G
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I've got a toothache and for some reason that completely escapes me now, but will make perfect sense tomorrow, I'd prefer to get up for a few hours in the middle of the night to rummage about the house for aspirin or cocaine or strychnine or some other drug which will dull the pain, then read these fora (plural for forums? - there now, the drugs must be working) while waiting for the drugs to take effect than to go to the dentist.....
However - now that I'm here, as an active Irish boater I might as well give you my insight into this whole question - please feel obliged to read it - as I feel obliged to write it!!!!
Firstly on the Southern vs Northern bit - I think that you will find fewer people on the Southern side drawing a distinction between the two than on the Northern side - this may be because of a lack of political awareness (which I doubt), or because (which I suspect) that people in the South are generally less involved in any political situation, and hence don't see it as a very serious issue. Of course, as in any situation - there is always a small proportion who are outside the norm. These could posssibly be found in the wrong bars in town - possibly down by the port!!!
I think Byron is basically right in the theory - and I suppose in the practice, though my experience - particularly on the East Coast, is that in much the same way as above, people in the main are pretty ambivalent to flag etiquette. There are quite a lot of visiting pleasure craft to the East and South coasts, and the greater proportion of these come from the England and Wales - so people are pretty used to seeing the Red Ensign - I have never seen anybody taking any offence to it - in the main I think people recognise these as pleasure craft - and concentrate on the pleasure part of it!
But, as rightly pointed out - there will be some sensitive areas - though I think that in Carlingford Lough, people will be quite familiar with visiting pleasure craft, and will use appropriate tactics to deal with the invaders - mainly by relieving them of their money, by smiling and chatting with them and selling them (addictive) potions of black and amber colours (secret weapons) which have the combined effect of lowering the visitors guard, and also of making them quite ill the next morning!!!! (beware of this!). I'd agree with Bergman - there is probably less sensitivity about flag etiquette in Ireland because unlike England, it doesn't have a very strong Naval (or navel) heritage.
While in coastal areas people will be familiar with visiting crews and craft - it may be less so in the Shannon - especially in themore Northern reaches - where the Shannon-Erne system flows between Northern and Southern Ireland. I'm not sure what the flaq etiquette here would be - but it may be one of ignorance - where in general flags aren't flown - remember this is predominantly river based traffic - and while foreign crews may be common, they will usually be on hire craft - and mostly European - predominantly German. Might be wise not to fly a flag at all!!!
The Shannon is a beautiful system, and takes you through the heart of Ireland. The facilities are quite good, and this area gets quite a lot of tourists - yet remains pretty unspoilt. Some really nice places to stop - but beware - everywhere in Ireland you may fall foul of the secret weapon. Gallopin Hogans in Killaloe and Paddy's Pub in Terryglass (on Lough Derg) are well worth a stop for dinner! Be aware that there is a speed limit on the river - and there are police patrol craft based out of Athlone......
There are some pretty nice (small - by South Coast England standards) harbours & marinas both along the way, on the East and South Coasts - and in the Shannon itself - however I think the South West part may still be a bit lacking - so you may well be glad to reach the new marina in Kilrush - at the mouth of the Shannon!
I guess the subject of Paddies being thick will never be resolved, most of them think for most of the time that it's really that they're a more easy going race - but many of them occassionally wonder if they are really more stupid that the rest of the human race (maybe a virus blowing westwards!!), then they lapse back to thinking that the truth is that they don't care - and then they wonder again could the fact that they dont care mean that they are too stupid to figure out why they should care, and it goes on and on - until sometimes something crops up that might be evidence of a genuine lack of intellect crops up... the fact that an Irish girl actually married BarryH might be considered as such evidence - however Irish women are also noted for feeling a strong sense of pity and responsibility for those they percieve to be less fortunate then themsleves - so maybe that's the case here ;-)
This started out about flags - but the toothache's gone now - the wonders of modern pharmecuticals!! Now I'm flaggin - so back to bed, to warm my frozen feet on my wifes back - she'll be glad of that I'm sure.
Some useful websites: http://www.iwai.ie/ , http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/Ireland/Travel_and_Tourism/ ,
louis
However - now that I'm here, as an active Irish boater I might as well give you my insight into this whole question - please feel obliged to read it - as I feel obliged to write it!!!!
Firstly on the Southern vs Northern bit - I think that you will find fewer people on the Southern side drawing a distinction between the two than on the Northern side - this may be because of a lack of political awareness (which I doubt), or because (which I suspect) that people in the South are generally less involved in any political situation, and hence don't see it as a very serious issue. Of course, as in any situation - there is always a small proportion who are outside the norm. These could posssibly be found in the wrong bars in town - possibly down by the port!!!
I think Byron is basically right in the theory - and I suppose in the practice, though my experience - particularly on the East Coast, is that in much the same way as above, people in the main are pretty ambivalent to flag etiquette. There are quite a lot of visiting pleasure craft to the East and South coasts, and the greater proportion of these come from the England and Wales - so people are pretty used to seeing the Red Ensign - I have never seen anybody taking any offence to it - in the main I think people recognise these as pleasure craft - and concentrate on the pleasure part of it!
But, as rightly pointed out - there will be some sensitive areas - though I think that in Carlingford Lough, people will be quite familiar with visiting pleasure craft, and will use appropriate tactics to deal with the invaders - mainly by relieving them of their money, by smiling and chatting with them and selling them (addictive) potions of black and amber colours (secret weapons) which have the combined effect of lowering the visitors guard, and also of making them quite ill the next morning!!!! (beware of this!). I'd agree with Bergman - there is probably less sensitivity about flag etiquette in Ireland because unlike England, it doesn't have a very strong Naval (or navel) heritage.
While in coastal areas people will be familiar with visiting crews and craft - it may be less so in the Shannon - especially in themore Northern reaches - where the Shannon-Erne system flows between Northern and Southern Ireland. I'm not sure what the flaq etiquette here would be - but it may be one of ignorance - where in general flags aren't flown - remember this is predominantly river based traffic - and while foreign crews may be common, they will usually be on hire craft - and mostly European - predominantly German. Might be wise not to fly a flag at all!!!
The Shannon is a beautiful system, and takes you through the heart of Ireland. The facilities are quite good, and this area gets quite a lot of tourists - yet remains pretty unspoilt. Some really nice places to stop - but beware - everywhere in Ireland you may fall foul of the secret weapon. Gallopin Hogans in Killaloe and Paddy's Pub in Terryglass (on Lough Derg) are well worth a stop for dinner! Be aware that there is a speed limit on the river - and there are police patrol craft based out of Athlone......
There are some pretty nice (small - by South Coast England standards) harbours & marinas both along the way, on the East and South Coasts - and in the Shannon itself - however I think the South West part may still be a bit lacking - so you may well be glad to reach the new marina in Kilrush - at the mouth of the Shannon!
I guess the subject of Paddies being thick will never be resolved, most of them think for most of the time that it's really that they're a more easy going race - but many of them occassionally wonder if they are really more stupid that the rest of the human race (maybe a virus blowing westwards!!), then they lapse back to thinking that the truth is that they don't care - and then they wonder again could the fact that they dont care mean that they are too stupid to figure out why they should care, and it goes on and on - until sometimes something crops up that might be evidence of a genuine lack of intellect crops up... the fact that an Irish girl actually married BarryH might be considered as such evidence - however Irish women are also noted for feeling a strong sense of pity and responsibility for those they percieve to be less fortunate then themsleves - so maybe that's the case here ;-)
This started out about flags - but the toothache's gone now - the wonders of modern pharmecuticals!! Now I'm flaggin - so back to bed, to warm my frozen feet on my wifes back - she'll be glad of that I'm sure.
Some useful websites: http://www.iwai.ie/ , http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/Ireland/Travel_and_Tourism/ ,
louis
