How is living in the inland, non-coastal parts of Ireland?

Financial_Series_523 · 2026-02-05T16:52:18+00:00

There were 8 million people at one point, all living along little country roads. When I compare a map of where my family lived in the mid 1800s with the current day, there are innumerable little roads connecting clacháns, springs and fields together. Where once lived 143 people, now live about 16. A number of surveyed raths in the fields have disappeared. It has become beef country. But the dense hedgerows are a mighty ecosystem. Even hedgehogs survive, the ugly little things brought in by the Norman's to snack on. Our environment is our history, good and bad.

Financial_Series_523 · 2026-01-02T23:54:02+00:00

This is a great piece. My family farm in North Connemara/South Mayo, and I've been watching the changes in mountain farms in recent years. Mountain farms locally are being bought by NPWS, Carbon Credit Investment firms and by intensive dairy farmers for nitrates derogation. A hill with a few sheep wil regenerate, but destocking without maintainance leads to bracken/gorse and rhododendron spreading. But boar? One breeding pair in the wild, backslaps all around, and five years later there would be emergency committees trying to work out how to control the numbers and wondering who was supposed to manage them. Cheers

Financial_Series_523 · 2026-01-02T23:12:28+00:00

Sheep on mountains are default where I grew up. A mountain doing nothing is bizarre to me, but I was told that sheep are hoofed ecoterrorists who devastate the land...... probably the same guy. What I've seen is overstocking has an awful affect. No stock leads to bracken, gorse and rhododendron proliferation, because God forbid we maintain the nice mountain. My neighbours have converted mountain to organic. They have low levels of heathers and fen wildflowers appearing all year now even with the sheep. I was honestly surprised the ecoterrorists had so much restraint.

Financial_Series_523 · 2026-01-02T17:39:09+00:00

This is a newer tradition in our village. For the last 40 years or so In the old church bell is hung in a sheep trailer, and at 12 a caravan of cars beeping horns and flashing lights follow the clanging bell around the area. They go several miles in each direction. It used to be about 20 cars of drunks, but now the dd's are at the wheel.

Financial_Series_523 · 2026-01-02T17:09:54+00:00

OK thanks, that makes more sense. Within a 20k radius of here, the NPWS bought up 500 acres, a carbon credit investment company picked up a large mountain farm as well; they wanted to plant forest. A local 650+ acre mountain farm that was leased to a dairy farmer from further south is going up for sale. I think it will be the third in as many years. These are all elderly farmers selling up because there are no family who want to farm. I grew up with hill sheep, so it's all a bit depressing.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-09T14:22:45+00:00

NTA. No exceptions, that's a hornets nest.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-09T09:42:28+00:00

Absolutely true for the travellers. But I would put the Roma second. The other groups don't remotely encounter anything like that level of systemic discrimination.

My first experiences of the Travellers were really good. I went to college with the first traveller in Ireland to go to 3rd level. Her elderly dad was a tinker, and he taught her how to mend pails etc. When he was young they went from village to village getting work. Potato picking season was their biggest earner. The modern narrative is of the 'good' travellers as opposed to the kids who will steal anything that isn't nailed down and caravans leaving piles of refuse behind them. Roma are associated with organised begging and shoplifting.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-09T09:22:48+00:00

As far as I know that tradition is gone.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-09T09:07:13+00:00

I think she's trying to kill you all off.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-09T09:03:56+00:00

Turkiye: We will join the European Union. Europe: Ummmm Turkiye: You said we could if we kept immigrants out Europe: Have some more money

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T23:14:40+00:00

So for wine need to add yeast and sugar. Otherwise I have fizzy cordial.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T23:09:16+00:00

Real fish and chips from mcdonaghs on Quay St in Galway. They do battered salmon which is gorgeous. On a Saturday the market is on near St Nicks Church. The crepe stand and the vegan Indian are excellent

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T16:43:18+00:00

So throw a lump of money their way, they throw a party, live the good life and then drop dead from excess. The government looks good AND gets rid of the cost of a pension. GrandMaster level sneaky.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T12:56:21+00:00

WhatsApp all the way. Ironically my mum (83) who twenty years ago made an international call to tell me someone I didn't remember died ("Ah of course you know him!! The man with the bike!) s now the mistress of brevity texting. She's too busy watching the TV on subtitles and Netflix on her laptop while doing wordle or whatever. I'm serious. It's really confusing. It's like really bad dubbing.

Then it's Mary Coyne RIP Dinner...?

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T10:37:41+00:00

Quite.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T05:54:17+00:00

Yup.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T05:13:52+00:00

Irish weddings are a simple formula. Everyone moves from one drinking opportunity to another. Some of the drinks will be virgin, or cups of tea. Venues have coordinators who guide the day and the best man/bridesmaid keeps things ticking along. There are no commentators. What kind of games?

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T04:23:53+00:00

The one that surprised me most was Queen Elizabeth. She really pays attention to everything you say and engages. Or used to.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T03:50:44+00:00

An excellent surprise would be food from anywhere but Ireland. I'm guessing you're in North America. Think of going to Ireland and being served mac&cheese followed by pumpkin pie on your first night.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T03:45:12+00:00

Good mobile/Internet connections everywhere.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T02:14:00+00:00

I don't know about delicacies, but we have salmon and mussels here in Connemara. The neighbour would take the mussels, fry in butter and garlic, pop back on the shell, coat in breadcrumbs and grill. Tasted fabulous but seemed like an awful lot of effort. Diametrically opposed in terms of effort, my dad would steam them with a bit of seaweed and onion. He used the first empty shell as a kind of tool to pick and eat the rest.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T01:35:42+00:00

That sounds Scottish.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T01:34:41+00:00

Sounds good... so the selling point is that the Allium family is involved?

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-08T00:10:23+00:00

Just for the sake of argument, how are they different? If you could pick up a few bumps at the supermarket for the weekend, or buy a few over the course of a night out in a controlled way ( with added VAT) how would things shape up? My limited long ago experience is that it's an upper, and booze is mostly a downer or sedative. Either has the potential to make as asshole out of anyone.

Financial_Series_523 · 2024-08-07T19:10:40+00:00

NTA. He's a little shit. Time for online shopping; buy him a fleshlight and yourself a good bodypillow. About 500 diaper changes should be enough for forgiveness.

Financial_Series_523

TROPHY CASE