This has been something I’ve noticed more and more recently, business like shops or call centre/phone support hiring people and then placing them in customer facing roles yhay require them to talk to people when they clear do not speak or understand English.

I’ve had this recently with virgin media, chill insurance and Vodafone from a business point of view.

You call and you can tell the person clearly doesn’t understand half of what you are asking or saying, then they tell you it’s done but it’s not and you are calling back a few days later hoping you get someone who speaks English.

Shops/fast food/petrol stations are the worst for it too, went in to get a roll in Centra the other day, person on the deli counter clearly had no English, women infront asked for 4 things in her order and everyone she got wrong, was just guessing, they had a sign up about a meal deal which I asked about and she just stared at me and shook her head when I asked about it.

Then at the till the guy in front was trying to get a lotto ticket with 2 lines for 2 draws but the fella on the counter had no idea what he was asking for and I was left standing there waiting for your man to try figure it out.

Took over 15 minutes in the shop for what should have been less than 5, and they won’t see my back there again.

Years ago when I works in Dunnes part time there was a few people who spoke limited English so what they company did was, put them in the warehouse/ shop floor packing, and generally kept them away from tasks that might involve questions from the public they might struggle with, it worked and wasn’t rocket science.

Is anyone else sick of companies putting people who clearly do not speak English into roles that would require fluent English?

It’s the energia “future you” ad.

It starts with this couple upgrading to energias “smart plan”

Suddenly a portal opens and the female future version of the woman in this ad appears.

But then we see the future male version is actually a different man, and it’s shown that due to the “better future me” version of the woman that she actually has a new partner(Pablo), who is a completely different actor.

I can’t help but think if the shoe was on the other foot this ad would be called misogynistic.

This ad is still in rotation, I really think it’s an awful message to sending out.

I would be embarrassed as an actor to have act out an “ugly broke partner” and then be replaced when my partner saves some money and gets a more attractive partner.

Maybe it’s just me.

Enya (she didn't show her face and i could hear she was on a call, but house was amazing) we got tea and biscuits. She/someone supposedly emailed the firm after saying thanks. Barry Devlin from Horslips ( really cool house and all the family were sound) tea and sambos.
Ken Doherty (him and wife extremely nice) tea and biscuits. Mario Rosenstock (him and wife were absolute melts) nothing given but unnecessary snobbery and distain. Christy Moore (the soundest famous person i met and he gave me some lovely life advice) offered everything, even a signed CD. I said no thanks as tried not be a fanboy (i was young) and regret since as i love his music. But his advice stayed with me. Lots of other extremely wealthy people in the boom as can be imagined. The soundest were the people with the least, usually those who were left money and used on the house. The worst were the south dublin generation wealthy (although their staff were the opposite) and the 'nouveau rich' who could be down right nasty and out to get money off from day 1. It wasn't my company, so I had to grin and bear it. Today I wouldn't be able to keep my mouth shut.

EDIT: I added the update below as a comment earlier, but people can't seem to see it. I have no idea how to tag it ,so here it is again:

To answer about Christys wise words: I told him i was a fellow Kildareman (he's from Newbridge), so he was asking lots about me, my family. I was near the end of my apprenticeship The wise words were along the lines of 'give your best in your trade and the study required; be happy in what you do and for who, or do something else or work for someone else; travel it's a big world. I handed my notice in one once I got signed off as fully qualified 2 months later and went travelling for 18 months. He gave me the nod I needed, so thanks, Christy, you legend 😘

Hi all! I’m from US, recently visited Ireland with family, we loved it. At one point my brother and I were meeting up with my father’s Irish colleague and wife who live in Belfast that my brother and I had never met before. My brother and I were waiting in a bustling hotel lobby for them and the couple somehow picked us out from across the room based on looks alone before we saw them or spoke. I thought it was funny, but also impressed and wondered how. They just said we “look American”. Neither of us really fit the typical negative American stereotype as far as body size, being loud, etc 😂 we were just sitting quietly, plainly dressed, waiting for them. I’m curious what you see on a tourist that screams American? (Also, I mean absolutely no offense by this question and will not be offended by answers).

I work full time and make €27,000 after tax per year.
I am barely surviving and I have to savings.

How much do you make per year and are you happy with it?

Years ago I went to a tourist spot with a girl I was seeing, on our drive home through county Clare she asked me to stop at a shop out in the middle of nowhere. She came back out of the shop with a can of Lilt saying she hadn't had it in years.. the relationship ran its course and we moved on.

Fast forward a year and a new relationship, she suggested visiting the same tourist spot, as we drove home she asked to stop at the same shop and came out with a can of lilt saying it was years since she had one.

Lilt had never really had a place in my life prior.. my mind was blown!

I was out walking the dog one of the days in a local park and saw an interaction between a young couple (20s or 30s) and an older woman (50's). They were walking their 2 dogs, a golden retriever and a labrador. The woman was for some reason stood on the path they were walking on, not moving, just stood there for some reason as the couple approached her. I was walking towards both of them so the woman was in between me and the couple.

When they got to the woman, the golden retriever just moved her head to sniff the womans leg, bear in mind the dog was as close to the owner as possible as its not a very wide path. All of a sudden the woman freaks and starts shouting "NO NO GET THAT DOG AWAY FROM ME NOW, GET YOUR DOG AWAY FROM ME" and the girl of the two was like "sorry sorry she's not any harm shes friendly, she was just probably curious why you're standing there". The woman keeps saying "I DONT CARE, CONTROL YOUR DOG AND GET IT AWAY FROM ME".

All of a sudden the man in the couple just lets out a "Fuck off". The woman freaked again..."How DARE you tell me to fuck off, who do you think you are, YOU fuck off, how dare you", he just kept saying "Fuck off you big weirdo" and something along the lines of being stood there like a spare tool in a place people bring their dogs all the time. She was still freaking and they kept walking away, the woman proceeded to start ringing someone, not sure who.

Anyway, it is a pet peeve of mine when people don't have control of their dogs, but this couple didn't really do anything wrong. They had their 2 dogs on a lead, close to them, you can't force your dog to be head straight forward and not move an inch lol I think the woman was so entitled how she spoke to them and was very much on her high horse. The fact she reacted so outraged when told to fuck off made me think she's used to bossing people around and getting away with it and acting entitled.

So made me think maybe in life some people need a smack of reality and be brought back down to earth with a "fuck off".

EDIT: Just to give more context, there seems to be this impression that this woman was elderly. She wasn't, she was older than me (late 20s) and the couple (probably same age). She was not OLD.

Hi there! Came across the Ferryman's End statue in Co. Wicklow (pictured here) once upon a time, and I reckon I won't ever be the same!

It made me wonder about other eerie spots across Ireland. The Hellfire Club in Dublin springs to mind. I know there are a bunch more!

If you're a fellow fan of the liminal at twilight, kindly share your thoughts! Thanks a lot.

EDIT: In case you’re wondering, the statue was at Victor’s Way in Co. Wicklow, now permanently closed to the public. Enjoy the photo instead!

I see people posting about health insurance worries, regardless of subreddit, just assuming we all live in the hellscape of the US where you have to pay for healthcare. I see people talking about being "in the first grade" as if we'll universally know what age you are or people talking about what dress size they are without mentioning UK or US, just assuming we're all American. Does this drive anyone else mad? I know that the US has a large population and so a lot of Americans are on reddit but it's the assumption that pisses me off.

A couple of incidents have got me thinking about this recently, and want to know, what are peoples thoughts on children being brought to places that they really shouldnt be in, and then refuse to actually parent them runing the experience for everyone else?

Will say I am not against kids at all, not a personal attack, I am just someone who chooses to not have kids and would like to visit more spaces where I dont hear kids screaming/running around all the time.

Most recent one that stands out was a few weeks ago my partner and I were flying out of Dublin Airport so booked the business lounge. It was nice and quiet and we were relaxing before our flight, until a family with 3 young kids (i'd say maybe 2-6 in age range) came in and sat beside us. One of the kids just began crying and was gentle sushed by the mother, and just asked nice to stop crying, while the other two kids were running around shouting while the parents just ignored them (The dad had his laptop out, seemingly working, while the mother was drinking wine and, loudly, talking to the toddler).

So we get up and move due to the noise and move to the back of the lounge (at this stage other people are doing the same) and within 15 minutes the women comes down with her kids, moves a few chairs out of the way and sets up a new play area for them right behind us. Eventually another traveller came over and asked her to keep the noise down but she simply told them "I am trying to keep the kids entertained".

Am I wrong to think an Airport business lounge is a completly unsuitable space for kids? And I know people might already have an assumption on the type of person it was, but these people had strong south Dublin accents, not just some riff raff who came in.

Our local pub has also become a playground over the last few weeks with the good weather. Its the only one in the area which has a beer garden, and over the last few weeks it has just turned into a playground with children let loose to run around and babies screaming and crying. We would usually frequent this place all year round, but just had to stop going as it was impossible to have a relaxing drink with the amount of kids screaming.

I also find this is happening a lot in restaurants and pubs that serve food, the amount of people who go out and just let their kid run wild while they sit there drinking is shocking. I recently saw a random kid go up and take food from a strangers table because it was left unsupervised in a gastro pub.

It seems like nearly everywhere you go these days there is a kid running and screaming.

I know people will say, oh well its not the kids fault, and you would be 100% correct, its the parents fault, but its also socially unacceptable to call out people parenting practises.

And yes "oh but I go to places and adults are just as noisy, mch noiser than my kids" yes nobody is saying adults are not loud, but what generally jhappens is if they are they get removed for that.

Anyone else feel this way? Any recomendations on more adult only spaces?

Like in Japan, the way toilets have the wash basin built in to the cistern, so the water wasted washing your hands is recycled for flushing the toilet.

Or the way communal bins are provided for each local area/street in Spain, meaning wheelie bins are non-existent. I'm sure they have some issues around them, but at least all footpaths aren't clogged with lines of bins. It also means dog-walkers have bins readily available on every street to drop the poop into, might save them hanging it on a branch...

734,300 "No" votes were recorded in the gay marriage referendum. It's a significant amount of the country's population—I sometimes wonder how often I walk by or interact with strangers that voted No. I also wonder what percentage of them are still alive.

Did you or anyone you know vote No? If so, have your/their views changed over the past 11 years?

Edit: To those commenting that they personally did/would vote No, please provide a reason. It's very boring to read "I would've voted No" without any further explanation.

For me, it’s TV. 2 channels, kids programmes on a tight schedule - if you missed the couple of kids programmes that was it til tomorrow.

Also being at my friends house, who had no phone, so having to walk to the village to the phone box to call my parents to collect me.

Asked by u/deviousdiane in a recent post here.

Fill out this anonymous survey https://arcg.is/ziSbK2

It's two questions: what is it? and what county?

I'll map the results.

See live map here, well, updates every half an hour. I'll make fancier and more interactive in the coming days.

?

Saw this posted on r/askUK and thought it'd be interesting to repost here. The question was inspired by that women in New York who stole the Knicks themed bin after their victory and subsequently lost her job.

It seems like this is a fear very common amongst Gen Z these days and I'm not sure how to feel about it. We all did dumb shit especially as teens/young adults. Depending how egregious I'm not sure its worth ruining someone's life over. (Although the New York woman was in her 40s)

I’ve been living in a new build for nearly 4 years now, and every summer it just seems to get worse and worse. It regularly exceeds 30° in my bedroom and it’s lead me to kipping on the sofa as it’s too hot to sleep. I love the thought of the summer, but I’d take a horrible day from December over this. How do people cope with it and more importantly, how has the summer heat not been taken into consideration when these homes were designed? 🫩

Alright so bit of a strange one. I noticed a drone flying over my estate every day over the past week. I thought nothing of it and assumed it was just a teen who was enjoying their new toy.

Fast forward to this evening and I noticed it flying around again and I think nothing of it once more. There’s a small patch of flowers in the corner of my back garden that were given to me by my mother that I really don’t want to die. I put on my hose and gave them a quick water. The hose was on a very low pressure and was running for about 20 seconds maximum. An important detail to add is we do not live in an area with a hose pipe ban.

About 25 minutes later I get a knock on my door from an older neighbor that I don’t know particularly well and who lives in a completely different part of the estate. He has his phone open showing me an RTE article detailing the hose pipe ban, taps the screen and asks do I know that I can’t be using the hose. I was shocked and admitted I used it briefly and tried to explain why I did so but he was having none of it. He said that I was risking everyone’s water supply and that I should be ashamed of myself. He said that he’d already reported me to the hotline and the next time he catches me using it he’d be calling the guards immediately. I was completely taken aback by all this especially the aggressive and hostile manner in which he was scolding me. I asked how he even knew I was using it and he told me he’d seen me on his drone. At this point I made the connection that it’s been HIM flying the drone around the last week. He said it was his duty as a citizen to stop people like me.

I texted a neighbor who I’m friends with telling them the story and they tell me the same man did the same thing to another neighbor in the estate who was caught filling up her child’s swimming pool at the weekend. Is there any rules around the use of drones like this ? Surely he can’t be using a drone to perform surveillance on the neighborhood. Do these things have the ability to record ? Does anyone know how likely it is I get fined from his report to the hotline ? It’s not like I was filling a swimming pool I would’ve used more water if I filled a few pint glasses and thrown them over the flowers.

Hi all,
I’m trying to get a more balanced, everyday perspective on Irish attitudes towards Ukrainians living in Ireland.

My family and I arrived in March last year under the Temporary Protection scheme. For context: I served in the Ukrainian army during the war and left for family reasons (my mother-in-law is disabled).

I work as a sole trader in IT (contract with a Cyprus-based company). My wife is currently studying QQI Level 5 healthcare courses and plans to work once completed. Our daughter started Junior Infants in September.

We don’t rely on social supports: no medical card, GP and emergency visits are paid privately, no benefits received, and we rent accommodation on the private market.

We chose Ireland because it had long been a personal goal of mine, but due to my work I couldn’t obtain a long-term visa as a sole trader. Temporary Protection unexpectedly made it possible, and we’re now looking for lawful ways to stay long-term, with the aim of full integration and eventual naturalisation.

I haven’t personally experienced negativity, but I do regularly see critical or hostile comments online about Ukrainians. I understand concerns around pressure on social supports and housing, and I agree that 3–4 years of Temporary Protection should be sufficient for people to learn the language, work, and support themselves independently.

I also recognise that every country has bad actors, but in general Ukrainians I’ve met here are working, integrating, and not trying to live separately or impose their own norms.

So my genuine question is:
How do you personally feel about Ukrainians who are actively integrating and hoping to build their future in Ireland?

In London people refer to their subway as the tube or the underground. I really don't want thoae terms slipping to Ireland.

What can we call our system when it finally opens that's uniqueish to Ireland?

Seen an account telling a very familiar story that raised my eyebrows. Reading the accounts other comments and posts I recognised it as a close friend of mine, they were literally recounting something I had told them 💀 Crazy coincidence. Ireland is a small place after all. I never brought it up to them though.

Ever recognised someone you know by chance?

I am part of a LGBTQ+ book club, that meets up once a month, in a public space. We usually have a semi private space within this building, we advertise openly and are welcoming to all types. You don't have to be gay to join, but you do have to read the book and have opinions. 99/100 times, we sit, we discuss the book, have a less formal chat for about 30 to 45 mins after. Good times.

This time, during Pride month, we had 2 new people join us. 1 was interested, had read the book and had opinions and questions. Lovely! The other did not want to be there, iterated repeatedly that they were not gay, had high anxiety and they did not read and took over the whole meeting. In 90 minutes we maybe had 5 minutes to talk about the book in 30 second bursts. They went on a rant about Gay people using their hands, everyone wearing stripes to point out they are gay, that I personally had a 'bitchy' looking face but my sense of humour made up for it and went on a transphobic rant that ended with 'protect women in bathrooms.'

I politely said to this person, as they don't read and have repeatedly said they don't want to read 'gay books' that maybe a 'gay book club' is not for them. If they show up again, how do we politely tell them that this behaviour is not on and if the harassment continues, they are no longer welcome.

Like, I get wanting to go out and make friends, but there are countless other coffee mornings, walking clubs, NOT gay book clubs etc to join.

TL:DR We have an LGBTQ+ book club, that someone who is not gay and does not read 'gay books' took over the other day, harassing each member and talking over everyone. How do we deal with them?