Ireland 09-14 the recession years

jk23

How did this time affect you or your friends and family? At what stage did you realise Jesus this country is really struggling! Did it leave a mark on you and does this help you in a good or bad way?...

kingbhome

I ended up on the dole, plenty of time for training, being with kids more, enjoying life at the expense of the state. I was mentally and physically stronger. Now I'm back to work, lots of stress, more bills to pay and now look very tired in my 40s.

jk23

kingbhome wrote: »

I ended up on the dole, plenty of time for training, being with kids more, enjoying life at the expense of the state. I was mentally and physically stronger. Now I'm back to work, lots of stress, more bills to pay and now look very tired in my 40s.

Ya I noticed way more people took up running and walking through these years. I think that was one good benefit of the economic downturn

myshirt

All you need to know is that Sinn Fein backed the policies of Greece and indicated they would do the same.

Where is Ireland now.

And where is Greece.

potatohouse

the sessions from 2009 til mid 2011ish were unbelievable. whole country on the scratcher. good times

Jimmy Dags

Yea plenty time for riding was had.

I left, from '10 to'14

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

I'm a Civil Servant and worked in Social Welfare during the recession. It'd be fair to say the recession left its mark on me. We took a fair bit of abuse both in our jobs and in the media, and came in for some incredibly unfair criticism from some quarters. However, I had my job for the duration, so I was by no means an example of someone who the recession profoundly affected.

That 4 or 5 years has made me an awful lot more conscious about the economy and society in general than I otherwise would probably have been.

Assetbacked

All the deadweight in pubs closed up shop which was good, those that stayed open tried to reinvent themselves by focusing on food and offering cheaper prices. There was a lot less hipster types with sustainable employment and therefore the sort of dive bar places were proper cheap and unpretentious. Now they’re expensive and quite pretentious! Bars were better essentially.

riffmongous

Couldn't get a job, left the country, never came back.. so you could say it's left it's mark

Snotty

Me and the wife did well during the recession, but more through sear luck than anything else. I had a job that everyone though was crap during the boom but suddenly I got pay rises every year of the recession and did well.
The wife lost her job in 2004, went to college, just finished at the end of the boom but started her own company in a wee resession proof business that's been going great since, there was no resession planning here, it work out that way.

NIMAN

Wasnt really affected much at all, which I was thankful for.

We both kept our jobs, got a new house cheaper than we would have a few years before, and had 3 kids.

But I know a lot of people who did suffer quite a bit, lost jobs, had to move to find work.

Yer Da sells Avon

I remember signing on the dole in late 2008 and the queue went out the door of the SW office, down the street and around the corner. Lots of time for socialising because my friends were also either unemployed or barely employed, but no money to do anything or go anywhere. Everything seemed so bleak, and yet I now look back on those days with quite a lot of nostalgia...

Mysterypunter

How about 09-18? Its not over

Wheeliebin30

8.5 out of 10 people had jobs.

But I was told I was lucky to have a job.

Could never figure that one out.

endacl

I elected to not participate in the recession.

dreamers75

No change, I work for a company that thrives on both recession and umm not recession.

It was just normal **** for me and family.

riffmongous

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

8.5 out of 10 people had jobs.

But I was told I was lucky to have a job.

Could figure that one out.

1 in 3 young people though

Looking at the graph, some people really got it easy



link

Worked through it.... went OK for me in that regard.

A friend lost his business etc, passed away in 2013 a young man.

Richard Hillman

potatohouse wrote: »

the sessions from 2009 til mid 2011ish were unbelievable. whole country on the scratcher. good times

Ah, when going to the pub at 12 on a Wednesday was perfectly acceptable. The glory years.

myshirt

riffmongous wrote: »

1 in 3 young people though

Looking at the graph, some people really got it easy



link

Thank you for highlighting that. This was (and is) a huge, huge issue, and a shameful scenario when you look at the detail in Ireland and I do feel for young people in this country. I'm not sure people fully grasp the impact of this on a person, their career, their family, and our economy when a person has being unemployed or in precarious employment for their formative years.

It's further compounded by the culture we have in Ireland. Look at happened in the public service for example. Young workers, often much better qualified, and much more competent, f#cked over by their older colleagues in favour of keeping the gravy train going. They are so enveloped in it they don't even get what the issue is. It shakes me to my core that these scumbags even still persist today, with the term 'pay restoration'. Vastly, vastly, vastly overpaid. It's disgusting. We have hundreds of billions of unfunded pension obligations to these people aswell. Young people pay 50% of their take home pay to the baby boomers, a generation only in that position because of direct government intervention, but somehow a generation that believe it was all their own effort.

Were unfortunately seeing a reduction in equality of opportunity for young people now with this overhang of youth unemployment and CAT rates and thresholds that are too low. I'm not a Shane Ross fan, but we need a man or woman like him who took on the transport unions, to go out there and take on the rest of those f"ckers.

myshirt

myshirt wrote: »

...........Young people pay 50% of their take home pay to the baby boomers.............

No they don't.
Nowhere near it.

If you earn €80k/annum you take home €51.5 ignoring pension contributions........65% retained as take home.
If you earn €90k/annum you take home €56.4 ignoring pension contributions........62.6% retained as take home.

I agree than many older public servants are grossly overpaid and pay restoration as a concept shouldn't apply to so so many COs and EOs and other deskbound, largely easily replaceable folk.

Raging_Ninja

Mysterypunter wrote: »

How about 09-18? Its not over

Lol

The only way it's not over is if you can't be bothered to get a job.

TeaBagMania

I was in Ireland on holiday a couple of times during that period, one time stands out in my mind more than any other.

Was in Limerick city center at a pub\restaurant having lunch and during that short period no less than three girls walked in looking for work, all turned away.
Also, lots I mean LOTS of shops were closed in the city, sad times

Was back last year and glad to report Limerick was thriving

Your Face

I was ok.
Friends weren't so lucky.
Lost their jobs, went on the dole, couldn't get jobs, waited around too long and became vulnerable to certain mental health issues.
I always thought of them as part of an ignored and lost generation.

Franz Von Peppercorn

riffmongous wrote: »

1 in 3 young people though

Looking at the graph, some people really got it easy



link

Youth unemployment still high enough at 10%

TerrorFirmer

It didn't really affect me as I kept a reasonably OK paid job throughout but I kick myself looking back that I didn't do the smart thing and save a lot of it instead of blowing it all on nights out and frivolous crap for several years...but then I tell myself you're only young once and I made a decent time of it.

topper75

Brace for the next boom. It's going to hurt.

A lot squealing to be heard already in the rental market. Wait until Johnny Foreigner and his tradesman compatriots (wave 2) arrive over to pick up the labour shortfall of the new construction programme.
It'll be 5/6 of them earning versus an Irish couple. Who gets to rent the only house for let on the street?

Could British tariffs sit on top of such a scene? I hope not but, if so, the 2000-2008 ripoff republic was merely a prelude.

Shurimgreat

Didn't impact me that much as I kept a wide berth of the craziness of the property boom and didn't go into employment in the construction industry to make my fortune while screwing everyone else in the process.


Earned quite good wages in my sector and bought a fairly cheap property during the downturn.


Hence the username I suppose

razorblunt

Straight out of Compton college, no Grad Roles to be had anywhere so off to the UK with me. Still here.

Will definitely come back at some stage ... maybe!

amcalester

left in 08 when the writing was on the wall where I worked, went to London and worked for 2 more places that went bust before finding steady work between 10-14.

Moved back in late 14 and been here since.

I enjoyed my time in the UK but it wasn't until I was back in Ireland that I realised how much I missed the place.

Sky King

I will never forget it. NEVER.

Straight out of college and joined family business just as everything was going south... we had to meet once a week with a list of names to see who we had to tell we had no work for the following week - trying to be fair but also responsible when laying guys off - axing jobs... loyal staff with young kids and mortgages. Not being able to pay suppliers, previously loyal and well established customers defaulting on their credit and going out of business - catchign us in the process...

...being threatened to be shut down on a couple of occasions from revenue due to falling behind on bills.... At one stage we were literally week to week about whether we would have to call all the staff in and make them all redundant and put a chain around the gate. That went on for months. Not being able to sleep. Sometimes shaking with anxiety and depression. We sold off non vital assets for a pittance to keep the doors open.

My dad had to come out of retirement and work without pay - a man in his 60's who had been working hard since his teens and earned every bit of his success and retirement. I worked for essentially minimum wage and rented out all the rooms in my house so i could afford to pay my mortgage and when i went home in the evening after all the bull**** i had to deal with during the day of trying to keep the business open I had to look at some smelly prick's dirty dishes in my sink.

Seriously fking character building stuff though. The best apprenticeship in running a business you could ever hope for. Forget studying 'business' for four years in college - I challenge anyone to do a year of te fking **** that I had to put up and not be totally changed person by the end of it.

We're back on our feet now thank fuk and soon when have the means i am going to buy myself a nice Merc and apologise to nofckingbody for it.

Iseedeadpixels

Lost a well paying job at 24, found out I had a child on the way 2 weeks after being let go, couldnt get a job doing what I was doing so took a job that payed half of what I was on to pay mounting bills, my credit rating was destroyed, my confidence was destroyed, companies treating staff like ****e gave me bad anxiety and led to depression, I smiled my way through the ****e pushed myself in jobs and Im finally earning decent money again....I never want to experience that again but you just never know.

heretothere

Graduated in 2009, no milk rounds that year! So I headed down under for myself. Had a right time, meet my soon to be husband.

BrokenArrows

I left at the end of 2010 to London. I was always employed in Ireland but left due to wanting something new and there wasnt much on offer at the time.

I transferred internally to London with a new position. Been here since. 7.5 years.
Settled here now. Got married and bought a house.

Things are going grand.

Supercell

Got married, bought a house, had my first two children, best years of my life. I work in the IT sector which at least here was blissfully unaffected.

wes

I got lucky, I got a decent job at the tail end of the Celtic Tiger, and never lived beyond my means before of after it either.

So things worked out well enough for me.

Ush1

Shurimgreat wrote: »

Didn't impact me that much as I kept a wide berth of the craziness of the property boom and didn't go into employment in the construction industry to make my fortune while screwing everyone else in the process.


Earned quite good wages in my sector and bought a fairly cheap property during the downturn.


Hence the username I suppose

Pretty much my story, shur aren't we both great!:D

Sky King

Sky King wrote: »

I will never forget it. NEVER.

Straight out of college and joined family business...................rented out all the rooms in my house so i could afford to pay my mortgage........................ I challenge anyone to do a year of te fking **** that I had to put up and not be totally changed person by the end of it................

Well done on your achievements but things couldn't have been that bad if you were in a position to buy a house just out of college

Most graduates can't accept your challenge as there isn't a family business to join

facehugger99

Got made redundant.

Got another job quickly enough - I was very lucky.

Had to take a 50k salary cut though. Luckily we hadn't taken on much debt and our mortgage was pretty low - we bought before prices went mad.

Saw a lot of friends and colleagues get badly burned - some of them still recovering.

SEPT 23 1989

ran a business through it and I will never do it again

very busy now bills are paid on the nose and debts are cleared

when it goes over the cliff again the doors close

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

Raging_Ninja

draiochtanois wrote: »

No pity for you.

Rather than build up reserves that allow you to weather another crisis you want to buy a Merc.

Have you learned nothing?

Lol, Christ that's pathetic.

Sky King

draiochtanois wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Not looking for your pity, thanks. People were asked for their memories of the recession.

Rather than build up reserves that allow you to weather another crisis you want to buy a Merc.

Have you learned nothing?

Where did I say that i would rather do one over the other?

What I did say was 'when I have the means'... something you chose not to include in your snooty message :pac:

theyoungchap

Went to London, came back in 2012, back to college, got a decent job on the back of it, life is grand but 08-12 was a humbling experience and it was a reality check for most of my age group.
Some slogged it out here, some emigrated and came back, some never came back. Cest la vie.

Sky King

Augeo wrote: »

Well done on your achievements but things couldn't have been that bad if you were in a position to buy a house just out of college

Most graduates can't accept your challenge as there isn't a family business to join

I wasn't young leaving college. Also I said I challenge anyone - (not just graduates). But I do accept your point, thanks.

smileyj1987

Lost a job and went back to college after a year on the dole have a degree in computer networking and waiting on my results for my honours degree in IT management.

Rory28

draiochtanois wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

To be fair he never said that. He said he will buy a merc when he can and damn right. If you can't enjoy your money whats the point in having it?

Fabio

I finished my degree in 09, went straight into a Masters and then a PhD with the idea of following an academic path.

Part-time work was hard to come by though. I worked in retail for a good while but the doors closed and that was the end of that. It was a shame because I loved the job but the recession directly affected the company, it went through administration, was bought, went through a second period of administration but I had to go at that stage. Moved on from there to a cafe/bakery and remember Brian Lenihan on the radio one day saying "the worst is now behind us" as I worked away. It didn't feel like it though, and it turns out there were many tough years still to go. Lost that job when the cafe/bakery had to cut back on costs but picked up bits of work in college while going for the PhD. That was steady enough work but it was absolutely clear that there was no way that that work would ever turn into a full time job. Many others would tell you how they started off doing part-time stuff in there and eventually it turned into a full-time role but it was clear that those days were gone...no matter how many letters were after your name.

Muddled my way into the darkside of a PhD, no research funds available so teached and continued with my part-time work. Left an awful strain on me, inevitably mental health issues cropped up and I had to stop. Seemed like a real black hole because I had no real options in Ireland. The only positive was that I was still living at home so didn't need to worry about rent all that much but still had a motor to pay for. My girlfriend, now wife, moved abroad for work for a year which was difficult for us both. It was even more difficult for her to find work on her return as, even though she had moved abroad to teach, she was asked by interview panels "why didn't you stay in Ireland, why did you leave our education system?". She eventually found something but it was the other side of the country so that separation wasn't easy. We're married now though so it all worked out thankfully.

A lot of friends of mine left the country in this period. I also lost touch with some friends due to me being so ensconced in my phd work and not having the time to do much else when I took teaching and part-time work into the equation as well. It was certainly a formative period and it has left its mark alright. The way some employers acted at that time was criminal as well, remember Vita Cortex? There was a general sense of doom and despair to it all and there were days when I felt like I was the last of my cohort to stay behind and wondered whether I was the fool for doing so? Don't get me wrong, I had plans to leave with herself but, ultimately, I never had the guts to. I really didn't want to either, I am a home bird. Still, queuing for the social (for a few weeks between my masters and phd time) was a sobering experience. A lot of highly educated people in that same line, a lot of hard workers, and a lot of talk about "I'm heading off to Oz next month etc.".

TLDR - It was bleak and it was hard. It has left a mark.

theyoungchap

Rory28 wrote: »

To be fair he never said that. He said he will buy a merc when he can and damn right. If you can't enjoy your money whats the point in having it?

And, it is nobody else's business what anybody does with their money. If he wants a Merc, he is entitled to do it - nobody else is paying for it.......

theyoungchap

theyoungchap wrote: »

And, it is nobody else's business what anybody does with their money. If he wants a Merc, he is entitled to do it - nobody else is paying for it.......

With increased taxation after 08/09 I reckon we all paid and are still paying for quite a few Mercs etc that most of us never drove
I agree with your point though to a huge extent