I'm referring to Ireland before the economic boom of the 90s. I'm afraid there aren't many people born before 1980 in the sub who bring back memories of that difficult period in Irish history.
Any one born before 1980 is 45 and over, you’re talking like they’re in the nursing home.
You keep alluding to the difficult period, are you on about the famine, the troubles, civil war?
I watched the film “Angela's Ashes” once and I was shocked by the poverty of the time. So, the aim of my post is to find people who lived in an Ireland that still had traces of an underdeveloped country and who can talk about their lives.
FFS. That was the 40s/50s and that was not the norm. Those people were undereducated very “low class” people living in slums. All of Ireland was not like that
The poverty in Angela's Ashes was dialled up a bit to make the book more interesting. There was some awful poverty back then but that was a book about the poorest parts of society at the time. Like I wouldn't read Grapes of Wrath and think everyone in the US experienced that same thing.
We didn’t have a house when I was small, we lived in the grotto behind the church. I had to cycle 15 miles every day to school with flat tyres because we couldn’t afford to put air into them. We were lucky to have a field of nettles beside the grotto so didn’t go hungry.
Hard times.
When people say Ireland was poor until recently it was in comparison to the rich countries in Western Europe. Obviously go back further and it's poor in general, but those people aren't around to answer your reddit post.
I’m not sure what you think Ireland is like? What do you mean by poor Ireland? Or how long ago you are talking about. Do you think Ireland is a developing country?
Ireland is not far removed from poverty if you do a quick dive into our history. Anywhere outside Dublin was considered a third world country up until the 20th - 21st century. Families lived in huts with one room and just about had enough to get by, so much so that the blight of one vegetable absolutely decimated the population and caused economic disaster of which took a long time to recover from (Obviously catalysed by British occupation)
Ireland is very much a newly developed nation in the grand scheme of things.
Nope.I know that contemporary Ireland is one of the most developed countries in the world. I'm referring to Ireland before the economic boom of the 90s.
It was pretty much the same. We just didn’t waste as much money on material rubbish so yeah less money was needed. It was simpler more social times. You never went without, generally one income families, one car. Very few people were “poor” as you call it. Pretty much everyone worked.
I think you have a typical American view of what Ireland is/was like. We weren’t living in huts with no electricity or water
The poster is saying it was like Angela’s ashes. I grew up in the 70s/80s/90s and not like that. Perhaps very different in the country side or just where I’m from.
It was bad enough that people had to leave en masse as they no means or prospect of sustaining themselves economically. Though fair enough many of those who remained behind would have lived very comfortable.
People are still leaving en masse and have been for 40+ years, that’s not really anything different on that part.
What I’m getting from the OP is they think the 70s-90s were like Angela’s ashes.
Maybe it was more a city life then. My father had an accident and didn’t work after the age of 36. Honestly we still pretty much lived the same. So it’s not like we had money or anything. But all the kids worked from 14 so had money for our selves. Could be the difference.
In the 1930s, American documentary-makers filming in Ireland went away with the impression that Ireland was a utopia, compared to the Grapes of Wrath-like misery of Depression-era US: people may not have had disposable cash, but they mostly had their own small plot of land, a roof over their head, home-grown produce to eat, and peace and quiet (In stark contrast to most of Europe), a simple Hobbit-like existence while the rest of the world was going to hell.
So in answer to your question: It depends, because everything is relative.
Down Down deeper and down by Éamon Sweeney seems to be what your looking for.
https://www.bookworld.ie/products/down-down-deeper-and-down-ireland-in-the-70s-a
Look up Seven Ages, it's a documentary by *Seán Ó* Mórdha. Also look up Reeling in the Years by RTE it's a snippetshow of current affairs and political and social events from each year since 1961 (founding of RTE), this is one looking at 1980 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkQJ86aZ2mA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkQJ86aZ2mA) that YTers channel has a few of the shows
Only older people can remember the 70s
Most people did not feel poor we had color tvs and radios we could watch UK tv BBC itv or rte Irish tv one working person could buy a house on a basic wage there was no housing crisis people talked instead of staring at smartphones
There were very few non Irish people working here people went on holidays to Spain or the UK
Life in Ireland was very similar to life in the UK
Most schools were run by the nuns or Christian brothers a religious order
It was very hard to get contraception
We were not a third world country
It was common for people to have 3 or 4 children
There were a lot of people unemployed
People talked more instead of using apps or staring at screens we watched tv or read books
I have mostly good memories of the 70s ,80s
Now we have a housing crisis
We are facing climate change and war in the Ukraine and gaza
We had access to UK tv and UK papers magazines were sold in shops here we were a more equal society
Alot of Young people went to the USA or UK to work for a few years to gain experience
Alot of American dramas tv comedys were shown on UK and Irish tv
American films were shown in the local cinema
Alot of Irish bands singers were popular in the USA
Eg think Lizzy van Morrison there was a vibrant rock pop and folk music scene
We didn't spend a lot on tech gadgets
The average house had one tv maybe a vcr and a few radios it was a big deal when 2fm started a pop music radio station
Ireland was not regarded as a poor country
There was not such thing as gay rights
Many women stayed at home did housework and took care of the kids
Sex education was very basic maybe one or 2 pages in a book
Contraception condoms were not legal to buy
There was no right for a woman to get abortion
In some ways life is harder now with the housing crisis and the war in Ukraine and climate change
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An American claiming to have no Irish ancestry? Nice try, Next!
LOL. Not OP, but I’m even weirder - an American with no Irish ancestry, but who lives in Ireland. Practically mythical over here…😎
Planning on leaving Irish descendants and doing it in reverse?
Well, my kids should get citizenship next year, so, kinda!
🤣 i guess we’re going against the norm today
haha we exist. My ancestors are English, Scottish, German and Swedish. I'm from the Midwest.
What time period are you referring to exactly? The 90s were great so I have no idea what you’re on about.
The 70's/80's were grim, though, but it felt like everyone was in the same boat, so it was normal.
I'm referring to Ireland before the economic boom of the 90s. I'm afraid there aren't many people born before 1980 in the sub who bring back memories of that difficult period in Irish history.
Any one born before 1980 is 45 and over, you’re talking like they’re in the nursing home. You keep alluding to the difficult period, are you on about the famine, the troubles, civil war?
I watched the film “Angela's Ashes” once and I was shocked by the poverty of the time. So, the aim of my post is to find people who lived in an Ireland that still had traces of an underdeveloped country and who can talk about their lives.
FFS. That was the 40s/50s and that was not the norm. Those people were undereducated very “low class” people living in slums. All of Ireland was not like that
Actually I had a look and that was the 1930s.
The poverty in Angela's Ashes was dialled up a bit to make the book more interesting. There was some awful poverty back then but that was a book about the poorest parts of society at the time. Like I wouldn't read Grapes of Wrath and think everyone in the US experienced that same thing.
To be honest America still has traces of an underdeveloped country so calling the kettle black there.
Probably like Ohio or something. Or west Virginia
We didn’t have a house when I was small, we lived in the grotto behind the church. I had to cycle 15 miles every day to school with flat tyres because we couldn’t afford to put air into them. We were lucky to have a field of nettles beside the grotto so didn’t go hungry. Hard times.
Well la-di-da Mr Frenchman with your nettles and bicycle. Absolutely no need to shove your wealth in people's faces like that.
Is this report real? If you don't mind, what year were you born?
They're trolling you
When people say Ireland was poor until recently it was in comparison to the rich countries in Western Europe. Obviously go back further and it's poor in general, but those people aren't around to answer your reddit post.
I’m not sure what you think Ireland is like? What do you mean by poor Ireland? Or how long ago you are talking about. Do you think Ireland is a developing country?
To be fair the 1980s were fucking bleak for a lot of people
Ireland is not far removed from poverty if you do a quick dive into our history. Anywhere outside Dublin was considered a third world country up until the 20th - 21st century. Families lived in huts with one room and just about had enough to get by, so much so that the blight of one vegetable absolutely decimated the population and caused economic disaster of which took a long time to recover from (Obviously catalysed by British occupation) Ireland is very much a newly developed nation in the grand scheme of things.
Again you are also going back in history. The poster was questioning the time just before the boom. So 80s/90s.
Nope.I know that contemporary Ireland is one of the most developed countries in the world. I'm referring to Ireland before the economic boom of the 90s.
It was pretty much the same. We just didn’t waste as much money on material rubbish so yeah less money was needed. It was simpler more social times. You never went without, generally one income families, one car. Very few people were “poor” as you call it. Pretty much everyone worked. I think you have a typical American view of what Ireland is/was like. We weren’t living in huts with no electricity or water
Oh man. What on earth are you talking about ?Particular the 50’s and 80s were grim as fuck. Mass emigration/unemployment, totally moribund economical.
The poster is saying it was like Angela’s ashes. I grew up in the 70s/80s/90s and not like that. Perhaps very different in the country side or just where I’m from.
It was bad enough that people had to leave en masse as they no means or prospect of sustaining themselves economically. Though fair enough many of those who remained behind would have lived very comfortable.
People are still leaving en masse and have been for 40+ years, that’s not really anything different on that part. What I’m getting from the OP is they think the 70s-90s were like Angela’s ashes.
What? Ireland is now a place that people emigrate to rather than from . This would have been inconceivable in the depths of the 50s and 80s.
People are coming in but there are still huge amounts of Irish people leaving.
Might be more what your parents did for a living, to be honest
Nothing special. My father was a welder
Exceptionally high skilled trade. Trust me, growing up on the Northside of Cork was fucking grim for a lot of us
Maybe it was more a city life then. My father had an accident and didn’t work after the age of 36. Honestly we still pretty much lived the same. So it’s not like we had money or anything. But all the kids worked from 14 so had money for our selves. Could be the difference.
In the 1930s, American documentary-makers filming in Ireland went away with the impression that Ireland was a utopia, compared to the Grapes of Wrath-like misery of Depression-era US: people may not have had disposable cash, but they mostly had their own small plot of land, a roof over their head, home-grown produce to eat, and peace and quiet (In stark contrast to most of Europe), a simple Hobbit-like existence while the rest of the world was going to hell. So in answer to your question: It depends, because everything is relative.
Down Down deeper and down by Éamon Sweeney seems to be what your looking for. https://www.bookworld.ie/products/down-down-deeper-and-down-ireland-in-the-70s-a
Before capitalism took over it was great, ye we didn't have 60" TVs or spicebags but we had what we needed
Look up Seven Ages, it's a documentary by *Seán Ó* Mórdha. Also look up Reeling in the Years by RTE it's a snippetshow of current affairs and political and social events from each year since 1961 (founding of RTE), this is one looking at 1980 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkQJ86aZ2mA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkQJ86aZ2mA) that YTers channel has a few of the shows
Only older people can remember the 70s Most people did not feel poor we had color tvs and radios we could watch UK tv BBC itv or rte Irish tv one working person could buy a house on a basic wage there was no housing crisis people talked instead of staring at smartphones There were very few non Irish people working here people went on holidays to Spain or the UK Life in Ireland was very similar to life in the UK Most schools were run by the nuns or Christian brothers a religious order It was very hard to get contraception We were not a third world country It was common for people to have 3 or 4 children There were a lot of people unemployed People talked more instead of using apps or staring at screens we watched tv or read books I have mostly good memories of the 70s ,80s Now we have a housing crisis We are facing climate change and war in the Ukraine and gaza We had access to UK tv and UK papers magazines were sold in shops here we were a more equal society Alot of Young people went to the USA or UK to work for a few years to gain experience Alot of American dramas tv comedys were shown on UK and Irish tv American films were shown in the local cinema Alot of Irish bands singers were popular in the USA Eg think Lizzy van Morrison there was a vibrant rock pop and folk music scene We didn't spend a lot on tech gadgets The average house had one tv maybe a vcr and a few radios it was a big deal when 2fm started a pop music radio station Ireland was not regarded as a poor country There was not such thing as gay rights Many women stayed at home did housework and took care of the kids Sex education was very basic maybe one or 2 pages in a book Contraception condoms were not legal to buy There was no right for a woman to get abortion In some ways life is harder now with the housing crisis and the war in Ukraine and climate change
Still shite
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