• Jump to Content »
  • Jump to Side-Bar »
  • Jump to Navigation »
  • Jump to Far-Bar »
  • Jump to Footer »
  • home
  • differences
  • questions
  • conversations
  • paintings
  • cartoons
  • US cycle
  • KC events
  • gaeilge
  • about

Irish KC is a one-man site on Irish news and events in Kansas City and its hinterland, along with Irishness in general and how it relates to Irish-America.

It is authored by an artist from Ireland who has lived in Kansas City.

Other sites: Bicyclistic (personal), American Hell (cartoons)

[ Irish KC ]
Kansas City Irish Festivals, Music, Pubs, & Events by an Artist in Ireland

« Kansas City’s Contribution to Ireland and Folk Rock
Irish Pimp Named as Parade Grand Marshal »

A Rubbish Time in Dublin West

Yesterday I took my American dog on a walking tour of the rubbish that litters the parts of Dublin West I grew up in.

We were out for an hour, in what to an outsider would appear to be park land but is of course drinking land.

So apart from picking our steps through the broken glass, the most common item on the ground were empty cans of cider.

Back when I was of illegal drinking age I never did understand the point of cider parties. For one there was never any music, or nibbles even; it was all just drink, banter, and a large bonfire.

But more importantly why on earth would boys about to be men, who were unable to take the stout, choose cider as their rubbish drink of choice in a land where we we always had Smithwicks? I know when I was of a teenager it took me just the two pints of that filth to persuade me I was ready for the stout and getting up on that surfboard.

Anyway the empty cans of cider that me and dog saw were all dotted around, and not in piles, so perhaps the parties have had their day, or maybe now in this faster go-go Ireland people walk and party at the same time?

Beer bottle tops were the next most frequent piece of litter we saw. The odd thing about them - for me anyway, the dog seemed non-plussed - was that of the 50-plus bottle tops we saw, there were only 2 different brands of beer. Can you guess them?

In the 70s it would have been Guinness and Smithwicks. Since then the teens of Dublin have been through a whole range of imports and I would have guessed wrong myself. Budweiser and MGD. Which is probably why my American dog was unmoved. It’s to soon for trash-inspired homesickness.

Saddened by imported litter I decided to look up. And started to read the graffiti. This really is a nostalgia festival, for reading the graffiti in my Dublin is like looking at the rings of a tree. You don’t even have to be from our neighborhoods to appreciate the ages of the names and slogans - because conveniently every piece is dated. Now I know it’s the norm to sign and date decorative mural style and multi-coloured pieces, but the graffiti I’m talking about is the single colour courier font of graffiti.

But then I was disturbed by the litter on the ground again. Because I came across many discarded empty plastic bottles. Of what? Of water. When I say many I can tell you I counted about 20. As I was trying to digest the meaning of this I saw another empty plastic bottle. Not of water this time but a Rock Shandy.

Can it be that the Ireland I have returned to has a problem with under-age non-drinking?

More of my Dublin:
• Somebody in my Class Liked U2
• The Walls of Dublin: Photos
• Corporal Punishment in my Dublin School
• The Grand Canal in Dublin: Photos
• Irish Parental Advice
• Signs From The Gods #1

Share |

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 at 4:08 am and is filed under 1-eolai, Meanderings. You can follow responses via my RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


4 Responses to “A Rubbish Time in Dublin West”

  1. Medbh responds: February 5th, 2008 at 10:19 am

    There are many excellent American beers, but Bud and MGD surely don’t rank in that company. I guess it could have been worse to have bottles or cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, the skin head beer lying about.

  2. Sam, Problemchildbride responds: February 5th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

    Oh this is great! I’m all about Dublinia at the moment and all these links were the business.

    Ta for ‘em, I’ve been having an interesting old time of it.

  3. Heather responds: February 5th, 2008 at 8:19 pm

    You could start a movement. A war on non-drinking. Just Say NO to Non-drinking.

  4. Eolaí responds: February 8th, 2008 at 6:34 am

    Medbh - It’s far from my favourite American beer but I’m okay with the Miller stable myself. The first case of beer I bought in KC was the champagne of beers - for $10. I didn’t buy a case at all in the final 4 years there due to the amount of debt I was in, but when I was packing up the container for shipment to Ireland I decided to round off my time in KC by going out on the same beer - so I bought another 30 cans. And 8 and half years after my 1st case they had only increased in price to $14.

    Sam - If Irish KC had existed 10 years ago it would have served you much better in that regard. I may yet do a post to reply to some of the issues brought to your attention about the disconnect some people feel between Dublin and the rest of Ireland.

    Heather - I wonder if underage non-drinkers have designated drivers taking them to their fields of fire and mineral water. Oh, and your American Hell is ready.

Sorry. Comments have been closed.

|Top | Content|


HOT on Irish KC

Cottage Chronicles
Damo Interview
Irish Paintings
KC Irish Bands
Gaelic Games in KC
KC Mail to Ireland

  • Irish KC Author

    Eolai gan Fheile Eolaí gan Fhéile:
    • (816) 256 3366
    • Author 101
    • On Twitter
     Contact me 

Main Content

Irish KC Home
KC Events Calendar
Reviews
Photos
Irish Paintings
Irish Conversations
Ireland-USA Differences
F.A.I. Questions
Irish-American Cartoons
As Gaeilge, a Glossary
Gaelic/Gaeilge Lessons
Immigration
Irish Festivals
Celtic Comment
The Elders: KC Celtic Rock

Categories

  • 1-eolai (885)
    • Cycle Across America (85)
    • Meanderings (34)
    • Nostalgia (68)
    • Pencil Parings (1)
    • The Cottage (26)
  • Accordion (14)
  • Ads/Notices (16)
  • Animals (50)
  • Art (218)
    • listing (25)
  • blogs (233)
  • Books (64)
  • Branson (20)
  • Cartoons (46)
  • Classical (11)
  • England (50)
  • Events (1033)
  • FA Irish Q (33)
  • Festivals (283)
  • Fingal (1)
  • Food & Drink (159)
  • Gaeilge (42)
    • Irish / Gaelic / Gaeilge Lessons (20)
  • Genealogy (25)
  • Gilhouly's (1)
  • History (86)
  • Holidays (119)
  • Housekeeping (165)
  • Immigration (90)
  • Ireland (494)
    • 1916 Rising (11)
  • Ireland & USA: Differences (65)
  • Irish Business (219)
    • Brownes' Irish Market (62)
    • Cafe & (61)
    • Doherty & Sullivan's (14)
    • Sheehans Irish Imports (18)
    • The Celtic Ranch (5)
  • Irish Conversations (102)
  • Irish Dancing (52)
  • Len Graham (1)
  • Lists (94)
  • Literature & Irish Writers (92)
  • Midwest Irish Focus (33)
    • Celtic Comment (12)
  • Miscellaneous (118)
  • Movies (140)
  • Music Lessons (8)
  • Musicians (1333)
    • Altan (4)
    • Anthony Delallo (1)
    • Anuna (3)
    • Ashley Falls (2)
    • Bagatelle (3)
    • Bell X1 (4)
    • Beoga (2)
    • Bill Morris (1)
    • Black 47 (32)
    • Black Family (9)
    • Bob Geldof (9)
    • Bob Reeder (93)
    • Bohola (6)
    • Bono & U2 (69)
    • Bosko (1)
    • Bothy Band (8)
    • BP Fallon (2)
    • Brendan Loughrey (1)
    • Brett Gibson (23)
    • Brian Hart (5)
    • Brigid's Cross (8)
    • Brock McGuire Band (1)
    • Call of the Raven (1)
    • Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh (2)
    • Capercaillie (2)
    • Cathal Dunne (3)
    • Cathie Ryan (9)
    • Celtic Spring (4)
    • Celtic Thunder (2)
    • Celtic Woman (6)
    • Cherish the Ladies (9)
    • Cherry Cokes (2)
    • Chieftains (10)
    • Chipper Thompson (8)
    • Christy Moore (18)
    • Chulrua (1)
    • Clancy Brothers (14)
    • Clannad-Enya (15)
    • Clumsy Lovers (1)
    • Connacht Town (25)
    • Connie Dover (14)
    • Cottars (4)
    • Craobh Rua (1)
    • Creel (3)
    • Crowded House (1)
    • Damien Dempsey (16)
    • Damien Rice (20)
    • Daniel O Donnell (7)
    • David Munnelly (9)
    • De Dannan (2)
    • Different Drums (4)
    • Dirty Old Towne (2)
    • Dog Tree (5)
    • Doug Goodhart (6)
    • Dropkick Murphys (7)
    • Dublin City Ramblers (1)
    • Eddie Delahunt (224)
    • Eileen Ivers (14)
    • Elders (210)
    • Ellis Island (19)
    • Enter The Haggis (33)
    • Eric Bogle (4)
    • Fionn Regan (2)
    • Flannigan's Right Hook (81)
    • Flogging Molly (20)
    • Forest Green (2)
    • Four of Us (1)
    • Frames (26)
    • Fuchsia Band (93)
    • Gabriel Reyes (16)
    • Gaelic Storm (35)
    • Gerald Trimble (3)
    • Giordaí ua Laoghaire (2)
    • Girsa (1)
    • Glen Road (23)
    • Glengarry Bhoys (7)
    • Goats Don't Shave (2)
    • Grada (8)
    • Great Big Sea (5)
    • Hazel Whyte (5)
    • Heatons (3)
    • Hooligans (1)
    • Horslips (9)
    • Indulgers (13)
    • James Galway (1)
    • Jed Marum (6)
    • Jessica Kroh (2)
    • Jiggernaut (1)
    • Jimmy Crowley (15)
    • Joanna Newsom (2)
    • Joe Dolan (1)
    • Joe Heaney (2)
    • John McDermott (2)
    • John Morris (20)
    • John Spillane (13)
    • Jonathan Ramsey (15)
    • Kelihans (56)
    • Kelly (43)
    • Kieran O'Hare (1)
    • Kila (12)
    • Killdares (1)
    • Kirk Lynch (2)
    • Líadan (1)
    • Leahy (1)
    • Lenehan (1)
    • Liam O Maonlai (35)
    • Liam's Fancy (3)
    • Lick The Tins (1)
    • Lisa Dee (2)
    • Lisa Hannigan (10)
    • Liz Carroll (2)
    • Lucky Charms (50)
    • Luka Bloom (26)
    • Luke Kelly & Dubliners (12)
    • Lunasa (5)
    • Majella Murphy (8)
    • Mason Brown (10)
    • McCabes (4)
    • Mic Christopher (3)
    • Mick O'Brien (1)
    • Mickey Finns (3)
    • Miles From Dublin (2)
    • Millish (2)
    • Morrissey (16)
    • Mundy (4)
    • New Shilling (2)
    • Nine Mile Burn (1)
    • O'Shea Sisters (3)
    • Pale (3)
    • Patrick Street (1)
    • Paul Brady (2)
    • Peter Adams (1)
    • Pogues (29)
    • Potcheen Folk Band (2)
    • Prodigals (6)
    • Rattle and Hum (27)
    • Richard Thompson (5)
    • Rob Gavin (6)
    • Roger Landes (12)
    • Roscommon (4)
    • Rowan (8)
    • Royal Shamrock (1)
    • Runrig (4)
    • Saw Doctors (16)
    • Síocháin (2)
    • Scartaglen (4)
    • Scythian (4)
    • Sean McRactagan (1)
    • Sean O Riada (3)
    • Searson (7)
    • Seven Nations (34)
    • Sharon Shannon (2)
    • Shenanigans (2)
    • Shortleaf Band (9)
    • Sinead O Connor (13)
    • Snow Patrol (8)
    • Solas (9)
    • Something For The house (11)
    • stepcrew (2)
    • Sweeney's Men (1)
    • Teada (10)
    • The Croagh Patrick (1)
    • Thick Lizzy (3)
    • Thin Lizzy (6)
    • Three Dollar Band (4)
    • Tom Dahill (2)
    • Tommy Martin & Misla (7)
    • Tommy Meehan (6)
    • Tossers (3)
    • Triflemore (11)
    • Trinity (5)
    • Tullamore (43)
    • Tullintrain West (8)
    • Turlach Boylan (18)
    • Valley Project (1)
    • Van Morrison (15)
    • Vandon Arms (3)
    • Waterboys (7)
    • Wild Clover Band (30)
    • Wild Colonial Bhoys (15)
    • Wolfe Tones (6)
    • Xiles (5)
    • Young Dubliners (27)
    • Young Wolfetones (2)
  • Organizations (217)
    • AOH (6)
    • Celtic Fringe (10)
    • Harp & Shamrock (12)
    • IAC (1)
    • IMA (1)
    • IMCC (58)
    • KC GAC (44)
    • KC Parade (4)
    • MVFS (4)
  • Photos (158)
  • Pubs (536)
    • 75th St Brewery (4)
    • Claddagh Irish Pub (4)
    • Daily Limit (1)
    • Dempsey's (2)
    • Fathead's Irish Pub (7)
    • Fitz's Blarney Stone (3)
    • Governor Stumpy's (21)
    • Greenwood Triple P (14)
    • Harling's Upstairs (24)
    • J. Murphy's (5)
    • Kelly's of Westport (14)
    • Kennedy's (14)
    • Kyle's Tap Room (13)
    • Lew's Grill & Bar (17)
    • Llywelyn's Pub (10)
    • Maloney's (3)
    • Marfield's Irish Pub (8)
    • McFadden's (9)
    • Mickey's (11)
    • Molloy's (17)
    • Norty's (2)
    • O'Dowd's - Plaza (89)
    • O'Dowd's - Zona Rosa (15)
    • O'Malley's Irish Pub (131)
    • O'Neill's - PV (4)
    • Paddy O'Quigley's (27)
    • Raglan Road (38)
    • Record Bar (23)
    • The Brick (6)
    • The Gaf (39)
    • The Office (2)
    • The Public House (3)
    • The Well (2)
    • Walsh's Corner Cocktail (7)
    • Waxy O'Shea's (14)
    • Waxy O'Shea's Shawnee (13)
    • Westsider (25)
    • WJ McBride's - KCK (32)
    • WJ McBride's - OP (25)
  • radio (29)
  • Religion (37)
  • Reviews (97)
  • Scotland (67)
  • sessions (20)
  • Shows (57)
    • eurovision (17)
  • Sport (196)
    • Setanta (26)
  • St Patrick's Day (336)
  • Sunday Shorts (20)
  • Tech (45)
    • twitter (14)
  • Translations (2)
  • Travel (115)
  • Video (157)
  • Wales (1)
  • weather (50)

Archives

  • December 2021
  • March 2021
  • March 2019
  • November 2018
  • March 2018
  • December 2017
  • September 2017
  • May 2016
  • March 2016
  • May 2015
  • March 2015
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • March 2014
  • January 2014
  • August 2013
  • May 2013
  • March 2013
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • May 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • December 2011
  • October 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • June 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • February 2006
  • January 2006
  • December 2005
  • November 2005
  • October 2005
  • September 2005
  • August 2005
  • July 2005
  • June 2005
  • May 2005
  • April 2005
  • March 2005
  • February 2005
  • January 2005

And There’s More

THE 1916 EASTER RISING

1916 Rising

1916 Dublin Rising:

Langerland's Rising
1st Military 1916 Parade for 37 yrs
Black Shamrock and W
90th Anniversary of 1916 Rising
Commemorative Concert for 1916 Rising
KC Drill Teams Salute Irish Rebels

|Top | Sidebar|


Art

My Paintings on Sale
Irish Paintings for Sale
  • Feeds

    • • Subscribe to All Posts
    • • Or just Main Features

Main KC Irish Events

Submit Your Irish Event

Mar 20 Hoffenpurpenburger Day
See List of All KC Events

Latest Comments

  • Is Ireland Really Green, Potato-Eating, and Red-Haired ?  (14)
    Leigh Pagenkopf, cyrell, Eolaí, Nicolas Martin, Ellen K., eolai [...]
  • Driscoll School of Irish Dance in Shawnee, Kansas  (1)
    Theresa Gavila
  • An Irish Sausage is NOT a Banger  (9)
    Stee, fred beamish, Arnold, Donald McCall, Marie Hughes, Eolaí gan Fhéile [...]
  • One Million Views: Avicii Vs Lurgan  (1)
    Logtar
  • Midwest Irish Focus Changes Location  (2)
    Edna Smith, cricket
  • Panda Playtime!  (5)
    Eolaí, Nina, Jenny Krizman, Elly Parker, Eolaí
  • Biggest Irish Festivals in America  (3)
    Eolaí, Howard, NW Irish Fest
  • Eolaí gan Fhéile, author of Irish KC  (17)
    Eolaí, jill, Nance, e, J.R. McFadden, eolai [...]
  • Leaping Pandas, It's A Lovely Day!  (4)
    Eolaí, Nina, Eolaí, Jenny
  • Thanks A Million  (2)
    Kaylah Nealy, Shop Irish

Search Irish KC

Search 

Most Popular Posts:

An Irish Cottage
A KC Call to an Irish Mother
St. Valentine's Day
David Shaughnessy
A Bad Pint
Songs Learned in School
Turas : Trip
Irish Odyssey in Kansas City
Dublin Walls: Photos
Damo & Me: Audio Interview
Ireland/US Difference: Fun
Irish Inventions
Prison Interview with Philo
A KC Phone Call to Ireland
U2: Dublin 1979 & 1987
History of an Irish Pub
An Ice Oratory
Online: Staying Irish
Irish Place Names & Illegals
Turkeyed Out
Traveling By Train
1st Mosquito Bite
Feast or Famine: Emigration
Temperatures
How Do You Find America?
Customer Service in the US
Why Are The Irish Guilty?
House of Pain
25 Things About KC
Little Judy's Watching TOTP
Meeting Maradona

Paintings Recently Sold

  • painting Hover thumbnail
  • painting Heuston thumbnail
  • painting Stone Walls, No Sheep thumbnail
  • painting Parkgate Street thumbnail
  • painting Westport II thumbnail
  • painting Ormond Quay thumbnail
irishblogawards.gif Irish Trad School
Eddie Delahunts Cafe and

Twitter

    Follow IrishKC on Twitter >>

    Facebook

    IrishKC creator on Facebook

    FriendFeed

    An aggregate of my postings, along with the same from friends. On FriendFeed

    Tumblr

    Irish sKCraps

    YouTube

    Eolaí's Videos

    MySpace

    Kansas City Irish

    Irish & Ish

    • David Maybury
    • Primal Sneeze
    • Musical Rooms
    • Thirsty Gargoyle
    • Damien Mulley
    • Fat Mammy Cat
    • Well Done Fillet
    • Dante and the Lobster
    • Annie Rhiannon
    • Problem Child Bride
    • Bock The Robber
    • Sniffle & Cry
    • Hangar Queen
    • Conortje
    • I Can Has Cook
    • Flirty Something
    • Íomhá an lae
    • Máthair Gaelachais
    • Stranded on Gaia
    • Two Wheels on my Wagon
    • Nialler9
    • Avoiding Life
    • One More Hour
    • Eoin Purcell
    • Head Rambles
    • Paddy Anglican
    • Redmum
    • The Indie Hour
    • Darren's Photo Blog
    • Irish Eyes Art Studio
    • News From Nowhere
    • Maman Poulet
    • An Spailpín Fánach
    • Homebug
    • One For The Road
    • Donal
    • Grannymar
    • A Bit of Bonhomie
    • Writing It Down Fills In...
    • Slugger O'Toole
    • Tuppenceworth
    • Argolon
    • Irish Politics
    • The Persuaders
    • Filmbase
    • Blather Abroad
    • North Atlantic Skyline
    • In Photo Dot Org
    • B&W Photos of Ireland

    Kansas City & Missouri

    • American Hell
    • Happy In Bag
    • Hip Suburban White Guy
    • Sugar Britches
    • Farmer Bob
    • Three O'Clock in the Morning
    • Erin in the Real World
    • General Blather
    • FileGirl
    • There Stands The Glass
    • Gone Mild
    • Midtown Miscreant
    • My Spyder Web
    • Well Hell Michelle
    • KC With a Russian Accent
    • Tony's Kansas City
    • KC Gaelic Athletic Club
    • KC Beer Blog
    • So Many Books
    • The D Rules
    • Wayward Blog
    • Chimpotle
    • Average Jane
    • Scoot Utopia
    • Daily Photo Kansas City
    • KC Sponge
    • Frighteningly Uncommon Sense
    • All Astonishment
    • Scéalta
    • Fallible
    • The Kansas City Post
    • Death's Door
    • Observant Bystander
    • Pomegranate Pretty
    • K City
    • Photog Blog
    • Branson Blog
    • Down The Byline
    • Greetings From Waldo
    • Alonzo Washington
    • KC Bike.Info
    • Bike Friendly KC
    • KC Bloggers
    • The Celtic Fringe
    • MVFS
    • Tuesday Folk
    • KC Library: Irish in KC
    • City of Kansas City, MO

    Recent Readers

    Aggregators

    Irish Blogs

    Stats

    Meta

    • Log in
    • XHTML
    • CSS

    |Top | FarBar|


    Copyright © 2006-2023, [ Irish KC ]. All rights reserved. |Top|
    [ Irish KC ] is powered by WordPress and has had (Stats Disabled) unique visitors
    A Modification of Accessible “SeaBeast” theme v.1.2 © 2006-2023 by Mike Cherim


    Attention: This is the end of the usable page!
    The images below are preloaded standbys only.
    This is helpful to those with slower Internet connections.