Things that add to the culture and well-being of the country.

It's a shame. As long as people refuse to live close to pubs those particular pubs will suffer.

I can see where people are coming from when they say that. We don't have a great historical culinary culture. However, I don't agree with the chips & something comment that someone made, that's just the places they're going to.

However, there's a serious, vibrant & growing food scene in Ireland over the last few decades and we're rediscovering our roots, growing our own, foraging and catching in some cases. We're buying & cooking seasonally too. When I go to the fish mongers, the bakers and the butchers they're full of people buying stuff that wouldn't have sold twenty years ago and it's Irish people as well as non-Irish buying.

Restaurants have improved and (where they can) are pushing the envelope, trying new things & creating amazing dishes. One example would be Stoked in Sligo. Amazing.

Most towns and villages had ridiculous numbers of pubs that couldn't all survive.

Very hard to find an untouched authentic pub, the weirdest trend was to rip all the original fittings out and replace them with new old crap, tin cans and bicycles hanging off walls and the like. That and chipping all the render off to make them look faux "old timey" are pet hates.

They were never going to all survive but it’s still sad to see them go. I could have visited 12 different pubs every weekend in my younger years.

Being stuck in traffic and a big thick potato head (like your own), looking across from other car and giving you a cautious slow eliptical "nod" and a slight deflection (not a full wink) of the eyelid.

Before you realise and completely out of your control, you return the same.

The timing of your return, coupled with the speed and direction is critical.

An incorrectly executed return nod could lead to an interpretation of "a pass", or at worst lead to conflict.

We can't be taught this stuff. We are born with it.

The Amateur Drama circuit.

Every Spring time amateur Drama groups throughout the country put on productions as they compete in the two tier national competition.

A few years ago, I was able to see tens of plays a year and a few times saw a production of the same play by an amateur group and a professional theatre group at some stage within a few months of each other and in many cases, the only difference in the quality of production was the quality of the set or props.

For a tenner a night (at least it used to be) for a week or so, a fantastic evenings entertainment in small towns and villages throughout the country.

This years circuit.

Our beautiful beaches. It always clears my head to go to one. Inchadoney is always spectacular.

Dare I say, Irish weddings? None of this getting married at 3 and done by 10/11.

Not at the current prices for pints anyway 😂

Six Nations rugby matches at the Aviva.

Boards.ie 😉

You did. The wild Atlantic way existed and was frequented by many. My family did part of it every year, even when it was a dumping ground for locals. In 2011 there was a destination marketing plan to highlight, map and bring it to people that didn't know it existed. In 2014 it was launched including the 188 rusted WAW discovery points that everyone hated, but love now.