2023 will go down as a very sad/bad year for us Irish

AMKC

So far we have lost at least two great singers on Christy Dignam and Sinead 'O Conner. Anyone elsewhere? The Women have not had the luck of the Irish in Australia. They will not now make the group stages. Yes it's there fault. They could have done better no doubt.

Hopefully next year will be better for us all.

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058306636/2023-will-go-down-as-a-very-sad-bad-year-for-us-irish

I don't understand this,

Obviously its sad to see anyone pass away & god bless them & there families

As artist Sinead & Christy have given us there best work years ago now at this stage that we can listen to whenever we want, So as people who don't actually know them personally we haven't really lost anything we will always have what they gave to the public, For there close friends & family its obviously a different story & god bless them

People die daily , many of us will lose people this year we are actually deeply care about ,

We all knew they would go out at the group stage its hardly sad to be not good enough at a sport its just reality

As someone from a distance to the 3 events you mentioned , If these are the 3 saddest things that happen tis year you'll have a pretty good year be thankful

z80CPU

^^^^ echoing previous poster, OP should count their blessings if that's all that affects them.

bennyineire

2 celebrities' that I've never met have died this year, many more will too.

Sad that they died but honestly way down the list of my concerns.

These events certainly won't make or break 2023 for me and for the vast majority of people in this country I wager

No it won't. A thread doesn't have to be started for absolutely EVERY thought.

Gregor Samsa

Hopefully next year we have zero mortality for all Irish people globally, and 100% sporting success for all Irish teams and individuals in all sports at all levels, even those playing against each other.

Ten of Swords

It's no 2016 that's for sure 🥺

Akrasia

Ireland could win the Rugby world Cup this year.

We are the world number one ranked team

Munster won the URC, that was good. First Irish team to ever win that competition.

The U20s won another 6 nations grand slam

Not bad to be an Irish rugby supporter

ancapailldorcha

This is ridiculous. While it's sad to see people like O'Connor pass away, that's a part of life. Plenty of people couldn't care less about sport regardless of who's playing or what sport it is. We just had covid not 5 years ago which was hell for a lot of people. That sets my bar for a sad year pretty high. 2016 was a desperately sad year but covid set the standard for me. If I can travel, go out and work then I'm thankful.

Jim_Hodge

If that's all it takes for you to think the entire nation has had a bad year, you need to look at your priorities. Two singers died (l'll admit to never listening to either of them and not knowing one of them even by name) and a sports team performs as was expected of them...hardly heart wrenching.

LambshankRedemption

My father died in March and Im getting the family home ready to go on the market. I'm having to throw out loads of things, each with its own individual memory attached to it.

Kind of puts the OP into perspective.

TedBundysDriver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911139#Comment_120911139

Rugby is rubbish. Played seriously by a handful of nations it's about as competitive as i'd be in a 100 meter race with Usain Bolt.

Danzy

Christy had bad luck with his health but fought hard, bore it well, lasted longer than expected and was genuinely inspirational.

.

Sad news on his passing but not a tragedy and not a national one.

Sinead O'Connor was a troubled soul and had great tragedy.

National tragedy it was not.

Death is the price of life, a cheap price,not always fairly applied though

mikemac2

Forgive my ignorance but what happened in 2016? Two mentions of it on the thread

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911262#Comment_120911262

2016 in Ireland - Wikipedia

How 2016 unfolded in Ireland: month by month – The Irish Times

cute geoge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911250#Comment_120911250

I just can not under stand the fasination by a large amount of ordinary people in this rugby .Do people actually understand any of the rules ,tactics or game plan .The amount of sponsorship it gets from banks ,drink companies,phone companies is some joke compared to underage soccer ,gaa which take a hell of a lot of kids off the streets and is a great outlet for 100's of thousands of youngsters .I just dont get it .

Back 70 years ago ,a local character who had returned to Ireland from Australia had to describing rugby to the locals before T.V. that never knew what rugby entailed said it was like a litter of bonhams suckling on a sow

magicbastarder

It's a reference to musicians dying. In 2016, Bowie, Prince, Cohen, and George Michael died, along with a slew of others.

Finty Lemon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058306636/2023-will-go-down-as-a-very-sad-bad-year-for-us-irish

Indeed. We should write to the UN for help immediately. How will we cope at all?

Montage of Feck

Maybe we should sacrifice the odd celebrity to the gods, as this year doesn't seem particularly bad compared to any other year of recent times.

Montage of Feck

Even the 2016 thing is a load of crap, just google celebrity deaths xxxx for any year it will spew out a list featuring widely known people.

The loss of Sinéad and Christy is felt by their families and closest friends, not by random strangers like myself. Yes I know the pseudo-sadness that can be felt when a figure one has admired dies, and when you imagine you have known them.

To me 2023 is the year I developed progressive multiple sclerosis, ending a huge element of my independence, and that is what I am grieving.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911237#Comment_120911237

Awe sorry to hear that. My condolences for your loss.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911435#Comment_120911435

Sorry to hear that.

An aunty in law I used to get on with well recently developed dementia and does not know me now at all :(

board silly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058306636/2023-will-go-down-as-a-very-sad-bad-year-for-us-irish

Really makes you think.

whisky_galore

Two people died and we lost at the sportsball.

The latter hardly merits a national mourning, we lose at stuff nearly all of the time, get over it. At least we are not fighting a war for our very existence, battling floods or wildfires like some other places.

astrofool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911250#Comment_120911250

In the top 10 World sports, what sports would youblist above it?

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911435#Comment_120911435

pseudo-sadness? can you not feel genuine sadness when someone you respect dies?

@AMKC

Jesus H @AMKC you couldn't even get their names right in your newest inane thread.

Oranage2

Our economy is apparently booming but our public services are falling apart, teacher shortages,gardai leaving in their droves, long hospital and doctor waits. The cost of living have forced many 30 and fourty somethings to move back home and many young Educated people to emigrate. No social housing and no affording housing which many people would like.

A year and a half past the lockdowns and I'd say most would like to go back to that period as the current situation seems a lot worse.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911250#Comment_120911250

Ha ha ha ha. Good one

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911701#Comment_120911701

People can emigrate or stay at home by choice. Back in the day there was mass forced emigration, and still 15% or more unemployment for those at home. I can't remember any golden age in the past that I want to go back to.

TedBundysDriver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911640#Comment_120911640

Football, Motorcycling, Tennis, Golf, Ice Hockey, Baseball, Cricket, Boxing, Formula 1, Basketball.....

There's also a raft of other sports i'd watch ahead of it.

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911887#Comment_120911887

A different kind of messed up, it's still profoundly messed up now and only getting worse and no party seems even barely interested in changing that.

Hyperbollix

If two singers dying and a rugby team getting knocked out of a competition are all we have to worry about for 2023, we're doing alright.

The deaths are felt primarily by the families involved and to a lesser extent by the diehard core fans who religiously went to their gigs. For the other 98% of us, it's a matter of acknowledging the passing of a well known name in Irish life and moving on.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911917#Comment_120911917

An economy where teachers, nurses and Gardai can walk into even better paid jobs is something to be celebrated. Or they can make a choice to leave if it turns out the career does not meet their expectations. This will improve things for both themselves and the public they were unhappy serving. Stacking supermarket shelves is often mentioned as alternative employment for people like that. Market forces will prevail, and more suitable recruits will be got, when the pay and conditons are right.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911662#Comment_120911662

I’m putting the sadness I feel when someone I loved as a public figure in perspective to the sadness I felt when lived members of my family or even my pets died. The difference is a tear rolling down my face versus being virtually convulsed by crying, that’s the difference.

astrofool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911910#Comment_120911910

Ice Hockey, baseball, basketball and Cricket all played by fewer countries than Rugby (and only Cricket and Ice Hockey have competitive world cups).

Formula 1 is european + south american drivers.

Football, tennis and golf would be the only 3 really ahead of it.

But rugby is still in the top 10 world sports with more countries involved than others you listed :)

Beasty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120912251#Comment_120912251

4.5 million registered Rugby Union players in the World versus 30 million registered Cricket players

Only 33 counties have more than 10k registered players.

20 million people in the USA play basketball regularly

Rugby Union is a big sport in Ireland, but quite a way down the list globally

And what about Cycling? Participation (running into hundreds of millions - 9 million bicycles in Beijing!) and competition throughout the World.

techman1

When I saw the title I thought it was referring to the crime wave in Dublin city and associated stuff. I know the famous retort to that is ah sure it's only Dublin and tourist need to get to the rest of the country and everything is grand there. However that is an over simplistic reaction to a trend that's been happening for a long time and really only hit home with the headlines over the US tourist being attacked on Talbot street.

Firstly this low level crime and anti social behaviour is a nation wide phenomenon although it is out in the open and glaringly obvious in Dublin city centre. All cities have the problems of drugs homelessness and refugees sleeping rough but they seem to deal with them differently. When you walk around London, Edinburgh, Manchester or Belfast you don't immediately see this like you do in Dublin. What I think has happened is that the authorities in Dublin both local and national have washed their hands of the problems building in Dublin for years. Therefore the path of least resistance is taken, the guards let things go , the corporation let things go but also Dublin corporation is not funded to anything like London Belfast or Edinburgh cities are in terms of keeping the city clean and clearing out anti social elements before they establish a foothold. Another feature in Dublin seems to be the prominence of non government organisations and charities involved in helping homeless people and drug users. This has acted like a magnet for homeless people and drug users to congregate in the city centre in the historical heart of the city where tourists would also be. This is unique to Dublin, I have never seen this anywhere else to the extent you see it in Dublin

dxhound2005

You wouldn't have the knowledge of what happens in thousands of other cities, to declare that anything in Dublin is unique.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120913542#Comment_120913542

Not sure why the diatribe followed after you realised this is NOT what the thread was about, while there are ample other threads on the topic. There's loads there for rebuttal regarding the assertion Dublin is in some way unique but that's for the other threads.

Airyfairy12

I still cant believe Sinead O Connor is gone, it hasnt sunk in! This hasnt been the best year & we're only half way through 😥

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120914314#Comment_120914314

Oh sweet ------ 🙄

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911289#Comment_120911289

Ya stupid game. You get 5 point for a wide ball and a 45 as well, except it's from inside the 45 ( virtually you pick the spot to kick from) and if you score it you get another's two points.

If you score a free you get three points. The only real score from play a drop goal, is not a goal it's over the bar and you get three points as well for that. You bash you way up and down the field. You can pull and drag lads down all-over the place. You are constantly kicking the ball.over the sidelines so you can have a rest even after you win a free. Half the time they spend the time trying to bash a wide ball.over the line

At the end of the game the result might be 3 X wide ball 2X45's a couple of frees......to a wide ball, a 45's, a couple of frees and and a drop goal.tgatbis not a goal.

mykrodot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120912117#Comment_120912117

completely agree, grief is so relative. I cried my eyes out a month ago when my old cat died, she had been through so much with me. I couldn't believe how upset I felt. My daughter died when she was 5 and nothing could come close to that, years of tears and depression, but yes I still cry over pets and people I love.

While I feel sad at some actor/musician deaths and in Sinead OConnor's death it was the shock, I just don't understand the national outpourings of grief that go on for days and days, alongside saturation analysis from every radio station, newspaper until they nearly kill the golden goose..... we get tired of it all.

Sport is sport, I am unaffected by results (in a sadness kind of way!).

I think death in the media can trigger emotions from our own losses but only very momentarily. Usually we get perspective. With Sinead O Connor its the memories of her music and that time when we heard them, and where we were, what we were doing, seems so long ago . Its sad for O Connor's family and Christy Dignam's now......but that is life, none of us are escaping alive.

Sorry to read of your health issues, I hope you get good treatment and have good support, it will make a huge difference to your quality of life . Loss of health is a kind of grief too. Best of luck in the future

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120914314#Comment_120914314

Don't be so negative she might come back

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120911363#Comment_120911363

Simply untrue that there is the same amount of very high profile people dying every year as 2016. If that were the case, why is 2016 randomly focused on?

David Bowie, Prince, George Michael, Leonard Cohen, Carrie Fisher and her mother (who was a huge star in the 50s/60s), Alan Rickman, Terry Wogan, Muhammad Ali... among others.

dxhound2005

That's 9.

ZookeeperDub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058306636/2023-will-go-down-as-a-very-sad-bad-year-for-us-irish

Wait till I tell you about 2008

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120918298#Comment_120918298

But there haven't been people AS famous dying in such numbers in one year. David Bowie, Prince, George Michael, Leonard Cohen and Muhammad Ali alone is exceptional. Yes of course well known people die all the time, but a bunch of massively famous people all died that year. It was unusual.

There was also Ronnie Corbett, Victoria Wood, Gene Wilder, Paul Daniels and Rick Parfitt of Status Quo.

Of course some were old and none were young, but Prince, George Michael, Carrie Fisher - they were just in their 50s. Even David Bowie wasn't that old.

StupidLikeAFox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120918306#Comment_120918306

By the time ye get to 2020 its gonna blow your mind

RobbingBandit

2023 has had some awful deaths poor Mark Sheehan from The Script in April major loss to Irish music.