to think the Irish..

[GeruptaSingh]

...do not know a good thing when they are given one

Let them eat cheese: anger as Ireland plans handouts of cheddar to the poor

That is a headline from a newspaper

I wish someone would give me free cheese,I love the stuff

ungratefull buggers

I agree everyone is tense. Except Jedward . Why does 'The Irish' annoy me? I suppose I don't feel I have much in common with Brian Cowen or Seanie Fitzpatrick; I wouldn't say 'The Americans', as I suspect friends of mine who are American wouldn't want to be lumped in with the Bush family, The Kennedys or Lady Gaga in outlook. Ollie Rehn seemed pretty delighted with the budget...I wonder why?

Rehn is delighted with the e6Billion, not overly keen on the 15B over 4 year plan. Doesn't trust the growth predictions.

Also, I think a bit of a Christmas might be a good idea - even if it is merry Christmas jumpers and useful things as opposed to bath bombs - psychologically it might help, plus keep retail staff in a job for another month.

and wine stieger wine...

Definitely wine. Cheese for some...

Drivingmisscrazy I agree with you. I think the worries about the budget are keeping everyone from spending a cent. Shops are desperate for Christmas to get underway, but noone is parting with their cash. Apparently everyone's busy paying down debt.

Did anyone hear David McWilliams suggestion from a few weeks ago? The one where the entire country would get a two year holiday on their mortgage? He reckoned that would pump billions back in and promote growth.

I dunno about that, but I do think anyone who has being trying to hold onto their Celtic Tiger lifestyle are in for a hard landing in 2011. I think we'll be more 1981 than 2011.

Growth and consumer spending are not the same thing. Spending on a load of Chinese-made stuff is only going to promote growth in China.

I seem to have missed my chance at the Celtic Tiger Lifestyle...

One thing that really annoyed me was the exodus of people (well my boss's brother and people who talked about it on the radio) to do their Christmas shopping in New York. The Irish Times on Saturday had a feature on lovely weekends in continental cities with Christmas markets. Stay home, buy local - that needs to be the message really. (Maybe not wine...) I don't know about council let to buy Kerry - the stock of unoccupied houses is crazy, but none priced to sell. And it seems impossible to get mortgages on one beds outside Dublin.

There were new houses for sale in a village near my parents earlier this year for 100k - original price was 250k. Builder was just desperate to get rid of them...

The OP is just ridiculous as is GuptaSingh. In case he doesn't realise just how mad his horse or mortgage thing is, most of the horses have been abandoned by the travelling community (according to programme I watched on RTE anyway), and they don't tend to have mortgages. The cheese anouncement was an insuly, particularly as it was announced by FF as a generous concession, despite the fact that the scheme has been running gor some years. And with the bond spread thingy hitting nine per cent today we are all completely and uterly fucked, and a bit of intervention cheddar isn't going to make any odds anyway. Now where is that wine lake?.

It looks like there are a few other Cork mums here, we should have a fondue party!

stieger, there is a loony hippie very nice man in Fingal who makes Irish Wine...so you can buy local after all. Absolutely, stay home, buy local - wish I could spend more at the market - I've been going for years now and I know I spend less there than I once did. One of the downsides of knowing the people who sell you your food is that you realise that their livelihoods are tied to what is (or isn't) in your pocket.

DP has started calling this the 'Ireland going down the shitter thread' lol

I'd love a nice, cheap market with nice local produce, all earthy and fresh. I will pass on the local wine, if it isn't delicious! In the eighties in East Anglia, we had very little money, but we had a market with locally grown veg - incredible celery, which is an odd food to rave about! Also there was a wine bar which sold country wines like raspberry and elderflower... There is a new weather lady on RTE telling me about wind tomorrow...

I'm in Cork! West Cork to be precise, but work in town.

We're trying to support our local Centra in the village but it's considerably more expensive than one of the Lidl's (or if I'm feeling posh...) Aldi.

I went to that farmers market at Mahon Point once, expecting to be robbed blind. Actually it wasn't too bad.

We grow loads of our own stuff, in the Summer we bought hardly any food. We have chickens and piggies too, so we were fed! Lot of work involved, but we consider it a second job for both of us that we don't have to commute to.

I would highly recommend growing some of your own food. That's one thing those fuckers can't tax.......yet.

I buy stuff at the farmer's market, but I am very careful who I buy from - usually I get a dozen eggs, and some veggies/salads/potatoes etc for the 3 of us for about ?15. We also (thank the lord) are lucky enough to have an allotment, which has really kept our food bills down - bought no potatoes from May-Aug, have onions for the whole winter, broccoli, sprouts, carrots, beetroots. It's only a small plot (10m x 5m) but we got good mileage out of it this year - but will plan better next year and grow fewer turnips! Or maybe I could make turnip wine and invite stieger and the other wine-deprived mNetters round (oh yum!!)

We were at the Midleton market, which was food for fruit and veg- but then we got distracted by the cheese. I'm sure the artisan cheese people aren't going to benefit from cheesegate. Our local farm shop had a feature in the local paper, with bananas featuring prominently in the photo. We were in Mahon last year - remember the fog after the snow? That was when we were there!

ha - I think I will go up to the Sheridan's counter on Sat and ask which of the cheeses on display is free...

encyclogirl, I'm very envious of you living in West Cork and your chicken and pigs! Where are you - if you don't mind me asking? If its Clon I officially hate you.

I dount the artisan cheese guys will be bothered that much, there's no comparison between a nice bit of Gubbeen and a lump of sweaty intervention mild cheddar!

So, who has got a fondue set anyway? I'm tempted to get one off ebay and invite you all round.

doubt

(I reckon it's outside Bandon if she is working in de city?)

Not Protestant Bandon?

I'm in Frankfield if there is anyone nearby.