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Stories from the Celtic Tiger Years Mod Warning in OP PLEASE READ

chops018

Does anyone have any good (or bad) stories from the Celtic Tiger years?

You always hear phrases about how people partied etc., was there just a constant flow of credit available to people and people actually taking the money e.g. was there actually teachers on circa €30k a year buying a house and car and an apartment somewhere.

I was in school and college during these years, graduated into the recession, so I didn't really see what was fully going on at the time bar the fact everyone was working and had money. My dad was working on the buildings on great money and my mam was working away also, we were never stuck really money-wise, also rent seemed to be a lot cheaper back then and fuel and also my college fees were only around €800 a year along with wages being fairly similar to what they are now (from what I can remember anyway, will stand corrected if I am wrong)

Mod warning: Any further discussion of Financial institutions in depth will result in a thread ban. Do not derail this thread with that form of discussion.

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Randy Archer
ShatterAlan

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Randy Archer

Akabusi wrote: »

I know a guy who set up a pluming business and thought he was billy big balls, had the nice cars and bought several properties, that was all grand but he relished in telling people how rich he was and what he was spending his money on. One of his last big projects was to buy land in the local area and build a mansion on it. The crash came and it never got finished, he owed a lot to local suppliers and they got stung badly, Anyone who could came and stripped the house to get back their items windows, gutters etc. were taken back. It was eventually sold by the bank and got bulldozed. He works in a phone shop now.

Ha losers like him should never be allowed to forget how he behaved himself and always reminded that he is and always will be a failure

Sultan of Bling

Randy Archer wrote:

Ha losers like him should never be allowed to forget how he behaved himself and always reminded that he is and always will be a failure

Wasnt he on the late late with his then fiancee showing off her engagement ring and him bragging about how much he paid for it.

A couple of weeks later their house was broken into and it was robbed.

Oh how i laughed!!!!

Randy Archer

Akabusi wrote: »

I know a guy who set up a pluming business and thought he was billy big balls, had the nice cars and bought several properties, that was all grand but he relished in telling people how rich he was and what he was spending his money on. One of his last big projects was to buy land in the local area and build a mansion on it. The crash came and it never got finished, he owed a lot to local suppliers and they got stung badly, Anyone who could came and stripped the house to get back their items windows, gutters etc. were taken back. It was eventually sold by the bank and got bulldozed. He works in a phone shop now.

Sultan of Bling wrote: »

Wasnt he on the late late with his then fiancee showing off her engagement ring and him bragging about how much he paid for it.

A couple of weeks later their house was broken into and it was robbed.

Oh how i laughed!!!!

He’d have fan boys like Barry Egan (a pathetic waste of space , very punchable ) declaring that we are all begrudgers

Nope, we just don’t think being flash and arrogant is smart. Work hard and earn money legally and honestly , best of luck , but nuveau Riche are ghastly people. Don’t see old money folk boast or remind the world that they are fabulously wealthy

The odd thing about many of those who got wealth , whether real or borrowed, many came across as extremely TACKY !! They didn’t know how to act like wealthy people

Sky King

Randy Archer wrote: »

They didn’t know how to act like wealthy people

We need a thread on how to act like the wealthy.

[Deleted User]

I don't know Kean, but saw him on TV a few times and he did seem like mighty craic tbh. But people don't like flash.

whippet

It was regular enough that as a bunch of lads not being able to get taxis home from the city centre we had a couple of hotels who would be more than willing to let us have a lock in until 6/7am - and it would be bottle after bottle of champagne.

One or two of the lads were 'developers' - in reality builders with massive banking debts; driving range rovers at 25 years of age - they always footed the bill.

Some great nights but the absolute waste of money was unreal

Zebra3

Sultan of Bling wrote: »

Wasnt he on the late late with his then fiancee showing off her engagement ring and him bragging about how much he paid for it.

A couple of weeks later their house was broken into and it was robbed.

Oh how i laughed!!!!

Was it yourself? :pac:

branie2

Sultan of Bling wrote: »

Wasnt he on the late late with his then fiancee showing off her engagement ring and him bragging about how much he paid for it.

A couple of weeks later their house was broken into and it was robbed.

Oh how i laughed!!!!

Karma?

Larbre34

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Wonder what he's doing now?

3 to 5 for dealing.

Sultan of Bling

Zebra3 wrote:

Was it yourself?

Ssssssh

Larbre34

There was that time Amanda Brunker scorched her f@nny in a champagne bath at The Clarence.

Gerald Kean, John Maguire and Weddings by Franc played rock, paper, scissors with a loaded revolver to decide who would put cream on it.

Motivator

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

I don't know Kean, but saw him on TV a few times and he did seem like mighty craic tbh. But people don't like flash.

I saw him walking along by Stephens Green one day and he was getting wicked abuse off a group of young lads over the state of his shoes. It was absolutely hilarious watching the big scaldy head on him squirming as he tried to quicken up and get away from them.

lisasimpson

Remember hearing on the radio back then about parents making deals with their daughter over their Leaving cert result. If she bought her grades from a C to A they would pay for her implants to go from an A to a C.

ChikiChiki

Anyone who becomes the subject of a Barry Egan article would want to take a long hard look at what they are actually doing in life.

freshpopcorn

I live in a county town and I mainly remember some families living beyond there means basically a new Avensis or Passat every year and a holiday and a few breaks during the year. Some of the stuff wouldn't have been flash, flash but simply beyond there means!

pyramuid man

JupiterKid wrote: »

At get-togethers and parties, people (including some acquaintances) bragging about their buy to let properties and investments in places like Bulgaria. I was a bit of a Cassandra at the time, explaining to them just why it was a credit-fueled property bubble not supported by economic fundamentals and would ultimately end in a huge crash and in tears. I must have seemed like a bit of a party pooper to some. Some of them listened to me, but most didn’t or didn’t want to.

I did manage to persuade two good friends and a friend’s mother into not buying investment properties in Eastern Europe. During the crash, they thanked me.

In the housing estate I was living in in South Dublin at that same time, many of the neighbours getting new cars and replacing them as often as possible - usually these cars were leased.

Getting a letter from my bank telling me that I was pre-approved for a €75K loan for anything I wanted. It went straight into the bin.

David McWilliams... Is that you?

Larbre34

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I live in a county town and I mainly remember some families living beyond there means basically a new Avensis or Passat every year and a holiday and a few breaks during the year. Some of the stuff wouldn't have been flash, flash but simply beyond there means!

Wow, sounds like the last days if the Roman Empire.

When they start doing coke through a clarinet off the arses of Maxi, Dick and Twink, let me know.

Mister Vain

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I live in a county town and I mainly remember some families living beyond there means basically a new Avensis or Passat every year and a holiday and a few breaks during the year. Some of the stuff wouldn't have been flash, flash but simply beyond there means!

People trying to outdo their neighbors with bigger TV's, bigger cars and bigger tits.

CrankyHaus

Larbre34 wrote: »

Wow, sounds like the last days if the Roman Empire.

When they start doing coke through a clarinet off the arses of Maxi, Dick and Twink, let me know.

In its own way that sort of excess was as bad though. I knew of a couple out in Coolock who bought new Mondeos every year. Like what's the point? You're down all that money and you're still just in a newer repmobile (no offence meant to Mondeos, solid cars, just hardly dream machines).

SEPT 23 1989

Whatever happened Gerard Kean?

freshpopcorn

CrankyHaus wrote: »

In its own way that sort of excess was as bad though. I knew of a couple out in Coolock who bought new Mondeos every year. Like what's the point? You're down all that money and you're still just in a newer repmobile (no offence meant to Mondeos, solid cars, just hardly dream machines).

It was generally the exact same colour and basic trim but it had a new plate!

PhilOssophy

Mister Vain wrote: »

People trying to outdo their neighbors with bigger TV's, bigger cars and bigger tits.

What's wrong with bigger tits?

PhilOssophy

Weddings by Franc. Did anything ever symbolise the waste of the Celtic Tiger more and the sh1te people did.

Sebastian Dangerfield

freshpopcorn wrote: »

It was generally the exact same colour and basic trim but it had a new plate!

My auld fella was one of these. He'd buy it in January, and start hinting at an upgrade over the summer. By November he'd be turning down the radio mid drive going "do you hear that? Something rattling, that's a sign it needs to be changed", then go again. He used cycle everywhere up to 1999, suddenly he was driving to the chipper across the road because he'd "to get petrol anyway".

He did switch from a Focus ("best car on the road") to an Avensis ("them Fords are $hite") in 2003 which was the most exciting thing to happen in our house for a while. The Avensis came with a free toasted sandwich maker for some reason, and himself sat outside in a rage polishing the interior of a new car while we were all inside scalding our mouths with volcanic cheese. Good times

[Deleted User]

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Whatever happened Gerard Kean?

the music stopped for poor auld Gerald.

Sultan of Bling

glasso wrote:

the music stopped for poor auld Gerald.

Still practising and coining it in no doubt.

Sebastian Dangerfield

Sultan of Bling wrote: »

Still practising and coining it in no doubt.

Could have sworn I read recently he was in financial difficulty, something about not being able to pay the commercial rent on his premises. I may be mistaken.

I booked a seat on a charter flight to a Man Utd v Liverpool game back in 2010-ish and himself and the missus were on it. Didnt talk to him for long but he seemed pleasant enough.

John_Rambo

Sultan of Bling wrote: »

Still practising and coining it in no doubt.

I've met him (Gerald Kean) and he's a really nice, warm, personable guy. Seems to be a common theme with a lot of people that don't have a great public persona.

pyramuid man

Jinglejangle69 wrote: »

Thank god ay.

Although I'm worried at the political parties asking for this to be relaxed.

Politicians should not have any say in how banks conduct their business. In my opinion, they drove a lot of the excessive borrowing that caused the bubble in the first place.

ChikiChiki

Sebastian Dangerfield wrote: »

Could have sworn I read recently he was in financial difficulty, something about not being able to pay the commercial rent on his premises. I may be mistaken.

I booked a seat on a charter flight to a Man Utd v Liverpool game back in 2010-ish and himself and the missus were on it. Didnt talk to him for long but he seemed pleasant enough.

Yeah, he lost the premises. Lads like that who mix in high society circles will always get a few opportunities to bounce back unlike most of us if we were in a tricky spot.

He will once again adorn the front page of Barry Egans Indo Christmas spread. I have no doubt about it.