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Child Item

The 70's and 80's in Ireland

Kermit.de.frog

What was it like in the 1980's in Ireland?

I have seen pictures, video and my god it looked like a depressing place. :eek:

Grey, delapidated, hopeless.

What was it like? How did you get by without internets, wheelie bins, toilets...?

Would you go back if you could??

*Might as well throw in the 70's too for people of that vintage.

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JupiterKid

I agree with some of the posters on this thread who opined that in the 1970s and 80s Dublin and to a lesser extent the regional cities were way ahead of the rest of the country in terms of quality of life and technology and opportunities.

That said, the 80s was pretty bleak for most adults. High unemployment, high interest rates, high emigration. If you were a child in a middle class family- as I was - it was largely happy.

SEPT 23 1989

I was going to post this in the chooone thread but this seems more fitting
Enjoy 80's kids

Mena Mitty

Cryptopagan wrote: »

Where’d you get the johnnies?

The Condom king as he likes now to be known. A lad I know saw an opportunity and went for it, selling condoms in dancehalls, nightclubs and discos. I didn't know him in the early and mid 80's but he told me he'd be selling lads one condom at a time and after a year or two the lads would be looking for them by the box.

I think he was getting 50p a condom in the early 80's which believe it or not was a fortune.

Hard to believe you couldn't buy condoms here in the 8o's.

I have a vague memory of a stall selling them in the Dandelion market around 1981 before they were confiscated, does anyone else remember that ?

JupiterKid

Mena Mitty wrote: »

The Condom king as he likes now to be known. A lad I know saw an opportunity and went for it, selling condoms in dancehalls, nightclubs and discos. I didn't know him in the early and mid 80's but he told me he'd be selling lads one condom at a time and after a year or two the lads would be looking for them by the box.

I think he was getting 50p a condom in the early 80's which believe it or not was a fortune.

Hard to believe you couldn't buy condoms here in the 8o's.

I have a vague memory of a stall selling them in the Dandelion market around 1981 before they were confiscated, does anyone else remember that ?

It was only about 1991 or 1992 when johnnies could be sold in pub toilet vending machines. Virgin Megastore in Dublin got into trouble for selling them around 1989 or so.

This country really was unbelievably backwards just a generation ago. We have since come a long, long way...

Sardonicat

Mam of 4 wrote: »

Cryptopagan wrote: »

Where’d you get the johnnies?

The ads section in the Sunday World used to have a P.O.Box number where people could send off for condoms , when it was impossible to buy them anywhere !
(Or illegal , dunno which )

They weren't illegal in the early 80s but in order to get them you had to have a prescription (!) . By law they could only be prescribed for 'genuine family planning purposes' meaning a Dr should only really prescribe them if you were married. Many Drs wouldn't prescribe them at all. I remember overhearing my mom's friend complaining that she and her husband had to travel to her old gp where she used to live two counties away in order to get a prescription for condoms as her new gp wouldn't prescribe them. In 85 the law was liberalised to allow their sale to those without a prescription but you could only get them in the chemist. They couldn't be on display. They were behind the counter. And if course, many refused to stock them. Remember the hullabaloo over The Virgin Megastore displaying and selling condoms illegally in the early 90s? The law finally changed in 92.

A far cry from now, when you can pop in the supermarket, grab a few things for dinner, some toiletries and a box of Ribbed for Her Pleasure and a tube of smooth glidin' lube then off to the checkout with ne're a blush! These young ones don't know they're born. No pretending to the gp their 'cycle' is irregular so they can get the pill anymore.

Nobelium

Some things were better then. some things were worse then.

What I really miss most are the family and friends that were alive then and not now. Some truly wonderful people I didn't appreciate enough at the time.

Otherwise, overall things are slightly better now than then.

Onwards and upwards.

Sardonicat

JupiterKid wrote: »

It was only about 1991 or 1992 when johnnies could be sold in pub toilet vending machines. Virgin Megastore in Dublin got into trouble for selling them around 1989 or so.

This country really was unbelievably backwards just a generation ago. We have since come a long, long way...

In 92 I moved to England, just before the laws liberalised here. My first night there I broke the condom vending machine in the ladies of the student accommodation. I just couldn't believe my eyes. A condom machine! In a ladies toilet! A machine that would give you a condom if you just put in a pound! I kept feeding the thing pound coins and eventually I broke the dispenser drawer.

Can I just add, this was for the novelty of doing it. I wasn't planning an orgy or anything. Honest...

Mena Mitty

Sardonicat wrote: »

Can I just add, this was for the novelty of doing it. I wasn't planning an orgy or anything. Honest...

We believe you but thousands wouldn't.

SharpshooterTom

Just a question for you guys, is it the 70s and 80s in general you guys despise or is the 70s and 80s specifically in Ireland?

There's a lot of anti 70s/80s and even 90s sentiment in here I'm just wondering if that's related to those times in general or just in Ireland.

Do you think it was possible you could have been happier had you spent those periods in the USA/Australia or even Southern England?

SharpshooterTom

Are all those who dislike the 70s/80s/90s jealous you didn't grow up as a child now in todays world instead?

Hotblack Desiato

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

Just a question for you guys, is it the 70s and 80s in general you guys despise or is the 70s and 80s specifically in Ireland?

Ireland was a horrible little kip in the 70s and 80s, massively backward and deprived compared to just about any other western European country, priests raping kids with impunity.

Hotblack Desiato

Grandeeod wrote: »

I spent most of my teen years in the 80's and I have nothing but happy memories. I firmly believe that most people from Dublin have better memories

Yeah it was a land of milk and honey. Sheriff St. Darndale. Ballyfermot. The Mun. Heroin everywhere. No jobs. Great times :rolleyes:

Nobelium

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

Just a question for you guys, is it the 70s and 80s in general you guys despise or is the 70s and 80s specifically in Ireland?

There's a lot of anti 70s/80s and even 90s sentiment in here I'm just wondering if that's related to those times in general or just in Ireland.

Do you think it was possible you could have been happier had you spent those periods in the USA/Australia or even Southern England?

I think it's a case of nostalgia is just not what it used to be

cj maxx

70’s too young to remember. 80’s crap music , good football ( soccer and GAA ) awful awful hair styles, absolutely no money in the country. Worse than the recent bust scraps at the school bust stop, . Music was absolute shyte ( thank god for the 90’s) but grand all the same

SharpshooterTom

Nobelium wrote: »

I think it's a case of nostalgia is just not what it used to be

Well I started this thread with regards to how the 2010s will remembered and I didn't get a lot of positive responses https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin//showthread.php?t=2057963075

So I just assume some people just don't like any era. :pac:

freshpopcorn

JupiterKid wrote: »

It was only about 1991 or 1992 when johnnies could be sold in pub toilet vending machines. Virgin Megastore in Dublin got into trouble for selling them around 1989 or so.

This country really was unbelievably backwards just a generation ago. We have since come a long, long way...

Sorry for asking you this JuipterKid but I thought you might know/remember.
What was it like just before they decriminlised homosexuality?
What were the debates like? Was it supported?
Don't answer if you don't want to.

Hotblack Desiato

IIRC it was basically Maura Geoghegan-Quinn pushing it through saying it was required because of the European Court of Human Rights*

No great enthusiasm in government for it

* Didn't stop them ignoring decisions of the ECHR in relation to abortion though.

Seanachai

Mena Mitty wrote: »

The Condom king as he likes now to be known. A lad I know saw an opportunity and went for it, selling condoms in dancehalls, nightclubs and discos. I didn't know him in the early and mid 80's but he told me he'd be selling lads one condom at a time and after a year or two the lads would be looking for them by the box.

I think he was getting 50p a condom in the early 80's which believe it or not was a fortune.

Hard to believe you couldn't buy condoms here in the 8o's.

I have a vague memory of a stall selling them in the Dandelion market around 1981 before they were confiscated, does anyone else remember that ?

The barber in my local town used to hide them in a Child Of Prague statue and fellas would get them on the down-low.

cgcsb

Grandeeod wrote: »

I spent most of my teen years in the 80's and I have nothing but happy memories. I firmly believe that most people from Dublin have better memories because it was far ahead of the rest of the country, while far behind a lot of other European cities. I have no memories of all this doom and gloom people talk about, not that it wasn't like that in some parts. I wasn't from a wealthy family either.

If you were an adult in the 80's I suppose it was different. The work situation, particularly outside Dublin and other cities was bleak. I came to appreciate that in the early 90's when I knew loads emigrating after we finished college. For me, the Church had no influence on me after the age of 13. We actually had sex in our teens too.:eek: We even had cable TV. In fact all my life from my first memory of TV we had RTE and the English channels. Playschool, Rainbow, Blue Peter, Magpie, Corrie etc. Being off school sick in the 70's and watching Mr. Benn and Trumpton at lunchtime. I think the main problem with 70's/80's Ireland was outside Dublin.

A guy I know told me that pre internet the gap between Dublin and the rest was way bigger than it is now in terms of trends, fashion, food and even things like music and even commonly owned household appliances.

cgcsb

Edgware wrote: »

Ya. Really jealous of those tenements and gob****e comedians

beats your hovels and gobsh***e comedians

Hamsterchops

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

Are all those who dislike the 70s/80s/90s jealous you didn't grow up as a child now in todays world instead?

No, not jealous at all, just glad that the country got a whole lot better in the intervening years since the 70s/early 80s. No longer can people say that Ireland is twenty years behind ... (insert country name).

Remembering how dull it was gives a great sense of perspective in today's modern Ireland.

cgcsb

Grandeeod wrote: »

Ah I know that. But outside of major towns and cities is where I believe most of the doom and gloom comes from. That said there were many towns that had absolutely nothing going for them either. I met many in College that never had any TV channels beyond RTE 1/2 growing up. The local cinema was a run down kip with limited selection. But sure look, even after all these years and a so called boom, many many towns are no better off than the 80's. Some would say they are worse now.

The Celtic Tiger brought out of town shopping centres, which were built pretty much because of corruption. That ended a lot of towns, and short of taking the wrecking ball to the Tescos outside of the towns, they ain't coming back.

cgcsb

JupiterKid wrote: »

It was only about 1991 or 1992 when johnnies could be sold in pub toilet vending machines. Virgin Megastore in Dublin got into trouble for selling them around 1989 or so.

As a millennial, I just can't get my head around this. Who enforced this? who cooperated with this regime? Are they alive today? why aren't they on trial? HAve they been executed already? AIDS was rampant in the western world, they were putting people's lives in danger.

Deebles McBeebles

cgcsb wrote: »

As a millennial, I just can't get my head around this. Who enforced this? who cooperated with this regime? Are they alive today? why aren't they on trial? HAve they been executed already? AIDS was rampant in the western world, they were putting people's lives in danger.

The church and those afraid to go against the church. They have other trials to be worrying about right now. Like all those unwanted children which could have been prevented by the use of.....

cgcsb

Sardonicat wrote: »

A far cry from now, when you can pop in the supermarket, grab a few things for dinner, some toiletries and a box of Ribbed for Her Pleasure and a tube of smooth glidin' lube then off to the checkout with ne're a blush! These young ones don't know they're born. No pretending to the gp their 'cycle' is irregular so they can get the pill anymore.

I worked in the country with bunch of 40 something local lads, at the lunch table, one of them quite innocently asked what a vibo-ring was (I think there was an ad in the paper or something) and of course I quite casually explained what it was. Well I was the only face that wasn't bright red for the next half hour. Still don't get it, they all have a penis, and presumably enjoy sex, but can't seem to tolerate a mention of same without melting into the floor.

This was last year.

cgcsb

Deebles McBeebles wrote: »

The church and those afraid to go against the church. They have other trials to be worrying about right now. Like all those unwanted children which could have been prevented by the use of.....

I'd have been locked up then, having gone full Charles Manson on anyone who believed they could appoint themselves to make decisions on my sexual health.

conorhal

cgcsb wrote: »

As a millennial, I just can't get my head around this. Who enforced this? who cooperated with this regime? Are they alive today? why aren't they on trial? HAve they been executed already? AIDS was rampant in the western world, they were putting people's lives in danger.

All these things, from condoms to the pill were available in your pharmacy.
The weird hysteria and bizarre ignorance of people that think the 80's were like some kind of medieval inquisition is pretty funny.

Grandeeod

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Yeah it was a land of milk and honey. Sheriff St. Darndale. Ballyfermot. The Mun. Heroin everywhere. No jobs. Great times :rolleyes:

I grew up in Finglas south and Neilstown during the 80s. It wasn't a picnic, but my memories are happy. But then my father a had a full time job as a truck driver and my mother was a cleaner in the local school. They eventually bought their own house. I went to college and didn't take heroin. Loads like me from the areas we've both mentioned.

ohnonotgmail

conorhal wrote: »

All these things, from condoms to the pill were available in your pharmacy.
The weird hysteria and bizarre ignorance of people that think the 80's were like some kind of medieval inquisition is pretty funny.

By that stage condoms were available in SOME pharmacies but the pill was prescription only.

Deebles McBeebles

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

By that stage condoms were available in SOME pharmacies but the pill was prescription only.

And both were so frowned upon it was worth going a few towns over to get them.