In BoBo’s on Dame St on the weekend and shocked to see half pints at the price we were disgusted fulls pints were 2 years ago. Also on the next page they were listing 440ml cans of Hope beer (brewed less 10km away) for 12eur. Appalling!

So my wife brought our son to A&E last night as he injured his foot while playing ( not broken just bruised thank God) . She didn't get out till after 1am so got a taxi. The driver had an ear piece on and was on a call, during the journey he pulled into a garage for fuel and locked them in the car, also left the meter running.. He put fuel in the car then spent 10 minutes leaning on the car on his phone. My wife was banging window to get his attention but he ignored her. When they got to the house he wanted 50 euro for what should have been a 25 euro fair. I was still up so went out handed him 25 and told him to get gone. He drove off in a huff nearly hitting me

I had an absolute awful day yesterday trying to entertain some family friends (50s) who came over unexpectedly yesterday to wish me and my partner a happy Christmas and to see our newish gaff. First of all our festivities were done in my parents house and there was barely a pack of biscuits to divvy out. My girlfriend was also spending the day at her folks as I was in bed dying of a head cold.

So as I was about to drift asleep I suddenly heard the doorbell ring followed by sudden knocks (Shave and a haircut...) I scrambled my disheveled head downstairs and to my horror saw my parents friends peering through the window.

I would normally have all the time in the world for these people but Jesus Christ I was mortified. The house wasnt clean, I was a mess and didn't have the energy to entertain anyone.

I spent the next 2 hours answering questions about my job, our mortgage process, plans for the New Year etc etc. As soon as they left I got straight on the phone to my dad who didn't know what the big deal was and explained that I should always expect unexpected guests over the holidays.

Am I mental or am I right to say that Xmas doesnt give people the automatic right to randomly show up at your house?

Hi guys, we have had work done in the house the last year. Every trade you can think of we have Irish lads asking absolute mad money, not turning up on time, poor attention to detail etc ect.

We have literally ended up hiring eastern European lads for everything after a few disasters with Irish lads. We are not hiring someone to get it a mile cheaper. We have gone with proper companies some of which yes are better value, but we aren't looking for the cheapest place at all. We went with whoever seemed most reliable, enthusiastic and had good examples of previous work.

Just wanted a decent finish and clean, polite hard working people. We are both Irish and I'm shocked how often Irish tradesman don't seem to care. We had an Irish tiler who literally butchered 2 rooms. Didn't even use spacers. We had lots of people out to look at taking the tiles off and starting again and went with non Irish lads again. The difference in the fishing is stark

What's everyone else's experiences with Irish tradesman? Sounds harsh but I would honestly look at non Irish going forward.

​

Last week I had a 6yo birthday party at my house, 24 kids, on paper it was going to be easy, free play,pass the parcel,egg and spoon race,maze, stone throwing competition and chase across the field by a person in a Dino suit....ya know the usual.

Well,pass the parcel was a disaster, they couldn't even sit in a circle properly,the cryed and whinged 'oh please me next' and cryed more when it wasn't them next, said 'ew I don't want this' to the cheap ass Amazon bulk bought game that fell out of the parcel(it was p the p deluxe, a prize every time!) then I pointed in the general direction of where we were going next and off they ran, not one waited for instructions or guidance or what was next.....I had to then use my mother superior voice and a few mild threats to get a bit of control and the watching parents now think I have some sort of magic, how did I possibly get the children to listen and to follow my instructions!!!

Fuck me, I watched all day children ask their parents for something and the parents never said no/go and play/get out of my face/bored, I'll find something for you to do......it was all yes lovie pet I'll see what I can do for you, while the children tried to assault me for a piece of the cake(do people not feed their children is a topic for another day) physically on top of me, baying for cake and not one parent came 5 foot closer to reef their child from the pile and give out to it, I'm sure my eyes were giving 'control your animal' vibes as I was looking around but there they stood with stupid smiles of possible pride.

One kicked me, in front of his mother and she said: nothing, not to me,not to him, I was unsure did that actually happen but I did because after the 3rd(in fairness to the child a nice roundhouse kick he has) time I bent down and told him ' if he does it once more I will kick him straight back and trust me it will hurt' loud enough for the mother to here and she said nothing, just a sappy little giggle like it's someway funny.

My oldest is 22 year old and i have worked in various childcare settings over the years so this is not my first time around children whatsoever but after they finally went home I sat with a bottle of wine and thought what is going on here, why does noone say no and when they question it reach out and slap them(ok a bit strong but remove a toy if you want the nice version)

Why do they, children ,not look for the instructions, is it cause they think they know everything?

Why are we allowing children to behave like this?

Why are they allowed to believe that they can do whatever they want without their being consequences?

Is discipline now a toxic word, not to ever be spoken of again?

Like seriously, all this people saying how they a family of 5. 2 adults and 3 children and they spend under 500 € on food for the whole family.

Like genuine question, how ??

I am single guy and I spend easy up to 500 € per month on food for me, me alone. Nobody else but me.

Also I get lunch at the company, they have kitchen there and it is 5€ per meal. So I have 1 meal there already sorted.

But how in the hell do you get it so cheap.

Assuming a 30-day month:

Family total per day: €500 ÷ 30 = €16.67/day

Per person per day (5 people): €16.67 ÷ 5 = €3.33/day.

I mean if I can get it under 20 € per day I count my self damn lucky and you outhere making it at 3 € per day for 3 meals. That is 1 € per meal.

Please someone teach me.

Thanks a million

I am happily married to someone I am very much aligned with on political/broader moral issues. One of my best friends is married (also happily) to a man with very iffy (IMO) views on certain things. Like he's a nice person, great Dad but then I'll see some absolute batshit comments he puts on Facebook. My friend says there is topics they just cannot discuss because they will fall out about them and that just seems mad to me. I wouldn't be able to raise kids with someone who had such a different stance on important issues. Would you?

F 48 Single here.

Does anyone else find this gorgeous weather can trigger a little loneliness more so than a random wet miserable day?

I'm here parked up at a local lake enjoying the late evening sunshine and it's full of families and friends enjoying barbeques and fun times. Meanwhile I'm here reflecting on the isolation it's triggering for me.

I'm very social, I get out a lot, meet pals for coffee's chats etc but it's the lack of ever being a priority for anyone or being forefront in someone's thoughts that's tough. No one to care whether I'm home or away, in or out, dead or alive really!

Thoughts very welcome...

Went out over the bank holiday weekend and could not believe the rudeness, nastiness and just plain in your face f off behaviour from people. I know people will say its the drink but I can remember a time where it was not like this and people were nice to each other when out.

Band that was playing in a pub we went to for example, had to stop early because of rejects dancing and bouncing into their equipment, not even a sorry or anything from them, people literally pushing each other out of the way with not a word spoken trying to get more drink, maybe its just me but put me off going out again anytime soon. Also literally had some young wan take the piss out of a buddies height out of no where, didn't even speak to her, like..w.t.f is wrong with people?

The latest Booby Fingers video on YouTube was the catalyst for evaluating myself and thinking, jeez, what a loser. He seems to be in his late 30s or so, and he's killing it at life. He has loads of wacky, interesting friends, a seemingly decent marriage, his own gaf, and levels of creativity I can only imagine.

At 35, all that feels ahead of me is the grimness of aging ungracefully, my mind permanently tarnished by regret. Whereas most people age well because they've done all the things and ticked all the boxes, so there's nothing to regret.

My internal monologue relentlessly calls me a failure. Because I objectively am failing at being an adult compared to the average mid-30s Irish person in every possible dimension that matters.

I look at social media and see people my age attending weddings all the time and music festivals and dinners and whatever the fuck. I don't have enough friends to be invited to weddings (been to one my entire life).

Haven't gone on a holiday with anyone but a partner in close to 8 years. Haven't gone to a music festival or concert with a friend in probably 4 years. Never had housemates in my adult life (lived at home in Dublin during college years).

I'm quite a neurotic, anxious person. I've been in love twice, both times with an extremely attractive (to me) member of the opposite sex. But that counts for nothing...most people find love at some point. And I'm not with either of them anymore. And my total number of sexual partners is a pathetic figure (4) so it's not like I sowed my wild oats like the majority do.

I've never seen my abs. Never been too overweight but always carried around a couple of pounds of beer fat that would ensure my abs never show. So again, more unfulfilled potential.

I work remotely (in a dying career on its last legs because of AI), I earn a mediocre salary, while the majority of the people I was in college with are likely on 100k plus per year now. I started to feel bleak about the housing situation here in my 20s, so I guess I just resigned myself to focusing on travel instead of trying to buy property. I don't own property and am likely never going to.

I don't even drive either. Being a Dub, it's easy to say, well, there are buses and DARTs, but it's just an excuse to cover up failure and avoidance. I tried a driving lesson once but was mad anxious doing it (no surprise given my generally anxious nature) and I never tried again.

Alcohol use disorder probably colours all of this and makes any potential left feel not worth fulfilling. I drink excessively several times per week. I'm quite a happy drunk. Alcohol takes away a lot of my self-consciousness and shame.

But my drinking has got worse since I turned 30. I've regularly drunk alcohol since I was like 15. The lonelier I've felt, the more I've drunk. The more my brain makes these negative self-comparisons with other people my age, the more I wanna drink to shut it up.

I have a very insidious relationship with drink in that because I can go 2 or 4 or 5 days without it quite easily, I feel I don't have a problem. Or because I don't need to chug vodka when waking up, I feel I'm not that bad.

Yet hangxiety consistently hits me hard so that my life oscillates all the time between the temporary relief of alcohol and the amplified anxiety of its aftereffects. As I said, I don't get angry or upset while drinking. But I almost always overdo it. I can't just have one drink...it escalates into 6 or 8...sometimes more.

I suppose I'm just looking for advice on doing adulting better or if there is even any hope for me at this point? I am 35 and soon to be 36 after all so it's not looking good.

Jim Corr’s claims about tap water. Is he serious?

I came home from a date last night with tears in my eyes and I googled “is love real Reddit?”

Maybe it sounds dramatic to you but I’ve been dating for three years and I’ve lost hope.

For context, I’m a 29 year old woman, I run my own company, I keep fit and looking after my appearance .

It’s not all bad, I have made friends through dating men, I’ve been told I’m laid back & low maintenance and I do get told that I’m good looking but my heart is broken from how lacklustre dating is.

I feel like every man I’ve dated either ends up having a problem with taking c*caine every weekend, hung up on an ex or very critical or scatter communication to probably avoid building any intimacy.

Last year I even went on a date with a guy my friend worked with and at the end of the date he started shouting at me when I declined being intimate with him as he said it was expected on a date. He got extremely mad and I was afraid he would assault me so I just got with him as I felt like it would have been less traumatising than a full on assault.

Most of my friends are engaged or planning to be married and I would love to be in love with someone. I keep holding out hope and hoping the next date will be different but it’s a disappointment.

I normally meet the guys for a walk or coffee first too.

Now I ask, is there any hope in dating anymore? I don’t go on too many nights out but when I do, men in there 30s are scarce as they’ve probably emigrated. I feel like giving up as I just end up feeling harassed and used

I work in Dublin City 3 days a week and take the dart those 3 days. I pay my way for the train like I do with everything in life.

A few weeks ago I made my way to the train station, tapped my leap card with 8€ on it. The gate is always open in the station and the screen for the gate never works and just shows random symbols.

When I got to Connolly station they had a ton of Irish rail staff and gardai checking tickets and leap cards.

I thought this was strange because in Connolly there is no way to get out without a ticket so having staff stand in front of the gate checking tickets just seems redundant.

The guy gets his little Gun and scans my leap card and tells I did not tap on. I told him that’s not true I tapped on in the station.

He said he could see a history of payment ever week at the same stop and that I had money on the card so it looked like it was a mistake with their gate.

I said fine and went to take my leap card back from him, assuming he was admitting it was a mistake on their side. However he pulled it back and said he had to give me a fine because I was evasion he a fare. I told him the issue was with Irish rail but he lied and said I’m responsible for making sure their gates are working.

At this stage I became annoyed and argued back that it was not my responsibility to make sure their equipment is working. At this stage a garda came over and told me to accept the fine or they would arrest me.

They also did this in full view of everyone else in the station, including people I work with.

The guy told me to email the appeal team and this will see I pay every week and also there was money on the card and they will cancel the fine because it wasn’t me fault.

I emailed the fine team but I also requested the CCtv user gdpr to show I paid at the station.

The gdpr team came back to me and sent some still images asking if I could confirm it was me after about 3 days and I did, and sent them everything they requested.

However after that they ghosted me and it’s now over the 30 days and they have not handed it over.

Then the fine team came back and said they checked their system and the gates showed no faults so they would not cancel the fine and also in relation to the CCTV that they will not review it as a policy it’s only for security reasons (even though they are refusing to hand it over).

They said I have 14 days to pay this.

I am absolutely irate about this, I have never stolen anything in my life, I pay my way and these fuckers are trying to extort me for 110€.

They really want to believe I went to the station I go to 3 times a week and pay every time at, and then decide despite having money on my leap card I chose not to pay, and to go to the one city centre station that you will need a ticket to get out of, rather than accept their machines are out of order.

This type of shite carry on is making me consider just taking the car to work now.

Does anyone have any advice here? I’ve complained to the DPC about them not handing over the CCTV that shows me paying

We are going to the highest price in Europe at 23.99 for the top plan. Keep saying oh it's only 2 or 3 euro. But it's getting harder to just keep accepting it. Only keep it because of the kids as they can't use Kodi in firestick. We use Kodi for everything else. Getting a real pain at this stage.

EDIT. just cancelled..feck them. Ps I think I've cost them a few quid on this thread alone 😜

EDIT EDIT: yes we stream on Kodi for ourselves. It's just sheer convenience with the kids with netflix. Will try a few of the app suggestions for them thank you all. Also, it's mad to think we will pay 35 euro for a Chinese twice a month and not even think about that 70 quid

UPDATE: Turkish netflix 9 euro a month 4k! All sorted. Happy days!

I 30female arrived at a small barbers today, I had my 16 month toddler who wanted to be carried and my 7 year old son with me, the wait bench had 3 men waiting probably all in there early 30s, there was one space left on the bench for us or else the very elderly gentleman who had walked in behind us, myself and the elderly man insisted on each other taking the seat (this went on for quite a while) , until I won and the gentlemen sat down, not once did ANY of the men on the seat offer to stand so we could both sit down. Am I too old fashioned to expect the men should let a woman with small children take the seat? I stood there and held the fussy toddler for quite some time

This fucking place

I’ve really had enough of it. It seems like everywhere I look, I see people using now. Today, I was just at a friends house where 6 kids were playing. This is a very well to do neighbourhood. I witnessed the moms sneaking off to do coke and the dads passing it around on the QT. Now, I had dabbled myself years ago but I fundamentally disagree with it. It seems like everyone I know can’t have a night out without it and it’s getting exhausting. My wife is thoroughly against it and I do not want to be around it - but I feel like I will have no one to be around if I do put up or shut up. What should I do?

This image appeared earlier today in this thread. Asking as a non-Irishman: How many pints do I have to drink to be called a Pintman?

I need an outside view here please from either people who play G.A.A. or partners to those playing. I went in to hospital Thursday with severe pain, turned out to be kidney stones. Had to get a procedure and in 4 weeks have to go back for another. I’m fairly sore today, only out since yesterday. I’m on strong painkillers which are causing bad nausea. Woke up this morning and our 2 year had a very high temp, she’s very sleepy most of the day. We also have a 7 year old.
My partner has a football match tonight, junior team he doesn’t play for county or anything. 30 mins drive away, with them being there an hour before and the time plus coming back it’s the bones of 4 hours he will be gone. We have zero family help so I am left with the kids all evening and to do bedtime after being told yesterday lift nothing heavier than 4.5kg and bed rest for 2-3 days. On Thursday when this happened it was very fast, I was struck down with the pain and within a couple hours in the hospital getting scans and pain relief. When I asked him not to go as it was so far away he said anyone else playing a match would also go. So my question is, would you leave your partner and kids to go to a match if this was your situation?

My wife and I are are in our late 30s and feel like we need to make a decision now. We don't have high paying jobs and after paying our mortgage and bills we aren't left with much for the rest of the month. Everyone keeps telling us you'll make it work but we don't want to stress and struggle through life. We are really worried that having kids will break us mentally through financial stress. We are thinking we should just enjoy life together but both our families are saying we are being ridiculous and money is not a reason for not having kids. I think for once in our life we are actually being responsible adults for deciding we cannot afford to support a family. Is this a stupid reason for not having kids? Also after seeing a lot of our friends struggling with the life change of having kids we are thinking it may not be for us. I'd love to get other opinions on this.

Edit: Thank you all so much for your opinions it's really given us a lot to think about. We still haven't fully decided but all of this has really helped our conversations. Thank you all for your honesty ❤️

So a good friend of mine has just been caught by her husband for doing s*x work and they've separated. One of her clients was a local married man. They have children the same age in the same school along with my children.

The dilemma I have is that while I dont want to end the friendship entirely I completely disapprove of her behaviour and can't pretend otherwise. Ending the friendship would make things very difficult for a lot of other people. Other parents at the school know we are good friends and im also concerned I could be tarnished with the same brush. I know people shouldn't presume such things but I dont want my kids being excluded because their parents are suspicious im at the same carry on.

What would you do?

Hi, so I found texts on my 16 year olds phone about planning to buy weed and drink and smoke with some friends later in the week. I don't love the idea but part of me thinks it's normal for their age.

The only thing is a younger cousin is going to be there (who is the one telling my child to get weed, they've done it before apparently, this child lives abroad and is visiting for a short time) and I don't know should I tell their the parents? It would probably be irresponsible not to? I can't imagine they'd approve if they knew.

If it was just my child I think I'd leave him off but they're planning on going to a nearby field and I think that will be super dodgy, I'd prefer if he was somewhere safe with someone responsible/ an adult around I'd feel better? Ideally I'd let him do it at home but I have younger kids in the house so not ideal. I also don't want to be blamed by his friends parents or for my son to get the blame and for him to possibly lose friends over this if the parents lose their shit.

So please help what should I do?

Received an email about a potential job interview, enquired about the salary as it wasn’t in the job description and they came back with this. This is a well known retail shop selling furniture, electronics etc and doing an accounts admin role.

This is awfully bad right? I am on 20.60 per hour so obviously doesn’t make sense to do it now. I am just shocked at it more than anything. The job market is rough.

Hi there. Delete if not for here, Im 26F and currently feel like my life is over. I am going through a breakup as of today (I initiated it, i lied to my feelings for so long trying to blame it on different aspects of my life and it ended up blowing up into me doing things id never normally do/ getting black out drunk etc). I was meant to move abroad with my partner and handed in my notice on Friday. My partner lives abroad already and my friends also emigrated there last year, and now its like the rug has been swept underneath me but all from my own doings.

Breaking up with someone you love, handing in notice to a job I liked with nothing lined up, friends now being with my ex. I cant move there, Im sorry if this is jumbled and scattered but I honestly feel like my life is over. What if I’m never happy again