The 70's and 80's in Ireland

Kermit.de.frog · 14-09-2018 5:13pm #1

What was it like in the 1980's in Ireland?

I have seen pictures, video and my god it looked like a depressing place. :eek:

Grey, delapidated, hopeless.

What was it like? How did you get by without internets, wheelie bins, toilets...?

Would you go back if you could??

*Might as well throw in the 70's too for people of that vintage.

Jimmy. · 14-09-2018 5:16pm

The pull out method was all the rage.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 14-09-2018 5:18pm

Both decades were, to my experience, marked by high unemployment and high interest rates.

I wouldn't go back to them for any reason.

savemejebus · 14-09-2018 5:20pm

Good things tasted better

banie01 · 14-09-2018 5:21pm

We all had great laughs avoiding the consumption.
Fitness levels were great in the young.
We all ran like lunatics to avoid being ridden by clergy!
Look at the decline in Irish middle distance running since the veil was lifted on paedo priests!

Renault 4s and Ford escorts were the common.
A Sierra Cosworth was a "Super car"
And only "posh" neighbours had a car and a house phone!
To this day, I know my childhood next door neighbours phone number.
Skinning orchards and drinking in fields!
The huge crush at the labour exchange when your Granda would be out of work.

What's really scary....
I saw the end of the 70's and all of the 80's
Is I'm only 38! :pac:

mariaalice · 14-09-2018 5:26pm

Well, I had a great time and surprisingly enough we go by without the internet. I associate it with the start of Ireland reflecting on its self as a nation a lot of the staried-eyed idea of the republic began to be questioned, you had series like strumpet city on the TV, and while we always had emigration it was only when middle-class emigration became an issue in the 1980s that it became a thing in the media and general discourse in society which is interesting.

Going to college was a big deal you had to have the metric and or a very good leaving cert.

Hector Bellend · 14-09-2018 5:28pm

I was only born in 1977.

I was a little too young to worry about interest rates and unemployment.

I was too busy trying to get a feel of Debbie Whelans arse. Thats what happens when you think with your flute.

topper75 · 14-09-2018 5:28pm

Josiah Greasy Barefoot wrote: »

Both decades were, to my experience, marked by high unemployment and high interest rates.

I wouldn't go back to them for any reason.

I can't pretty up unemployment for anyone.

But the high rates meant little or no speculation in the housing side of things.

If you did get that job, then a house would follow. The mortgage deposit % wasn't as rigourous something like 10%. Yes the monthly repayments would be rough. But it was at least ATTAINABLE. Big difference to today.

It is pointless looking back at a historical period saying Oh they had no X like we have today. We didn't know about it back then, and what you don't know ...

An Irish CB ran the rate for the punt. It was a currency/rate for OUR economy, not for a depressed German banking sector or a roaring Parisian property market. It was ours. By us, for us.
And our politicians gave that away without ever asking us.

Silentcorner · 14-09-2018 5:35pm

This country will never see those kind of days again...but it was the pre celebrity culture era...and the pre social media era...we'll never see the likes those days again either...

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 14-09-2018 5:37pm

topper75 wrote: »

I can't pretty up unemployment for anyone.

But the high rates meant little or no speculation in the housing side of things.

If you did get that job, then a house would follow. The mortgage deposit % wasn't as rigourous something like 10%. Yes the monthly repayments would be rough. But it was at least ATTAINABLE. Big difference to today.

It is pointless looking back at a historical period saying Oh they had no X like we have today. We didn't know about it back then, and what you don't know ...

An Irish CB ran the rate for the punt. It was a currency/rate for OUR economy, not for a depressed German banking sector or a roaring Parisian property market. It was ours. By us, for us.
And our politicians gave that away without ever asking us.

Mortgage deposit was 20% and repayments meant a huge struggle with more that a full salary in payments. In the 80s Mortgages were attainable mostly only if both spouses were working. We had two good jobs in which we were well established through this period and really struggled to pay a mortgage on a very modest home, doing without holidays, social life, and any purchases over and above the necessities - no phone, video players, a 10 year old car, etc.

Only from the 90s on did things become more obtainable.

BeerWolf · 14-09-2018 5:39pm

Uncomfortable, itchy wooly jumpers.

I don't miss that.

banie01 · 14-09-2018 5:40pm

topper75 wrote: »

An Irish CB ran the rate for the punt. It was a currency/rate for OUR economy, not for a depressed German banking sector or a roaring Parisian property market. It was ours. By us, for us.
And our politicians gave that away without ever asking us.

I'd beg to differ, this would have been the Maastricht treaty referendum.
The aims and objectives of harmonisation and transfer from the ERM/ECU to a pan-european currency were voted on and accepted by the people.

Silentcorner · 14-09-2018 5:41pm

Lucky bags...if I'd have been on the ball I'd have sued the manufacturers!!

banie01 · 14-09-2018 5:42pm

BeerWolf wrote: »

Uncomfortable, itchy jumpers.

I don't miss that.

I totally forgot about spending my formative years in itchy as fúck cable knit Aran jumpers and duffle coats!

RustyNut · 14-09-2018 5:47pm

Life before Mobile phones, feckin bliss.

Lorelli! · 14-09-2018 5:47pm

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Grey, delapidated, hopeless.

no, the 70s were full of floral and other kinds of patterns and different shades of dodgy greens and browns with an orange hue!

TheRiverman · 14-09-2018 5:48pm

Being hot and and horny on Saturday nights in 1975/76 in my father's Morris Minor that he was brave and trustworthy enough to give me.

[Deleted User] · 14-09-2018 5:51pm

70’s brought discotheques to Ireland. It was also a time of frustration because heavy petting was as far as we could safely go. Bell bottoms. Matheus Rose. The Indians.
It was a fun time. I was transitioning from a teenager to adulthood. An exciting time of love, music, leaving home, arctic roll, battered sausages, cheesecloth shirts and gypsy skirts.

All the boring stuff like marriage and kids and mortgage came in the 80’s.

smokingman · 14-09-2018 5:51pm

Giving out to my brothers and parents about not rewinding the vhs tapes...

SEPT 23 1989 · 14-09-2018 5:52pm

Everything was orange and brown

mloc123 · 14-09-2018 5:58pm

Josiah Greasy Barefoot wrote: »

Mortgage deposit was 20% and repayments meant a huge struggle with more that a full salary in payments. In the 80s Mortgages were attainable mostly only if both spouses were working. We had two good jobs in which we were well established through this period and really struggled to pay a mortgage on a very modest home, doing without holidays, social life, and any purchases over and above the necessities - no phone, video players, a 10 year old car, etc.

Only from the 90s on did things become more obtainable.

People now piss and moan about the cost of a mortgage each month. Nothing compared to the 80s (as a percentage of income)... But now they HAVE to pay that 60e a month on phone bill (to get a free iPhone), the 100e a month for broadband and TV, weekly social allowance and holiday fund.

But things were easier for their parents... Sure anyone on a modest wage could buy a red brick in d6 back then.

freshpopcorn · 14-09-2018 5:59pm

Not Ireland but I recently saw some episodes of Crimewatch UK from the 1980's.
They called a man sleeping in a door way a tramp and the homosexuals got a bad doing as well. If it aired Today Twitter would explode.

ChippingSodbury · 14-09-2018 5:59pm

topper75 wrote: »

...

An Irish CB ran the rate for the punt. It was a currency/rate for OUR economy, not for a depressed German banking sector or a roaring Parisian property market. It was ours. By us, for us.
And our politicians gave that away without ever asking us.

Well they did ask us in the referendums. But running your own currency isn't all sweetness and light either: don't you remember the currency crisis in 1992/1993?

One of the most notable features of the currency crisis was the
unprecedented levels to which Irish interest rates were increased
in defence of the currency. Initially, the Central Bank refrained
from increasing its Short Term Facility (STF) rate but, as it became
clear that pressure on money-market rates would persist, the STF
rate was raised by three percentage points to 13.75 per cent
on 28 September 1992. The Bank later suspended the STF and
provided overnight support at rates of up to 100 per cent
— see
Chart 2. Official rate increases were reflected in short-term
money-market interest rates and were passed on to business
borrowers who had DIBOR-related contracts.

At that time a £75,000 mortgage over 20 years would have cost you almost £900 a month at a time when average industrial wage was about £500 per week before tax. I was a bit young but I think interest rate went as high as 25% for deposits around that time.

Ipso · 14-09-2018 6:02pm

In the late 90's I got a student loan, the rate was 10%. It's between 4 and 5 now and people are complaining about it compared to the rest of Europe.

UrbanFret · 14-09-2018 6:11pm

The 80s music has stood the test of time. The pub scene was fantastic, now spoiled by every supermarket selling dirt cheap alcohol. Work was scarce, still is away from the cities and large towns. The british army garrisons were on every road across the frontier harrassing(and worse) people trying to travel a few miles north and there was a good living to be made smuggling. Mixed memories but Im glad I lived through it and not the modern day camera phone recorded existence. All that remains are some grubby photographs on kodak paper and the memories, as it should be !

Roger Hassenforder · 14-09-2018 6:30pm

Formica furniture
Black and white TV - I remember when Dad arrived home with a colour TV like it was yesterday.
Admiral Manchester United Jerseys...

They were the days...

dxhound2005 · 14-09-2018 6:38pm

UrbanFret wrote: »

The 80s music has stood the test of time. The pub scene was fantastic, now spoiled by every supermarket selling dirt cheap alcohol.

I wonder do people got to pubs for sessions these days?

Sgt Hartman · 14-09-2018 6:39pm

Back then once someone went beyond the age of 30 they were considered middle aged and they dressed and had hairstyles as such. I've seen people in their early 30's on Reeling in the Years and by the way they looked and dressed they would easily pass for someone in their early 50's now.

Sgt Hartman · 14-09-2018 6:43pm

Also, brown clothing, y fronts and bathing only once a week seemed to be the rage back then.

Ipso · 14-09-2018 6:46pm

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

Also, brown clothing, y fronts and bathing only once a week seemed to be the rage back then.

And walking or cycling to school (granted there are more cars on the roads these days).

cajonlardo · 14-09-2018 7:09pm

In the late 70s I went into A&E with broken bones in my hand . This was about 10 am. X-rayed, bones set and plaster and home in time for dinner. You'd be lucky to get out in 12 hours now.

I've a DVD here showing an event that travelled the country in the mid 70s. Crowds came out I'm the town's and I cannot see fat people amongst them. Believe me weight watchers wouldn't have made money.

Bought a house in 86.
I had an unskilled job and if I'd had 2 years wages on the table that would have covered the house price. I mean if you were a factory worker or supermarket checkout operator you could buy a house.
There was any number of houses for sale and you just offered 10% less than asking

Every gob****e wasn't going to 3rd level and I think there were less bitter twisted "Professional" types as a result. Apprenticeships , the defense forces and other career routes were options

There were the obvious problems ( not great times for women, maybe even worse for LGBT)

One big drawback was the emigration - so many of my friends gone to UK or USA .

But anyone who believes we haven't got a whole new heap of snags now has their eyes and ears closed

The 70's and 80's in Ireland

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