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

freshpopcorn · 24-06-2020 7:47pm

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 · 24-06-2020 8:00pm

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 · 24-06-2020 8:01pm

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

Sebastian Dangerfield · 24-06-2020 8:05pm

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

24-06-2020 8:06pm

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Whatever happened Gerard Kean?

the music stopped for poor auld Gerald.

Sultan of Bling · 24-06-2020 8:14pm

glasso wrote:

the music stopped for poor auld Gerald.

Still practising and coining it in no doubt.

Sebastian Dangerfield · 24-06-2020 8:21pm

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 · 24-06-2020 8:28pm

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 · 24-06-2020 9:10pm

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 · 24-06-2020 9:17pm

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.

buried · 24-06-2020 9:25pm

pyramuid man wrote: »

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.

But they don't, they haven't had a say since the 70's, politicians don't set the rates, the banks do that, central and commercial. Politicians didn't tell the banks to hand out 200,000 euro loans to people whose only profession was being a babysitter. The banks did that on their own head, with no regulations, and then when it all spectacularly fell on its arse, the banks demanded that the politicians bail them out.

25-06-2020 12:06am

ChikiChiki wrote: »

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.

it's getting a bit late for a comeback for him.

by all accounts he is supposed to be (from people I know who know him socially) great fun out and about.

PTH2009 · 25-06-2020 12:28am

glasso wrote: »

it's getting a bit late for a comeback for him.

by all accounts he is supposed to be (from people I know who know him socially) great fun out and about.

Wasn't he on that Celebrity GAA thing?

Spoiled the team he was in charge, whole squad off to the UK etc

retalivity · 25-06-2020 2:35am

I was in college in dublin in the early 2000s and worked in club Anabel under the Burlington for about 18 months in 2004-05 (after the infamous death).
During horse show week one of those years the place was heaving and the money being spent/wasted was outrageous. Bottles of cristal were the most expensive thing on the menu at 350 a pop, and we used to rum out of them before 1am. Big pink faced middle aged lads in pink shirts dropping 200 on rounds of vodka and red bull 4-5 times a night, then getting kicked out for doing lines in the bathroom. Ladies leaving expensive bags/phones/purses/coats behind and never showing up to collect them - theybhad to get rid of the older stuff in the lost and found to make way for the new stuff coming in nightly. Lads throwing 20 quid at you to serve them next, tipping 50s on rounds of 50s, finding notes all over the floor when the place was cleared out and the lights on, madness. Used to make more on the side than the nights wage most nights.

I remember that there were multiple bottles of cristal left over and not even half finished, we (the staff) tried to sample what was left to see what €350 champagne tastes like, the bottle was promptly taken off us by the head/senior barman and poured down the sink - "this was paid for by someone who left it behind - it is not for anyone elsr to touch". This became a regular occurence where they rounded up the expensive stuff left behind and dumped it asap, to make sure noone else touched it.

Served quite the strange array of people in there, most of the Irish rugby team, Alan Kelly, Steven Reid and Brad Friedel - Blackburn had a friendly in dublin, lads went on the rip til 5am in the private bar, Olympian Cian O'Connor (tosser), and a slew of vacuous nobodies who graced the celeb pages at the time - the only one i remember is the French one who died.

Worked alongside a current radio presenter in there, he was as woke then as he is now - offering multiple opportunities to the females that the lads couldnt avail of!

sheepondrugs · 25-06-2020 7:46am

ChikiChiki wrote: »

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.

His offices are in Lucan now at Grifeeen shopping centre. Must be a change from
Baggot St or wherever.

Captain Havoc · 25-06-2020 8:14am

I lived abroad for most of the boom. I came back in 2007 just in time for the crash. I was working in what I'm qualified to do but then I got job selling furniture as the pay was a good bit more than my own job. I couldn't believe I'd spent four years in college to end up getting a better paid job that you don't even need a junior cert for. Anyway, I stayed selling furniture for five years but our commission died in 2008, which meant pay was terrible.

Before the bust though, I remember the pubs and nightclubs hopping except for Tuesdays. Football was always a good excuse, Liverpool are playing Notts county in the league cup first round, that's sounds terrible but Johnny was heading it to watch it, and we should keep him company. Saturday night just wasn't worth it, the main nightlcubs has queues, you could be waiting an hour or more to get into coppers midweek.

Salvadoor · 25-06-2020 8:14am

buried wrote: »

But they don't, they haven't had a say since the 70's, politicians don't set the rates, the banks do that, central and commercial. Politicians didn't tell the banks to hand out 200,000 euro loans to people whose only profession was being a babysitter. The banks did that on their own head, with no regulations, and then when it all spectacularly fell on its arse, the banks demanded that the politicians bail them out.

We don't want your facts around here!

JimmyVik · 25-06-2020 8:37am

PhilOssophy wrote: »

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

I was actually at one about 5 years ago. Not one of the ones on TV.

He decked the place out in ikea lights and led strips. Then had some weird circus act on in the middle. And then at midnight they passed candles around to everone and lit them. It was absurd.

All the while Franc going around clicking his fingers at waiting staff and posing for selfies.
I asked the groom how much he charged a few years later. €20K was Francs fee. All other expenses, food, venue on top of that.

vandriver · 25-06-2020 8:43am

corner of hells wrote: »

I saw a bloke wearing a jacket made out of decking.

Canada Spruce?

Sebastian Dangerfield · 25-06-2020 8:52am

Ridiculous Irish weddings are still a legacy of Celtic Tiger. Standing outside in the fcuking cold in the middle of December trying to light lanterns to set off into the sky. I was at one a couple of years ago where the party kept getting broken up so we could watch the couples "first dance" for the fifth time - the bride had a number of songs that were special to her, apparently. All the while being warned repeatedly over the microphone not to take photos or videos, the only record of the day was to be the official "approved media". All this after she was an hour and a half late to the church. The poor fella she married would only wash himself on special occasions if he was let, I think they'll be very happy.

My wife was asked to be a bridesmaid recently. She hadnt a clue why she was being summoned for makeup at 5:30am for a wedding 8 hours later. It all made sense when she walked in, glowing in the dark like Singin Bernie Walsh. She didnt realise that all women of all hair colours and complexions need to be tangoed for the traditional Irish wedding - poor woman was mortified.

God be with the days when a wedding was judged solely on how much mash and veg was served with the dinner.

facehugger99 · 25-06-2020 8:59am

retalivity wrote: »

the only one i remember is the French one who died.

Joan of Arc?

Napoleon?

Sophie Toscan du Plantier?

retalivity · 25-06-2020 9:01am

facehugger99 wrote: »

Joan of Arc?

Napoleon?

Sophie Toscan du Plantier?

Much more famous than them, according to every rag at the time.

CrankyHaus · 25-06-2020 9:08am

Seems like a good time for this:

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/dreams-die-with-death-of-katy-1.990174

John Waters' Obituary for Katy French. That's right. Before you knew him as the figurehead of Ireland's nascent nutty Alt-Right he was the designated arselicker of Fianna Fail's Celtic Tiger Ireland. A better symbol of how drastically the country has changed would be hard to find.

Some highlights:

"She was a child. She was my daughter and Eoghan's daughter and Eamon's daughter and Pat's daughter and Bertie's daughter. She was your daughter, your little sister. She was a child of Ireland in the time of its rebirth.

I am crying, writing this. How can you cry for someone you've only once said hello to? Katy was the daughter of our dreams, in the sense that it was the dreams of her people that gave birth to what is tritely called her celebrity."

"Driven by angelic recall, they plod on clay feet into the mire of three-dimensional reality. They do not know, are not conscious, that their appetites are infinitely greater than the world's capacity to satisfy them."

"She did not, other than literally, die of whatever it will say on her death certificate. She died of desire, of being utterly human.

What can I say? The dream is over."

Which seques somewhat incongruously into:

"As Pope Benedict reminds us in his new encyclical, we have no idea what we would really like. "We do not know this reality at all; even in those moments when we think we can reach out and touch it, it eludes us." All we know is that it is not what we have."

HBC08 · 25-06-2020 9:29am

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Seems like a good time for this:

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/dreams-die-with-death-of-katy-1.990174

John Waters' Obituary for Katy French. That's right. Before you knew him as the figurehead of Ireland's nascent nutty Alt-Right he was the designated arselicker of Fianna Fail's Celtic Tiger Ireland. A better symbol of how drastically the country has changed would be hard to find.

Some highlights:

"She was a child. She was my daughter and Eoghan's daughter and Eamon's daughter and Pat's daughter and Bertie's daughter. She was your daughter, your little sister. She was a child of Ireland in the time of its rebirth.

I am crying, writing this. How can you cry for someone you've only once said hello to? Katy was the daughter of our dreams, in the sense that it was the dreams of her people that gave birth to what is tritely called her celebrity."

"Driven by angelic recall, they plod on clay feet into the mire of three-dimensional reality. They do not know, are not conscious, that their appetites are infinitely greater than the world's capacity to satisfy them."

"She did not, other than literally, die of whatever it will say on her death certificate. She died of desire, of being utterly human.

What can I say? The dream is over."

Which seques somewhat incongruously into:

"As Pope Benedict reminds us in his new encyclical, we have no idea what we would really like. "We do not know this reality at all; even in those moments when we think we can reach out and touch it, it eludes us." All we know is that it is not what we have."

Jesus wept.

Next time hes out spouting his current sh1te somebody should take the megaphone off him and bellow this article word for word at him.

retalivity · 25-06-2020 9:33am

CrankyHaus wrote: »

"She did not, other than literally, die of whatever it will say on her death certificate. She died of desire, of being utterly human.

Yes, desire for cocaine. Nothing utterly human about that.

Sunny Disposition · 25-06-2020 9:36am

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Seems like a good time for this:

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/dreams-die-with-death-of-katy-1.990174

John Waters' Obituary for Katy French. That's right. Before you knew him as the figurehead of Ireland's nascent nutty Alt-Right he was the designated arselicker of Fianna Fail's Celtic Tiger Ireland. A better symbol of how drastically the country has changed would be hard to find.

Some highlights:

"She was a child. She was my daughter and Eoghan's daughter and Eamon's daughter and Pat's daughter and Bertie's daughter. She was your daughter, your little sister. She was a child of Ireland in the time of its rebirth.

I am crying, writing this. How can you cry for someone you've only once said hello to? Katy was the daughter of our dreams, in the sense that it was the dreams of her people that gave birth to what is tritely called her celebrity."

"Driven by angelic recall, they plod on clay feet into the mire of three-dimensional reality. They do not know, are not conscious, that their appetites are infinitely greater than the world's capacity to satisfy them."

"She did not, other than literally, die of whatever it will say on her death certificate. She died of desire, of being utterly human.

What can I say? The dream is over."

Which seques somewhat incongruously into:

"As Pope Benedict reminds us in his new encyclical, we have no idea what we would really like. "We do not know this reality at all; even in those moments when we think we can reach out and touch it, it eludes us." All we know is that it is not what we have."

Some of that article went a bit above my head tbh, but there was a warmth to John Waters' writing then. He seemed like a very decent sort of an everyman then, his decline is quite sad in my opinion.

elefant · 25-06-2020 9:43am

'She did not, other than literally, die' is some phrase!

Randy Archer · 25-06-2020 9:54am

retalivity wrote: »

Much more famous than them, according to every rag at the time.

Funny enough, she got burned for her 21st birthday, which was a few months before she died. Media had made a big big deal of it but it turned out that sfa “famous” people bothered to turn up. Rather humiliating . A lot of people sniggered and sneered , even media folk. You know things really hit the fan when John Watters, who knew nothing about her and would have been completely at the opposite end of the spectrum ,felt the need to write about her

That same weekend, two scobbies , brothers I think, from some council estate in Waterford , died of drugs . Little to no coverage of that

CrankyHaus · 25-06-2020 10:03am

Randy Archer wrote: »

Funny enough, she got burned for her 21st birthday, which was a few months before she died. Media had made a big big deal of it but it turned out that sfa “famous” people bothered to turn up. Rather humiliating . A lot of people sniggered and sneered , even media folk. You know things really hit the fan when John Watters, who knew nothing about her and would have been completely at the opposite end of the spectrum ,felt the need to write about her

That same weekend, two scobbies , brothers I think, from some council estate in Waterford , died of drugs . Little to no coverage of that

Yeah I remember that double standard. It was lads eating soggy cocaine from the West Cork washed up haul wasn't it?
Whatever about media fawning over her, the official representative of the Taoiseach attending the funeral was a disgrace.

Sultan of Bling · 25-06-2020 10:09am

sheepondrugs wrote:

His offices are in Lucan now at Grifeeen shopping centre. Must be a change from Baggot St or wherever.

He always had that office as a second premises.

When he left the Pembroke street office he moved to trinity street.

Not the actions of someone struggling financially.

Wildly Boaring · 25-06-2020 10:33am

2000 to 2004 I was in college, worked for farmers and farm relief over the summers.

One of the summers I did 6 or 8 weeks on a farm and yard belonging to one of our foremost property developers.
He and his brother have since settled a mahoosive tax bill with revenue
Their company was through NAMA and they're now nearly allowed be directors again.

Some of the fun and games in that 6 weeks......

Repainted the helepad on the ground.

Spent 3 days (with the full time gardener and £1000 worth of timber) constructing a half pipe for his son to never use.

Spent 2 days with 2 tractors and a 5t digger destroying a paddock to create mounds and hollows for scramblers. Got about 20 minutes use

Spent 5 days powerwashing a floor of a shed for prize black limousine bulls to be housed.
I mean cleaning a ****ty shed back to concrete as if it were new.
Only for 15 bulls to **** all over it the next morning.

And the most ludicrous thing I saw.
A 17 year old neighbour got his licence. This guy bought a Mitsubishi Colt and insured the young lad in it.
Car was then to be used to ferry developer's kids whereever they wanted to go all on days off.

facehugger99 · 25-06-2020 10:51am

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

Some of that article went a bit above my head tbh, but there was a warmth to John Waters' writing then. He seemed like a very decent sort of an everyman then, his decline is quite sad in my opinion.

Yeah, it's the same kind of warmth as when you piss yourself.

John_Rambo · 25-06-2020 11:17am

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Seems like a good time for this:

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/dreams-die-with-death-of-katy-1.990174

John Waters' Obituary for Katy French. That's right. Before you knew him as the figurehead of Ireland's nascent nutty Alt-Right he was the designated arselicker of Fianna Fail's Celtic Tiger Ireland. A better symbol of how drastically the country has changed would be hard to find

He's been succeeding in failure for a long time now, he wrote a Eurovision song that came last, he was an unsuccessful Independent candidate, he refused to use email when it came out (what a pro), he supported the invasion of Iraq in the belief that there were weapons of mass destruction, opposed gay marriage, claimed there's no such thing as depression, blamed catholic clerical child abuse on gay people and was imprisoned because he didn't pay a parking fine because he felt he'd returned to his car only shortly after the grace period.

And people still employ him.

Vita nova · 25-06-2020 11:24am

I remember the controversy about the German Ambassador's speech to a group of visiting German industrialists in 2007 in which he said Ireland was a "coarse place" where hospital waiting lists were chaotic and everyone drove '06 and '07 cars.

From the Irish Times:
During his address, the ambassador referred to Ireland's wealth, saying Ministers of State earn more that the German chancellor, and 20 per cent of the population were public servants.

In a reference to negotiations over hospital consultant contracts, he said doctors who were offered salaries of €200,000 a year had described the salary as "Mickey Mouse money". Mr Mitchell said last night they were the only words the ambassador said in English and that the audience laughed at the comments.

Mr Mitchell said Mr Pauls also criticised the Government's immigration policy, saying Ireland learned nothing from Germany's experiences. He told a story about attending the National Concert Hall when an announcement was made for the owner of a 93D-registered car to move it. He said no one moved as all Irish cars are '06 and '07.

He said that US visitors had stopped coming to Ireland because of the heavy traffic and that Ireland has a bleak time in the past due to the Famine and had a history "sadder than Poland". Mr Pauls said a house had sold in Clontarf for over €20 million and one could buy a skyscraper for that in Frankfurt.

While there was a lot to criticise in his speech and it wasn't what you'd expect from a diplomat, I do remember him or one of his reps getting a huge amount of support on a Marian Finucane radio show where many listeners rang in to say that he was dead right about certain parts of his speech.

Claw Hammer · 25-06-2020 11:49am

The other ting about the celtic tiger was the amount of money kids had. 6 and 7 years-olds going into sweet shows with €20 notes. Teenagers with expensive clothes. that hadn't come bck i tye pre-covid era. The cars are also illustrative.
In the 1980s many families had no car at all. Some had one car. If there was a second car it was almost invariably a mini, fiesta or Renault 5 or some such.
In the tiger era a family was considered poor if there was only one car. The second car became a people carrier or a 4x4. School gates and the surrounding roads were clogged with vehicles driven by incompetent drivers which were far to big for the job.

Kevhog1988 · 25-06-2020 12:10pm

John_Rambo wrote: »

He's been succeeding in failure for a long time now, he wrote a Eurovision song that came last, he was an unsuccessful Independent candidate, he refused to use email when it came out (what a pro), he supported the invasion of Iraq in the belief that there were weapons of mass destruction, opposed gay marriage, claimed there's no such thing as depression, blamed catholic clerical child abuse on gay people and was imprisoned because he didn't pay a parking fine because he felt he'd returned to his car only shortly after the grace period.

And people still employ him.

Hes a complete penisaurus

ChikiChiki · 25-06-2020 12:11pm

Sebastian Dangerfield wrote: »

Ridiculous Irish weddings are still a legacy of Celtic Tiger. Standing outside in the fcuking cold in the middle of December trying to light lanterns to set off into the sky. I was at one a couple of years ago where the party kept getting broken up so we could watch the couples "first dance" for the fifth time - the bride had a number of songs that were special to her, apparently. All the while being warned repeatedly over the microphone not to take photos or videos, the only record of the day was to be the official "approved media". All this after she was an hour and a half late to the church. The poor fella she married would only wash himself on special occasions if he was let, I think they'll be very happy.

My wife was asked to be a bridesmaid recently. She hadnt a clue why she was being summoned for makeup at 5:30am for a wedding 8 hours later. It all made sense when she walked in, glowing in the dark like Singin Bernie Walsh. She didnt realise that all women of all hair colours and complexions need to be tangoed for the traditional Irish wedding - poor woman was mortified.

God be with the days when a wedding was judged solely on how much mash and veg was served with the dinner.

Irish weddings are a load of **** until about 11pm when the formalities go out the window due to the copious amount of drink consumed up to that point.

Absolutely hate the standing around and small talk in church car parks and stately boutique hotels that lasts for about 8 hours. The money spent on these things is eye watering for one day.

I've been at a few foreign weddings of Irish people, with smaller gatherings and less formal. Way better craic in my opinion. And obviously a fraction of the cost and stress.

gordongekko · 25-06-2020 12:56pm

Sebastian Dangerfield wrote: »

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

Sure come the end of the celtic tiger youd buy a house and theyd throw in a car for free. It could only end in tears

PhilOssophy · 25-06-2020 1:38pm

ChikiChiki wrote: »

I've been at a few foreign weddings of Irish people, with smaller gatherings and less formal. Way better craic in my opinion. And obviously a fraction of the cost and stress.

I absolutely HATE foreign weddings, they cost a bomb and the worst wedding I was ever at was a wedding where we sat on a bus for 5 hrs from the airport, stayed in a tiny crappy town, were on the same bus for another 3 hours the next day (between hotel, church and reception, then back at the end of the night, 1 hr each), and then back to the airport the following day (I pitied the unfortunates who had chosen to stay around for that day, luckily we got out).
It was 2 Irish people who wanted no distractions from everybody indulging the 2 of them for a weekend. I am not alone in saying it was the worst wedding we were ever at.
If I am going abroad to a wedding, I want at least 1 of them to be from even the country I am being dragged to! Anything else is just showy pretentious sh1te which only the really idiotic can't see through.
Best wedding I was ever at was a tiny wedding in England, a chapel to hold about 30-40 people and then the reception was in a local pub which they had hired for the day. The craic was absolutely mighty.

road_high · 25-06-2020 2:36pm

McGaggs wrote: »

I forgot about the SSIAs. I didn't have one because I was a poor student when they started.

Me too. Jesus imagine if they had something like that now. Must have been a great time if you were doing well

madmaggie · 25-06-2020 3:40pm

A local developer had two helicopters. One for his own use, one for ferrying his managers around. One manager told me, we don't drive, we take the chopper.

PhilOssophy · 25-06-2020 5:07pm

road_high wrote: »

Me too. Jesus imagine if they had something like that now. Must have been a great time if you were doing well

They were capped though, so it wasn't unlimited. I think it was capped around 25k but can't remember.

Beechwoodspark · 25-06-2020 5:20pm

Local guy “posed”as a developer before the crash ie when I say posed I mean he got hugely into debt with AIB through buying vastly overpriced land parcels.

Great man to rock a flashy suit, diamond cuff links, diamond sparkler ear stud, them brown tan shoes with the suit all that. Manicured facial hair. Always smoking Johnny blues.

His income stream was influenced by his cousin in the local AIB, regularly seen drinking til all hours in the local pubs and clubs. Donated to FF and was best buddies with local councilors.

The bust happened and he firstly laid low telling anyone who would listen it’s a temporary blip, just wait and see...then went to Russia to try and recover his career; then Poland. All very mysterious, don’t know what he was up to there.

He arrived back to town (mid Leinster) and promptly had a breakdown, spent time in various mental hospitals and for the past 6 years or so working as a doorman for various bars and chippers in the town. Was done for dealing last year.

Beechwoodspark · 25-06-2020 5:26pm

Randy Archer wrote: »

Funny enough, she got burned for her 21st birthday, which was a few months before she died. Media had made a big big deal of it but it turned out that sfa “famous” people bothered to turn up. Rather humiliating . A lot of people sniggered and sneered , even media folk. You know things really hit the fan when John Watters, who knew nothing about her and would have been completely at the opposite end of the spectrum ,felt the need to write about her

That same weekend, two scobbies , brothers I think, from some council estate in Waterford , died of drugs . Little to no coverage of that

Wasn’t her 21st. She was approx 24 when she died

25-06-2020 5:30pm

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

Some of that article went a bit above my head tbh, but there was a warmth to John Waters' writing then. He seemed like a very decent sort of an everyman then, his decline is quite sad in my opinion.

He just seems a complete extremist to whatever he’s latched onto at the time. The article is tripe.

25-06-2020 5:32pm

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Wasn’t her 21st. She was approx 24 when she died

There a 21st after party at roughly same time in waterford where lads eat damp coke and 2 died (rip)

.....a lad in works brother was at it,and by all.accounts it was like a scene from exercist with lads lurching/jerking out of control,puking blood/out of nose etc.....story was enough to stop.me from ever trying it

Bit cynical · 25-06-2020 5:33pm

road_high wrote: »

Helicopters! Jesus I hardly ever see one these days apart from the odd army or state ones.
Have private users really died a death? Lived in a rural area during the tiger era and several would pass each day.

Can't buy a helicopter on a 200k NAMA salary unfortunately.

25-06-2020 5:34pm

Sebastian Dangerfield wrote: »

Ridiculous Irish weddings are still a legacy of Celtic Tiger. Standing outside in the fcuking cold in the middle of December trying to light lanterns to set off into the sky. I was at one a couple of years ago where the party kept getting broken up so we could watch the couples "first dance" for the fifth time - the bride had a number of songs that were special to her, apparently. All the while being warned repeatedly over the microphone not to take photos or videos, the only record of the day was to be the official "approved media". All this after she was an hour and a half late to the church. The poor fella she married would only wash himself on special occasions if he was let, I think they'll be very happy.

My wife was asked to be a bridesmaid recently. She hadnt a clue why she was being summoned for makeup at 5:30am for a wedding 8 hours later. It all made sense when she walked in, glowing in the dark like Singin Bernie Walsh. She didnt realise that all women of all hair colours and complexions need to be tangoed for the traditional Irish wedding - poor woman was mortified.

God be with the days when a wedding was judged solely on how much mash and veg was served with the dinner.

Big time. Whatever else died with the tiger, wedding wanker still lives on strong. Attention seeking *****.

Beechwoodspark · 25-06-2020 5:34pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

There a 21st after party at roughly same time in waterford where lads eat damp coke and 2 died (rip)

.....a lad in works brother was at it,and by all.accounts it was like a scene from exercist with lads lurching/jerking out of control,puking blood/out of nose etc.....story was enough to stop.me from ever trying it

Vaguely remember that in the news. Sounded horrific

lulublue22 · 25-06-2020 6:00pm

Randy Archer wrote: »

Funny enough, she got burned for her 21st birthday, which was a few months before she died. Media had made a big big deal of it but it turned out that sfa “famous” people bothered to turn up. Rather humiliating . A lot of people sniggered and sneered , even media folk. You know things really hit the fan when John Watters, who knew nothing about her and would have been completely at the opposite end of the spectrum ,felt the need to write about her

That same weekend, two scobbies , brothers I think, from some council estate in Waterford , died of drugs . Little to no coverage of that

As far as I remember they were from Waterford but it happened in a house in Kinsale. I remember being really annoyed at the time - there was so much fuss made of Katy French’s death with calls for whoever gave her the drugs to be prosecuted etc . It was like she had no personal responsibility for her actions yet the two brothers got a brief mention and then nada. It was as if they or their familes grief didn’t matter.

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

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