Do you know anyone who has never been outside their county?

JupiterKid · 04-02-2017 03:17AM #1

We Irish are well known to travel. Most Irish under the age of 50 have travelled to a number of countries, and indeed different continents.

But do you know anyone who has never even been outside their own county, let alone country? It seems pretty incredible in this day and age but Im sure there are a few people who have.

Jodotman · 04-02-2017 03:21AM

Yep probably around 30 or more people. It's more common than you think.

Edit: Read the title wrong. I know around 30 who never left the country. Don't know anyone who didn't leave there county.

Mountainsandh · 04-02-2017 03:31AM

Depends where you live too, I guess. I'm very near to a county border, so technically, there are very few of the older folks who have never gone to another county, although they may never have gone further than a 60 km radius.

Outlaw Pete · 04-02-2017 03:32AM

Are you kidding me???

There's a reason that most people in Ireland have never met someone from Leitrim.

Yourself isit · 04-02-2017 03:33AM

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Are you kidding me???

There's a reason that most people in Ireland have never met someone from Leitrim.

Because the population of letrim is so small that even if they all left it is still unlikely for the rest of us to meet them?

Charlie19 · 04-02-2017 03:42AM

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Are you kidding me???

There's a reason that most people in Ireland have never met someone from Leitrim.

Leitrim?

You're just making it up as you go along.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 04-02-2017 03:42AM

My maternal grandfather never ventured beyond these shores. He was the real typical story of a big Irish Catholic family, the eldest son of a farming family in Co. Offaly.

His younger siblings either emigrated or went to Dublin for work. A couple ended up in Guinness.

He was left at home, the heir to the land. He got married to my grandmother and they lived in the family farm homestead along with his parents before they died off. My mother has interesting memories of growing up in a house with both parents and grandparents.:pac:

endacl · 04-02-2017 03:45AM

Friend's son has never left Dublin. In fact, he's only ever been between Holles St and Terenure. Granted, he's only been around for a week or so, and he doesn't have cash. Or a passport. Or object permanence.

Bit of a mummy's boy, if you ask me.

Outlaw Pete · 04-02-2017 03:49AM

Charlie19 wrote: »

Leitrim?

You're just making it up as you go along.

I just knew somebody would say that. I am NOT making it up.

I swear on my life, that between Donegal, Fermanagh, Cavan and Longford, there is County called Leitrim.

I have actually met someone from there in fact and so you can claim I am making it up as much as you like.

Charlie19 · 04-02-2017 03:50AM

I'm sure there is plenty of Dublin folk that haven't ventured into other counties.
Dublin is blessed with its own Airport and and Docks.

Billy86 · 04-02-2017 03:59AM

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

I just knew somebody would say that. I am NOT making it up.

I swear on my life, that between Donegal, Fermanagh, Cavan and Longford, there is County called Leitrim.

I have actually met someone from there in fact and so you can claim I am making it up as much as you like.

Pete, there is no such thing as Leitrim. It's just something parents made up to scare children, like the boogeyman or Michael Jackson.

Duckworth_Luas · 04-02-2017 04:03AM

I can't imagine those human/pigeon hybrids you see in the capital have ever been outside of the two canals.

Their idea of a trip of a lifetime would be a booze cruise to Liverpool.

prinzeugen · 04-02-2017 04:07AM

One guy... He said he was in nam.. The only nam he was in was Rathfarnam!

longshanks · 04-02-2017 05:15AM

sugarman wrote: »

Mate whacker, only ever stepped foot outside of Inchincore once back in '88.

Didn't hear to Germany by any chance?

04-02-2017 06:23AM

I've been outside of Kerry...but apart from West Cork and Cork City, it's grim out there...

Victor · 04-02-2017 06:27AM

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

I swear on my life, that between Donegal, Fermanagh, Cavan and Longford, there is County called

Sligo?

Pherekydes · 04-02-2017 08:13PM

Billy86 wrote: »

Pete, there is no such thing as Leitrim. It's just something parents made up to scare children, like the boogeyman or Michael Jackson.

Most of the counties are made up. We (in Dublin) just refer to that wilderness as 'Outside the Pale' [i.e. beyond civilization]

wakka12 · 04-02-2017 08:17PM

I don't believe that there are any normal people alive today in ireland who have never left their county
Most counties in Ireland are too small to hold every service you would ever need in your life so I think everyone would have had to leave their home county at least once out of necessity

Grayson · 04-02-2017 08:22PM

I think your best bet is probably Dublin people. I had a friend who visited me down the country. He's never seen farm animals except from a car or train window. He'd dravelled between cities and towns but had never seen what was in-between. I have relatives in Dublin that are more likely to go to New York for a weekend than somewhere in Ireland.

Charlie19 · 04-02-2017 09:51PM

Grayson wrote: »

I think your best bet is probably Dublin people. I had a friend who visited me down the country. He's never seen farm animals except from a car or train window. He'd dravelled between cities and towns but had never seen what was in-between. I have relatives in Dublin that are more likely to go to New York for a weekend than somewhere in Ireland.

You'll find that its still classed as leaving the county.

JupiterKid · 05-02-2017 02:19AM

A friend's partner's parents grew up on a very small farm in West Cork. According to him, they never left Cork at all in their lives. Incredible but apparently true.

I'd say some of our ancestors never left their home Counties. Travel was expensive and difficult in days of yore.

Maybe I should rephrase this thread to ask if people had never left Ireland.

I know a guy on web forum (not this one) who has very bad agarophobia and in his mid 30s but has never left Ireland, has never been on an airplane and only travelled outside of Wexford to Dublin once or twice.

uck51js9zml2yt · 05-02-2017 02:27AM

Billy86 wrote: »

Pete, there is no such thing as Leitrim. It's just something parents made up to scare children, like the boogeyman or Michael Jackson.

Ah come on now..You're stretching it. The bogeyman is real:)

Samuel T. Cogley · 05-02-2017 02:30AM

Who'd admit being from Leitrim though?

DanielODonnell · 05-02-2017 02:34AM

I would say many old people from cities.

I live within a 10 minute drive of 2 other counties so everyone here has been to other counties as thats where the nearest shopping towns are.

You can't judge travelling by age though, my grandfather and great grandparents were more travelled than me and they were born 100 years before me.

JupiterKid · 05-02-2017 02:49AM

According to a survey, 22% of Americans have never travelled outside their own state. Imagine growing up in a state like Iowa, flat as a pancake and full of corn, wheat and barley fields. Depressing.

Less surprising is that most (53%)Americans have never left America in their lives. Affordability is a big factor, but many who didn't leave the country were too scared to do do so as they thought the world outside their borders was a "dangerous" place.

Very sad.:(

Samuel T. Cogley · 05-02-2017 02:57AM

JupiterKid wrote: »

According to a survey, 22% of Americans have never travelled outside their own state. Imagine growing up in a state like Iowa, flat as a pancake and full of corn, wheat and barley fields. Depressing.

Ignorance is bliss. If you know no different (admittedly difficult in this day and age) I can imagine worse places to grow up.

Leitrim for example. (I'm joking, I'm joking!)

tomwaterford · 05-02-2017 03:44AM

JupiterKid wrote: »

According to a survey, 22% of Americans have never travelled outside their own state. Imagine growing up in a state like Iowa, flat as a pancake and full of corn, wheat and barley fields. Depressing.

Less surprising is that most (53%)Americans have never left America in their lives. Affordability is a big factor, but many who didn't leave the country were too scared to do do so as they thought the world outside their borders was a "dangerous" place.

Very sad.:(

America is a big enough country....you'll do well to see it all in one lifetime

I'd not judue anyone for not leaving. ....theres huge amount of Irish people who've travelled the world. ...but never been to the Burren, new Grange or giants causeway

Though to answer the original question I know 1 lad who before leaving collage was outta waterford once....a night out to Kilkenny

But had to emigrate to get work after college and most likely will never live in ireland again

dd972 · 05-02-2017 04:07AM

Many Working class Londoners are thick as pig s**t and barely know the world beyond the M25, there was one I worked with who didn't know where Birmingham was, I also told him the Beatles came from Slough which he believed. :eek:

Samuel T. Cogley · 05-02-2017 04:10AM

dd972 wrote: »

Many Working class Londoners are thick as pig s**t and barely know the world beyond the M25, there was one I worked with who didn't know where Birmingham was, I also told him the Beatles came from Slough which he believed. :eek:

You can extend this to many Brits. Being of a working class British persuasion it's amazing the amount of people you have to explain ROI to.

Das Reich · 05-02-2017 04:25AM

Ireland is so small, it is impossible. As a foreigner I think I had been in all counties excluding Donegal and some in NI (even in Carrick on Shannon Leitrim).

Lyle Lanley · 05-02-2017 06:07AM

Why is Leitrim getting such a hard time? It is infinitely less **** than Cavan or Carlow.

Imagine being from Tyrone either? Is anyone from Tyrone?

Do you know anyone who has never been outside their county?

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