Most miserable and grim towns and villages in Ireland

12-07-2020 4:14pm

Clonmel1000 wrote: »

What’s any of that got to do with Clonmel? A student calls for a Garda presence in every village in Ireland? A drugs seizure last January in a completely different town and Gardaí searching premises across 3 counties?

Clonmel has come up a several times in this thread, and a lot of posters have noted the drug problem; honestly why do you think that is? Do you think it's just a coincidence, or that people are somehow 'jealous' of Clonmel and it's some kind of conspiracy?

I spent a lot of time in Fethard in my teenage years, and I still have lots of family down there, so I know Clonmel fairly well. It's always had a very noticeable drug problem, which just isn't as prevalent in most other towns like Cahir or even Cashel, or Kilkenny. I hope your defensive reaction isn't characteristic of most residents of Clonmel, otherwise the town is never going to improve.

Some of the comments about hostile locals are obviously over the top, but a lot of the comments in this thread are actually constructive criticism.

ParkRunner · 12-07-2020 4:38pm

Ballyragget. So miserable the locals call it Ballyregret! At the centre is a hotel which has been shut for many many years.

LawBoy2018 · 12-07-2020 4:41pm

Strokestown is definitely up there, what a kip! Ballyhaunis is also a depressing spot.

Aurelian · 12-07-2020 4:43pm

ParkRunner wrote: »

Ballyragget. So miserable the locals call it Ballyregret! At the centre is a hotel which has been shut for many many years.

I'm sure that hotel was never finished or opened.

Wailin · 12-07-2020 4:46pm

Campile Co. Wexford. What a depressing hole of a place.

ParkRunner · 12-07-2020 4:50pm

Aurelian wrote: »

I'm sure that hotel was never finished or opened.

Yes you’re right actually. Not sure it was ever intended to function as a hotel!

12-07-2020 5:16pm

Wailin wrote: »

Campile Co. Wexford. What a depressing hole of a place.

The nazis didnt even bother coming back to finish off bombing it

Cosmo Kramer · 12-07-2020 6:09pm

There's a section of Connacht where Galway, Mayo and Roscommon meet that seems to have an unnaturally large number of depressing small towns, Tuam, Ballyhaunis, Dunmore, Williamstown, Ballinlough, Castlerea. Just a forgotten corner of the country really, especially as Tuam has now been bypassed in the last few years.

Shannon is another depressing place but in a different way, it looks like they started to build a new town but just gave up after building a few housing estates and a bit of a shopping centre. The location near the estuary seems like it could have been an opportunity but instead you'd hardly know you were near the water.

Somewhere like Kiltyclogher (mentioned previously) I would have sympathy for, it's a victim of being right on a border in a remote location. The physical border meant that for years there was only one road in and out and it lost much of it's hinterland in Fermanagh and never recovered. Much of the border area is the same and it's different to remote coastal areas which at least can be picturesque and touristed.

I've never been to Granard but it looks terrible on Streetview. Might take a detour the next time I'm on the N4 to see if it's as bad in person.

fryup wrote: »

isn't it about time we had an irish version of this Book...

i wonder is there any publisher in this country brave enough to take it on

Having said all that, none of those places hold a candle to the likes of Cumbernauld (covered in the above book). Has to be seen to be believed. There are so many towns in the Scottish central belt that make sleepy Irish villages and towns look like picture postcards in comparison.

Here's Cumbernauld shopping centre:

Cumbernauld_Shopping_Centre%2C_3_February_2012_%282%29.jpg

Cumbernauld_Shopping_Centre%2C_3_February_2012_%282%29.jpg

And the town skyline:

Slim Charles · 12-07-2020 6:19pm

Cosmo Kramer wrote: »

There's a section of Connacht where Galway, Mayo and Roscommon meet that seems to have an unnaturally large number of depressing small towns, Tuam, Ballyhaunis, Dunmore, Williamstown, Ballinlough, Castlerea. Just a forgotten corner of the country really, especially as Tuam has now been bypassed in the last few years.

Shannon is another depressing place but in a different way, it looks like they started to build a new town but just gave up after building a few housing estates and a bit of a shopping centre. The location near the estuary seems like it could have been an opportunity but instead you'd hardly know you were near the water.

Somewhere like Kiltyclogher (mentioned previously) I would have sympathy for, it's a victim of being right on a border in a remote location. The physical border meant that for years there was only one road in and out and it lost much of it's hinterland in Fermanagh and never recovered. Much of the border area is the same and it's different to remote coastal areas which at least can be picturesque and touristed.

I've never been to Granard but it looks terrible on Streetview. Might take a detour the next time I'm on the N4 to see if it's as bad in person.

Having said all that, none of those places hold a candle to the likes of Cumbernauld (covered in the above book). Has to be seen to be believed. There are so many towns in the Scottish central belt that make sleepy Irish villages and towns look like picture postcards in comparison.

Not sure how Manchester makes that list, great city right up there with Leeds, Bristol and York.

Liverpool, Birmingham & Bradford though, they surely feature high. Anyway that's off-topic and for another discussion.

EDIT: It doesn't say Manchester it says Winchester, my mistake!

Ipso · 12-07-2020 6:20pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Bundoran fits the bill quite well, it's an even sadder town because you can tell it was once thriving, before Ryanair began supplying us with cheap flights.

Roscrea, sad to say, does also. In the 1990s, it was one of the only small towns I'd ever seen with a heroin problem. Obviously heroin was fairly pervasive in the 1990s, but it was plainly visible in Roscrea. Strange place, because there's a lot of wealth there too, on the outskirts.

I remember Nenagh being a bustling, busy, vibrant town as a kid. Bad planning and the growth of retail estates on the edges of the town have decimated the town centre. Again, sad because the town has a huge amount of potential, strategically located close to stunning mountain hikes and the lake. It could be the Killarney of the midlands if Local Government and business put their heads together. I also think it's downfall coincided with the loss of a Government Minister, which North Tipp traditionally had.

In fact, I wonder how many of the towns which recur on this thread have any effective political representation. I bet very few of them have had a Minister in a long time. People might scoff at this, because it shouldn't matter; but it does make a difference.

To many towns, not enough ministerial positions.

ShamNNspace · 12-07-2020 6:43pm

Cosmo Kramer wrote: »

There's a section of Connacht where Galway, Mayo and Roscommon meet that seems to have an unnaturally large number of depressing small towns, Tuam, Ballyhaunis, Dunmore, Williamstown, Ballinlough, Castlerea. Just a forgotten corner of the country really, especially as Tuam has now been bypassed in the last few years.
................................
Ah now Tuam is a grand little town imo, full of character. There's plenty employment in the factories here, rental costs are high, nice schools, supermarkets, plenty facilities soccer gaa tennis basketball swimming gymnastics good unpretentious pubs hotel in the centre etc. It has its problems but gets an undeserved bad press imv

Mad_maxx · 12-07-2020 6:46pm

Infernal Racket wrote: »

I drive through Clonmellon on a regular basis and you I have never seen anyone walking on the main street. There is one dismal little family shop at one end and a dark centra at the other end and that's it

I've yet to see a live human on the street of clonmellon

It's really a village however

Mad_maxx · 12-07-2020 6:47pm

touts wrote: »

South Tipp has suffered from a massive lack of investment for 30 years. Clonmel is increasingly run by drugs gangs and Garda HQ don't give a ****. They responded recently by downgrading the Clonmel station, removing senior officers and even removing the Community Garda service. It's heading towards a Dundalk/Drogheda gang wars situation fast unless something is done. But there is no political clout in the area with 4 of the 5 TDs now from North Tipp.

Carrick, Cahir and Tipp town can be rough as hell but don't have significant drug problems mainly because they have no money. Clonmel has a couple of multinationals and the wages from their staff fund the drugs trade.

With the Guards downgrading the Clonmel Station (I think it is now under a Superintendent based in Ennis or somewhere crazy like that) then it's only going to get worse.

Cashel has the tourism industry and Fethard has Colemore stud so they aren't in too bad a condition. But when the shooting starts in Clonmel (and with drugs it always does) it could easily reach those towns.

South Tipp might be bad but North Tipp is even worse

boardise · 12-07-2020 6:54pm

Kilkelly in Mayo is pretty downbeat to put it mildly.

DrGreenThumb82 · 12-07-2020 7:25pm

Borris-in-Ossary

It makes Deliverance look like an episode of Glee

Mad_maxx · 12-07-2020 7:36pm

LawBoy2018 wrote: »

Strokestown is definitely up there, what a kip! Ballyhaunis is also a depressing spot.

Boyle is a dump too

Liamo57 · 12-07-2020 7:54pm

Daingean in Offaly. Complete sihthloe.

touts · 12-07-2020 10:18pm

Clonmel1000 wrote: »

So the employees of the multinational companies in clonmel are all drug addicts? Can you give us a source for this please?

The community Garda resources have been restored since May they were temporarily removed for 2 months.

Regarding the TDS there are 5 TDS in Tipp 2 from North Tipp 1 From Mid Tipp and 2 from South Tipp.

Can you give us a source also for the drugs gangs or maybe some stats to back this up?

I never said that all the employees were drug addicts. Don't be deliberately misleading just to defend your town.

Clonmel has a bigger drug problem than other towns because there is more money in circulation and the drugs gangs know that.

One community guard was reappointed after a huge public outrage but the service itself has been effectively stopped. The senior officers were still moved to Ennis so now Clonmel police operations are planned and run from 2 hours away.

The Lowery, Kelly and Cahill are all firmly North Tipp and Browne is at best mid Tipp but certainly in the Northern half of mid Tipp. McGrath is the only firmly Southern TD.

The drug problem is widely known in and around Clonmel. If you want sources pick up any local newspaper and actually read it. Pick up the court reports and read them. Or go along to any court sitting and watch the drug cases one after another. Everyone with even a passing interest in the town knows the gang situation and can clearly see parallels with Dundalk 5 years ago.

If you want further "proof" get out of your ivory tower and go walk around the town some Saturday night once the pubs reopen fully.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 12-07-2020 11:25pm

smelly sock wrote: »

the athlone side of Roscommon

Do you mean the part of Roscommon town that sits on the Athlone road, or the part of Athlone that spreads in to county Roscommon? Wouldn't describe either area as the most exciting part of the world, but to call them grim is a bit harsh I'd have thought.

The Midlands always gets a lot of hate, I used to live in Tralee (!) and when people I worked with found out I wanted to move back home to the Midlands, they thought I was cracked. Most of them had never actually been there save for the Ploughing Championship.

pgj2015 · 12-07-2020 11:52pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Kiltyclogher, Leitrim.

Was cycling around the border region a few years ago and landed in Kiltyclogher, Co. Leitrim on the Sunday of a bank holiday weekend, thinking I might get some food and somewhere to stay for the night. Looked like a substantial town on the map. It was desolate and empty, the only person we could find was an old man smoking a fag outside the one open pub. We were laughed at when we asked if there was anywhere to stay the night. Not sure of the history, but it has a huge, wide Main Street, but it has got to be the most depressing, eerie place I have ever been in. It just felt abandoned. The place has actually gotten some publicity since over attempts to repopulate it.

Second, and from the same trip, is Swanlinbar, Co. Cavan. Everything boarded up and bleak looking. Just depressing and unfriendly.

Kiltyclogher isn't a town, its a village.

Technique · 13-07-2020 12:09am

Infernal Racket wrote: »

I drive through Clonmellon on a regular basis and you I have never seen anyone walking on the main street. There is one dismal little family shop at one end and a dark centra at the other end and that's it

Mad_maxx wrote: »

I've yet to see a live human on the street of clonmellon

It's really a village however

Never heard of the place. Looked it up on Google Street View and, true enough, not a single person on the streets.

pgj2015 · 13-07-2020 12:11am

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.6642147,-7.0189246,3a,15y,93.1h,78.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sPmBi6W8ZM-fW90DnHTa3QA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Muahahaha · 13-07-2020 12:37am

Slim Charles wrote: »

Super Valu....really don't get the draw of their stores. Over-priced and sub-par food, and don't even dream of going for a quick shop there.....You will be held up for hours by Mary Murphy chatting to Mary o Murphy.

Thats so true about Supervalue, i only go in for two or three items but always dread it in the knowledge you're likely to get held up by people nattering gossip at the tills. I cant wait until my local one gets those self service tills, it will be much quicker

dundalkfc10 · 13-07-2020 12:42am

touts wrote: »

I never said that all the employees were drug addicts. Don't be deliberately misleading just to defend your town.

Clonmel has a bigger drug problem than other towns because there is more money in circulation and the drugs gangs know that.

One community guard was reappointed after a huge public outrage but the service itself has been effectively stopped. The senior officers were still moved to Ennis so now Clonmel police operations are planned and run from 2 hours away.

The Lowery, Kelly and Cahill are all firmly North Tipp and Browne is at best mid Tipp but certainly in the Northern half of mid Tipp. McGrath is the only firmly Southern TD.

The drug problem is widely known in and around Clonmel. If you want sources pick up any local newspaper and actually read it. Pick up the court reports and read them. Or go along to any court sitting and watch the drug cases one after another. Everyone with even a passing interest in the town knows the gang situation and can clearly see parallels with Dundalk 5 years ago.

If you want further "proof" get out of your ivory tower and go walk around the town some Saturday night once the pubs reopen fully.

The thing this town needs is the Provos back. A good kicking is what these kids causing trouble need, not 100 slaps on wrist by Gardaí or Judges

skooterblue2 · 13-07-2020 1:05am

DrGreenThumb82 wrote: »

Borris-in-Ossary

It makes Deliverance look like an episode of Glee

That is just plain true of Carlow.

skooterblue2 · 13-07-2020 1:08am

Technique wrote: »

Never heard of the place. Looked it up on Google Street View and, true enough, not a single person on the streets.

County Meath is very polar. Half is very wealthy and the other half is dead. Guess which part is Clonmelon is in?

Its like Ashbourne, Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin and Navan are commuter towns for Dublin, the rest have no industry of their own after that.

cbreeze · 13-07-2020 1:22am

Loughsinney = 0

skooterblue2 · 13-07-2020 1:27am

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

The thing this town needs is the Provos back. A good kicking is what these kids causing trouble need, not 100 slaps on wrist by Gardaí or Judges

If the guards were left do their job properly like in the old days there should be no need for Provos. You cant say anything to travellers because of Pavee point. You cant say anything to African gangs because of lobby groups and you cant say anything to junkies because of political correctness.

Because of this a whole generation have grown up feral. The prisons are overflowing and health services cant cope. I dont know what it will be like in 10 years because I will be long gone before then.

touts · 13-07-2020 1:50am

skooterblue2 wrote: »

If the guards were left do their job properly like in the old days there should be no need for Provos. You cant say anything to travellers because of Pavee point. You cant say anything to African gangs because of lobby groups and you cant say anything to junkies because of political correctness.

Because of this a whole generation have grown up feral. The prisons are overflowing and health services cant cope. I dont know what it will be like in 10 years because I will be long gone before then.

Indeed. The Justice Industry makes too much money by keeping criminals on the street and the criminal rights lobby groups like the so called '"Irish Council for Civil Liberties" yield far too much influence via the media. I would disagree with you that our prisons are overflowing. The Criminal Rights groups would like you to believe they are but by international standards they are quite sparsely populated and luxurious. Many of the towns mentioned in this thread would be far better places of just 20-30 of the worst of their populations were packed 4 to a room in Mountjoy and left there to rot.

lalababa · 13-07-2020 2:31am

Any village or small town that is not on the tourist trail or on the way to somewhere or hasn't an industry or is not a 'sleeper' for a larger town/city will decline in population and services until the tumbleweed takes over. The way farming/modern procurement of services/big roads and decline in manufacturing and above all urbanisation is going then this is their future. The only way to change the decline is remote working/universal payments....with the pull of cheap houses/little traffic/more space quiteish village/countryside/cheap living.

Most miserable and grim towns and villages in Ireland

Comments