The 70's and 80's in Ireland

enfield wrote: »

Spent most of the 70's in the army on the border. No jobs around and got 7 pound a week border money on top of the 15 wages which kept me in booze. Too little to save. Drank a lot, courted a lot. No one had much so all were the same. The girls used to go with fellas who paid for their meals and drinks and when the summer came the girls had enough saved they went abroad on holidays...without the lads. The anti Irish army feeling was quite depressing. We were called Free State Bastards. The only lads with short hair at that time were skinheads and soldiers. The hunger strikes were a big thing then with black tapes wrapped around the telephone poles. We would go to the pubs for a chat with the lads and drink soda and lime when bobs were low. The wimmen were gorgeous (is it obvious I was full or them harmones?). Friday afternoon traffic was mad altogether that could extend your journey home by at least twenty minutes. The GAA was very popular and so were Folk Masses. Junkies were not common and were looked on as a curiosity and probably a bit cool. The hairstyle was 'the London Look' unisex blow dry with the blower pointed just above the middle of your forehead was all the rage. God I remember the orange paisley matching Ben Bherman shirt and tie, you could see me in the dark. The color faded after a few washes and was then used for work, if you had it. George Webb shoes were popular, if you could afford them. Kids used plastic sandals that used to split just under the instep. They were cheap. The pawn office in fairview was popular. We used to pawn our reel to reel tape recorder for a few pound and get it out in a few weeks. No-one had much but all were the same. I used to make pin-art, or stringcraft pictures and sold a few. I made a big one for The Broadstone Inn which was removed after a few years when the tobacco smoke make the string all muddy brown. Made a few bob but not enough to justify the exercise. Buying the cheap mince in the Moore Street butchers, who had added a red dye so it would disguise the fat content. Dunnes stores was the cheapest and rent for a one roomed flat in Broadstone was a fiver a week, sounds cheap but the dole was 8 quid a week, and you had to sign on every week. There were no homeless people in Dublin that I remember and few if any beggars. Free love, for feck sake what was all that about? It must have been in England, we could not afford it here in Ireland. Condoms were impossible to get until mail order came in, and varied in quality, (you don't want to go there).
The main thing I remember is....no jobs....and no color...I still have the photographs to prove it!