Erm, it seems the Irish spend least on their, erm, breaks… Damn, you mean we have to take breaks now? Anyone else not hear about these new rules?
Irish couples spend just €160 and UK couples only £145 (€175) compared with the Spanish figure of €261. The French (€250), Italians (€210) and Germans (€180) also outspend the Irish, the survey revealed.
Northern Ireland’s peace process has been promoted as an international success story. The Republic’s Department of Foreign Affairs has its Conflict Resolution Unit, which aims to disseminate the ‘lessons’ of the Northern Ireland peace process. And some of the prominent players in our peace process have travelled abroad to other troubled spots to share their [...] read our review »
Which reminds me…. Platform for Change’s driving force Robin Wilson has produced a corrective to the notion that the lessons of the NI conflict are easily exportable. Like myself, Robin is associated with the Constitution Unit. He introduced his new book in a CU blog which I here reproduce. The water crisis in Northern Ireland [...] read our review »
I wonder if this has anything to do with being “the least romantic about Valentines day” and BT’s photograph of the average Irish Male……………see photo:
“Northern Ireland and Republic men ‘ugliest in the world’
“Often it’s a photo of them inside the pub with a pint in their hand, whereas a Brazilian man will go to great efforts and make sure he looks tanned and toned and probably has a beach as a backdrop.”
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/northern-ireland-and-republic-men-ugliest-in-the-world-16116949.html#ixzz1mFsC6nB3
A Valentine’s night at the Dunraven in Co Limerick will set you back €230 whereas one in the Bushmills Inn in Co Antrim can be had for a more modest €190 – €250 if you’ll only settle for a four-poster bed. Bonamargy Chocolates are extra
I think the figures are misleading. While it might be true to say that Irish cuples only spend £160 on Valentines Day (indeed this is about £159.01 higher than my Valentine outgoings ….and I am an incurable romantic), we have to consider that Irishmen will spend a multiple of £160 because we …….er I mean THEY will be be spending money on wives AND girlfriends.
Im sure all of us can buy a card for 99p but the key thing is Valentines Day poetry and before retirement I was often asked to contribute poetry (usually of no more than five lines) to other folks valentines……..I am as I said an incurable romantic.
fjh, you could always use your travel pass and go for a stroll over the (Gerry Anderson) Peace Bridge and a Valentine’s parade around Ebrington in Derry – all for the cost of a bite to eat. Would you take your ‘wife AND girlfriend’ too?
I will be giving my wife a home made card. Taking her for a romantic stroll, cooking a special meal, before lighting the fire and settling down with a bowl of popcorn and a glass of wine infront of a cheezy movie. Call me cheap but these are the things she likes.
I can’t think of anything less romantic than an almost compulsory romance day.
A gift or a treat is much more special when it is spontaneous.
Nevin……I am still 87 days away from my Bus Pass.
But seriously……..I dont get the connexion between Valentines cards in Easons and “romance”.
There will be a lot of women getting expensive bunches of flowers tomorrow but their real Valentines wish might be for fewer black eyes between Valentines Day 2012 and Valentines Day 2013.
Notwithstanding my own frugality….a bunch of flowers does not mean much. Real romance…real love is about watching your baby being born ……..sitting up all night in a hospital when a child has a febrile convulsion….or simply being there when a beloved parent dies.
So basically people can do the “romance” thing all day and still wont “get” it.
And by the way, the Irish are extremely romantic ……..after all St Valentines bones are in Whitefriars Church, Aungiers Street in Dublin.
fjh, perhaps Peter and Martin will bake a few sacred cup-cakes and send the party whips down to City Hall on Wednesday.
Theres more to life than romance as the mane Cavan farmer(Ba****d) said . I’ll get her the usual chocs but only after a few days when they reduce the price by 50% or so. Real romance takes time so theres nothing special about the 14th per se . As for flowers- Shure we grow all our own and what would ye wantin more ?
St Valentines day is just another day for fools to be parted from their money
Anyway this Valentine chap was a real Roman Catholic as in the city of Rome and no dacent God fearing old testament
prod should be wasting money on this rubbish ?
And on a slightly related not .We’ve all heard of Alcoholics Anonymous , and then there is Gamblers Anonymous and I’m surprised that there is’nt yet a Foreclosurers Anonymous but there’s surely a market for St Valentiner’s Day Anonymous ? n’est ce pas!
‘after all St Valentines bones are in Whitefriars Church, Aungiers Street in Dublin.’
Did they check the DNA ? probably another money raking scam like the Turin Shroud or the genuine crucifix wood or Roman ‘nail’ . They used to sell genuine Parnell ‘Dinner Service porcelain plates’ near Avondale for years to unsuspecting gobdaw tourists . I doubt if parnell lived long enough to have the time to eat of every plate sold
Caveat emptor especially triple A rated CDO’s from large financial investment houses .
Greenflag: Anyway this Valentine chap was a real Roman Catholic as in the city of Rome and no dacent God fearing old testament
prod should be wasting money on this rubbish ?
Your prod counterpart would point out that Valentine was definitely pre-reformation, and indeed, being associated with the early Christian Church, he was actually a Protestant in all but name.
Reader,
Which one was that Reader, There were two st Valentines, both myrtered on the 14th Febuary. Both around the year 270ad. One of them was a bishop. Both have their church feast days on the 14th Feb.
The day itself goes back to a pre christian festival in central europe. It was thought that this was the day when birds went and found a mate.
@reader,
I don’t have a prod counterpart unless he/she is a atheist/non deist in the personal sense . Historically you have a point .This Valentino’s roots go back to pre Christian times and no doubt has similarities with the Feile Breda (Feb1 St Brigids Day) and the whole spring coming festivities that are found in every human culture other than perhaps that of the Eskimos , Laplanders and the Inuit.
@ JR ,
I always went with my mates to find the birds but then as you indiretly pointed out it’s the ‘bird’ who catches the mate
I forget the story of how Valentine became a ‘martyr ‘ . It was’nt his mother in law that did him in was it;)?
I got the whole story here!
http://www.gaelsceal.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1387:ce-he-naomh-vailintin&catid=8:beatha&Itemid=294
Iris Robinson always spent well on Valentines Day.