Are some parts of Ireland just a bit odd?

Franz Von Peppercorn II

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I happen to agree. South Tipp, Ballingarry included, is the more interesting place!

And we do have an atrocious electoral record. I'm not here to kick other counties up the arse because, well, just look at Tipp.

This is a tiny island and that kind of parochialism/Craggy Island-ism is just weird.

Actually I was being a bit facetious. I get involved in these arguments as a Dub when Dublin is criticised but in general, having relatives in Tipp and Cork/Kerry I have fond memories of long school holidays spent down the country. Good place, the country.

Feisar

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I always thought Donegal said no to referendums mainly because Sinn Fein had a big presences there and they told them to vote NO.
They may also be a tad more conservative because they are a lot of rural areas.

Why is rural synonymous with conservative? I know it is but wondering why? Does denser populations promote progressive thinking?

Butson

"Odd" "weird"
Surely that's a good thing in this now homogeneous world?

Was in Dublin recently (nothing against the place, am married to a Dub) but Jesus, you could be in any reasonably sized city in the western world. Burger Joints, Coffee Shops galore, "cool" bars.

Blah. Boring.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Feisar wrote: »

Why is rural synonymous with conservative? I know it is but wondering why? Does denser populations promote progressive thinking?

Generally because liberal people tend to need a much more varied range of stimuli and wind up having to branch out and head to cities in order to satisfy them; whereas convservative people have everything then need at home, so stay put.

LirW

JupiterKid wrote: »

North Wicklow is very close to Dublin and is pretty wealthy and monied - big houses and pretty villages like Enniskerry and Ashford. Then you have South Wicklow which is a complete world away...small places like Shillelagh and Tinahely which would be like a Valley of the Squinting Windows and pubs where the music would stop and the regulars would stare you down when you stepped in the door.

Tinahely is actually fine, it's full of exile Dubs.
But the other villages though... Let's put it like that, I can't wait to move on!

Ush1

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Dublin is a place I have very little interaction with these days; I fly into the airport, rent a car, and get the hell out of there. I did attend university there though, and would agree with your assessment. The 'True Blue' native is one of the most course, uneducated, and witless creatures on the planet. They should be avoided at all cost. Elderly men in shell suits standing outside bookie shops 'pulling on' their roll-up cigarettes. Mean, tight faces. Thick accents, menacing stares, hocking up gobs of phlegm at bus stops, that empty bellowing laugh, plastic raincoats, Guiney's shopping bags, a pride in their ignorance and stupidity.

Yeah, the north side is gas alright.

joe40

Feisar wrote: »

Why is rural synonymous with conservative? I know it is but wondering why? Does denser populations promote progressive thinking?

It also has a lot to do with demographics. Donegal gets a kicking in these types of debates, but I think it was the only county in the last census to have a falling population.
A lot of our young people leave for college or work.

I live in Donegal and actually love the place, people are friendly, but there can be a pig-headed, contrarian view that is quite common.

Maybe it is a feeling of been cut off from the rest of the Country.

We definitely don't get anywhere near the same tourist trade as other parts of the country, maybe that's a good thing...

Allinall

Feisar wrote: »

Why is rural synonymous with conservative? I know it is but wondering why? Does denser populations promote progressive thinking?

I'd say there's an equal split of dense people between urban and rural.

topper75

Butson wrote: »

...

Was in Dublin recently (nothing against the place, am married to a Dub) but Jesus, you could be in any reasonably sized city in the western world. Burger Joints, Coffee Shops galore, "cool" bars.

Blah. Boring.

True of all Irish cities I'm afraid nowadays. I like most people in these places but there is no aesthetic in the places themselves.

JupiterKid wrote: »

... pubs where the music would stop and the regulars would stare you down when you stepped in the door.

I also think parts of East Galway and East Clare are strange. East Clare is where the artist Imelda Riney, her young son and a local priest were murdered back in 1994...

You are supposed to say "well lads how's the craic", and then the music just comes back on. Something went badly wrong there. Maybe you froze.

I took the Riney case as the exception that proves the rule, Clare/E.Galway folks are mostly sound. If the actions of one deranged individual reflected a rule for you, that could simply reflect your own dark mind.

cgcsb

Butson wrote: »

"Odd" "weird"
Surely that's a good thing in this now homogeneous world?

Was in Dublin recently (nothing against the place, am married to a Dub) but Jesus, you could be in any reasonably sized city in the western world. Burger Joints, Coffee Shops galore, "cool" bars.

Blah. Boring.

Same in the country, cow, sheep, boreen, like every other bog in the western world blah boring.

cgcsb

Feisar wrote: »

Why is rural synonymous with conservative? I know it is but wondering why? Does denser populations promote progressive thinking?

I think in Ireland, in order to be not deemed 'conservative' you have to occasionally eat something that isn't some combination of processed pork and potatoes, therefore you need to move yourself to an urban area at least the size of Athlone.

Feisar

Feisar wrote: »

Why is rural synonymous with conservative? I know it is but wondering why? Does denser populations promote progressive thinking?

Interesting article here by Robert Nielsen on that exact question

https://whistlinginthewind.org/2017/11/14/why-are-rural-areas-right-wing-and-urban-areas-left-wing/

joe40

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Interesting article here by Robert Nielsen on that exact question

https://whistlinginthewind.org/2017/11/14/why-are-rural-areas-right-wing-and-urban-areas-left-wing/

Yeah, I could agree with a lot of that. Although I like living in a rural county I would encourage my kids (teenagers) to get away and experience life in a city or another country for awhile at least.
maybe eventually come back, but at least spend time away and experience urban living. More than just college which is still a bit sheltered.

joe40

joe40 wrote: »

Yeah, I could agree with a lot of that. Although I like living in a rural county I would encourage my kids (teenagers) to get away and experience life in a city or another country for awhile at least.
maybe eventually come back, but at least spend time away and experience urban living. More than just college which is still a bit sheltered.

I agree, and it doesn't just apply to rural-dwellers, either.

I somehow feel quite sorry for all of those people in south Dublin who only seem to want to attend UCD for four years, whilst living at home with Mum and Dad.

What a waste of college life. When I was a student, I lived above a corner shop in Croydon. I was 18, completely broke, only went home at Christmas, and otherwise felt I was living in a Pogues song. That toughened me up a bit, and that was only London. Like yourself, I'd want all of my children to get out of Ireland and out of their comfort zone at an early age.

Franz Von Peppercorn II

cgcsb wrote: »

I think in Ireland, in order to be not deemed 'conservative' you have to occasionally eat something that isn't some combination of processed pork and potatoes, therefore you need to move yourself to an urban area at least the size of Athlone.

There’s a man who hasn’t visited the touristy (particularly the coastal) villages of Ireland.

branie2

True

EmmetSpiceland

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

and otherwise felt I was living in a Pogues song. That toughened me up a bit.

“The Old Main Drag” was it, ATNM?

sligojoek

I'd go for "1000s of Sailors" as the late great Philip used to call it.

cgcsb

Franz Von Peppercorn II wrote: »

There’s a man who hasn’t visited the touristy (particularly the coastal) villages of Ireland.

good point, rural tourist spots being an exception.

nuac

Muahahaha wrote: »

Well they weren't taking my Irish pounds so can only presume so. Got dirty looks off a couple of the customers waiting there too when they heard my accent. I wasn't welcome there and that was made pretty clear to me.

Married an Omagh girl over 40 years ago. Fine town, busy, good community spirit,

ToddyDoody

Carlow all the way. I remember a documentary done by a Europeann television channel on the effects of the recession on people in Ireland. It was in English and had some contributors in other languages that were subtitled. Other languages and Carlow english that is. They visited a jobs fair in Carlow and felt the need to subtitle some of the speakers. Another fun one was the Carlow colleagues use of the phrase 'Get Crackin' in a meeting. Had great fun recently listening back to the time they re-arranged the Carlow local radio franchise where accusions against the new operators included; skullduggery, Dublin influence and directors being in fact from county Laois and not Carlow.

ILoveYourVibes

Kilkenny Cavan ..and the WHOLE of ulster

s7ryf3925pivug

The whole wannabe-scumbag thing always seemed unusually prevalent in Dublin. Don't know if it still is. Maybe middle class southside teens feel empowered now by success in rugby and from reading Ross O'Carroll-Kelly.

Might just be prevalent everywhere, I probably wouldn't recognize it in other places.

the bit between Kildare Street and Merrion Street seems to have more than its fair share of absolute loons.

Feisar

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Wha? My home place is closer to Athlone than Ballingarry. Tipperary is a big, beautiful county.

cj maxx

Nquote="ILoveYourVibes;111539228"]Kilkenny Cavan ..and the WHOLE of ulster[/quote]

Cavan yes , but the whole of Ulster ?
For me , places like Edenderry and portarlinton.
Weird places

Widdershins

You can take the man out of Kerry...:P

Widdershins

Some weird articles in Fermanagh but they were outnumbered by the really warm sweet friendly ones. I stayed in a certain hotel.and got the 3rd degree from the landlady regarding what business brought me to the North.

Limerick people are misunderstood by outsiders. I really like them.

davidk1394

Feisar wrote: »

Hon the premier

cnocbui

Small villages in Connemara. I know someone who rented some land outside one village where he put some sheep. But he wasn't from around there, came from another small place 30 Km away, so the locals took their dogs to the property and dropped them over the fence, whereupon they maimed and tore apart 54 of the sheep.

There are certainly some odd places where the banjo seems to be the instrument of choice.