Do you love Ireland?

Samaris

suicide_circus wrote: »

If you don't love Ireland, get out. Get out now.

How do you define "love"? It's a country, not a person. It has its upsides and downsides and it's no more special because I was born here than it would be if I was born in Kenya.

Already did the whole emigration/return thing. Not planning on leaving again because everything isn't perfect :P

suicide_circus

If you wake up every morning with a horn, you love your country

Samaris

suicide_circus wrote: »

If you wake up every morning with a horn, you love your country

*looks down* Ah, well now, that could be an issue.

archer22

At the end of the day Ireland is only a big lump of rock and soil....and the vast majority of the people are nothing to me...just strangers the same as everyone everywhere else in the world.

So what exactly is it I am supposed to be so madly in love with or dare not criticise?.

Dirty Dingus McGee

archer22 wrote: »

Are 14 and 15 year old's allowed to feck off now ...where was he going to go and do at that age?.

He could have had an idea in his head that he didn't like Ireland and didn't want to live here at that stage. That's what I meant.

He said he has hated the place all his life.

annascott

No. I do not love it at all. I like some of the landscape and beaches but outside of Dublin there isn't much to do apart from pubs or walking and looking at scenery. There is a prevalent closed minded parochial begrudgery too. On the plus side we are not inundated with Islamic fundamentalists but that is likely change in the next twenty years.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

annascott wrote: »

but outside of Dublin there isn't much to do apart from pubs or walking and looking at scenery. There is a prevalent closed minded .

You obviously haven't heard of the Drama festivals and groups, the music and comedy venues, sports clubs and events, county museums, heritage sites, cinemas, restaurants, arts groups, or shopping centres all around the country.

RoYoBo

annascott wrote: »

but outside of Dublin there isn't much to do apart from pubs or walking and looking at scenery.

Just wondering what it is you find missing in rural Ireland that you'd like to do? As a Dub who moved to the sticks, there's not a lot I find that I miss - and much of that can be satisfied with one or two trips a year back to the city (or, indeed, any city).

Mr. teddywinkles

oceonsheist wrote: »

I am probably biased based on bad experiences. 
No perfect country I agree, although some less prosperous countries have a stronger handle on crime, healthcare & drugs.  
Don't get me wrong. If rental & living costs were much more affordable in Dublin and a system with more  focus on peoples lives then I too would rate Ireland as a great place to live. 
I will call it a day. I think i started enough arguments today

And more job creation across the country just not Dublin

Mr. teddywinkles

archer22 wrote: »

In fairness there could be lots of reasons why he couldn't go...elderly or ill parents to care for.Property and commitments here..maybe a wife and five or six kids, who knows.
There is a strange perception in Ireland that everybody can just jump on a plane and feck off!!.

Did ya not hear. We've a mobile workforce.

archer22

Mr. teddywinkles wrote: »

Did ya not hear. We've a mobile workforce.

That's what the old Soviet Union used to say when it insisted those that didn't like the country get on a train for Siberia...they used to pay for the tickets as well.

Ironically in surveys its citizens used to also state they were living in the best country in the world...I think 99% approval was the norm

Ah the power of delusional thinking....even stronger than the power of positive thinking.

Dubchild

I LOVE IRELAND ... It's where I was born and raised. Most of my best memories are from here, I've travelled alot from age 18 and lived in England over 10 years but I've found no place like home. There is two things I don't like about Ireland.. cost of living is ridiculousy high and the summers are crap weather wise.

odyssey06

archer22 wrote: »

That's what the old Soviet Union used to say when it insisted those that didn't like the country get on a train for Siberia...they used to pay for the tickets as well.
Ironically in surveys its citizens used to also state they were living in the best country in the world...I think 99% approval was the norm
Ah the power of delusional thinking....even stronger than the power of positive thinking.

"Are you happy here or would you like a one-way ticket to Siberia?"
"Eh... what? Siberia? Oh no, I could not be happier here... is there anything I can tick higher than 100???"

Self-preservation trumps delusional thinking...

archer22

odyssey06 wrote: »

"Are you happy here or would you like a one-way ticket to Siberia?"
"Eh... what? Siberia? Oh no, I could not be happier here... is there anything I can tick higher than 100???"

Self-preservation trumps delusional thinking...

You know it wasn't just self preservation...saw online results of a survey where a large percentage of Russians longed for the return of the old Soviet Union and regarded Stalin as the greatest leader ever.
They really did believe the Soviet Union was the "the best in the world country".

It just seems to take constant media repetition to ingrain such a mindset.

Then they had Pravda to ingrain it and we have RTE

odyssey06

archer22 wrote: »

You know it wasn't just self preservation...saw online results of a survey where a large percentage of Russians longed for the return of the old Soviet Union and regarded Stalin as the greatest leader ever.
They really did believe the Soviet Union was the "the best in the world country".
It just seems to take constant media repetition to ingrain such a mindset.
Then they had Pravda to ingrain it and we have RTE

Plus they were an empire bossing around half of Europe, taking all the best produce from those 'allied' Warsaw Pact countries.
Now their leaders are just as bad, and the ordinary people are in much reduced relative circumstances... whereas their former 'satellites' like Poland go from strength to strength.
I can understand a certain kind of revanchist person longing for Stalin.

If we listened to RTE we'd all sell up and move to the Gaeltacht or join GOAL or something!

Blazer

Love Guinness, Irish people, scenery, lack of dangerous places, no poisonous animals,

Hate Government, knackers, criminals, welfare scroungers, tax, vrt, excise on petrol, weather,

HughWotMVIII

I am not Irish but I loooove Ireland. I wish I lived there: the beautiful grey skies, lush green fields, people with my kind of humour and abundance of hot red headed men being the main reasons I love it.

wotzgoingon

I don't mind the weather in Ireland if it was any hotter it wouldn't be Ireland. Think back 2 or 3 months ago with the good weather spell we had and all the forest/bog/mountain side fires. That would be a daily occurrence during the summer if we had hot weather the fields would not be as green, the rivers and lakes would dry up.

HughWotMVIII

wotzgoingon wrote: »

I don't mind the weather in Ireland if it was any hotter it wouldn't be Ireland. Think back 2 or 3 months ago with the good weather spell we had and all the forest/bog/mountain side fires. That would be a daily occurrence during the summer if we had hot weather the fields would not be as green, the rivers and lakes would dry up.

Finally someone who loves Ireland for its weather like I do. Everyone always looks at me like I am mad when I mention weather among the reasons I love Ireland.