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Are there more beggars on the streets now?

Tearin It Up

I don't know but I have never noticed beggars on the streets of Galway before.

The past couple of weeks I have had a young woman approach me, a few times, on different days/evenings, begging for change.

Last week, she came up again begging for change and I just walked away, as you do and she started to hurl some abuse at me "talk about ignorance". Calling me ignorant and she was the one begging!

Not a guard in sight around shop street, eyre square where she's usually begging.

Has anyone came across this one before?

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Links234

There's a couple I've noticed around Dominick street for the last while, quite aggresssive too, a rather big guy and a woman. sometimes they're together, sometimes not.

ben.schlomo

Links234 wrote: »

There's a couple I've noticed around Dominick street for the last while, quite aggresssive too, a rather big guy and a woman. sometimes they're together, sometimes not.

There are two that regularly work Shop/High St, middle aged guy and girl, he has an English accent i think and they always want 'money for a hostel'! Other than that it just the usual Roma, but then thats not begging, its just what they do.

Tearin It Up

ben.schlomo wrote: »

There are two that regularly work Shop/High St, middle aged guy and girl, he has an English accent i think and they always want 'money for a hostel'! Other than that it just the usual Roma, but then thats not begging, its just what they do.

That's the woman that called me ignorant. I didnt know there was a guy also. She wanted 'change for a hostel'. But last week was the first time she said that hostel excuse. Other weeks it was just change. She made me feel very uneasy calling me ignorant, what lengths would they go to get their money if they're being agressive. You don't know if they will ever turn on you for walking away.

MataofK

I think there are 2 girls usually around tig coili area at 6/7pm asking money for hostel , only here since few month, on my opinion they more looking for money to buy drugs (heroine).. The other lad is English , i spoke with him few times , he is more lost than anything else.. He told me he just get out of jail (not sure it's true )

ArtyC

Ya I feel it's getting worse, the English guy is not too bad but the girls I feel are aggressive, there's 3 regular ones. Sad really

renegademaster

MataofK wrote: »

I think there are 2 girls usually around tig coili area at 6/7pm asking money for hostel , only here since few month, on my opinion they more looking for money to buy drugs (heroine).. The other lad is English , i spoke with him few times , he is more lost than anything else.. He told me he just get out of jail (not sure it's true )

The girls doing the rounds on shop st in the eves are on the US protected afghani heroin, the big lad that usually trails with one of the lasses is from castle park, I know the English to see around the place, none of them are actually looking for hostel money. Its quite scary now that ya can set your watch by these poor unfortunate but dangerous aggressive heroin addicts!!

Mrs OBumble

Yes, there are some new faces in town. Mr OBumble has noticed it too.

One woman is quite aggressive / direct (skinny, long/dark hair).

I usually just look at them as if I have no idea what they're talking about and keep on walking, ie don't even break my stride. Yes, it's mean, but I live in the inner city and know that if I give money once I'll be seen as a soft touch forevermore.

biko

Yeah, it has been getting worse over the last years.
I never give to non-locals. Instead give to Simon or similar organisations.

muppetkiller

That dark haired one drives me and my father nuts. She's so aggressive and shouts abuse at you when you ignore her. She's always off her head too as she can never remember asking you a minute previously.

And as for the Guards..I haven't seen a cop on the beat in town in months.

gordongekko

I was only saying it the other day to a friend how bad it is lately. There are now a group that harass tourists as they head into the cathedral. And I noticed a lot more around Newcastle lately. They must be squatting around there.

[Deleted User]

This country is an embarrassment.

If I came to Ireland as a tourist I wouldn't come back.

Spent a week in Berlin last summer and the only people who approached were Romas running a "sponsor charity" scam.
In Edinburgh last week and the bums sat on corners with cups, again nobody approaching directly.

Dublin then must be one of the worst places in the world for scumbags knocking around and while per person Galway isn't as bad, it's a disgrace that a City of 70k has a more intimidating element than two European capitals.

I guess this all reverts back to prison spaces, you can bet these types have double digit convictions.
Until the government gets serious about law and order then we'll continue to see these types ruin Irish towns as we give them concurrent sentences, probation to repeat offenders and temporary release to free up space to keep the cattle rolling through.

Just pick up the local paper next week and you'll see some low life racking up free convictions while on bail and then receiving a partially suspended sentence for offences that deserve 5 years plus of actual jail time(half every actual sentence for good behaviour).

Lovely country,with a ridicules attitude to making it a safe and enjoyable place to live, work, visit.

JJpedro

Hi,
This is a scam by this girl looking for money for Hostel , I saw her the last day looking at a fancy phone ( how can she afford if she is homeless ) , I was told that she lives in Westside but I think there is more involved with her and that there could be drugs involved , be carefull if you get abusive with her , you dont know who is with her ( keeping a distance ) , it could get nasty .

Note: I still think that those guys from Tuam who are supposed to sell scratch cards for Irish Lung foundation or Hanley Centre are worse, They approach you when you are sitting down in cafes etc and ask to help the homeless , people give them money and not buy scratch cards , they pocket the money.
When volunteers from Cope / Simon Community go collecting ( with Garda permits) , people get confused , people should ignore those scumbags. I mentioned it to the Guards but they said that I have to make official compliant about them.

[Deleted User]

Is this girl ye talk of blonde and youngish?.

If so its probably the same girl who mugged a young lad in the Headford road car park recently and got away with it... Was in the paper maybe a month back.
Failed to comply with probation and was given a second chance... Comical.

Asked a friend from that side about her and was told she was on FB, thought I may know her but didn't, is a gear head alright.

Mrs OBumble

gilberto_eire wrote: »

This country is an embarrassment.

If I came to Ireland as a tourist I wouldn't come back.

In fairness, many do come back despite these charmers. Fiji is the only place where I've had beggars approach me inside the supermarket, we haven't reached that level yet!

And I do find that my no-speekee English approach works quite well.

Mr OBumble reckons the dark haired woman has been here before (5-ish or so years ago) but is just back on the scene again lately.

inisboffin

I've travelled a fair bit in the last couple of years, and I have to say 'city wise' Galway is fairly average in terms of beggar/junkie/scammer approaches, or even on the low side.
Parts of Spain were a lot more aggressive imo. More Nordic countries less so. US? Depended on where you were. Also different tactics culturally for asking for money.
Sometimes it takes just one really aggressive beggar to give the impression that a city is hassley, particularly in a city as small as Galway where you may see the same person multiple times.

ScumLord

This is nothing new. 10 years ago I remember there was a regular in eyre square that used to have a sob story about being robbed and had no money for the bus and just wanted the price of a cup of tea.

I remember talking to the regular street drunks that would wander around at night when I was in college. They would never remember the first time they met you, giving you their life story. So you could really freak them out the second time you'd meet them.

Tearin It Up

If its true, what is said here and they are heroin addicts, begging for money, how bad will the situation get before something is done about it?

Galway is a beautiful city and attracts alot of tourists, we don't need this around the place and we don't need more beggars and drug addicts like this.

It takes alot for me, but I'm scared being approached by them, especially after last week, their aggression when I walked past. Honestly, you don't know if they will ever turn more aggressive or if they will attack.

I'm scared in my own city. That shouldn't be the case. God knows how other people and tourists feel. Like the previous poster said, I hadn't a problem in Edinburgh, could walk down the streets, not a problem.

CiaranMT

I work in a shop in town and have had dealings with this group. I find that being blunt with them on the street is the quickest way of dealing with it. The two girls try and fob their 'hostel money' off on us for notes, we don't take it. The tall lad I only see infrequently now, but he's been barred for robbing drink. The English lad I had barred for threatening to put me in a body-bag. I've only been in Galway about two years but this group have definitely been around at least that long. People give out about Roma but this crowd seem to be doing this in shift work.

bodhrandude

Sounds like the same folk I encountered the day after ST Patrick's Day, I was approached by three different folk at different times of the day, two were female, one dark haired, the two females were looking for the price of a night in the hostel. I don't know what they're thinking but most don't be walking about with 15 to 20 euros spare which is the price abouts to stay in a hostel for the night. The man also asked for help towards the price of a hostel. This is quite common from the 17th March onwards, back in the 1990s it was crusties usually pretending they were hatting for street musicians or buskers, 'any money for the busker matey?' or the like

Otto Skorzeny

Have encountered these individuals plenty of times recently. I just walk past, don't even make eye contact, haven't got any abuse...yet.

Between this lot and the gypsies, walking up Shop St can be like running the bum gauntlet at times. At least the winos generally don't bother anyone. Well they do when you're sitting outside neachtains but they usually move in if you ignore them.

muppetkiller

Otto Skorzeny wrote: »

Have encountered these individuals plenty of times recently. I just walk past, don't even make eye contact, haven't got any abuse...yet.

Between this lot and the gypsies, walking up Shop St can be like running the bum gauntlet at times. At least the winos generally don't bother anyone. Well they do when you're sitting outside neachtains but they usually move in if you ignore them.

And lets not forget the Chuggers and the Hanley center conmen too.

There's hardly room to walk on shop street now lol.

Otto Skorzeny

muppetkiller wrote: »

And lets not forget the Chuggers and the Hanley center conmen too.

There's hardly room to walk on shop street now lol.

Don't forget the terrible buskers (not all of them).

Paddyfield

gilberto_eire wrote: »

This country is an embarrassment.

If I came to Ireland as a tourist I wouldn't come back.

Spent a week in Berlin last summer and the only people who approached were Romas running a "sponsor charity" scam.
In Edinburgh last week and the bums sat on corners with cups, again nobody approaching directly.

I half disagree. Berlin is awash with people begging. In recent times, I've been to London, Paris and San Fran where there are homeless people begging everywhere. It seems to me that beggars make a life choice to go to popular tourist places. You wouldn't see a lot of them in say Tullamore, Carlisle or and non-descript French or American city.

Mrs OBumble

Otto Skorzeny wrote: »

Don't forget the terrible buskers (not all of them).

And the sign-holders.

thesandeman

And the students.

*runs*

Gremlinertia

Down with people!.

Hold the door please Thesandeman

youngrun

Counted 5 beggars in 30 mins walk in town today, one request for funding

Utopia Parkway

The past couple of months was the first time ever I've had people approach me on the street asking for money. And it happened about 3 or 4 times. In the past it was usually they would have had a cup or a cap out as you walk past maybe but these were proactive in their begging. One dark haired Irish woman approached me outside the shopping centre in the Headford Road. I stopped as I thought she was looking for directions and she asked for money for the bus. Didn't even have any cash on me as I was coming back from the gym. A couple weeks later I think the same woman approached me outside Supermacs in Eyre Square. And gave me a verbal volley when I passed without giving her anything. Another fella tapped me on the shoulder looking for money down near Dominick Street direction. I was actually on the phone to the mother at the time.

There's always been some level of begging unfortunately in Galway but just seems more proactive these days.

Diabhal Beag

thesandeman wrote: »

And the students.

*runs*

Only just woke up but HEY! *shakes fist*

ben.schlomo

youngrun wrote: »

Counted 5 beggars in 30 mins walk in town today, one request for funding

Counted three this evening on Shop St and we had one ask for money. All women, 2 working together.