Republic of Ireland...Wild Camping ?

[defitzi]

i had to join this forum to reply to the above post...

Sorry defitzi but you are talking utter drivel.

It is people like you putting visitors off traveling to Ireland.

I have camped, caravaned and motorhomed across Ireland for many years without incident..

The above post by defitzi is the ranting moan of someone deluded...

:bow: deluded is what i am not.....I have ben a consistent and serious motorhomer using my vans for most of the year both in Irelanmd and most countries in europe. The information in that post is based on my own knowledge and a vast amount of information i have acquired over the years writing about leisure (and motorhoming). perhaps you should read it again ...you have been lucky and/or very careful too. But then, I assume you are a native (like me).
I have been attacked AND MORE THAN ONCE and tht's not counting the "ain't it fun" louts hammering on the van at 2/3 in the morning on their way home from whatever! Never happened to you then? lucky you are! Or could you be one of those folk who always stop in caravan or private parks?
I have been wilding in Ireland for more than 50 years just about everywhere you can think of city, town and country and and i have met many victims of the nasties -the last was just a few days ago when i met a frenchman minus a rear window , put out when he parked in Dublin for a couple of hours! Yes it does happen but no one told him how dangerous Dublin can be and not just for motorhomers!
the most recent was a lady who risked parking for the night in the big carpark in carrickfergus by the castle ... I did advise her it was not a good spot but someone had told her it was ok. In the early hours she came and parked beside me where I'd suggested: louts had frightened the life out of her , (and she was quite a capable lady) banging and hammering on her van post. 1 am Like i said-stay away from the dangerous places (and please don;t tyell me they don't exist, good sir).
If you really like to see a list( long) of incidents involving thieves and vandalism and yes, assault, I just happen to have one the result of a lot of research into such incidents....it is a list done by an official source.part of a campaign to try and
No I'm not intending to deter people, far from it = merely to ensure they are told the real truth about our lovely island which alas has rather a lot of warts these days.:have fun:

 

[Viktor]

You get the louts, the boy racers, and the drinking groups all over the UK....Northern and Southern Ireland are no different...if you pick your spots away from the normal congretating points of these people, you should be ok....I wouldn't be keen on Carrickfergus as it's a short drive out from Belfast, but the Aire further on in Whitehead at Bentra Golf Club has provided me a quiet safe enough night as has Hotel and Pub car-parks (again away from the usual popular gathering places).

Just use a little common sense and discression and you should be fine.....and if in doubt just ask a local.

 

[twister]

:bow: deluded is what i am not.....I have ben a consistent and serious motorhomer using my vans for most of the year both in Irelanmd and most countries in europe. The information in that post is based on my own knowledge and a vast amount of information i have acquired over the years writing about leisure (and motorhoming). perhaps you should read it again ...you have been lucky and/or very careful too. But then, I assume you are a native (like me).
I have been attacked AND MORE THAN ONCE and tht's not counting the "ain't it fun" louts hammering on the van at 2/3 in the morning on their way home from whatever! Never happened to you then? lucky you are! Or could you be one of those folk who always stop in caravan or private parks?
I have been wilding in Ireland for more than 50 years just about everywhere you can think of city, town and country and and i have met many victims of the nasties -the last was just a few days ago when i met a frenchman minus a rear window , put out when he parked in Dublin for a couple of hours! Yes it does happen but no one told him how dangerous Dublin can be and not just for motorhomers!
the most recent was a lady who risked parking for the night in the big carpark in carrickfergus by the castle ... I did advise her it was not a good spot but someone had told her it was ok. In the early hours she came and parked beside me where I'd suggested: louts had frightened the life out of her , (and she was quite a capable lady) banging and hammering on her van post. 1 am Like i said-stay away from the dangerous places (and please don;t tyell me they don't exist, good sir).
If you really like to see a list( long) of incidents involving thieves and vandalism and yes, assault, I just happen to have one the result of a lot of research into such incidents....it is a list done by an official source.part of a campaign to try and
No I'm not intending to deter people, far from it = merely to ensure they are told the real truth about our lovely island which alas has rather a lot of warts these days.:have fun:

I have no intention of having an online debate about who is right or wrong.

My point was simply that your comments could be seen as scaremongering which could put visitors off.
As someone who claims to be so experienced you certainly appear to have made some basic errors.


Like Viktor says "ask a local"

 

[Douzeper]

:bow: deluded is what i am not.....<snip>

It has never happened to me. But I get what you are saying, thing is, you are practically talking about any area in the UK & Ireland. You say there is at least one person shot in Ireland a week. I don't have figures but I would assume that to be higher in the rest of the UK.

Anyone with intelligence knows to be careful when wildcamping, you just painted a very bleak picture of Ireland, one which I think was uncalled for. People know the risks with Wildcamping anywhere in the world, I don't think they need to be told of every criminal act that is done in said country.

Ireland is as safe if not safer than mainland UK. Do you know that Northern Ireland has the lowest crime rate in the UK? I assume you do as you are from there?

I am not having a go at you personally, but I think there was no need for most of your comments.

I have visited Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales and never once had anything untoward happen to me when camping. I am sure there will come a time when something does happen but it won't make stop visiting that country because a minority wish to cause trouble.

If the area doesn't feel right, move on.

 

[Robmac]

Unfortunately I visited Kilkenny a couple of years ago and experienced nothing but hate in the pubs pureley for being English. This happened in 4 different pubs, in the last one after being called an English B******d by a girl of around 18, I asked her what her problem was, she replied "remember 1916".

Now I am not quite that old, but the landlord (who advised us to leave for our own safety) explained that from a young age the locals have it drilled into them pretty much that the English are "not to be tolerated because of the troubles 100 years ago". However a group of Germans in the same pub got no trouble at all, even though they were at war much more recently. (Which of course would have been equally unacceptable).

A close Irish friend of mine back in England confirmed that in certain parts of Ireland this attitude is endemic.

We did of course meet some really nice Irish people over there, but in this instance it seemed to escalate into a mob culture.

Just stating what happened on this occasion.

 

[Douzeper]

Unfortunately I visited Kilkenny a couple of years ago <snip>

Rob, that's very unfortunate and sorry to hear that. I was attaked by a guy in Wakefield, a man who was English Born with Irish roots, who attacked me for being from Northern Ireland and not supporting the IRA (Go figure), I was also verbally abused in Boston, Linc's by a mob in a pub because of my accent. Both of these incidents had nothing to do with Motorhoming.

But lets not lose perspective, those narrow minded bigots in either country are few and far between, they have no place in our societies and if we go around promoting (not advocating) their actions then, they win.

There are plenty of English Bigots who hate the Irish, Scottish and Welsh and vice versa!

But 98% of us just want to go about our own lives and have fun. I could say that I would never wild camp in Birmingham, Manchester or Glasgow but that doesn't stop me visiting England or Scotland. Which I think is the point that needs made here.

 

[Robmac]

Rob, that's very unfortunate and sorry to hear that. I was attaked by a guy in Wakefield, a man who was English Born with Irish roots, who attacked me for being from Northern Ireland and not supporting the IRA (Go figure), I was also verbally abused in Boston, Linc's by a mob in a pub because of my accent.

But lets not lose perspective, those narrow minded bigots in either country are few and far between, they have no place in our societies and if we go around promoting (not advocating) their actions then, they win.

There are plenty of English Bigots who hate the Irish, Scottish and Welsh and vice versa!

But 98% of us just want to go about our own lives and have fun. I could say that I would never wild camp in Birmingham, Manchester or Glasgow but that doesn't stop me visiting England or Scotland. Which I think is the point that needs made here.

I agree, there are bigots everywhere, and I am certainly not trying to promote their actions. Also, I am in no way anti-irish, as I stated I have some very good Irish friends. I will certainly go back to Ireland, but will NOT go into town centre pubs. I certainly feel that the landlord could have been a lot more sympathetic, but I suppose the yobs were his bread and butter.

 

[defitzi]

I have no intention of having an online debate about who is right or wrong.

My point was simply that your comments could be seen as scaremongering which could put visitors off.
As someone who claims to be so experienced you certainly appear to have made some basic errors.


Like Viktor says "ask a local"

yes one basic error...assuming somewhere to be safe that was not....

 

[defitzi]

yes one basic error...assuming somewhere to be safe that was not....

seems a lot of peoplecant read :welcome:
I too am not interested in debate.... but as always, it seems some people just want to be outraged and to read the bits that suit them -I don't mean yourself,twister while others who we can see up there on their high horses seem to need great big RED CAPITAL LETTERS TO NSHOUT AND BE NOTICED.
I AM IRISH you see and I DO want people to come here. And my business for many years has been to encourage them to come to Ireland North and South.
'ting is nowhere have I at any time suggested do not come rather the opposite I want people to come here nd i and have been encouraging people to come for many years.
But ...my advice is tempered with reality and as it has been for many years, aimed mainly at at first timers ..not wily old wild campers who know the ropes( although I have met a few yes a few... experienced campers who have come to grief:bow:.
Just because some folk don't meet with any problems doesn't its all safe plain sailing- I 've known of far too many incidents, stone-smashed windows, attempted break-ins, aheer ownright vandalism and annoyance and the victins of that lonng enough list include many of our own...people who I actually knew or who wrote to me when I scribed a motorhoming leisure newspaper column.
I've deliberately avoidid giving actual identifying locations as a place can be fine one time and niot the next.
Whether anyone likes it or not the crime rate in Ireland North and Sout is presently horrendous and ...violent. That means there IS danger in many areas so-I've outline where i think those areas are likely to be. But the probems, as I have emphasised , are largely in big cities and some big towns and particularly in or near housing estates same as in other countries. And not confined to motorhomers-I've seen boats on rivers and canals under attack by drunken,evny-filled hopped-up vandals.
Yes we have a major drink and drugs and theft problem just like other countries why I emphasiosed this is because Ireland is extremely deceptive it's so nice in some places and the people there so welcoming that in other, not so safe areas, one can so easily be lulled into believing things are all right when they are anything.
Should people pondering whether or not to come here not be made aware of this? Made aware that all in this Garden of Eden is not as Paradaisical asit may sometimes look.
Akd those who wrote to me who thought the only Dublin campsite quite away out on the Naas Rd was too far or didn't want to pay and chanced elsewhere in the Dublin area?
Those tempted by Howth, Balbriggan, Dun Laoghaire, Bray ( all places I advise staying away from) Indeed unless you know of a secure safe place then stay away from Dublin or use the campsite.
You see, some people think that because they have had a trouble free trip . they all is trouble free- some even thionk I'm making all this up I suspect. Well I am not..but then, I spend more three quarters maybe more wilding a good part of thatin Ireland and I AM long in the tooth AND experiences and I DO know my own country, love it and want others to enjoy it...I DO NOT want visitors or anyone to become victims of what's wrong with it just because some lucky vistors shour that it's all roses in paradise..they had a grteat time therefore.....
No I'm not intending deterring anyone or at least I hope not. Much of what I have said is applicable to most other countries for instance I wouldn't wild overnight to the North West of Paris for anything I used to have to to get a bit of sleep a few years ago and THREE times I had attempted break-ins ( unsucessful) AND MORE THAN ONE BANGING ON THE VAN OUT OF SHEER SPITE-JUST AS HAPPENS WHEREVER LOUTS THINK IT IS FUN TO INCONVENIENCE OTHER FOLK. ( sorry caps are an error not insult) t of the time it is fine 100per cent if yuou are very c areful and take no risks, liten to local advice an don't assume that that pretty nice seemingl;y isolated spot wou't be full of roaring boy rcers and skid-pan mercants later on...or mthat a crowd of boozed up young people heading back from a disco down the town will refrain from trying to frighten you or bang bang on the van. Yes i know it happens in many other countries but it is very every frequent in Ireland.
Like I have said several times Ireland is great fantastic secnery fantastic welcomes,and generally likes motorhomers-enjoying it's many many options is just a matter of common sense.
By all means do come.
A quick add while I am here.let me say this... I compl;etely agree the ferry charges are far to high -that's the single biggest deterrent there is to motorhomes coming here-compare prices on the Channel with say DFDS and the (freight) carges all three ferry companies have combined to charge the same prices , and impose the equivalentof freight charges on motorhomers - it's a cartel but neither government will do anything about it. I've campaigned about this for years ...to no effect alas -my own solution has been to keep two small camper vans the size of mpvs to eliminate at least half of my ferry trips .....which also has disceet wild camping advantages too.
Sorry to add so much but let be repeat I WANT folk to come here but come knowing the score...that's the way to enjoy my country in safety. :fun:

 

[barryd]

I must say whilst the intentions of a few on here are good this thread is not doing much good for Irish Tourism. Like I said earlier I havent been for a while but never had any issues. I used to go there once a month with work and also to Belfast in the early 90's. Every one used to say to me. "Oh! whatever you do dont go out in Belfast". Of course these were people who had never been. You never heard on the news about the 1000 English visitors that didnt get killed in Belfast that day.

We used to go out. Some great pubs in Belfast especially that one with gas lights (Cant remember the name). Anyway we figured it was safer than staying the hotel which was always the Europa which I think at the time was the most bombed hotel in europe! Just as well as the last time I was there they bombed it the day we left. :lol-053:

There is plenty of Scots who dont like the English but you never hear threads about there and how dangerous it is. Same thing applies. I love Glasgow and worked there a lot. Its mad as a box of frogs and everyone goes out and drinks together, business men and road sweepers together. When I worked in London nobody would go there except me. They were too scared. they had never been but listened to too much crap about how dangerous it is.

 

[Douzeper]

icba

 

[Robmac]

Further to my earlier post,I should also say that I spent a weekend in Ballgally, near Larne in Northern Ireland and the locals could not have been more friendly. Had a great time, Ireland North and South are lovely countries and I would not wish to give the impression that my experience in one town would be typical of Ireland as a whole.

 

[barryd]

To cheer everyone up I thought I would post an extract from my blog (Hank the Tank Motorhome website) where as one of the members of the elite "Tall Tails Fishing Club" we journeyed to Ireland in a 1967 Commer Caravenette (The Beast) in the 80's every year for the Mayfly fishing. There were 9 Englishmen and a Frenchman. We were welcomed everywhere and as a musician I was invited to every impromptu session band in every pub and even started a few ourselves. Last time I was there, nothing had changed. A charming and welcoming country. Stick with it as its flipping funny!


Generally in the 80’s the van was used for fishing trips to the Lakes, Scotland and Ireland. At least that’s what people thought. The younger elements of the team spent half their time chasing the local talent or searching the van for Dennis’s expensive scotch and wine which he tried ever so hard to hide.

The trips to Ireland are now the stuff of Legend. Half of us were from the north and half were from the north but living in the south (except Jerome who was from Toulouse for some reason). We would meet at midnight at Holyhead and all get in the van (yes all of us) and drive onto the Ferry. The party would have begun the minute the van left Darlington so by the time we got to Ireland (if the ferry was still intact) most of us would be well oiled.

The first time I met Jerome we got so drunk that we didn’t remember leaving the ferry and landing in Ireland. Somehow we had been shovelled into the van and were asleep on the floor on a mattress. At some point the van got a puncture. We were (apparently) dragged out of the van still on our mattress and left on the pavement in some small Irish town.

The chaps thought it would be funny once the tyre was fixed to drive off and leave us asleep. It was some time later that Jerome and I woke up to find ourselves in a busy high street with people stepping over us and no sign of the others. Of course the nearest pub was always a good bet and we found the lads just “washing their hands”

It must have been some vehicle to take ten of us and a boat across Ireland. Once on the Shannon we would pick up a big motor cruiser and as the only person with boating experience I got to be skipper and helmsman! The lads would take it in turn to sleep on the boat or the van but there was never a dull moment.

The Beast was a bit of a girl magnet in Ireland and the record was one Afternoon when I was sent off into the local town to pick up supplies and came back with no less than eight seventeen year old convent girls (in Uniform, Oh yes). We were a mixed age range at the time from fifteen to fifty but that didn’t seem to matter.

The Irish welcomed us with open arms where ever we turfed up (despite Jerome’s habit of going to the loo where ever he felt like it) and the hostelries around the Shannon and Lough Derg did very well from our visits. I remember on one occasion at the bottom end of Lough Derg at a place called Killaloe we were at a river side pub for lunch time refreshments when Jamie started debating if it would be possible to hit a golf ball from outside the pub, across the Shannon and into the neighbouring village of Balina on the other side of the river.

Over several pints of the dark stuff this was debated by us and the locals and some hours later a driver and ball was provided and the whole town assembled on the river bank to watch this Englishman take aim at Balina on the other side of the Shannon. Money changed hands and our English golfing pride was in the balance. I don’t think the good people of Balina were warned but no matter, Jamie, five Guinness’s down managed a slice which somehow bounced its way three times out of the water but didn’t even make the half way point to the other side which must have been a good three hundred yard drive! (see pic). Jerome our French member still managed to celebrate by taking a piss in front of both towns off the bridge adjoining them. I love the French.

 

[Rubbertramp]

Plus, is there such a thing as a cheap campsite/facility to shower any where ?

Any info/ideas will be very welcome

I use leisure centres and swimming pools whilst on my travels around the UK coastline during the summer. They charge between two and three pounds for a shower and you don't have to have a swim/ use the gym etc......Harbourmaster's facilities are usually quite convenient too...showers, laundry etc. I'm presuming it's the same in the emerald isle.

 

[defitzi]

i had to join this forum to reply to the above post...

Sorry defitzi but you are talking utter drivel.

It is people like you putting visitors off traveling to Ireland.

I have camped, caravaned and motorhomed across Ireland for many years without incident..

The above post by defitzi is the ranting moan of someone deluded...

:scooter:folk would have seen your reply without the insults....in big red capital letters my friend. please read carefully it is not deterrent rather the opposite. the intention is to ensure people do come be safe and stay safe. much as we would like it if there were no dangers that is wishful thinking there are and no amount of wishing otherwise will diminish the ( too long) list of incidents i have compiled over the years....:

 

[defitzi]

:scooter:folk would have seen your reply without the insults....in big red capital letters my friend. please read carefully it is not deterrent rather the opposite. the intention is to ensure people do come be safe and stay safe. much as we would like it if there were no dangers that is wishful thinking there are and no amount of wishing otherwise will diminish the ( too long) list of incidents i have compiled over the years....:

by the way why would you think that i am deluded about the score in my own country after fifty years of wild camping in every part of ireland including those i advise visitors against? just because you have not encountered any problems on your visits.......

 

[defitzi]

I have no intention of having an online debate about who is right or wrong.

My point was simply that your comments could be seen as scaremongering which could put visitors off.
As someone who claims to be so experienced you certainly appear to have made some basic errors.


Like Viktor says "ask a local"

yes "could be seen as " .thanks for that then in the eye of the beholder.....,
'course i dont want to [put peoplr off coming i hope they will and be prepared......that wat we asll stay safe......

 

[defitzi]

I use leisure centres and swimming pools whilst on my travels around the UK coastline during the summer. They charge between two and three pounds for a shower and you don't have to have a swim/ use the gym etc......Harbourmaster's facilities are usually quite convenient too...showers, laundry etc. I'm presuming it's the same in the emerald isle.

:drive: 'ting is where harbour facilities like showers etc exist ie big enough for harbourmaster now mostly unavailable because of too many people using what are intended for boat folk and fishermen.
rubbish is a case in point because lots of people (natives)
wont pay for rubbish try use harbour free so often now locked the lack of litterbins is a national disgrace but so is the whole refuse business.....be prepared for problems getting rid of rubbish in some places but where there is a willl like beg a restaurant to take it if you buy a meal or...well you get the idea but please dont dump it that hurts all of us especially wilders......

 

[defitzi]

Unfortunately I visited Kilkenny a couple of years ago and experienced nothing but hate in the pubs pureley for being English. This happened in 4 different pubs, in the last one after being called an English B******d by a girl of around 18, I asked her what her problem was, she replied "remember 1916".

Now I am not quite that old, but the landlord (who advised us to leave for our own safety) explained that from a young age the locals have it drilled into them pretty much that the English are "not to be tolerated because of the troubles 100 years ago". However a group of Germans in the same pub got no trouble at all, even though they were at war much more recently. (Which of course would have been equally unacceptable).

A close Irish friend of mine back in England confirmed that in certain parts of Ireland this attitude is endemic.

We did of course meet some really nice Irish people over there, but in this instance it seemed to escalate into a mob culture.

Just stating what happened on this occasion.

that's a sxhame and i for one am very sorry it should have happened it really is rare to meet that sort of behaviour but yes and despoite other folk who may pretend it doesn't happen i'm afraid it does but so rarely as to be an exception likely if you had gone down the road to another pub you would have been welcomed i blame the landlord in this case obviously didnt know how to run a pub should have nipped it in bud by threatening to bar them actually your friend is a bit ott on this it is extremely rare look how well your Queen was received....
by tyhe way Ireland ( as a free nation) has never ever been at war with germany although in the view of many we should have joined the Allies in 1939.....

 

[defitzi]

It has never happened to me. But I get what you are saying, thing is, you are practically talking about any area in the UK & Ireland. You say there is at least one person shot in Ireland a week. I don't have figures but I would assume that to be higher in the rest of the UK.

Anyone with intelligence knows to be careful when wildcamping, you just painted a very bleak picture of Ireland, one which I think was uncalled for. People know the risks with Wildcamping anywhere in the world, I don't think they need to be told of every criminal act that is done in said country.

Ireland is as safe if not safer than mainland UK. Do you know that Northern Ireland has the lowest crime rate in the UK? I assume you do as you are from there?

I am not having a go at you personally, but I think there was no need for most of your comments.

I have visited Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales and never once had anything untoward happen to me when camping. I am sure there will come a time when something does happen but it won't make stop visiting that country because a minority wish to cause trouble.

If the area doesn't feel right, move on.

No need to tell the truth about us? I think there most certainly is. it's there if anyone cares to read/listen to the news at any time....hell it frighten me.
you've been lucky and you are obviously experienced and known where to go but strangers on a first time visit? should they not know how dangerous Dublin is killings drugs theft vandalism almost unchecked? other cities too some towns? i think they should know. sure there are lots of safe places sherries for examplt will have a quota of local motorhomers , same goes for Howth Bray but Dublin City and the area inland of it are lethal and the same goes for many other places. yes if it doesn;t feel right move on where? u need to know where not.
yes i am from NI but also from ROI as to lowest crime rate i don't know but the ni news just a few minutes ago had six crime stories,of break-ins, stabbings robbery and at least four or five a day news stories now relate to robbery violence drugs with murder and serious injury now at an all time level. much on a par with some other uk laces maybe?
Yes a sad bleak picture and all the more reason to stay away from where such things are likely to happen which is mainly in urban areas but I stress don't be put off by tnhis as it's probably just as bad in or nerr urban areas in the UK, Let me repeat THERE ARE are still huge areas of Northern ireland that are as safe as anyone could wish for, the people friendly and welcoming and its safe so please dont be put off just come enjoy and stay in safe places we have lots of those.