Lads telling war stories about pulling in €1,000+ a week back in the good days

Unavailable for Comment · 19-06-2012 11:55AM

Rabidlamb wrote: »

... he pulled double shifts working on the M7 prior to the Ryder Cup & was taking home €1,400 a week after tax.
Now this lad hasn't worked a day since 2008 & not looking good for the future either.
...
The fact that a unskilled labourer who left school without a Leaving Cert could earn them sums of money shows what a ridiculous bubble we found ourselves in.

A skill is the ability to do something well. It doesn't matter if it's because of having an aptitude for it or not. If his job is running a digger and he can do that well why shouldn't he be paid for that?

It's important when remembering the "glory days" that it wasn't builders getting €1400 for working double shifts, i.e. €700 a week that drove the boom. It was easy access to and reckless abuse of credit that drove it.

Zonda999 · 19-06-2012 11:56AM

davet82 wrote: »

i keep hearing similar stories too...

i hear 'when do you think it will get back to normal', which always makes me laugh...

THIS IS NORMAL FFS!

That really gets to me too, people who say this have zero concept of economics, obviously.

http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/property-mortgages/shortage-of-homes-for-under-35s-in-cities-to-spark-price-surge-3143917.html

'Shortage of homes for under 35s in cities to spark price surge' is the headline

Probably the kind of headline these same people would like to see. for the record, even the ESRI said on the radio this morning that the rpices on some urban centre might level off and stay that way for a number of years,hardly a 'surge', typical indo rubbish. We will never see times like that again, and it will be for the better of the country IMHO..

ScumLord · 19-06-2012 11:57AM

alproctor wrote: »

Correct. Some really talented drivers could part your hair with a 30 tonne digger.

Mythbusters sis a special on diggers once, they threaded a needle and poured a bottle of wine using a digger. Those lads spend so much time in them they've gotten pretty good at operating them.

Al Capwned · 19-06-2012 11:59AM

ScumLord wrote: »

Mythbusters sis a special on diggers once, they threaded a needle and poured a bottle of wine using a digger. Those lads spend so much time in them they've gotten pretty good at operating them.

To youtube!!!......

Rabidlamb · 19-06-2012 12:06PM

Zonda999 wrote: »

That really gets to me too, people who say this have zero concept of economics, obviously.

http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/property-mortgages/shortage-of-homes-for-under-35s-in-cities-to-spark-price-surge-3143917.html

'Shortage of homes for under 35s in cities to spark price surge' is the headline

Probably the kind of headline these same people would like to see. for the record, even the ESRI said on the radio this morning that the rpices on some urban centre might level off and stay that way for a number of years,hardly a 'surge', typical indo rubbish. We will never see times like that again, and it will be for the better of the country IMHO..

In next weeks Sindo
"Never been a better time to buy" Bendan O'Connor
"Soft landing at last" Alison O'Riordan

Choo choo choo . . . . hop aboard . . . we're restarting the gravy train.

Zonda999 · 19-06-2012 12:08PM

And another thing, some of these guys who are complaining that they can;t get scant work anywhere now, are the same people who screwed their customers over only 6 or 7 years ago. we all now there were plenty *'cowboys' on the go doing piss poor construction work for the going rate at the time. I've zero sympathy for these guys

Then again, there are a couple of smallish builders I know (Doing small extensions and the like), who never treated their customers badly, and didn't get carried away with pricing. I met some one I know, like this, a couple of months back, he says he's still tipping(Pardon the pun) away at it, getting healthy work. fair play to him I say. There will always be room for construction workers in an economy, but obviously only a small percentage of the workforce(Probably about 5-6%). I believe during the 'boom', or percentage was 15%+.

snubbleste · 19-06-2012 12:09PM

Rabidlamb wrote: »

In next weeks Sindo
"Never been a better time to buy" Bendan O'Connor
"Soft landing at last" Aisling O'Riordan
Choo choo choo . . . . hop aboard . . . we're restarting the gravy train.

Ahem, it is Alison. Very important.

bonzodog2 · 19-06-2012 12:12PM

RVP 11 wrote: »

What? like dig?

I am reminded of this :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuWSxFWv3Fo

Zonda999 · 19-06-2012 12:12PM

Rabidlamb wrote: »

In next weeks Sindo
"Never been a better time to buy" Bendan O'Connor
"Soft landing at last" Alison O'Riordan

Choo choo choo . . . . hop aboard . . . we're restarting the gravy train.

Its gone beyond a joke at this stage

To anyone who hasn't read this; I urge you to:

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/the-smart-ballsy-guys-are-buying-up-property-right-now-1047118.html
Brendan O Connor - ' The smart, ballsy guys are buying up property right now' - July 29th 2007

This is the same guy our state broadcaster is paying on our behalf to entertain us on Saturday nights..

giant_midget · 19-06-2012 12:13PM

Good thread OP, Im sick of hearing these glory days stories too...a bit boring now, I dont care about how much money you used to make mixing plaster etc, your on the dole now time to re-train. Not going to be another celtic tiger for another 40+ years...get your lazy hole onto a course...

Gone Drinking · 19-06-2012 12:14PM

Bad Panda wrote: »

A skill anybody can learn, like driving.

Surely anyone can learn any skill? That's hardly an argument..

Rabidlamb · 19-06-2012 12:14PM

snubbleste wrote: »

Ahem, it is Alison. Very important.

Sorted, needs to be right for when she googles herself.
I just noticed you loose all your Thanks once you edit a post, makes sense I suppose.

19-06-2012 12:15PM

bonzodog2 wrote: »

I am reminded of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

Riveting stuff.:pac:

Dymo · 19-06-2012 12:16PM

I remember a bricklayer friend boasting in the pub that he earning more than Doctors and Solicitors and he never went to collage and implying how much smarter he was than them wasting there time with this education lark. He's in New York now looking for work.

What pissed me off was the attitude a lot of tradespeople had that they could ask what ever they wanted for jobs to be done and work when they wanted to. €250 a day for a bit of carpentry(9-5). €800 for leveling some gravel. 2 hours work.

ScumLord · 19-06-2012 12:18PM

giant_midget wrote: »

Not going to be another celtic tiger for another 40+ years...get your lazy hole onto a course...

To be fair though, they've probably left themselves 40+ years of work repairing the terrible half arsed buildings and roads they built during the boom.

mikemac1 · 19-06-2012 12:24PM

Tis true

The brother quit school after the junior cert and pulling in several hundred a week labouring on sites
Like a cash in hand job for the contractor who did the fencing for the new road bypass.
Or being a brickies helper, you would earn 500 a week minium for that job. A brickie could have two helpers, the price per brick was outrageous

Was hard work but the money was not realistic. Ya can moan at Bertie Ahern but nobody could make that last forever

Me? I earned the princly sum of €53 a week college grant and slogging my guts out as a barman for €9 a hour
Was decent for a student but hard work

Al Capwned · 19-06-2012 12:25PM

Skilled???

Of course it's a skill.....

Zonda999 · 19-06-2012 12:30PM

Dymo wrote: »

I remember a bricklayer friend boasting in the pub that he earning more than Doctors and Solicitors and he never went to collage and implying how much smarter he was than them wasting there time with this education lark. He's in New York now looking for work.

What pissed me off was the attitude a lot of tradespeople had that they could ask what ever they wanted for jobs to be done and work when they wanted to. €250 a day for a bit of carpentry(9-5). €800 for leveling some gravel. 2 hours work.

Ah yes, sure this was the very mantra of the construction side of our 'boom'.

Mindless greed in other words. I'd be lying if I said if I said I didn't get some sort of satisfaction of seeing certain people like this in a pretty poor financial situation now. What's more, many of these are not even trying to make some effort to get a job, or trying to further their education to help them get a job, they are simply waiting for the 'show' to start off again, I can tell you, at the current rate, they will be waiting a long time..

Rabidlamb · 19-06-2012 12:32PM

paddy147 wrote: »

Well fair play to you for splashng/adding in red the mans past history and his families past history all over the internet.

You must be very proud of yourself so.

PS-The more diplomatic thing to post would be "he told me himself"....and just leave it at that.

Anonymous person on the internet speaks of anecdotal situation of unidentifiable friend.
Christ Paddy you're right, he can't get out the front door with all the media interest & flashing bulbs going off.
Good man, off to the next internet crisis with god's speed, the world wide web needs more true protectors like you.

seamus · 19-06-2012 12:33PM

Yeah, I recall a conversation with a mate in 2005. He had started a plumbing apprenticeship in 2001, but was still only halfway through in 2005 because he kept deferring the next phases in order to stay on the job. He was being paid €150/day for, in his words, "Making tea and lifting stuff".
So he saw no reason to go back to FAS and get his qualification.

I warned him at the time to get it completed as soon as possible, because at least then he'd have that and he could go and do whatever he wanted. His response was that there was no rush cos, "They'll always need plumbers for building houses"

Predictably in late 2006, his employer let him go and also pulled his FAS sponsorship, and he ended up on the dole with no qualifications and no hope of finishing his FAS course.

davet82 · 19-06-2012 12:34PM

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Anonymous person on the internet speaks of anecdotal situation of unidentifiable friend.
Christ Paddy you're right, he can't get out the front door with all the media interest & flashing bulbs going off.
Good man, off to the next internet crisis with god's speed, the world wide web needs more true protectors like you.

i'm detecting some sarcasm in that post? :rolleyes:

rgmmg · 19-06-2012 12:34PM

Zonda999 wrote: »

Ah yes, sure this was the very mantra of the construction side of our 'boom'.

Mindless greed in other words. I'd be lying if I said if I said I didn't get some sort of satisfaction of seeing certain people like this in a pretty poor financial situation now. What's more, many of these are not even trying to make some effort to get a job, or trying to further their education to help them get a job, they are simply waiting for the 'show' to start off again, I can tell you, at the current rate, they will be waiting a long time..

Breathe deeply, put it down to them being caught up in the hype, move on. You'll feel better. There's nothing more annoying than people who take "some sort of satisfaction" from others who have fallen on hard times. "Sure yer man had a new merc every year during the boom. Now look at the state of him" etc.

19-06-2012 12:35PM

seamus wrote: »

Yeah, I recall a conversation with a mate in 2005. He had started a plumbing apprenticeship in 2001, but was still only halfway through in 2005 because he kept deferring the next phases in order to stay on the job. He was being paid €150/day for, in his words, "Making tea and lifting stuff".
So he saw no reason to go back to FAS and get his qualification.

I warned him at the time to get it completed as soon as possible, because at least then he'd have that and he could go and do whatever he wanted. His response was that there was no rush cos, "They'll always need plumbers for building houses"

Predictably in late 2006, his employer let him go and also pulled his FAS sponsorship, and he ended up on the dole with no qualifications and no hope of finishing his FAS course.

Ah! The Irish Dream, shattered.

19-06-2012 12:36PM

rgmmg wrote: »

There's nothing more annoying than people who take "some sort of satisfaction" from others who have fallen on hard times.

Except some wanker defending the lazy, no hoper type, who only got a job in the first place because Anto knows the boss.:pac:

Zonda999 · 19-06-2012 12:43PM

rgmmg wrote: »

Breathe deeply, put it down to them being caught up in the hype, move on. You'll feel better. There's nothing more annoying than people who take "some sort of satisfaction" from others who have fallen on hard times. "Sure yer man had a new merc every year during the boom. Now look at the state of him" etc.

I know exactly the kind of people Dymo meant in his post, and the people I'm thinking of are by no means starving I can tell you. Many of them have their money made.

Rabidlamb · 19-06-2012 12:47PM

rgmmg wrote: »

Breathe deeply, put it down to them being caught up in the hype, move on. You'll feel better. There's nothing more annoying than people who take "some sort of satisfaction" from others who have fallen on hard times. "Sure yer man had a new merc every year during the boom. Now look at the state of him" etc.

I went golfing on a stag do in Kenmare back in the glory days.
I parked up in my 10 year old Almera followed by a mate who drove an equally bangered Astra, we were both degree qualified engineers.
Then the building lads arrived in the '07 Nissan Navaras & Subaru Foresters, took out their brand new custom fitted Taylor Made irons & headed to the first tee laughing at the lads who wasted their time in college.
Out of the 8 of us on the stag we were the only 2 to keep our jobs during the recession.
I know I shouldn't feel smug but I do.

Head The Wall · 19-06-2012 12:49PM

rgmmg wrote: »

Breathe deeply, put it down to them being caught up in the hype, move on. You'll feel better. There's nothing more annoying than people who take "some sort of satisfaction" from others who have fallen on hard times. "Sure yer man had a new merc every year during the boom. Now look at the state of him" etc.

The likes of those folks did plenty of laughing at people in regular jobs without houses though. They just don't like when the shoe is on the other foot

ian87 · 19-06-2012 12:51PM

Zonda999 wrote: »

Ah yes, sure this was the very mantra of the construction side of our 'boom'.

Mindless greed in other words. I'd be lying if I said if I said I didn't get some sort of satisfaction of seeing certain people like this in a pretty poor financial situation now. What's more, many of these are not even trying to make some effort to get a job, or trying to further their education to help them get a job, they are simply waiting for the 'show' to start off again, I can tell you, at the current rate, they will be waiting a long time..

Cant help but agree. I remember sitting beside a guy in leaving cert who actually called me an idiot and laughed in my face for going to college. "Sure why would you bother when you can earn €600 a week plastering."

He who laughs last laughs longest. A few years of college later I am earning that money and he is stuck living at home without a pot to piss in.

seamus · 19-06-2012 12:54PM

rgmmg wrote: »

There's nothing more annoying than people who take "some sort of satisfaction" from others who have fallen on hard times. "Sure yer man had a new merc every year during the boom. Now look at the state of him" etc.

I think you're misinterpreting his post somewhat as begrudgery.

There was a certain subset of people working in the building trade during the boom who took every opportunity to tell "professionals" about how much money they were making without having ever been to college, and how everyone was wasting their time going to college and getting an office job or other skilled work.

I don't think you would deny anyone their right to feel a little glad when such a person has fallen flat on his arse after all his waffling and posturing.

The Recliner · 19-06-2012 12:56PM

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Sorted, needs to be right for when she googles herself.
I just noticed you loose all your Thanks once you edit a post, makes sense I suppose.

The thanks reappear after a while, you don't lose them

Lads telling war stories about pulling in €1,000+ a week back in the good days

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