where did you used to holiday when you were little?

ScumLord · 27-04-2016 3:19pm

We always used to go to a caravan park in Lettergesh, aunt used to own a caravan there that got tattier every year. The problem is all the relations used to have the same idea, so the cousins could turn up a few days into the trip and there would be ten or more people crammed into the caravan.

swimming in a sea · 27-04-2016 3:26pm

I never went on a holiday as a child, we never had any money. Went to the beach on Sundays if it was sunny and got Ice Cream.. So still had it better than some:)

Alf Stewart. · 27-04-2016 3:35pm

The only time I ever flew as a kid was in the station wagon, not to France. We had to go to Aunt Laura and Uncle Arthur's.

brevity · 27-04-2016 3:38pm

We was very lucky with regards to summer holidays. We travelled to Portugal, Turkey, Cyprus, Mallorca, Florida and a few other places. My parents worked so hard to be able to bring us there and I certainly knew it at the time.

Have great memories of playing pool with randomers and my mum and dad freaking out that the travellers cheques where stolen when there were safely hidden in the saucepan.

Hopefully I'll be able to do the same with my own family.

Edward Hopper · 27-04-2016 3:44pm

We went on holiday to Burnham on Sea (small place near Weston Super Mare), Walton on the Naze (small place near Clacton) and Hemsby (small place near Great Yarmouth). Usually in a caravan, tent or chalet. Loved those holidays, still drag the kids over to Hemsby every year. There's a lot to be said for traditional seaside holidays, just takes a good while longer for us to get to Norfolk from Ireland.

Never went abroad, but as others have said, we were lucky, that being pretty skint for most of the year, my folks always managed to get us to the seaside virtually every year.

armaghlad · 27-04-2016 3:45pm

Donegal mostly (Fanad). Though went to Kerry (Dingle) meeting Fungi and another time two weeks in Cork (Schull) which we had to cut short because in the second week in Trabolgan some reprobate had pooed in the pool.

Foreign holidays included Majorca, Portugal and Gran Caneria. Gran Caneria will always bring fond memories of the German girls who swam in the pool topless - the first time I saw a pair in the flesh

Dyr · 27-04-2016 3:47pm

Aunties farm in Limerick

grandfathers creepy old house in Limerick

We thought it was brilliant

Lollipops23 · 27-04-2016 3:47pm

My mam had a thing about travelling when I was a kid- we barely had a penny but she sweated to get us decent holidays every 2 years or so.

Went to Majorca, Italy and Florida/NYC.

Usually punctuated with a trip to my family in leafy Buckinghamshire.

bigpink · 27-04-2016 4:05pm

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

awful lot of peeps on here went camping or caravanning - surprising that ...

Would have thought more common in pre 90s than flights

Ilyana 2.0 · 27-04-2016 4:16pm

Grew up in the late 90s early 00s and we had some great holidays, my parents loved taking us away. Majorca, Tenerife, various towns/cities in Spain, Boston, and city breaks in Paris, Rome, Madrid, London etc. We used to get over to England most years to visit grandparents, and we usually got a few days in Rosslare too.

We were definitely lucky to get to do all that, but when I was growing up most people we knew were doing the same. The advent of Ryanair was to thank for quite a few of the more recent trips.

bigpink · 27-04-2016 4:19pm

Ilyana 2.0 wrote: »

Grew up in the late 90s early 00s and we had some great holidays, my parents loved taking us away. Majorca, Tenerife, various towns/cities in Spain, Boston, and city breaks in Paris, Rome, Madrid, London etc. We used to get over to England most years to visit grandparents, and we usually got a few days in Rosslare too.

We were definitely lucky to get to do all that, but when I was growing up most people we knew were doing the same. The advent of Ryanair was to thank for quite a few of those trips.

Was ryanair cheap in the mid to late 90s

Ilyana 2.0 · 27-04-2016 4:23pm

bigpink wrote: »

Was ryanair cheap in the mid to late 90s

No idea, I was referring more to the last 10 years or so.

starlit · 27-04-2016 4:26pm

Tended to go on day or weekend trips mainly in my home county during the summers when I were younger otherwise day trips or weekend trips to the cities in Ireland. Never really went abroad to France/Spain/USA until I was a teenager/Young Adult with the exception of going to the UK before I hit my teens.

esforum · 27-04-2016 6:19pm

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

We used to go to France for 3 weeks every year. I loved it. We'd go over on the ferry and stay in a mobile home or a tent. The excitement when the campsite brochure would arrive every year was amazing. The car would be absolutely packed with enough stuff to get us through a few months and 3 of us would be crammed into the back seat amongst it. I loved the ferry and the long drive in the sun to the campsite and the pool and the kids club and being sent down to the bakery early for croissants and bread. (And sometimes being sent to the pool early to beat the Germans to the sun loungers!) It's a wonderful holiday for kids and we were very lucky be able to experience it. If we had kids I'd definitely go on that type of holiday at least once. My husband is not a mobile home person so even once would take some convincing and I like variety so going every year wouldn't be for me.

are you my sister? that was the exact same in our house. picking out your favourite sites, we got to pick 5 each.

then stuck in a backseat with pillows and sleeping bags everywhere (and crates of booze on the way back).

one went for bread, the other did the washing up and ify after 2 days you had no mates, your mam would go and talk to their parents for you

Hooked · 27-04-2016 6:28pm

Kilkee, Co. Clare. Ballyheigue and Ballybunion in Kerry. House rentals and Caravans. Good times.

My parents went on the first foreign holiday (Majorca) with my youngest 2 brothers when I was in my late teens. Me and the next brother at home.

She started crying the first night... Dad asked what was wrong... She said 'we never got to take (me and my eldest bro) away like this. Bless her!

We hadn't much growing up... But our parents gave us all they had. Means the world to me now, looking back.

Xaracatz · 27-04-2016 8:10pm

Kerry and day trips to Mosney for me growing up. But it was brilliant! I remember the drive to Kerry (where my granny lived) with myself and our dog in the backseat and me asking "Are we there yet?" for five hours. Couldn't wait to arrive, but it's a miracle I wasn't abandoned some way through the first trip..

And those big mushrooms in the swimming pool in Mosney.

Like a lot of others, we didn't have a lot of money when I was growing up. But I had two amazing parents for sure.

Pherekydes · 27-04-2016 8:12pm

JupiterKid wrote: »

A bit surprised more Boardsies didn't holiday abroad in their childhood. Or perhaps those that did don't want to post in case they come across as boasting.

Just curious...

First trip abroad for me was when I was 16, and even then it was only on a car ferry to Liverpool. My first flight was in an army chopper after I joined up at 17.

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Air travel was not feasible for the majority of family's in the 80,s

Or 60s or 70s.

JoseWasntReady · 27-04-2016 8:13pm

My godmother has a mobile gaff in Lahinch. Stunning part of the world. She's one of those godparents that never forgets your birthday and stuffs the card with a fifty.

I'm in my twenties.

We hung out last summer. Seafood, corn on the cob drenched in Kerrygold; awesome trip.

Wibbs · 27-04-2016 8:31pm

Xaracatz wrote: »

Kerry and day trips to Mosney for me growing up. But it was brilliant! I remember the drive to Kerry (where my granny lived) with myself and our dog in the backseat and me asking "Are we there yet?" for five hours. Couldn't wait to arrive, but it's a miracle I wasn't abandoned some way through the first trip..

I do recall in the 1970's on a "long" trip like that major preparations would be made. The da would be out the previous day checking the car over, checking the spark plugs, the points and checking tyre pressures, while trying to teach me about such things.

Then the big day would come and off we'd trundle on main roads that would be like back roads today. There would always be at least one stop before we made it to somewhere like Killarney. A couple of hours in and about mid way pull off into a lay-by where the primus stove would come out and teas would be made laid out on a tartan rug. To stretch legs and let the poor car recover like. :pac: Driving speeds were lower that's for sure, at least average speeds. Doing 60 MPH was whoooooah! :eek:. For most 1970's cars if your speedo was showing 90 MPH it was likely you'd just driven off the cliffs of Moher.

Xaracatz · 27-04-2016 9:03pm

Wibbs wrote: »

I do recall in the 1970's on a "long" trip like that major preparations would be made. The da would be out the previous day checking the car over, checking the spark plugs, the points and checking tyre pressures, while trying to teach me about such things.

Then the big day would come and off we'd trundle on main roads that would be like back roads today. There would always be at least one stop before we made it to somewhere like Killarney. A couple of hours in and about mid way pull off into a lay-by where the primus stove would come out and teas would be made laid out on a tartan rug. To stretch legs and let the poor car recover like. :pac: Driving speeds were lower that's for sure, at least average speeds. Doing 60 MPH was whoooooah! :eek:. For most 1970's cars if your speedo was showing 90 MPH it was likely you'd just driven off the cliffs of Moher.

Ah - would ya quit.

I wasn't privy to the spark plugs and the type pressure, but I was, one year, given a lurid green plastic picnic toolkit containing lurid green plastic cutlery and lurid green plastic delph. Spent some time on the journey deciding who should get which plate for our corn beef sandwiches.

Good times.

DoozerT6 · 27-04-2016 9:14pm

Tramore. Every single year for over a decade. Ah, the 80's.....

JupiterKid · 27-04-2016 10:57pm

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Air travel was not feasible for the majority of family's in the 80,s

Yes, that is true but I would have thought the younger Boardsies would have availed of the cheaper air travel in the 90s and 00s.

Ireland was in a complete mess in the 80s - dirt poor and appalling infrastructure - main roads like goat tracks. Driving from Dublin to Athlone could take well over 2 hours. You can do it in just over an hour now.

Karmella · 27-04-2016 11:05pm

Also Tramore, to my grandad's house. 6 of us in a fiat ritmo- only going from cork but it used to take all day.... We would always stop in Youghal for lunch

One year we changed it up and went west to Baltimore.

I went to London a couple of times with my mother - to her brother. We'd get Slattery's bus and the ferry from rosslare.

First time on a plane was mid 90's when I was 19.

fuzzydunlop85 · 27-04-2016 11:23pm

We were so poor we just looked at a picture of a caravan in Bundoran for a couple of weeks every summer.

fuzzydunlop85 · 27-04-2016 11:26pm

In all seriousness over to the aunts in London or usually up around Sligo/Donegal. We would always have cousins over from the states or England so would always have great craic over the summer. Ah life was so much simpler and easier back then.

twowheelsonly · 27-04-2016 11:40pm

We had a house in Crosshaven for donkeys years so that's where we spent the whole summer every year. It was 13 miles from our front door at home !! As soon as school was finished we'd be all piled into the ould fellas VW minibus, or before that a Ford Anglia Estate, and carted off down there, stopping in Carrigaline for an ice cream every single time.

Usually we could all bring a friend or two (and there were 7 of us!!) so the place would be packed throughout the summer. 7 bedrooms and a few other big rooms so there was plenty of space. Now and again cousins from England and America would arrive as well which was great. It wasn't unusual for 30+ people to be staying in the house.

Half of Cork city used to holiday there so we used to meet loads of people and have a savage time slaughtering mackerel, going to 'the merries' once a week, exploring Camden Fort and doing nothing in particular half of the time. A few of us once robbed a boat - or what I now know to be a punt - because we wanted to row across to the other side of the Harbour to see what was there. Didn't know it was about 2 miles!! We never got there but we were missing for about 5 or 6 hours and got our arses reddened when we got back :P

Happy Days !!

Dial Hard · 28-04-2016 12:01am

Wibbs wrote: »

There would always be at least one stop before we made it to somewhere like Killarney.

Sure it used to take so long just to drive from Dublin to Gorey that we'd always stop in Jack Whites for food on the way. They did those cheese toasties in the cellophane wrapper where the filling'd give you a third degree burn if you weren't careful. And a few pints with it for my dad before resuming the journey, of course...

We went to Jamaica when I was 11, so 1993 or thereabouts. We had to fly from Shannon so left Dublin the night before and stayed in the Two Mile Inn because the drive took so long, you couldn't realistically do it the day of the flight :pac:

candy-gal1 · 28-04-2016 1:20am

Mosney and Tramore, ah them were the days!!

JoseWasntReady · 28-04-2016 2:40am

Here's one. Do you know the bridge in North Iron?

My dad walked me over it and stopped; then started bouncing for a "joke."

I dropped to my knees. The waves smashing against the rocks! We went for some lunch later. I was shaking like a leaf.

My dad saw my hands shaking when getting some soup and apologised. "You okay?"

JoseWasntReady · 28-04-2016 2:41am

There's lads who have cycled the bridge. Lunatics!

Riddle101 · 28-04-2016 2:47am

California(Twice),Florida 5 times(later went another time when I turned 21), Malta, Crete, Portugal(Twice), Lanzorate, and New York.

I was fortunate to be able to go to these places with my family when I was a kid, my parents never got to go travelling when they were kids. Now they're in their 60's and go on holidays every year while I stay home and work.

JupiterKid · 28-04-2016 3:33am

JoseWasntReady wrote: »

There's lads who have cycled the bridge. Lunatics!

That's the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge up near the Giants Causeway. I've been across it myself. It certainly is an experience!

JoseWasntReady · 28-04-2016 7:38am

JupiterKid wrote: »

That's the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge up near the Giants Causeway. I've been across it myself. It certainly is an experience!

Yeah! There's a pub nearby with pictures of lads just scooting it. No hand rails. Some lunatic just cycled it.

I needed hand rails! There's two guys that work there. Helping people cross. Well they helped me get over and then went for dinner.

"Guys?"

JoseWasntReady · 28-04-2016 7:49am

Our trip and walk in the North was awesome. My dad is 'difficult' at times but feck it. I'll go walk with ya. It was a heatwave. Mid twenties sun - 25. We walked it.

Awesome view - "are you not tired?" You didn't complain.

Went hard on the club Orange when we got back.

CantonasCollar · 28-04-2016 7:54am

My parents had a touring caravan so we covered Ireland, England, Scotland, and even a trip to the South of France once. Despite that we always spent at least 2 weeks (sometimes a month) in Rossnowlagh every year for about 10 years.

SteoL · 28-04-2016 8:00am

ElleEm wrote: »

Butlins in Pwelli*. Good times!

Edit- *Pwllheli. Feckin Welsh spellings!

Snap. Pwllheli, Blackpool, Cura Cloe, Fedard on Sea, Tramore.

JoseWasntReady · 28-04-2016 5:03pm

Wibbs wrote: »

I do recall in the 1970's on a "long" trip like that major preparations would be made. The da would be out the previous day checking the car over, checking the spark plugs, the points and checking tyre pressures, while trying to teach me about such things.

Then the big day would come and off we'd trundle on main roads that would be like back roads today. There would always be at least one stop before we made it to somewhere like Killarney. A couple of hours in and about mid way pull off into a lay-by where the primus stove would come out and teas would be made laid out on a tartan rug. To stretch legs and let the poor car recover like. :pac: Driving speeds were lower that's for sure, at least average speeds. Doing 60 MPH was whoooooah! :eek:. For most 1970's cars if your speedo was showing 90 MPH it was likely you'd just driven off the cliffs of Moher.

You should write a book.

The car 'journey' was part of the holiday. My ould fella is from Caaark. Has the accent too, bai. Long drive from Dublin. Anyway, he was kinda 'embarrassed' to be from a small town. He was from a tiny town in Cork. Worked in finance in Dublin.

One Friday he scooped me up and we headed to Caaark for the weekend. "We'll get there by eight". Made great time until we hit Douglas. Hit West Cork and some roads were closed. A big bowls match was on. "Arra for christ" - da, can we watch?

Some craic. Go all quiet when the local "big hitter" shows up for his throw. Especially for the Dublin kid. Mobile chipper fans on the go and ****. Awesome.

JoseWasntReady · 28-04-2016 5:09pm

JupiterKid wrote: »

Yes, that is true but I would have thought the younger Boardsies would have availed of the cheaper air travel in the 90s and 00s.

Ireland was in a complete mess in the 80s - dirt poor and appalling infrastructure - main roads like goat tracks. Driving from Dublin to Athlone could take well over 2 hours. You can do it in just over an hour now.

There's a pub in Tramore called The Ritz. My granny thinks she's had lunch in the ritz. "Well, we had seafood and it was nice." Gran, it's a local pub.

Feck it. That rollercoaster though. Probably the best rollercoaster in the country?

armaghlad · 28-04-2016 5:58pm

Honourable mention for Clogherhead. Went in the friends caravan a few times. From what I remember its like the caravan park in Father Ted

fima · 28-04-2016 6:47pm

Kilkee every summer for about 3 weeks in my granny's mobile home. Loved it then and still love it now, when we grew up and moved out my parents finally had some money and bought a house down there. I'm down there every chance I get. The cliff walk is amazing, takes my breath everytime.

JoseWasntReady · 28-04-2016 11:32pm

Bambi wrote: »

Aunties farm in Limerick

grandfathers creepy old house in Limerick

We thought it was brilliant

Talk with the lads.

Any chance of a game?

KERSPLAT! · 28-04-2016 11:45pm

Forgot about a few day trips to Holyhead on the boat!

JoseWasntReady · 28-04-2016 11:57pm

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

Forgot about a few day trips to Holyhead on the boat!

Are you buying some lunch?

😃

28-04-2016 11:57pm

We never once had a foreign holiday for a very obvious reason as you'll see. It alternated between the Iveragh Peninsula in Kerry, Conamara and Port na Bláth in Donegal. We would always rent a big house as there were loads of us. In one year, 1979, 17 of us and the dog Rocky (yes, guess what film was popular!) got into a Granada Ghia estate and travelled to Donegal. 17! That would be some sort of crime against humanity in these seatbelt days. Crossing the border the British Army were everywhere and when they stopped us one of them looked in the back and said "oi, the kitchen sink". Every time that Donegal holiday gets a mention my Mam giggles her way through recounting that story.

Jesus, we Irish had families in those days!

CFlat · 29-04-2016 12:10am

Deleted User wrote: »

We never once had a foreign holiday for a very obvious reason as you'll see. It alternated between the Iveragh Peninsula in Kerry, Conamara and Port na Bláth in Donegal. We would always rent a big house as there were loads of us. In one year, 1979, 17 of us and the dog Rocky (yes, guess what film was popular!) got into a Granada Ghia estate and travelled to Donegal. 17! That would be some sort of crime against humanity in these seatbelt days. Crossing the border the British Army were everywhere and when they stopped us one of them looked in the back and said "oi, the kitchen sink". Every time that Donegal holiday gets a mention my Mam giggles her way through recounting that story.

Jesus, we Irish had families in those days!

Ye must have been fierce posh!! A Granada Ghia Estate, that was some piece of equipment back in the 70s and an absolute monster of a car.

Reminds me though there was only 7 of us but at one stage we had a VW Beetle! Mum and dad in the front, 3 eldest in the back seat and in a tiny compartment behind the back seat, two of us squeezed into. Mad stuff altogether and not seat belt in sight. Mind you, it probably didn't go any faster then 50MPH.

Oh and the reason why families were so big back then was the lack of contraception and/or religious beliefs.....and the failed rhythm method!!

JoseWasntReady · 29-04-2016 12:12am

Have a bang.

Yikes. Nearly in.

esforum · 29-04-2016 12:33am

armaghlad wrote: »

Honourable mention for Clogherhead. Went in the friends caravan a few times. From what I remember its like the caravan park in Father Ted

you think that was bad? We lived in one of those caravans for 6 months while waiting for our new house to be built.

Mark Tapley · 29-04-2016 12:46am

Bognor Regis. I remember my sister winning a goldfish and naming it Fresh Fish Daly after a sign at a nearby chip shop.

JoseWasntReady · 29-04-2016 12:56am

esforum wrote: »

you think that was bad? We lived in one of those caravans for 6 months while waiting for our new house to be built.

Ah now, Ted.

JJ10 · 06-05-2016 3:38pm

Hey guys has anyone experienced the new tours from Good Food Ireland? The look pretty high quality and I was thinking of recommending to an uncle of mine in the UK if he wanted a nice break. Just wondering did anyone else know about them or experienced them? thanks

where did you used to holiday when you were little?

Comments