Arklow's Bad Reputation

V480 · 21-11-2010 05:41AM #1

I lived in Arklow for a year and quite liked the place and the people. However, I found that some local people (I mean local as in from Bray/Wicklow/Wexford) were very dismissive of the place and spoke about it as if it was kind of a leper colony or something.

After a while I got tired of all the smart remarks, ect. This year I am living in Gorey, a town which I had been led to believe was some kind of paradise by comparision to Arklow. While I don't find there anything particulary wrong with the town neither do I understand why locals think it is so wonderful. In fact, I preferred Arklow, which is easier to get around and has better shops/cinema. People are a bit friendlier also.

So could anybody explain to me, an outsider from the south, what exactly is wrong with Arklow and why is it apparently such a sh!t hole by comparision to beautiful Gorey? Does the place have some dark secret that I am unaware of?!

Wicklowtails · 22-11-2010 10:37PM

I would prefer Gorey. I always felt safer walking the street at night. I spoke with my parents about Arklow a few weeks ago and they said it always had a bad rep for whatever reason. There seems to be higher unemployment (don't have figures to back this up) there as well as a bigger drug problem as well as a higher crime rate.

The main street of Gorey always seemed to have more to in in terms of businesses and less scumbags walking around.

parker kent · 22-11-2010 11:10PM

Drugs and crime are the main reasons.

delonglad · 22-11-2010 11:26PM

I grew up in Arklow. Went to college and then moved to Holland. Arklow has its ups and downs. If your an outsider coming in to the town their are some wasters who will do everything in their power to make your visit one to forget. Having said that the majority of Arklow residents are absolutely wonderful people. Friendly, warm and welcoming.

The town itself has recently gone to ****e. The main street is a joke and the parks are filthy and full of junkies, dont even get me started on the river :mad: .

Once the harbor lost itself to overfishing i suppose the demise of the town began. We then had the IFI and most recently Inamed leave us. We also had alot of exposure to the property boom as people saw it as a nice place to commute from so houses popped up all over the shop.

Arklow isn't a ****hole in my eyes but it has declined in my eyes over the past ten years and it saddens me.

Please note that anyone from Gorey, Wicklow or Bray(sure thats in Dublin :P ) will say Arklow is a kip, we have kind of a childish hatred of each other( I don't personally but the towns don't get along).

admiralofthefleet · 23-11-2010 02:04PM

whats the story with all the skangers bombing around town late at night in their souped up ancient honda civics?

delonglad · 23-11-2010 02:37PM

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

whats the story with all the skangers bombing around town late at night in their souped up ancient honda civics?

This happens all over the country in any town.

RedXIV · 23-11-2010 02:42PM

delonglad wrote: »

Please note that anyone from Gorey, Wicklow or Bray(sure thats in Dublin :P ) will say Arklow is a kip, we have kind of a childish hatred of each other( I don't personally but the towns don't get along).

Yup, I lived in gorey for 10 years and i remember the teenage discos where Gorey, Arklow and Enniscorthy groups would gather to kick the crap out of each other

One of my best mates is from Arklow and he brought us there one night, No problems so I couldn't understand the stereotype. Second night I went, I got threatened with a syringe. That put me off the place a bit.

But like all towns, it has places you go and places you don't

admiralofthefleet · 26-11-2010 02:30AM

delonglad wrote: »

This happens all over the country in any town.

i know that, im wondering what the reason is for it in arklow

delonglad · 26-11-2010 10:45AM

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

i know that, im wondering what the reason is for it in arklow

maybe the lack of activities for young people to do. Not even a bowling alley in the town.

Gmol · 26-11-2010 05:22PM

Strange I have been living in Arklow for the past 5 years and I haven't seen any trouble. Arklow has great amenities such as sports clubs, Bridgewater, (only cinema in the whole of Wicklow) and most people you'd meet are very friendly. The main Street has suffered since the Bridgewater opened but if the new shopping center goes ahead in the main street, it will help regenerate the place. It would also benefit if they ever get arround to finishing the N11. Everyone in South Wicklow (and wexford) should be campaigning for that to be done

Number 10 Shirt · 28-11-2010 01:04PM

V480 wrote: »

I lived in Arklow for a year and quite liked the place and the people. However, I found that some local people (I mean local as in from Bray/Wicklow/Wexford) were very dismissive of the place and spoke about it as if it was kind of a leper colony or something.

After a while I got tired of all the smart remarks, ect. This year I am living in Gorey, a town which I had been led to believe was some kind of paradise by comparision to Arklow. While I don't find there anything particulary wrong with the town neither do I understand why locals think it is so wonderful. In fact, I preferred Arklow, which is easier to get around and has better shops/cinema. People are a bit friendlier also.

So could anybody explain to me, an outsider from the south, what exactly is wrong with Arklow and why is it apparently such a sh!t hole by comparision to beautiful Gorey? Does the place have some dark secret that I am unaware of?!

I always felt Gorey had more life to it than Arklow,both on the main street and in the town as a whole.Arklow seems like one of those places which has been in steep decline for years.

gcgirl · 28-11-2010 05:13PM

My x lives around the castlepark end of the town and various things have happen brick through the window wing mirrors being kicked off keys along the side of the car I could go on but I know loads of really nice people but there are some that should be hung drawn and quartered

slaneyphone · 28-11-2010 08:47PM

Living almost equidistant from Arklow and Gorey I've always thought Gorey is a much nicer town from an asthetic point. The trees (well before they were cut) helped a bit here. Also Gorey is relatively straight and the street wide whereas Arklow is twisty and narrow which doesn't help. A lot of the negativity I think is down to the drugs, not that Gorey doesn't have that problem either. Despite that I went to secondary school in Arklow and am not neccessarily against the town. Just think Gorey has a more pleasant atmosphere about it. I wouldn't read too much into the Arklow/Gorey rivalry thing though.

trotter_inc · 12-01-2011 11:25AM

Grew up in Arklow in the 80's it's a completely different town to me now. I haven't lived these since I left for college in '98 and I would never go back to living there with the way town is now.

As previous posters have said it's full of druggies, crime and boy racers. When I went home at weekends I used to go out and was almost always guaranteed to come across at least 1 fight, which was usually an Arklow lad targeting some other lad who was visiting the town for the weekend, sad but true.

The main street has been devastated by the opening of the Bridgewater Shopping Centre which is a real pity, before it came along the main street was always buzzing and the footpaths thronged with shoppers, real pity to see it so quiet now

However, I do welcome the opening of the cinema there, this was needed many years ago.

trotter_inc · 12-01-2011 11:28AM

delonglad wrote: »

This happens all over the country in any town.

Sorry, have to pull you up on this, completely untrue

I live in Cork now and I have to say there isn't that much of a boy racer problem down here. In Arklow there's a constant stream of boy racers going up and down the town all day long! The problem in Arklow is by far the worst I've ever come across.

Arklow's Bad Reputation

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