RagFest20

Mrs OBumble

Looks like the Hole in the Wall's makeover was only skin deep - attitudes haven't changed.

Rag Week turned into unofficial rag week with no fundraising and no official support. Now HITW have labelled it RagFest and linked fundraising for COPE Galway into the mix. Music from 10:30am Monday thru Thursday of this week, Donegaaaaal Tuesday is on the menu.

Wonder how COPE feel about this, given how much of their time is spend helping people clean up their lives from the aftermath of alcohol abuse.



Facebook post


Pics (I've got a small screen, couldn't get the whole thing in one screen-grab)

Ficheall

Ubuntu entertainment? :-/

Utopia Parkway

Don't think the weather on Monday or Tuesday will help festivities. Usually the two busiest days.

Lucky b**tards. Loved the sessions in Rag Week.
Hope the students have a fantastic week

Would love to be facing into a solid week on the beer too, wouldn’t be going near the hole in the wall though.

Fair play to the students, was always a great week when I did it. Hope they enjoy it!

Arghus

I envy them. Wish I had the physical capacity to go drinking for a week.

Grassey

Great week of craic and harmless mischief. I remember those daze (ha) fondly!

Should be a recognised national holiday event, broaden the net to include working prefessionals too!

JohnCleary

TAKE ME BACK!

Homelander

You're only young once, events like Rag Week can't be looked at through the prism of a grouchy middled aged buzzkill.

Was never able for it much though. After two days on it, I was always wrecked and couldn't go on. Great times!

Wompa1

Seems like the last 2 years were uneventful enough. The current crop may have more cop on than the 2007-2017 groups At least they the pub is collecting for charity at the door.

Diabhal Beag

Very tame this year. Not one youngster sat in a pool of vomit on the drive home through town. Sad to see.

Your Face

Some craic back in the day.
Hope they have a good time, enjoy themselves and mind each other.

Arghus

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Very tame this year. Not one youngster sat in a pool of vomit on the drive home through town. Sad to see.

Walked through town earlier. Aside from outside the pubs in Woodquay you'd barely know it was on.

Fitz*

Haven't even seen one single picture or video yet of any drunken shenanigans. Not even a picture of a queue to get into a pub yet

For shame!

Wompa1

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Very tame this year. Not one youngster sat in a pool of vomit on the drive home through town. Sad to see.

I have a theory, those who were children during the Celtic Tiger were off the rails when in their late teens and twenties. Those who were children in the recession years have more sense and control.

Mrs OBumble

FitzShane wrote: »

Haven't even seen one single picture or video yet of any drunken shenanigans. Not even a picture of a queue to get into a pub yet

For shame!

Try harder: https://www.galwaydaily.com/news/crowds-fill-eyre-street-for-day-long-drinking-on-donegal-tuesday/



It's not nearly as bad as last year, but Shop St is currently full of younger and louder than average club-goers.

ben.schlomo

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Try harder: https://www.galwaydaily.com/news/crowds-fill-eyre-street-for-day-long-drinking-on-donegal-tuesday/



It's not nearly as bad as last year, but Shop St is currently full of younger and louder than average club-goers.

Are you lurking around for the shift?

Mrs OBumble

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Are you lurking around for the shift?

:-)

I'm in a pub in the area with a temporary 25+ age limit. Two lovely gentlemen here, I will likely will go home with the usual one.

Arghus

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

It's not nearly as bad as last year, but Shop St is currently full of younger and louder than average club-goers.

It's terrible isn't it.

jammiedodgers

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Try harder: https://www.galwaydaily.com/news/crowds-fill-eyre-street-for-day-long-drinking-on-donegal-tuesday/



It's not nearly as bad as last year, but Shop St is currently full of younger and louder than average club-goers.

Louder than average?! Tis a disgrace Joe. If we don't stop this they may even start shouting.

Wompa1

Wompa1 wrote: »

I have a theory, those who were children during the Celtic Tiger were off the rails when in their late teens and twenties. Those who were children in the recession years have more sense and control.

Far more fond of the pills than the previous generation, rife among current 18 - 24 year olds ... be much better off sticking to the drink.

Wompa1

Kade Alive Mouser wrote: »

Far more fond of the pills than the previous generation, rife among current 18 - 24 year olds ... be much better off sticking to the drink.

Which pills?

Alcohol and Xanax are two of the most dangerous substances to get addicted to as the withdrawals can kill you.

Wompa1

May have spoke too soon. Aniar had their window smashed and the TGO Falafel Bar bike\cart that operates in the market was taken and thrown into the canal. Not such a quiet week, apparently Tartare had their window smashed last week too though. May be that rowdy Novena crowd.

inisboffin

It was quite messy in town last night and I was in an 'older person's pub' :pac: but one or two of the quieter rag lot were even in there. It was like water trying to find a level, with them trying loads of different pubs until they got in.

Apart from being shoved into and the odd stupid comment it seemed good natured but very p*ssed. Don't know why gangs of young men have to say something to EVERYBODY they pass, it must be tiring!

Just saw the post and the falafel cart found dumped in the canal. Gobsh*tes.

Utopia Parkway

Feels like it's been a good bit quieter around Woodquay direction this year which is usually the rowdiest part of town during rag week. The bad weather the last few nights has probably kept them off the street and confined indoors to a certain extent.

McTigs

Kade Alive Mouser wrote: »

Far more fond of the pills than the previous generation, rife among current 18 - 24 year olds ... be much better off sticking to the drink.

You've clearly never had a decent yoke:p

Wompa1

https://connachttribune.ie/revellers-leave-city-in-rag%e2%80%88order/

Claims from the restaurant owner that he apprehended a student after the window was smashed but he wasn't one of the people involved. :pac:

He also had a window broken the previous week yet that's not being highlighted at all as it wasn't rag week. People get awful worried when the same stuff that happens every other week happens on rag week.

Wompa1

Kade Alive Mouser wrote: »

He also had a window broken the previous week yet that's not being highlighted at all as it wasn't rag week. People get awful worried when the same stuff that happens every other week happens on rag week.

I don't think his windows get broken every week. If another one gets broken this week though, he may be getting targeted. From what I remember, he highlighted problems during Race Week too. But more on the grounds that people were getting p1ssed drunk and didn't bother showing up for dinner reservations.

It's interesting that the Gardai in Cork have praised the students down there for their behavior:

https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/Cork-students-praised-by-Gardai-for-their-behaviour-during-RAG-week-98990b5e-67cf-4809-947d-3773e1f0d27a-ds

and in the same article, it highlights NUI RAG Weeks and the cancellation. I have only lived in a few different parts of Ireland. The only one I ever noticed RAG Week in was Galway so maybe it is particularly disruptive here.

From what I remember back before it got cancelled. Someone smeared sh1te across the wall of a business down in Woodquay, the Fire Department was attacked with rocks and bottles by Dun na Coiribe, someone vandalized the mailbox at the post office on Eglington Street, a crowd of 'lads' lay on the road in front of buses in Eyre Square blocking them from getting out. A gang of 'lads' jumped on the back of a tow truck around Eyre Square too. Not to mention the cars that were damaged, the number of arrests and the unfortunate deaths that occurred during the weeks.

It seems like this year was pretty quiet by all accounts but there was fair reason for trying to cancel it.

If students are vandalizing businesses, they should get kicked out of the University. Particularly these days when insurance cost is such a huge problem.

pure.conya

Wompa1 wrote: »

https://connachttribune.ie/revellers-leave-city-in-rag%e2%80%88order/

Claims from the restaurant owner that he apprehended a student after the window was smashed but he wasn't one of the people involved. :pac:

or a much more serious charge of kidnapping

Fitz*

Galway got a reputation as being the most craic during a RAG week, so people started to come here for the week from their own college somewhere else in Ireland. I even done myself the same once or twice, visiting friends in Limerick for their week. And while being biased towards Galway's NUIG week, I did think it was much better craic! People wanted to come to Galway and experience a new city, new pubs and locations etc and generally the idea of being somewhere where nobody knew you.

I know that a few years ago, in the height of the Donegal Tuesday problems, there was multiple buses driving from Donegal to Galway on the Tuesday morning of RAG week, just for people to go on the beer here, do what they want and leave again. Perhaps to not be seen again here for months or years. Do you think those people would care if they broke something down here? It might not actually be students based in Galway that performed vandalizing acts last week, or within the last few years. There's probably a higher chance that it was a student, or someone from Galway, but there is a chance that it was a visitor too.

While I was a student the year it happened, thankfully I didn't live in Dun na Coiribe for those incidents with the bottles. It was pretty shocking even for fellow students. I did live there the year previous and we actually had some decent congregations on the grass as from memory there was good weather that year. I also think that there might have been security doing patrols that year too I think and they were fair (or maybe we just self policed, to be honest it was about 10 years ago now so memory is a bit hazy!). Empty bottles etc back into a box or plastic bag to keep the place clean. Groups of 20 or so allowed, but anything more were told to break up. The congregations never got out of hands, while people were still allowed to sit and chat together, play music or with a ball.

Sometimes I think that a properly organised week in the college grounds with suitable charity events would result in less bad incidents in the city. Give the students events where they can partake in early in the day, say 14.00 or 15.00 which runs for an hour or two and then they can go into the college bar after that or back to their house for cans. Still gives them their day and/or night out, but also delays the drunkeness levels in the city until more 'normal' bar hours. Starting drinking at 11.00 am is a lot different to starting drinking at 15.00.

FitzShane

FitzShane wrote: »

Sometimes I think that a properly organised week in the college grounds with suitable charity events would result in less bad incidents in the city. Give the students events where they can partake in early in the day, say 14.00 or 15.00 which runs for an hour or two and then they can go into the college bar after that or back to their house for cans. Still gives them their day and/or night out, but also delays the drunkeness levels in the city until more 'normal' bar hours. Starting drinking at 11.00 am is a lot different to starting drinking at 15.00.

I don't think events are going to stop people drinking early, it certainly never stopped me.

When I was in NUIG rag week was 100% official and there were events all over the college. We still started drinking first thing in the morning and rarely if ever went to any events organised by the college.

Let them at it for the week but just come down very hard on bad behaviour so that people know its unacceptable. Only a very small percentage of people cause trouble and these should be targeted not the majority who just have the craic for the week.

Fitz*

Kade Alive Mouser wrote: »

I don't think events are going to stop people drinking early, it certainly never stopped me.

When I was in NUIG rag week was 100% official and there were events all over the college. We still started drinking first thing in the morning and rarely if ever went to any events organised by the college.

Let them at it for the week but just come down very hard on bad behaviour so that people know its unacceptable. Only a very small percentage of people cause trouble and these should be targeted not the majority who just have the craic for the week.

That's true to be fair, but maybe events inside in the campus can keep drinking some bit regulated and under control. Lads less likely to pay for a double vodka in a bar than pour one from an own brand bottle at home. Maybe I'm just being too idealistic, as I like you was very partial to a pre drink before events too!

I do think that the drink culture from my era to now has changed. I think there's a lot more emphasis in image on students especially in males. GAA and sport has a big part to play in this. I remember we would easily do a few day sessions during the day and nights. A lot of beer guts were grown and we would slap on any t-shirt and try get in somewhere that night and see what happens from there. I get the impression now that a lot of younger lads are taking sport, and fitness a lot more seriously. They are trying to keep in shape for sport, but also the image for Instagram and the likes. It's just the thought I have from the outside looking in. Maybe try and play to this crowd if possible.

For example, would I be interested in a 5-a-side tournament one day and drinking afterwards? Absolutely. Is there any harm in trying it? There are already the facilities for this in Corrib Village and I think maybe Dangan too, both NUIG facilities. GMIT could use Mervue grounds.

pure.conya

anybody interested in raising a grand for charity at all?

Ficheall

The raising money aspect of it leads to the uni's involvement/endorsement, making it more difficult for the uni to absolve itself of any blame. The uni's lack of involvement is definitely a contributing factor in the calming of recent rag weeks.

Wompa1

FitzShane wrote: »

Galway got a reputation as being the most craic during a RAG week, so people started to come here for the week from their own college somewhere else in Ireland. I even done myself the same once or twice, visiting friends in Limerick for their week. And while being biased towards Galway's NUIG week, I did think it was much better craic! People wanted to come to Galway and experience a new city, new pubs and locations etc and generally the idea of being somewhere where nobody knew you.

I know that a few years ago, in the height of the Donegal Tuesday problems, there was multiple buses driving from Donegal to Galway on the Tuesday morning of RAG week, just for people to go on the beer here, do what they want and leave again. Perhaps to not be seen again here for months or years. Do you think those people would care if they broke something down here? It might not actually be students based in Galway that performed vandalizing acts last week, or within the last few years. There's probably a higher chance that it was a student, or someone from Galway, but there is a chance that it was a visitor too.

While I was a student the year it happened, thankfully I didn't live in Dun na Coiribe for those incidents with the bottles. It was pretty shocking even for fellow students. I did live there the year previous and we actually had some decent congregations on the grass as from memory there was good weather that year. I also think that there might have been security doing patrols that year too I think and they were fair (or maybe we just self policed, to be honest it was about 10 years ago now so memory is a bit hazy!). Empty bottles etc back into a box or plastic bag to keep the place clean. Groups of 20 or so allowed, but anything more were told to break up. The congregations never got out of hands, while people were still allowed to sit and chat together, play music or with a ball.

Sometimes I think that a properly organised week in the college grounds with suitable charity events would result in less bad incidents in the city. Give the students events where they can partake in early in the day, say 14.00 or 15.00 which runs for an hour or two and then they can go into the college bar after that or back to their house for cans. Still gives them their day and/or night out, but also delays the drunkeness levels in the city until more 'normal' bar hours. Starting drinking at 11.00 am is a lot different to starting drinking at 15.00.

I can remember as a child, during RAG Week there were actually students from the University out in Headford doing a charity car wash. You might be right on the attitude changing too. I think I had said before, my mother noticed the younger crowd becoming more mannerly and friendly over the last few years. Toward the tail end of my time in college, it seemed like there was all kinds of student related problems in the city, not just during RAG Week but rental properties getting destroyed. Green areas around neighborhoods turning into make shift bottle banks.

I had always wondered if the litter problem around Galway was to do with the fact most of the people in the city on a given day don't live in it and don't take any pride in the place. You see great efforts in places like Westport, Kilcolgan, Kinvara to keep the places tidy. In Galway City, it's the opposite.

xckjoo

FWIW, when the college wanted to ban it the Gardaí asked them not to but instead to make an effort to move it back on-campus and focus on the charity aspect. I still think it was poor form for them just to absolve themselves of all responsibilities and leave it up to everyone else to take care of.

Andrew00

It was quiet because HoIe In The Wall is dead. Even on a regular Friday and Saturday night there's nobody in it now.