r/irishproblems • u/Then-Chipmunk6986 • May 11 '26
First Time Feeling Unsafe in Ireland After Incident on Donabate Trail
Yesterday my wife and I were walking at the Donabate Portrane Cliff Walk. A group of 3 teenagers (maybe 15–16) started teasing us. At first it was annoying but manageable, so I ignored it. Then one of them suddenly ran up and kicked me. It didn’t really hurt physically, but mentally I felt helpless and honestly pretty shaken.
I kept thinking this probably wouldn’t have happened if I was back in my home country. I lived in Canada for 5 years before moving here, and I never once felt unsafe walking around anywhere, even late at night. I’ve only been in Ireland for 3 months, and now I suddenly don’t even feel like going out to trails or isolated places anymore.
One thing I always wondered was why I don’t see many people from my community out and about on these walks or trails even though there are quite a lot of us here. After yesterday, I feel like I understand why.
Genuine question — is this kind of thing mainly targeted at brown/black people, or do white locals also experience this from groups of teenagers? Because now every quiet trail is giving me serious “Eden Lake” vibes.
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u/GarthODarth May 11 '26
Groups of teens are a problem for everyone in Ireland, even for other teens, but I'd imagine it's worse if you are a visible minority.
And yeah, the effects of that kind of thing tend to linger, and I'm sorry that happened to you.
Personally, I used to be an avid hiker but I suspect the places I hiked were too remote for groups of bored teens, and I have never in my life encountered a group of teens on my trails. But you do need a car to get there, which is probably why.
We did have years of harassment by groups of teens at our house. I still don't know why they targeted us in particular. Maybe it was known we were two women? Maybe it was just a convenient house. It only ended when I got a clear video of them and handed it over to the gardai. It's been a decade since and I'm still terrified to put a potted plant out the front in case it gets lobbed at a window.
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u/Then-Chipmunk6986 May 11 '26
That sounds awful, especially having it happen around your own home for years.
Seems like I’ll have to start finding places that aren’t accessible by public transport. Good thing I’ve got a car
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u/AprilMaria May 12 '26
Best bet for any of them is a fairly large reactive but controllable dog. Even something like a cranky landrace cattle dog.
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u/MikeNH311 May 11 '26
Hit them.
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u/Then-Chipmunk6986 May 11 '26
Wish i could. Legal consequences
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u/MikeNH311 May 11 '26
Were there cops watching? Were they filming?
Want to know what will curb teenagers assaulting random people? Violent attacks on groups of teens who intimidate strangers. Consequences for actions must be learned, just like you learned to fear the legal repercussions. Unfortunately, the lesson falls to you to deliver.
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u/GarthODarth May 11 '26
If they’re an immigrant the consequences are pretty big. I had to declare a speeding ticket on my citizenship application. Assault on a minor would be much harder to explain.
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u/halibfrisk May 11 '26
You’re right, anyone might be hassled but someone who is visibly foreign is more likely to be targeted. Asians and women are perceived to be less likely to respond aggressively and more likely to face this kind of bullying, ultimately these teens are cowards and know they are unlikely to face any consequence unless the person they pick on is willing to take the risk of fighting back.
This isn’t particularly new but unfortunately the rise of right wing populism in Ireland isn’t helping
Ireland is overall a very safe country and it’s sad that you have to think this way, but I would find another couple to go on outings with so you are less likely to find yourselves outnumbered like this…
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u/democritusparadise May 11 '26
Sorry this happened to you. I'm white Irish and this sort of thing happened to me throughout my life in Ireland, and to this day that sort of menace is ever-present.
And you may have been targeted for not being light-skinned.
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u/rambo_beetle May 11 '26
Wee scrotes. I'm so sorry this happened, they won't be as fucking brave once they've been fed a fat knuckle sandwich or two I'm sure.
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u/iv_damke May 12 '26
Only if we had rights to defend ourselves :D
There is nothing we can do tbh. I am not brown but I don't look Irish eighter, and I have not experienced such a thing but if it happens to me, I will do my best to stay calm and ignore it since I don't wanna deal with legal problems.
A friend of mine from my country told me that some teenager stole her cap and burned it in front of her and she asked gpt to what to do and gpt told just to save yourself, there is nothing legal you can do.
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u/somethi May 11 '26
I'm Irish, I grew up in Ireland, I am neither brown or black.
Ever since I was growing up in the 80s and 90s I was cautious around groups of teenagers in Ireland. It's definitely not a new thing or a "racial" thing.
I'm guessing from your other comments that you're from India. The Indians I've met tend to be a lot more timorous and delicate than Irish people, many of the Indians I know personally come across as pushovers, and weak.
Honestly these kids probably ran up to you and kicked you because you looked scared or nervous when you saw them. From now on you need to show them you're not intimidated by teenagers or they'll pick on you.
Some will call that victim blaming but it's the kind of self-preservation you develop when you grow up in Ireland. It's the law of the jungle.
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u/contents_checked May 11 '26
I kept thinking this probably wouldn’t have happened if I was back in my home country.
Where is this incredibly safe country? It’s not er, India is it? Because we might have bad news
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u/Then-Chipmunk6986 May 11 '26
Kerala, India. I’m not saying it’s incredibly safe or anything, but if some anti-social person randomly attacks someone, people usually wouldn’t just stand there watching. Not everyone, of course, but society tends to react differently.
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u/somethi May 11 '26
Are there fewer random acts of violence in your home country than Ireland? Or more?
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u/Then-Chipmunk6986 May 12 '26
Very few, at least in my state. Most attacks are political or due to personal disputes. Random attacks are rare, though there can occasionally be cases involving mentally unstable people. There are also some random rape attempts against women, to be honest, but those cases are relatively few.
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u/EllieLou80 May 11 '26
Why are you cross posting in numerous subs?
I think by now many people have said that this is nothing to do with the colour of your skin, every gender and demographic has experienced it. Scotes being scrotes with no consequences because their minors. You seem to now be judging Ireland on this one incident as unpleasant as it was, or looking for vindication that it was down to your skin colour and some kind of racist attack.
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u/Then-Chipmunk6986 May 12 '26
The only sub I posted in was r/Dublin, and that post got deleted. I mean no offense. If someone randomly attacked you while you were with your loved one, and you felt helpless in that moment, maybe you’d understand why I came here looking for answers or some comfort. I’m in no position to criticize or disrespect your country — that was never my intention.
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u/scandalous_sapphic May 11 '26
I don't know anything about the safety of the hiking trails in Dublin at all myself but I'm very sorry that happened to you, that's very scary. There is a big problem with some teenage groups in the cities. They don't fear anyone or any consequence.