I only started to use McDonalds over the past few years since they installed self service machines. I find it very expensive so I use the dole menu, aka the saver menu. I usually get 3 or 4 burgers, a trick I found with the Chicken Mayo burgers is to order double lettuce so it makes it bigger. The last chicken mayo burgers I ordered were completely tasteless though. It was like eating cardboard. I can't even afford to go to McDonalds at the moment such is life as a wealthy dole scrounger as the media paint us.
Having read through these comments, there are some old people here. A person born in the 80s must be young here never mind the 90s
No need to actually pay for McDonalds
Wasn't it Pat Grace that brought Kentucky Fried Chicken to Ireland? That was its official title, before it morphed into KFC.
There was then some ownership and franchise arguments that resulted in Pat and the Colonel parting ways and resulting in a new chain of Pat Grace's Famous Fried Chicken... hinting strongly that he had the secret recipe in his outlets too.
On the Burgerland Baggot street and Sunshine Radio connection (mentioned previously)..... Sunshine had Sales and Admin offices above the burger shop, but the studio was in The Sands Hotel, Portmarnock and I don't think Mark Cagney ever worked for Sunshine .. as far as I remember, his pirate radio career was with Cork stations.
Pat Grace got the official Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise for Ireland. He then had a falling out with them after Colonel Sanders died and changed the name to Pat Grace's Famous Fried Chicken and claimed he used the original recipe. Seems he had a good rapport with the colonel himself.
Full story here https://gracesperfectblend.com/
That could be what I recall
But Hamburg, Germany has the world's only float-through McDonalds.
I worked there (when it was a Burgerland). The New York New York chain had three outlets at one point, Baggot Street, Mary Street and Talbot St.
The lucky Hamburgers!!
(I say that as somebody who has never eaten a burger.)
I totally forgot about New York New York. Still surprised Captain America is still a thing
Used to spend a lot of time hanging out in Wonder Burger on Westmorland Street in the late 80s, early 90s. Used to be a bit of a flash point between the "rockers" and the "ravers" - there were always fights going on.
I think they had a branch in Northside Shopping Centre. Maybe others too.
Maybe you're thinking of Killester Fried Chicken.
Did Nandos ever make it to Ireland? Used to love it when I was in Australia, not top shelf by any means but I would put that sauce on my tooth brush.
We all lost a part of ourselves the day Little Chef went under….
Just kidding it was shite
There are 12 in Ireland:
Cork - Academy Street
Cork - Mahon Point
Dublin - Blanchardstown
Dublin - Liffey Valley
Dublin - Mary Street
Dublin - Santry
Dublin - St Andrew's Street
Dublin - Swords
Dun Laoghaire
Dundrum
Newbridge
Tallaght
I haven't tried it yet, even though there's one in my town now.
EDIT: I just looked at the menu, and I won't be trying it. I despise the whole idea of chicken wings!
anyone here from down Limerick way? who remembers Burgerland?? sends a shiver down my stomach just thinking of the place😖
Fermoy
Burgerland was the dogs bollox back in the day. Was the Limerick one near HMV? If so I can officially say I was in the three cities of Burgerland. Dublin, Waterford and Limerick. Galway was obviously on the brink of Supermacs!😁
45 years of high fat, sugars and cholesterol. Followed by 45 years of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
Not something to be cheering about.
Burgerland was absolutely vile. As a kid back in the 1980s I was in the one in Dublin (O’Connell St) and the one in Limerick and in both the burgers were really horrible.
McDonalds was the “gold standard” of fast food in my childhood and hearing from my parents that we were going to MaccyDs as a treat would have me thrilled! 😁
For sure there are serious problems both here and in the UK with obesity and bad eating habits - but in fairness many fast food outlets are evolving their menus, offering more healthy/plant-based options in response to customer demand - and all those convenience store delis that offer chicken fillet and breakfast rolls and sandwiches etc. slathered in butter and mayonnaise must be a major contributory factor to the problem.
Germany has 1,500 McDonalds outlets and they have been present in the country since 1971 (the second country in Europe after Holland) - yet the Germans are considered to have significantly lower obesity rates than the UK or Ireland - so other factors are at play here in addition to just the availability of fast food.
Fast food is here to stay, but it is evolving in terms of the food it serves.
Yes, started by the Grimes brothers in the late 70's/early '80's. I think they were originally from Castlebar. I worked for them for a while in the mid 1980;s and recall when they were starting up the Dundalk branch.
It was on William Street, where Lifestyle Sports is now.
You're missing Tralee and Cork from your list by the way.
You're confusing fast food with fat food. Italian chippers don't do fast food. You have to order and wait around for ages while they cook it. That's not fast food. Fast food is already cooked. You order and it's pulled off the shelf already cooked and it's bagged for you. The way it should be - no waiting about. The clue is in the name!
Would you not just buy a slow cooker, house keepers cut on 6 hours high. Chipper food is bad.
There was a small chain in Cork called Hi Burger that still exists as the Hi Café. I think they were anchor tenants in the Wilton Shopping Centre and Merchant's Quay.
Abrakebabra is the other big one that's has been around since 1982 and there are possibly a few others too.
The other unusual one, which was basically a fast food in its old format was La Croissanterie. It was a French franchise and had locations in Dublin and Cork and possibly elsewhere in the 1980s. They were actually quite tasty from what I remember of them - cheesy croissants heated in some kind of speed oven.
I loved la crossanterie. Bad memories of eating abrakebabra cheese chips and burger sauce on Westmoreland street waiting for the nitelink :D
Anyone remember a fast food place in Rathmines in late 80s/early 90s beside Swan centre? It may have been called Flames and there was a picture of a devil with a pitchfork! I remember going there a lot as a young wan after visiting my grandparents in Harold's cross
Anyone remember Krank's Corner in Thomas Street Limerick? It's gone about 15 years although it was a popular destination for late night drunks craving fast food at the weekends.
The 1st McDonald's drive thru in Europe was in the Nutgrove shopping centre in Dublin. Opened in 1985
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