Will the good times ever return?

So you miss drugs?

I think it's obvious he was specifically referring to the disparaging remarks about the 9/11.

Ireland and Europe are in general decline since 2001, Asian countries are the new super rich and in culture, food, streetscape.

Look at Singapore for an example, spotless clean city, great public transport.

Europe is in crisis as is our our country and don't get me started on the state of the capital city, I think the Government, DCC, Dublin Chamber of commerce, An Garda Siochana have all given up on the capital, in Dublin 1, north inner city, its a sh1t box, filthy, homeless, drug addicts every where, have ya got some change for the hostel man.

Bring back 110% mortgages.

Singapore is a city. Comparing it to Ireland it not accurate.

Better to compare it to Luxemburg or some other micro nation

Same age bracket as the OP.

Its all to do with rose tinted glasses for me. I hated smoking in bars and think it is Micheal Martin's finest legacy for whenever he leaves public life.

Life is as good as you want to make it. I look at the younger crew in my family and they are doing exactly the same faffing about that I did at that age, but like me all are getting an education and working their way up the same career ladders.

I compare what I had to my older siblings of the 80's - life was grim. Luckily, they got jobs in the Civil Service but back then it was either that or head for Holyhead or the airport if you had the cash to get to New York. Half their classes emigrated - by choice, whereas I emigrated to have the craic and see the world for a few years. And while abroad, I noticed that every country has their problems.

Life isn't perfect, and the problems being experienced here are the same the world over (e.g. housing is a problem in every major developed city I would say) or some different derivative of the same problems.

What has changed massively in the last 20 years is social media has made people unhappy. Comparing their lives, seeing people on 4-5 holidays a year and think "why can't I do that", instead of being grateful for the opportunities we have and the fact that we live in a country where if you want an opportunity it is achievable in some guise at least for basically everybody?

People who were/are sane people offline have turned in to argumentative, abusive windbags due to the anonymity social media and this manifests itself in so many ways - people can't accept refereeing decisions in sport without losing their nut online over it and assaulting referees. Respect for authority - be it Gardai, teachers, referees, etc - is definitely something which is on the decline. People can't accept that you can't get everything your way all of the time, sometimes others get the nice things or the victory and you have to work that bit harder next time and your day will come.

Comparison truly is the thief of joy. Life is what you make of it.

Without going all Baz Luhrmann, if I could offer people one piece of advice for their future happiness, quitting social media would be it. Make up your own mind on life, public policy, etc. Don't just go by the herd because that herd is a poisonous cult and go look at any posting by a TD or state official of any hue and tell me it isn't.

Eh referring to the World Trade Centre and World Sh*the Centre was the disparaging remark, not the way the date was written FFS.

3,000 people killed for turning up to work, then others living with injuries and cancers caused from the collapse.

Grow up and show some respect.

A daintily decorated, sugar coated turd of a country is the state of things.

It might look nice depending on your distance from reality, but take a bite and you'll get the flavour.

I think is more accurate than most people realise.

Ireland has one of the lowest percentage of people owning their own house in the EU.

Under 40 it is incredibly low barely a third.

The second highest divide in the 15 countries in the study ahead of Greece that isn't a great indicator. House prices affect people who own houses obviously if they want to move up the ladder or sell of course.

Do you have any recent experience with Irish healthcare, it is far from world class. My last experience was 38 hours on a trolley (having private healthcare made not a tap of difference). Trolleys all over the shop. Huge waiting lists for basic scans and referrals (a year and half for scans on sinuses) unless you go private.

Compare and contrast a recent experience with A and E in Brussels in and out in 30 minutes with multiple x-rays, digital copy of same and drugs required.

The Irish healthcare system is falling apart it is being literally held together just about by an extremely frazzled front line of nurses, HCAs and doctors.

Thank you for posting links that don't disprove my point that homeowner's don't care since the majority of Irish are homeowners(70% and higher than the European average according to that extra.ie link)

Regarding the It story of ownership disparity "Despite the housing shortage, surging rents and record levels of homelessness, homes were as affordable here as much of western Europe, the research showed. Irish people were less likely to be paying as much as 30 per cent of their income to cover housing costs compared to the other countries surveyed, with about 15 per cent of people here paying that much. That compared to a fifth of people elsewhere."

So oh well. Maybe you could provide a link to the original claim posted by Furze.

Btw I agree, the Irish healthcare is struggling and wait times are stupidly high, but you got seen, you got treated, you got discharged and you got better. It's not pretty, it's not fast but you won't get turned away or bankrupted.