Why are there so many hippies in Galway?

ArnoldJRimmer · 13-11-2012 03:15AM

Thats Galway, tourists, students, musicians, artists, poets and hippies. Not everyone's cup of tea I'll admit, but I loved it both as a student , and the couple of years it took me to drag my ass out of the place after I graduated. Great craic and met some of the most interesting people I've met in my life to date. And of course, some pretentious arseholes too, but they were in the minority

If I lived there now, the place would drive me mad, but still one of my favourite places to visit when I feel like getting away from it all.

TheUsual · 13-11-2012 03:22AM

Which came first, Galway or the hippies.

Sure we all elected a President Hippy from there to rule us, dat fella from the Lord of the Rings.

MyBrokenKnees · 13-11-2012 03:25AM

Its not something new I lived in Galway in the 90s and it was the same then and had been like that for a long time. I would take hippes crusties whatever you want to call them over schangers gorgers hoddies you get in most towns and cities these days

Donnielighto · 13-11-2012 07:20AM

The shades are pure soft on green here

mikemac1 · 13-11-2012 07:30AM

Stroll down Shop St and you'll find an African man standing on a box preaching about Christianity. Very heavy accent on him, hard to understand

There was an old women who used to do the same outside Supermacs.
We are all going to burn in hell she promised! :eek:

The local theatre group doing Macbeth and the lads MacDuff and MacBeth hammering each other with swords on Shop St

Having a quiet lunchtime pint and Warty Nora arrives in begging money. :mad:

Knacker Dwarf who is ridiculously agressive. Is he still around?

Flash Gordon out in Mervue, harmless old man. How are the boys?

Such characters :pac:

I think it's the buckfast that attracts them! Can't beat some buckfast down at the Sparch

empacher · 13-11-2012 07:38AM

Mikemac1 Dwarf is Seamus still bopping around town.

All those smelly crusties, go to college as mature students while still claiming the dole. Spending most of there day on some pub on quay street. Till finally getting some BA in women's studies or philosophy. I've wandered into house parties in Galway, that would was crammed full of these crusties. 10 of them living out of a 2 bed crack den.

mikemac1 · 13-11-2012 07:43AM

Let's bring back Salthill air show

100,000 people and all spending money.

Oh no, Galway Alliance against War won't like that :rolleyes:

They should be tossed into the bay!

galwayrush · 13-11-2012 08:18AM

Back in the day, Judge Garavan offered to suspend a jail sentence for a crustie if he agreed to have a wash instead, crustie declined the offer.

flogging a dead horse · 13-11-2012 02:52PM

The GPO used to be a great spot up until 05. It was and every man/woman spot. Hippies, chavs and CP's rejects. Cuba was a little bit more pedestrian. And around 03/04 it seemed like the chipper Costellos on Dominck Street was the best fast food joint in all of Connacht.
As for hippie crustations, Claddagh beach has a few at nightime
But then Galway hippies are scum, with some of them being very much snobbs.
A lot of snobbery by Galway crusties who in-turn claim to be 'left wing' and opposed to 'the man'. No use to annyone.

the purple tin · 13-11-2012 06:16PM

Used to be plenty of new agers around Dunmanway. Not sure about now though.

Kev_2012 · 13-11-2012 06:27PM

1210m5g wrote: »

I used to get called a hippy for wearing a Slayer t-shirt when i was 15 so god only knows what qualifies you to be one these days.

Same here. "Hippie freak! With your Trable of Fitch t shirt!".

Or as I liked to call it, my Cradle of Filth T shirt.

sunrise91 · 13-11-2012 06:34PM

franktheplank wrote: »

Think irritating, think wool, think very, very pretentious, think wool, think utterly useless, think lots of bad hair, think healing stones, think perma-culture.

And dreadlocks. Dreadlocks on white people is not a good look and we shouldn't have to endure this offence to our eyesight

Fuinseog · 13-11-2012 06:36PM

franktheplank wrote: »

Hippies, crusties, new agey types, call em what you like, why does Galway (and West Cork for that matter) attract so many of them?

Is it a physical aspect of these places or some historical factor? Any ideas?

cos you can chill out in galway long term and nobody has a problem with it.

Fuinseog · 13-11-2012 06:40PM

starbelgrade wrote: »

Many of them are English & come here with a romantic notion of moving to the West of Ireland to get away from it all, to a place where there's no traffic, no commercialism and is rural and isolated.

Lord knows why they stay though.

I blame the movie 'into the west'

Links234 · 13-11-2012 06:45PM

sunrise91 wrote: »

And dreadlocks. Dreadlocks on white people is not a good look and we shouldn't have to endure this offence to our eyesight

I like it!

hell, I'd nearly get dreadlocks myself! seems it would really irritate some stuck-up busybodies

starlit · 13-11-2012 06:49PM

Haven't really noticed any time I've been there in Galway. A bit more carefree maybe but no hippies...

You serious Leitrim has no traffic lights?!

Hippies! · 13-11-2012 07:06PM

mikemac1 wrote: »

They should be tossed into the bay!

ArtyC · 13-11-2012 07:08PM

eh cause its got " the roisin"

Like Roisin Dubh myself but its the only place some of them will go cause they can talk to likeminded people- ie bitch about bands/ shops/ festivals people have actually heard of.....cause their not sheep like ya know like!

flogging a dead horse · 13-11-2012 08:20PM

Fuinseog wrote: »

I blame the movie 'into the west'

On another note. 'Tayto' was Joe Canning's old college nickname.
But not anymore since he lost the weight this year.

flogging a dead horse · 13-11-2012 08:25PM

ArtyC wrote: »

eh cause its got " the roisin"

Like Roisin Dubh myself but its the only place some of them will go cause they can talk to likeminded people- ie bitch about bands/ shops/ festivals people have actually heard of.....cause their not sheep like ya know like!

Well over the last two years the music in downstairs R Dubh has got decidely worse. All those horrible 'mesh-up's'. A type of music started by and perfected by the group 2 Many Dj's. They are playing this Friday in the Olympia and their damm good. However any in-house DJ that attempt what they do, really do sound like pants.
Just play one good song after another and then another.
Not the mix of 2 and even 3 songs basterdized together to form a poxy tune.

BASHIR · 13-11-2012 08:34PM

I find them hipsters worse, At least ya know where ya stand with hippies.

asherbassad · 13-11-2012 08:43PM

Local-womanizer wrote: »

Give them some credit, they have 1 set!

I think you'll find that that 1 set is actually disputed. It's right on the border with both Sligo and Leitrim claiming it.

It's like the Kashmir of the Wesht!

Wolf Club · 13-11-2012 08:55PM

I think it's down to a combination of 2 things;

1. The fact that it's so well known for arts and culture
2. From personal experience, it's much easier to survive on the dole in Galway than it is in Dublin (I can't really comment on other Irish cities as I haven't lived in them)

Now I'm not saying that all "hippies" are unemployed, but if you want to pursue certain interests which you feel may not provide much income for a foreseeable amount of time (art, music, film making, etc.) it is relatively easy to do this in Galway without being too short of cash, as the cost of living is pretty low.

I don't see any problem with it whatsoever and think it's part of the reason that Galway is such a vibrant place.

Rented Mule · 13-11-2012 08:58PM

keith16 wrote: »

They took over after Galway was liberated from the Indians

The long hairs slaughtered the Indians ....and stole their best curry recipes.

del88 · 13-11-2012 08:58PM

I blame the pet shop boys and their persuasive lyrics.....give it a minute ...there ye go.:D

Mr. Boo · 13-11-2012 09:10PM

There aren't that many.

thebishop · 13-11-2012 09:13PM

the purple tin wrote: »

Used to be plenty of new agers around Dunmanway. Not sure about now though.

Still lots of em around there.Great place for a party.

Donnielighto · 14-11-2012 12:22AM

del88 wrote: »

I blame the pet shop boys and their persuasive lyrics.....give it a minute ...there ye go.:D

Ha?

Fuinseog · 14-11-2012 08:56AM

[there are also pseudo crusties about the place. in appearance they look the same and tend to consume intoxicating liquors in the Roisn Dubh, but secretly hold jobs and do not live off welfare.

Fuinseog · 14-11-2012 08:59AM

Wolf Club wrote: »

I think it's down to a combination of 2 things;

1. The fact that it's so well known for arts and culture
2. From personal experience, it's much easier to survive on the dole in Galway than it is in Dublin (I can't really comment on other Irish cities as I haven't lived in them)

Now I'm not saying that all "hippies" are unemployed, but if you want to pursue certain interests which you feel may not provide much income for a foreseeable amount of time (art, music, film making, etc.) it is relatively easy to do this in Galway without being too short of cash, as the cost of living is pretty low.

I don't see any problem with it whatsoever and think it's part of the reason that Galway is such a vibrant place.

true it is cheaper to survive on the dole in galway but a place like roscommon would be even easier. you can rent a entire house there for 400 euros while in dublin it might get you a broom cupboard.

galways reputation as culture capital is over hyped just like its bilingual reputation.

Why are there so many hippies in Galway?

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