Things that add to the culture and well-being of the country.

I was heading to Leopardstown on Sunday in the car and within 2 minutes I got bored of listening to the usual talking heads ranting on about politics and how awful everything is, so I decided to change the station over to Lyric FM.

George Hamilton was presenting the Hamilton Scores. The music was fantastic; George is a recognisable and easy-going presenter with a wonderful voice, and the whole journey was a pleasure. I'm very much a lowbrow when it comes to classical music, but I enjoyed everything he played.

Do the middlebrows of Boards have any other examples of things that add to the general well-being and culture of the country?

kirk.

Sulky racing

POBox19

Live Drive on Dublin City FM 103.20, not the actual traffic news but the music between the reports!

Strumms

what I like culturally is a myriad of activities that you can engage in, compared to other places I’ve been to.

Thriving scenes of film, live music, art, theatre, comedy are just five.

we are ahead of lots of countries in a lot of categories.

Some of the best nights I’ve had has been going to see a band on a whim and just having a blast.

you’d struggle in other cities and countries to do anything similar.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120213786#Comment_120213786

Witnessed it happening once. Not sure it adds to the culture of the country, but I'm looking for better examples.

cj maxx

Gaelic football and Hurling , and any sport under the auspices of the GAA . Plus our Olympians

iniscealtra

Traditional music sessions. People get together to play for enjoyment.

Atlantic Dawn

Getting married to someone related to you who was less than 17 years of age because you were classed by Enda Kenny as a different race to Irish people.

marathon2022

Spuds

iniscealtra

John Creedon - raidió 1

John Kelly - Lyric

Neansaí Ní Choistealbha - RnaG

Films/Trad/ documenteries - TG4

RTE - some documenteries

Museums

Gaelic games

Festivals - Willie Clancy, Dublin Theatre Festival, anything supporting a decent amount of irish grown talent

tabby aspreme

At this hour of the morning, a Breakfast Roll

Atlantic Dawn

They require a text from an Argos burner phone from left side news, they require a scan of a passport and a tax clearance certificate from any 'right' side news. #Designed to fail.

New Home

All the Arts festivals, starting with the Galway one.

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120214091#Comment_120214091

Probably posted in the wrong thread?

Mad_maxx

The local radio death notices

Tabnabs

Visited the NCH a while back to experience my first "classical" concert. Was fairly underwhelmed. The building was much smaller and less ornate than you would imagine and the size of the orchestra was pretty modest too. Maybe we don't do classical music very well despite having two state orchestras?

John_Rambo

The free museums in Dublin which include the National Museum of Ireland, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin City Hall, and the Irish Museum of Modern Art as well as on the first Wednesday of each month, many OPW Heritage Sites offer Free Admission to independent/individual visitors and families.

Not many cities offer this type of history, culture & art for free. The staff are amazing too.

That along with some ethnic food in one of the ethnic quarters in the city makes a very cheap & culturally mixed day out in Irelands cultural epicentre.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058283374/things-that-add-to-the-culture-and-well-being-of-the-country

having functioning property and health care systems, probably does wonders for a country!

CaboRoig

TG4 documentaries are usually excellent.

Our climate. We all whinge a little about the weather from time to time but our climate generally doesn't suffer from some of the extremes you see in other less fortunate parts of the world.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120214463#Comment_120214463

There's always one.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120214479#Comment_120214479

...only answering the question!

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120214478#Comment_120214478

TG4's Scannal is amazing.

CreadanLady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120213800#Comment_120213800

Bareknuckle boxing, batin' 7 colours of shíte out of your wife, dipshit haircuts, no tax/insurance/nct/licence. 80 convictions. Robbing lead off of church roofs.

It's me culture boss.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120214479#Comment_120214479

But the opening poster said wellbeing. I agree with that, and also decent public transport (which has improved in fairness).

Tombo2001

Greenways....they are good.

The Wild Atlantic Way.

Farmers Markets

Food Trucks

Do you mean this country or any country OP?

One thing I think we miss a bit is a strong national cuisine. You go to places like Italy or Spain or Morocco or India and they have really interesting and good cuisine specific to that country. We lack that. Everywhere you go in Ireland, its something something and chips.

whisky_galore

Spaces for the arts, music and dance of all kinds, esp in cities, and woefully under supply here.

Appreciation of artists, we have a weird attitude towards this. Every time there's a festival there's roaring and shouting for artists but people would like them to perform for next to nothing. After the festival, people want them to 'get a proper job'.

Historic buildings, again a weird attitude. A fair few 'bulldoze the lot for modhern schtuff' types in this country. Bet they make a bee line for the 'old town' area of a city on hols as it's usually nicest for tourists though.

Right to roam to hike, wild camp etc, would be nice to have but people here can't behave themselves, take the piss and destroy the place, can't blame landowners.

Furze99

Neighbours who stop and you have a chat with.

FortuneChip

I guess Greenways are a very functional answer.

We've some amazing scenery in the country, and the greenways add to that by making them more accessible.

CaboRoig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120214426#Comment_120214426

Any recommendations for some good ethnic food places?

John_Rambo

I do, hopefully it doesn't descend in to a squabble as often it does when people recommend food....

Aobaba, Arisu, Takara, Hailan, Musashi, Hanoi Hanoi and M&L, all North Central Dublin.

It is a Dunne Deal

The Fleadh Ceoil.

Hungry Burger

the traditional Irish pub. I love nothing more than relaxing in the pub after a hard weeks work and chatting to everyone in there about anything and everything.

Sad to see so many closing down these days and the ones that are still hanging on are not getting people in the door. Use to have loads of choice, now not so much.

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120215286#Comment_120215286

It's a shame. As long as people refuse to live close to pubs those particular pubs will suffer.

I don't get when people say food is bad here. There are countless great restaurants. I don't think we have a national dish as such, but plenty of different types of dishes available and done well.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120216708#Comment_120216708

We have easy access to good quality food in supermarkets too once you buy in season.

kravmaga

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120214779#Comment_120214779

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMV2tfk3PXQ&ab_channel=BrendioEEE

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120216708#Comment_120216708

I can see where people are coming from when they say that. We don't have a great historical culinary culture. However, I don't agree with the chips & something comment that someone made, that's just the places they're going to.

However, there's a serious, vibrant & growing food scene in Ireland over the last few decades and we're rediscovering our roots, growing our own, foraging and catching in some cases. We're buying & cooking seasonally too. When I go to the fish mongers, the bakers and the butchers they're full of people buying stuff that wouldn't have sold twenty years ago and it's Irish people as well as non-Irish buying.

Restaurants have improved and (where they can) are pushing the envelope, trying new things & creating amazing dishes. One example would be Stoked in Sligo. Amazing.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120215286#Comment_120215286

I agree. Problem is a lot of them pre covid got very greedy.

my own local … a large plate of food from the carvery and two pints is around 28 or 29 euros….

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120216952#Comment_120216952

Yeah I'm in Cork - between the city, west Cork and east Cork there are masses of great restaurants.

saabsaab

Well fed cattle in the fields.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120215286#Comment_120215286

Most towns and villages had ridiculous numbers of pubs that couldn't all survive.

Very hard to find an untouched authentic pub, the weirdest trend was to rip all the original fittings out and replace them with new old crap, tin cans and bicycles hanging off walls and the like. That and chipping all the render off to make them look faux "old timey" are pet hates.

saabsaab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120217225#Comment_120217225

True enough. Some really genuine ones were ripped out in the Celtic Tiger era to appeal to the young crowd. One was untouched since the 1910s!

Many villages had seven or even ten pubs (most pub shops) so they had to shut down as the older ones passed on. Now probably one or two if lucky.

Hungry Burger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120217225#Comment_120217225

They were never going to all survive but it’s still sad to see them go. I could have visited 12 different pubs every weekend in my younger years.

bodhrandude

The recent splurge of excellent Irish films being made over the last few years, some of them getting the acclaim they deserve.

Andrea B.

Being stuck in traffic and a big thick potato head (like your own), looking across from other car and giving you a cautious slow eliptical "nod" and a slight deflection (not a full wink) of the eyelid.

Before you realise and completely out of your control, you return the same.

The timing of your return, coupled with the speed and direction is critical.

An incorrectly executed return nod could lead to an interpretation of "a pass", or at worst lead to conflict.

We can't be taught this stuff. We are born with it.

iniscealtra

Lots of Bank holidays

Greenways / beachs / mountains/ hills

Phoenix Park / other public parks

Getting out and about

A decent work life balance

A pub without the telly

Plants - houseplants/ herbs on the balcony/ bulbs in a planter / veg in the garden

Being active in a community group (however small) - makes one feel part of something

Saying hello to your neighbours as you pass

Tell me how

The Amateur Drama circuit.

Every Spring time amateur Drama groups throughout the country put on productions as they compete in the two tier national competition.

A few years ago, I was able to see tens of plays a year and a few times saw a production of the same play by an amateur group and a professional theatre group at some stage within a few months of each other and in many cases, the only difference in the quality of production was the quality of the set or props.

For a tenner a night (at least it used to be) for a week or so, a fantastic evenings entertainment in small towns and villages throughout the country.

This years circuit.

https://adci.ie/full-length-circuit/festivals/festivals-2023/

whisky_galore

An end to ambulance chasing law firms and peoples' greed that feeds that industry would mean we could have some nice things again. Publicly accessible facilities and activity based businesses and such like.

Be right back

Our beautiful beaches. It always clears my head to go to one. Inchadoney is always spectacular.

Dare I say, Irish weddings? None of this getting married at 3 and done by 10/11.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120217451#Comment_120217451

Younger people aren't interested in supping pints in 12 different pubs every weekend, tastes change, time moves on.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120216959#Comment_120216959

Yeah, prices were utterly insane. I personally have no sympathy for them, particularly given how staff on minimum wage get treated in some of them.