Are Irish people aesthetically challenged?

whisky_galore · 08-06-2015 10:31AM #1

Just wondering. Driving through the countryside over the weekend, I was struck at the amount of really ugly houses. Concrete Roman columns and pediments stuck onto houses in rustic villages, great big fcuk-off houses the size of mini hotels, crappy stone cladding. Spiky palisade fencing everywhere to beat the band.

What do people think?

keithclancy · 08-06-2015 10:32AM

whisky_galore wrote: »

Just wondering. Driving through the countryside over the weekend, I was struck at the amount of really ugly houses. Concrete Roman columns and pediments stuck onto houses in rustic villages, great big fcuk-off houses the size of mini hotels, crappy stone cladding. Spiky palisade fencing everywhere to beat the band.

What do people think?

Planning office did a bad job.

End of story.

The Backwards Man · 08-06-2015 10:34AM

Most people don't know what aesthetics is, never mind finding it challenging.

NachoBusiness · 08-06-2015 10:38AM

We have to be. Have you seen heads on us. Sure we'd have died out long ago if we weren't.

ThinkProgress · 08-06-2015 10:41AM

whisky_galore wrote: »

Just wondering. Driving through the countryside over the weekend, I was struck at the amount of really ugly houses. Concrete Roman columns and pediments stuck onto houses in rustic villages, great big fcuk-off houses the size of mini hotels, crappy stone cladding. Spiky palisade fencing everywhere to beat the band.

What do people think?

We're not big on imagination or uniqueness on this island.

Having said that, there are also more important things in this life than aesthetics.

We tend to put more value in functionality and efficiency of stuff in this country I think, rather than wether it's pleasing on the eye.

Menas · 08-06-2015 10:41AM

Not aesthetically challanged, but very fond of 'build it cheap as possible , it will be grand'....

suicide_circus · 08-06-2015 10:43AM

It doesn't get more classy than concrete roman columns on the front of a bungalow outside tTuam

whisky_galore · 08-06-2015 10:44AM

ThinkProgress wrote: »

We tend to put more value in functionality and efficiency of stuff in this country I think, rather than wether it's pleasing on the eye.

I don't know about that. Building a massive house and having only a couple and maybe two kids rattling around inside it doesn't strike me as being efficient.

More a case of Johnny down the road put up a massive gaff, so I'm gonna build an even bigger one.
Fair enough if you intend having 10+ kids.

mickydoomsux · 08-06-2015 10:47AM

We love our Mac Mansions and there seems to only be 5 different plans for them available.

Aongus Von Bismarck · 08-06-2015 10:49AM

suicide_circus wrote: »

It doesn't get more classy than concrete roman columns on the front of a bungalow outside tTuam

There's an estate in Tuam called Bel Air Drive.

crockholm · 08-06-2015 10:51AM

If you are going for a queen Anne type residence with a portico-you would really want to be minted to be able to do it in a granite or marble.Doubtless the old Georgian manors and piles like Russborough House,Slane castle and Muckross house must be an awful strain on your delicate eye as they are all so impractical too.

whisky_galore · 08-06-2015 10:51AM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

There's an estate in Tuam called Bel Air Drive.

Sweet Jesus, and I thought calling estates things like The Cotswolds, Grange This and Downs That was bad enough.

suicide_circus · 08-06-2015 10:52AM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

There's an estate in Tuam called Bel Air Drive.

Ah shtop

NachoBusiness · 08-06-2015 10:56AM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

There's an estate in Tuam called Bel Air Drive.

Can't be remember where it was now but back in the late 80's there was a B&B someone on the east coast (maybe Waterford) that was called Ocean View.

ThinkProgress · 08-06-2015 10:57AM

whisky_galore wrote: »

I don't know about that. Building a massive house and having only a couple and maybe two kids rattling around inside it doesn't strike me as being efficient. More a case of Johnny down the road put up a massive gaff, so I'm gonna build an even bigger one.
Fair enough if you intend having 10+ kids.

But it seems the size of the dwellings are what you find most austhentatious, rather than the architecture?

A large house, with plenty of light and space is very good for clarity of thought and mood.

But I thought you were critiquing the style of the dwellings?

Galwayguy35 · 08-06-2015 10:59AM

There's a house in Craughwell that has a full size ships anchor in the front lawn, kinda takes a way from the house a bit.

darkpagandeath · 08-06-2015 11:41AM

It's my man made one off and you are not allowed to put any other man made object in the view I purchased... Say the Nimbys with not a jot of Irony on looking at fields and walls.

kneemos · 08-06-2015 11:45AM

Naming houses something I've always found slightly odd.

keithclancy · 08-06-2015 11:46AM

kneemos wrote: »

Naming houses something I've always found slightly odd.

And people wonder why the Postman cant find their house ..

Grayson · 08-06-2015 11:46AM

ThinkProgress wrote: »

But it seems the size of the dwellings are what you find most austhentatious, rather than the architecture?

A large house, with plenty of light and space is very good for clarity of thought and mood.

But I thought you were critiquing the style of the dwellings?

Size doesn't matter?

08-06-2015 11:48AM

kneemos wrote: »

Naming houses something I've always found slightly odd.

Me too, although if it actually references the local area or history it can be a nice idea, but mostly it's just something pretentious or generic

Hoop66 · 08-06-2015 11:54AM

kneemos wrote: »

Naming houses something I've always found slightly odd.

There was a house near me when I was growing up, modern (60s) built semi with a beautiful wooden nameplate on it.

Inscribed in italic text was the word "Itskintus"

QuantumP · 08-06-2015 11:57AM

I was on a bus through Connemara and I overheard American tourists talking about their disappointment with how ugly the houses were (they were expecting thatched roofs everywhere :rolleyes:).

Anyway, I decided to try see them from a tourists perspective and was amazed with how ugly most of them are. Mustard yellows and peach pink everywhere too wtf is that about

.

darkpagandeath · 08-06-2015 11:59AM

QuantumP wrote: »

I was on a bus through Connemara and I overheard American tourists talking about their disappointment with how ugly the houses were (they were expecting thatched roofs everywhere :rolleyes:).

Anyway, I decided to try see them from a tourists perspective and was amazed with how ugly most of them are. Mustard yellows and peach pink everywhere too wtf is that about .

What where the Americans expecting ? 20 People in a horse and cart ?

anncoates · 08-06-2015 11:59AM

kneemos wrote: »

Naming houses something I've always found slightly odd.

It's sounds better than addressing mail to the Big Cream House Past The Crossroads Towards The Lug.

junior_apollo · 08-06-2015 12:02PM

NachoBusiness wrote: »

Can't be remember where it was now but back in the late 80's there was a B&B someone on the east coast (maybe Waterford) that was called Ocean View.

Bloody easterners down in Waterford... oh wait... I gave it away didn't I?

kneemos · 08-06-2015 12:06PM

anncoates wrote: »

It's sounds better than addressing mail to the Big Cream House Past The Crossroads Towards The Lug.

How do they find the unnamed houses?

CelticRambler · 08-06-2015 12:07PM

QuantumP wrote: »

I was on a bus through Connemara and I overheard American tourists talking about their disappointment with how ugly the houses were (they were expecting thatched roofs everywhere :rolleyes:).

Anyway, I decided to try see them from a tourists perspective and was amazed with how ugly most of them are. Mustard yellows and peach pink everywhere too wtf is that about .

Last time I drove through Connemara I thought exactly the same. Unfortunately, this was after I'd invited a French friend to come along for the drive to appreciate the unspoilt landscape as I remembered it from pre-Tiger days ...

That said, the French can out-do the Irish in rurban ugliness any day of the week.

anncoates · 08-06-2015 12:09PM

kneemos wrote: »

How do they find the unnamed houses?

Telepathy, perhaps.

kneemos · 08-06-2015 12:13PM

QuantumP wrote: »

I was on a bus through Connemara and I overheard American tourists talking about their disappointment with how ugly the houses were (they were expecting thatched roofs everywhere :rolleyes:).

Anyway, I decided to try see them from a tourists perspective and was amazed with how ugly most of them are. Mustard yellows and peach pink everywhere too wtf is that about .

The Americans have boxy skyscrapers and timber houses that blow over in a breeze or get eaten by bugs.

c_man · 08-06-2015 12:14PM

Yeah, in general I think Irish houses are ugly. Also poorly built and designed imo.

I never understood how no thought is put into aspect/what side of the house will be facing the Sun etc. Rather it seems the main thing is to have the house facing the road, usually parallel to it.

Are Irish people aesthetically challenged?

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