is one, does anyone remember the following.
There was a massive block of flats out towards the University. Loads of Irish lived there. I remember a massive rave that was kicking. I was on a balcony and this Irish Guy decides to climb from one balcony to the next. He falls about 6 floors onto a roof of a car. Completely destroyed the car. He then walks off unharmed. Following day cops all over the place, no Irish would talk to them.

Then there was the infamous pub the Poteen Still, what do ya say about that place.
No wonder we were hated, so is the same Sh1t still going on ?

6541

bjork wrote: »

neherkade?

Did a quick search on Google Images and it looks like it alright ! Wild spot.

inforfun

Lapin wrote: »

Bloomingveilinginginjinjinjin

Schevingininjinjinjin

And then say The Hague?

Use its official name: 's Gravenhage.

6541

bjork wrote: »

Fts and the neherkade were some wild days alright!!


Poitin is still open.

I am now in a well paid job with responsibilities, if only I could explain to people the madness that used to happen out there. People say the Irish in Sydney are bad. Believe me when I say that is not a patch on what the Irish were up to in The Hague.
On the way out to neherkade you had to pass through a Turkish neighborhood and then a Moroccan neighborhood, they actually used to leave the Irish lads alone as the Irish were two volatile to rob.
I remember coming through an underpass on the way to neherkade, there were a few muggers waiting for victims, it was a pure stand off between three four muggers and 5 or 6 Irish lads, they backed down. They was never a weekend without some serious sh*t going down.

4zn76tysfajdxp

I imagine each of the posters in this thread have at least one ear-ring, a soul patch and salt and pepper hair while they relive the "wild times" they had.

bjork

Ledger Greasy Jaguar wrote: »

I imagine each of the posters in this thread have at least one ear-ring, a soul patch and salt and pepper hair while they relive the "wild times" they had.

You you people have a thing or two to learn. Back in my day.....:p


I had to google what a soul patch was and no, you're wrong on all 3

Aongus Von Bismarck

This place sounds like it was absolute hell on earth. A group of drugged up Irish ravers living in filth and squalor in a squat controlled by Northern Irish drug dealers. Urinating on statues. Getting into fights.

It's amazing the type of things people get nostalgic about.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

This place sounds like it was absolute hell on earth. A group of drugged up Irish ravers living in filth and squalor in a squat controlled by Northern Irish drug dealers. Urinating on statues. Getting into fights.

It's amazing the type of things people get nostalgic about.

You don't get it, man. You weren't there in the nineties. Kids today don't know how to have fun without wasting entire seasons of their lives on a mountain of coke, yokes and neon alcopops.

6541

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

This place sounds like it was absolute hell on earth. A group of drugged up Irish ravers living in filth and squalor in a squat controlled by Northern Irish drug dealers. Urinating on statues. Getting into fights.

It's amazing the type of things people get nostalgic about.

it was more then a group, try thousands ! Does anyone remember the flights home to Ireland. lads off there minds, customs and cops in Dublin basically pulling the whole flight !

6541

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/may/06/drugsandalcohol.ireland

This was the kind of thing that was going down.

bjork

Ledger Greasy Jaguar wrote: »

You don't get it, man. You weren't there in the nineties. Kids today don't know how to have fun without wasting entire seasons of their lives on a mountain of coke, yokes and neon alcopops.

They don't. They sit around complaining that there is no jobs, yet they can't leave sight of their house chimney without bringing the parents with them.

Aongus Von Bismarck

6541 wrote: »

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/may/06/drugsandalcohol.ireland

This was the kind of thing that was going down.

What a summer. Torture and mutilation, the IRA, wanton drug abuse.
I'll tell you how I spent the summer of 2000. Working in a hiking and adventure sports chalet in Chamonix. I'd say my memories are rather more lucid and enjoyable than yours. I didn't have to be 'yoked off my face' either.

6541

Someone should do a documentary on this. There is a massive story to be told.
It would be very interesting.
We ended up getting moved to Brussels in the end. The Irish scene was a lot calmer there ! The city was just to big and the cops were way more professional at processing deranged Irish lads!

6541

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

What a summer. Torture and mutilation, the IRA, wanton drug abuse.
I'll tell you how I spent the summer of 2000. Working in a hiking and adventure sports chalet in Chamonix. I'd say my memories are rather more lucid and enjoyable than yours. I didn't have to be 'yoked off my face' either.

Whatever you think, but this is what happened, its a story that needs to be told.

asteroids over berlin

i was there a few times, more so at parties. The Hague was infamous for squatting, Thee Hague squatting culture was/is the birthplace of Bunker records, as underground as they come, great times, a lot of the artists still prolific as ever, particularly Legowelt. freedom!!!!!

bjork

asteroids over berlin wrote: »

i was there a few times, more so at parties. The Hague was infamous for squatting, Thee Hague squatting culture was/is the birthplace of Bunker records, as underground as they come, great times, a lot of the artists still prolific as ever, particularly Legowelt. freedom!!!!!

They stopped squatting in 2011. Before then if the building was empty for 1 year it could be squatted * from 1994 ish fairly legally.


*Either 1994 or 1996

Eviction from De Blauwe Aanslaag. In dutch

6541

bjork wrote: »

They stopped squatting in 2011. Before then if the building was empty for 1 year it could be squatted * from 1994 ish fairly legally.


*Either 1994 or 1996

You will have to root out them photo's. Does FTS still exist I wonder, ultimate cowboys !

4zn76tysfajdxp

6541 wrote: »

Someone should do a documentary on this. There is a massive story to be told.

I imagine that would contain a fair amount of sage nodding, middle-aged men proclaiming that they were "great times" and photographs of yoked up idlers in Ajax or Ireland football jerseys.

druss

6541 wrote: »

Yeah it was edgy alright. But think about it how cool was it to have a Squat in a foreign country dedicated to Irish folks.

If I started the same thread about a squat in Dublin? Changed the group involved to Roma for example?

Yeah, muchos respect for getting an organised squat on the go. :pac:

bjork

6541 wrote: »

You will have to root out them photo's. Does FTS still exist I wonder, ultimate cowboys !

Indeed they were!


Fitzwilliam Executive Search Ltd v Bestuur van het Landelijk instituut sociale verzekeringen

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:61997CJ0202


I have the photos printed out somewhere (because that's that way things were done in those days!)>probably in the attic.

Renegade Mechanic

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

What a summer. Torture and mutilation, the IRA, wanton drug abuse.
I'll tell you how I spent the summer of 2000. Working in a hiking and adventure sports chalet in Chamonix. I'd say my memories are rather more lucid and enjoyable than yours. I didn't have to be 'yoked off my face' either.

I believe we share ages, in which case you were in the process of passing your Secondary school entrance exam, no?

bjork

Renegade Mechanic wrote: »

I believe we share ages, in which case you were in the process of passing your Secondary school entrance exam, no?

:pac::pac::pac:

Lapin

inforfun wrote: »

Use its official name: 's Gravenhage.

Why?

Nobody calls it that, not even the locals over there.

Den Haag is more commonly used

So as an English speaker, on an English language thread, I'll call it by its English name and leave the pedantry to you.

Egginacup

Autosport wrote: »

I was living there for a few months ( 2014-2015) and the Irish are still there along with other nationalities. it's a great city with plenty of establishments that the Irish frequent . The Dutch like their raves and parties.

The Hague is a fucking kip. Even the red light district there is dire

Alun

Lapin wrote: »

Why?

Nobody calls it that, not even the locals over there.

Den Haag is more commonly used

So as an English speaker, on an English language thread, I'll call it by its English name and leave the pedantry to you.

I think inforfun is Dutch, but even then I've never, ever heard a Dutch person call it by that name, it's only used for official purposes in documents etc. The same goes for 's-Hertogenbosch which is always called Den Bosch by the locals.

inforfun

Ledger Greasy Jaguar wrote: »

I imagine that would contain a fair amount of sage nodding, middle-aged men proclaiming that they were "great times" and photographs of yoked up idlers in Ajax or Ireland football jerseys.

Ajax shirt in The Hague?
I would advise strongly against that.

Lapin wrote: »

Why?

Nobody calls it that, not even the locals over there.

Den Haag is more commonly used

So as an English speaker, on an English language thread, I'll call it by its English name and leave the pedantry to you.

Calm down.... it was a joke.

Next up would have been 's Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch)

Auldloon

I have vague memories of spending a few nights in a squat there, an irish bar filled with scarily tough irish lads who looked after me and made sure I didn't die! It was more a drinking and smoking weed time than yokes etc for me and my mates anyway. The irish bar was ran by a guy called Tom from Galway!. Knuckles was a popular game in there...This would have been early 90,s.

6541

Auldloon wrote: »

I have vague memories of spending a few nights in a squat there, an irish bar filled with scarily tough irish lads who looked after me and made sure I didn't die! It was more a drinking and smoking weed time than yokes etc for me and my mates anyway. The irish bar was ran by a guy called Tom from Galway!. Knuckles was a popular game in there...This would have been early 90,s.

You got it Tom Hillary (FTS) and his daughter worked the bar. Tough but sound.
That's my point the Irish really looked after each other. They had no choice as it was tough as fook out there.
I saw a guy getting stabbed down from the Poteen, i called it in to the cops, 7 cop cars must have came into the area, while we were giving this guy CPR. It was a tough place to live.

Aongus Von Bismarck

Renegade Mechanic wrote: »

I believe we share ages, in which case you were in the process of passing your Secondary school entrance exam, no?

I had finished my 2nd year in Trinity at the time. If we share ages and you were still in secondary school in 2000 then you had to repeat a few years.

Auldloon

6541 wrote: »

You got it Tom Hillary (FTS) and his daughter worked the bar. Tough but sound.
That's my point the Irish really looked after each other. They had no choice as it was tough as fook out there.
I saw a guy getting stabbed down from the Poteen, i called it in to the cops, 7 cop cars must have came into the area, while we were giving this guy CPR. It was a tough place to live.

Tom Hillary, that's the man. He was as you say sound.Did you know a guy who drank in there went by the name Mick Tipp???? I only knew him for a few days but I'd guess he was one of the toughest guys I've ever met. One of the guys I was travelling with at the time was a relative of Tom's, I ended up meeting all the family while I was there. Good times, I must have been bout 20 then and no I'm not grey yet don't have an earring or a soul patch!

R P McMurphy

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

What a summer. Torture and mutilation, the IRA, wanton drug abuse.
I'll tell you how I spent the summer of 2000. Working in a hiking and adventure sports chalet in Chamonix. I'd say my memories are rather more lucid and enjoyable than yours. I didn't have to be 'yoked off my face' either.

You remind me of the Brummie Harry Enfield character from around that time, considerably richer than you

6541

Auldloon wrote: »

Tom Hillary, that's the man. He was as you say sound.Did you know a guy who drank in there went by the name Mick Tipp???? I only knew him for a few days but I'd guess he was one of the toughest guys I've ever met. One of the guys I was travelling with at the time was a relative of Tom's, I ended up meeting all the family while I was there. Good times, I must have been bout 20 then and no I'm not grey yet don't have an earring or a soul patch!

No I Didn't know him, but I have been in some hard places in my time and that pub was hard, nobody messed with the Irish there.

jimgoose

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

What a summer. Torture and mutilation, the IRA, wanton drug abuse.
I'll tell you how I spent the summer of 2000. Working in a hiking and adventure sports chalet in Chamonix. I'd say my memories are rather more lucid and enjoyable than yours. I didn't have to be 'yoked off my face' either.

Jaysis, that's the little mountainy hippy-commune where the Mont Blanc tunnel starts, isn't it. We probably saw each other that Summer - I was the big thick-looking fella in black full-armour on the Honda ST1100. I wasn't yoked off my face either, then again I suspect I am Considerably Older (and Faster!) Than You. :pac:

6541

So my last story of Irish in The Hague, I knew another chap, boozed off his mind, decided to go and get cigarettes on his bicycle. Cycling down the road and collides with a parked BMW. Goes straight through the back windscreen. A crowd gather around, he actually kicks out whats remaining of the back window and runs off into the sunset !
The Irish in The Hague - Nice Lads !

BD45

Why are people proud of drunk, drugged up losers giving Irish people a bad name in the Netherlands?

6541

BD45 wrote: »

Why are people proud of drunk, drugged up losers giving Irish people a bad name in the Netherlands?

Not proud at all, but it was a very unique situation, before Australia and Bondi, there was The Hague, a squat called the Orphanage, the Kickaboo (pooteen still)
FDS, IRCDS and thousands of crazed Irish. Its actually history and needs telling.

Einhard

What the hell is FDS?

Also, that place seems like a pretty unique moment in time. Don't think you have to necessarily condone actions or behaviour to be fascinated by it.

I wonder does Von Bismarck wander over to the History thread now and then to make snide comments when people discuss the Romans and their particular brand of craziness?