I fear the "craic" is gone from Ireland forever

[afternooncuppa]

Just that really. However, I would love to be told I'm wrong so would love to hear your views.

My parents are Irish living in England and I spent a lot of my childhood and youth there and still visited at least 4 times a year pre-Covid. To me, my heart belongs in Ireland and I was hoping to move there at some point. When I was younger (in my late teens/early twenties) my group of friends consisted of English, French, Spanish and Italian backgrounds and EVERY holiday they always wanted to go to Ireland because the "craic" was so great and could not be matched in their countries. Ireland had everything (apart from the weather) - music, life, bands, dancing, laughing, joking, wildness, patriotism, Guinness, more Guinness and CRAIC. Living and enjoying life to the full.

Now Covid has hit and although it has changed countries everywhere, I can't help but think that Irelands draconian reaction has destroyed the country beyond repair. Not only economically (as everywhere) but the very things they are famous for, the very soul of the place has gone. They seem hell-bent on zero-Covid (which is impossible) and are running the country into the ground to achieve this. My own healthy and young cousins are too scared to step outside the door due to the "deadly" virus (which it is not). I know wet pubs have been shut for about a year with many unlikely to re-open. I've heard of the staggeringly ridiculous actions of the Garda to prevent humans being humans and I despair.

St Patricks Day last week watching old videos on my phone in crowded bars with live music, drink flowing, dancing and craic made me want to cry at the loss of everything Ireland was and the fear it will never return.

Does anyone think it will ever come back?

I don’t live in Britain. And I haven’t left the island since this started, but there does seem to a lack of awareness (interest?) of the length of our restrictions compared to others.

The wish in your second sentence has come true, OP.

Although I do have to admit that, unlike the OP, I do think we’ll bounce back and quickly - once things open again.

@Puppalicious

I don’t live in Britain. And I haven’t left the island since this started, but there does seem to a lack of awareness (interest?) of the length of our restrictions compared to others.

We hardly unaware of something we're living with every day.

@TheVanguardSix

Lots of us hate Guinness, and I don't think we're any more given to wildness or patriotism or living life to the full than anywhere else I've lived.

I was only ever given Guinness on my periods and even that was a bit weird. Guinness is a novelty drink. I have to say, whenever I've been over, I'm never down the pub nursing Guinness with my cousins. I don't even know if I've ever actually had a Guinness in Ireland, come to think of it.

ROTFL. Putting guinness on the shopping list for teenage DD. Never mind vitamin B, that's the remedy she needs.

This thread is so Irish.

"Craic" is Modern Irish from "reic" Early Modern Irish "recounting, narrating, reciting" from Old Irish "rec" recites (a poem to a patron); utters, declares, asserts (esp. of an emphatic or important statement).

The OP sounds like the blurb on a self-published Amazon book by a wannabe Marian Keyes

Whatever craic is, some people seem to be talking out of it

It's worth watching rte news for the weather forecast. The fashion on display is amazing.

@eggandonion

It's worth watching rte news for the weather forecast. The fashion on display is amazing.

I can never watch it.

One of the RTÉ weather presenters, before they got the tv gig, used to be very active on an Irish discussion forum and regularly posted about their masturbatutory habits. I can never look at them with remembering this. They also had some pretty right-of-Trump views.

"seem hell-bent on zero-Covid"

I feckin wish.
The school traffic near me is as bad as usual and plenty of people are travelling outside their 5km

One of the RTÉ weather presenters, before they got the tv gig, used to be very active on an Irish discussion forum and regularly posted about their masturbatutory habits. I can never look at them with remembering this. They also had some pretty right-of-Trump views.

You're over sentimental and catastrophising. Ireland doesn't exist to fulfill a pleasant dream or memory for you. As a nation it is full of individuals who love each other and would like to keep their loved ones alive. Stop objectifying a culture and whining about your wet pubs.

I'm pissing myself laughing at the opening post and then I got to about reply number 10 or so and I was breaking my shite laughing out loud at them. The comment about Peig just cracked me up completely!!!! Thank you to whomever posted that. You have made my day.

You're not actually living in Ireland are you @afternooncuppa? You are getting this impression of the 'craic' leaving the soul of Oireland from the news media are you?

We've been through a famine and a civil war. I think we'll manage to come out better and stronger after the lockdowns ease and after the pandemic but thank you for your concern. It's been enlightening and entertaining to say the least!

@JaneJeffer

It's ok everyone. I found the craic. It was at the back of the press. So relieved.

Love it - and the messages @Fizzgigg - isn't it weird how no one else uses these phrases????

Don't mention the downturn, the emergency and the troubles... do you know what I miss, trips up north to eat tray bakes in garden centres.
I don't miss wet pubs, and I'm now going to watch the weather forecast from behind the sofa.

@Apileofballyhoo

OP, did you never hear anyone Irish saying "it'll be grand"? There was a company doing t-shirts a few years ago, dunno if they're still around.

You wouldn't happen to be talking about www.hairybaby.com/ would you @Apileofballyhoo???

I dunno, look. I have the odd scroll through hairy baby for a giggle but I can't remember if they were doing the it'll be grand t-shirts. It was during the downturn.

I wonder what name we'll call this shit in years to come. We like our euphemisms, don't we?

WTF! The faux concern is hilarious. You visit 4 times a year and are worried for us. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Worry about your own country please.

What makes you think Ireland is going for zero covid anyway? Our health service can't cope with more than around the 500 or so cases we have here every day so that's what the extreme measures are actually for.

The worry about the "craic" is making me snort having read your post again. Thanks for the laugh OP.

Thank you for all your responses - it has made for interesting (and sad) reading. However, most of you have missed my point completely. For those who assume I have no idea about Ireland, am alien to it or have only been on holiday - I am in my 50s, have studied Irish history to degree level, own a property there, have lived there periodically and hope to return for good in the future. Irish people do exist outside the country you know.

The majority of responses (apart from a few) have been immature and sarcastic. Which, to me, proves my fear has been correct - the "craic" has well and truly left the building. And, it would appear, it has taken the Irish welcoming and friendly nature with it (or is that a stereotype too)?

Ireland IS known to have the longest and strictest restrictions in Europe which appear out of context. However, I wish you all well when (if)? you come out of them even without the "craic."

Slainte

OP needs a nice green Calm Down Sure It'll Be Grand t-shirt, failing that Feck It Sure It'll Be Grand

The majority of responses (apart from a few) have been immature and sarcastic. Which, to me, proves my fear has been correct - the "craic" has well and truly left the building. And, it would appear, it has taken the Irish welcoming and friendly nature with it (or is that a stereotype too)?

But the immature and sarcastic responses sums up the craic of which you speak. Irish people notoriously dont take things serious. We turn very serious events into a joke. It's a key part of having a laugh.

Also as many have said Ireland approach is not far off many other countries. The only reason the UK can afford to lift measures is due to the amount of vaccine they have been able to secure.

I'm sorry you feel offended, op.

I think all of us are feeling at the end of our collective tether at this stage and your post rankled with people, even if well-meant.

The restrictions are long and strict, but they are necessary in my view (not every Irish person would agree with me). I don't think our health system would have withstood it if we hadn't locked down hard.

We are a small country with limited resources. We are generally community-minded and prepared to put up with a lot for the collective good, generally. There are always a few. I find your comment about 'context' baffling. We were swamped with the B171 variant as the UK was in late December and early January. It was an emergency. Unprecedented times, you know.

I wish you well too! Go n-éirí an t-ádh leat!

By the way, the craic will be back. I would bet a packet of Tayto on it :)

Here's some irish to tide you over until you get back.

@Apileofballyhoo - the wonderful folks at Hairy Baby have already thought of tshirts to commemorate the great pandemic of 2020:
www.hairybaby.com/t-shirts/view-all-tees/chin-nappy-tshirt

For all of those Zoom calls you have this beauty:
www.hairybaby.com/t-shirts/view-all-tees/i-think-youre-on-mute-tshirt

For social distancing you have this clever number:
www.hairybaby.com/t-shirts/view-all-tees/social-distancing-tshirt

and just for general day to day wear, you have this little gem:
www.hairybaby.com/t-shirts/view-all-tees/just-cop-on-tshirt

I fear though that @afternooncuppa might be best suited to this particular one:
www.hairybaby.com/t-shirts/view-all-tees/minister-for-cop-on-tshirt

I am gutted. We've failed to meet the OP's "craic bar". And immature to boot. Ouch.

Measures are pretty draconian. Longest school closures. Dubs have been able to leave the county 6 days in the last 6 months (I'm sure equally bad in other counties). The 5km limit is driving people nuts. We're all suffering with wildwoman hair and lack of social contact (and which is worse?) We're all pissed off and want out of this. Maybe we're all a bit snippy particularly when presented with a nonsense description of normal life in Ireland (very clearly confused with the holiday experience of Ireland). Having said all that, being temporarily and justifiably pissed off is a different thing to saying that craic (hate that word too) is dead and that we're permanently changed as a people.