Lurgan

[Puckoon]

Lurgan is no different than most urban areas, apart from the fact it's full of Spades!  Only kidding of course. Through football and work would have been in Lurgan many times. Footballers have the typical North Armagh thing going on but that's just a bit of craic.

As for drugs they are everywhere, absolutely everywhere. Would be out regular enough at gigs and events and while drink is always a plenty there's a serious amount of stuff being sniffed. Thankfully not in my direct circle but I was beside a table of ones the other night,  the 'lovely people' and there was some amount of toing and froing to the toilets!

I remember when you'd wear a tie to go to the Arena, taking the bus down from Lurgan. There were two buses would go from the Cellar Lounge every Saturday night. Went back a few years later and it was all shirtless lads blowing whistles, open drug dealing in the car park outside. A mate went to the bar and asked for a bottle of beer and the bar girl looked at him like he wasn't a bit wise. It was almost exclusively bottled water they were selling for the Ecstasy crowd.

Ye wore a tie to the Arena?! The ecstasy was flyin in the mid 90s across all of those Arena type nightclubs.

[AustinPowers]

I wouldn't know a drug if it was sitting in front of me - am I really in the minority?

Strange that  nobody has replied to this.  Am I reading too much  into that?

In all seriousness though,  you/we probably are in  the minority .  I'm not  out out much these days  to really see what's going on , and  if I am, I'm not exactly looking  for any drugs  , nor am I noticing  or interested in who's taking   what.

I suppose if I  sit and think about   family, friends, cousins, neighbours, colleagues etc ,  the odds are that  some of them have tried coke or take it regularly.  If that's the case , (and  it's not unlikely that is  the case) , then it's  a hell of a lot closer  than I imagine . Which is actually pretty scary

[brokencrossbar1]

Lurgan is no different than most urban areas, apart from the fact it's full of Spades!  Only kidding of course. Through football and work would have been in Lurgan many times. Footballers have the typical North Armagh thing going on but that's just a bit of craic.

As for drugs they are everywhere, absolutely everywhere. Would be out regular enough at gigs and events and while drink is always a plenty there's a serious amount of stuff being sniffed. Thankfully not in my direct circle but I was beside a table of ones the other night,  the 'lovely people' and there was some amount of toing and froing to the toilets!

I remember when you'd wear a tie to go to the Arena, taking the bus down from Lurgan. There were two buses would go from the Cellar Lounge every Saturday night. Went back a few years later and it was all shirtless lads blowing whistles, open drug dealing in the car park outside. A mate went to the bar and asked for a bottle of beer and the bar girl looked at him like he wasn't a bit wise. It was almost exclusively bottled water they were selling for the Ecstasy crowd.

Ye wore a tie to the Arena?! The ecstasy was flyin in the mid 90s across all of those Arena type nightclubs.

Thursday night on the Arena was different gravy!  They also used to have a guy on Friday nights on and off who was a sword swallower!

[clarshack]

I wouldn't know a drug if it was sitting in front of me - am I really in the minority?

Strange that  nobody has replied to this.  Am I reading too much  into that?

In all seriousness though,  you/we probably are in  the minority .  I'm not  out out much these days  to really see what's going on , and  if I am, I'm not exactly looking  for any drugs  , nor am I noticing  or interested in who's taking   what.

I suppose if I  sit and think about   family, friends, cousins, neighbours, colleagues etc ,  the odds are that  some of them have tried coke or take it regularly.  If that's the case , (and  it's not unlikely that is  the case) , then it's  a hell of a lot closer  than I imagine . Which is actually pretty scary

I've never taken it and never will.
Who knows what that sh*t is laced with.
A few beers or a couple glasses of red wine is plenty for me.

[Armagh18]

I wouldn't know a drug if it was sitting in front of me - am I really in the minority?

Strange that  nobody has replied to this.  Am I reading too much  into that?

In all seriousness though,  you/we probably are in  the minority .  I'm not  out out much these days  to really see what's going on , and  if I am, I'm not exactly looking  for any drugs  , nor am I noticing  or interested in who's taking   what.

I suppose if I  sit and think about   family, friends, cousins, neighbours, colleagues etc ,  the odds are that  some of them have tried coke or take it regularly.  If that's the case , (and  it's not unlikely that is  the case) , then it's  a hell of a lot closer  than I imagine . Which is actually pretty scary

I've never taken it and never will.
Who knows what that sh*t is laced with.
A few beers or a couple glasses of red wine is plenty for me.

Different generation now. I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole, but I know for sure a good chunk of young ones do it regularly. Plenty of ones you wouldn't expect as well in the 40+ mark in my experience.

[bennydorano]

Lurgan is no different than most urban areas, apart from the fact it's full of Spades!  Only kidding of course. Through football and work would have been in Lurgan many times. Footballers have the typical North Armagh thing going on but that's just a bit of craic.

As for drugs they are everywhere, absolutely everywhere. Would be out regular enough at gigs and events and while drink is always a plenty there's a serious amount of stuff being sniffed. Thankfully not in my direct circle but I was beside a table of ones the other night,  the 'lovely people' and there was some amount of toing and froing to the toilets!

I remember when you'd wear a tie to go to the Arena, taking the bus down from Lurgan. There were two buses would go from the Cellar Lounge every Saturday night. Went back a few years later and it was all shirtless lads blowing whistles, open drug dealing in the car park outside. A mate went to the bar and asked for a bottle of beer and the bar girl looked at him like he wasn't a bit wise. It was almost exclusively bottled water they were selling for the Ecstasy crowd.

Ye wore a tie to the Arena?! The ecstasy was flyin in the mid 90s across all of those Arena type nightclubs.

Thursday night on the Arena was different gravy!  They also used to have a guy on Friday nights on and off who was a sword swallower!
I can remember the Saturday nights when you had to wear a shirt snd dress trousers

Lurgan is no different than most urban areas, apart from the fact it's full of Spades!  Only kidding of course. Through football and work would have been in Lurgan many times. Footballers have the typical North Armagh thing going on but that's just a bit of craic.

As for drugs they are everywhere, absolutely everywhere. Would be out regular enough at gigs and events and while drink is always a plenty there's a serious amount of stuff being sniffed. Thankfully not in my direct circle but I was beside a table of ones the other night,  the 'lovely people' and there was some amount of toing and froing to the toilets!

I remember when you'd wear a tie to go to the Arena, taking the bus down from Lurgan. There were two buses would go from the Cellar Lounge every Saturday night. Went back a few years later and it was all shirtless lads blowing whistles, open drug dealing in the car park outside. A mate went to the bar and asked for a bottle of beer and the bar girl looked at him like he wasn't a bit wise. It was almost exclusively bottled water they were selling for the Ecstasy crowd.

Ye wore a tie to the Arena?! The ecstasy was flyin in the mid 90s across all of those Arena type nightclubs.

I can remember the Saturday nights when you had to wear a shirt and dress trousers, it morphed into the rave scene quite quickly, I actually remember being in it in my dress trousers and it flat out rave - not realising it had changed! I was back for the rave nights many a time after that tho. Still love the hard techno

[imtommygunn]

Drugs wouldn't be my thing but I do like dance music. Always remember being at electric picnic and seeing underworld playing born slippy. It was fantastic but I remember looking round me thinking I am probably in the minority here not being someone pulled off their face!

[Milltown Row2]

Not hard German techno!!

Vico's on a Saturday night four floors four separate sounds!

Remember that change at the Arena, normal attire one weekend the next it was twisted faces, vics galore and random people trying to massage your back 

[JimStynes]

Been a Lurgan man all my life, it has its downsides surely but has some great positives too. It's no different to any other town, it has it's fights and it's anti-social behaviour but the drugs thing is a real problem. this drug thing is not just for Lurgan, the whole country is awash with Cocaine and other substances. I had a conversation last night with one of the top trainers in the GAA circles and he told me you'd be astonished by the people who take Cocaine, County players, club players, professionals, basically all walks of life and he said it's not just weekends either. I have heard all the stories about it and maybe i'm a wee bit green when it comes to things like that. The thing that goes on now is not sectarian as these drug dealers are from both communities and religion would very rarely come into it, it's all about the drugs and money and I've no doubt the source is all coming from Dublin. To stop all this you need to cut the head of the snake and we all know who the snake is...This is the only aspect i miss the Ra for, these Dublin cartels may well have been eliminated many years ago before they got to the "untouchable" stage.

I think the issue now is that you are in the minority if you are not taking drugs unfortunately.  There is a casualness to it that is unfathomable to me.  You cut the head off the snake and another will fill the gap, supply and demand and all that. 

I agree in part to your Ra statement.  These cartels have grown to a level that is above policing, a slap on the wrist or a few years in jail is not deterrent to them. 


On Lurgan, I have been many times and it's no rougher than any other big town.  Areas you wouldn't venture into etc. 

I have worked with Lurgan people professionally and within the GAA and I find them very respectful and good natured to be honest.

where would you not venture into in Lurgan other than hardcore loyalist areas if you're Catholic?
I was born here and brought up here. I lived in England for 14 years, mostly in Manchester. As much as I loved Manchester, not London though, I always missed Lurgan. Can it be rough at times? Sure can but no more or less than any other town in the North

I suppose I am making generalizations on where and where you wouldn't go, every big town has areas where trouble is more rife than others, religion not being a factor.

there is generally nowhere in Lurgan I wouldnt go in to other than parts of mourneview for obvious reasons

Around Shankill is a shit hole. Those flats in Taghnevan has a few bad boys in them too! Complete kip.
Up around the Shore Road and Tannaghmore school etc is a nice place.

Nonsense.  I walk round it at night and have done all of my life; never felt unsafe.

There is a dark underbelly in Lurgan that is not confined to one particular area.  The vast majority of residents are great people.  I'd say the same things could be said about many large towns.

I have walked through Shankill right from the St Paul's days as a pupil right up to now when I walk my dog there regularly. I do that loop up around silverwood and Shankill is the biggest Kip by a mile. I know plenty of life long shankill people who will tell you the exact same. This past 10 years it's got a lot of scumbags moving into it, especially around those flats and the part closest to William Street. Although some will same that isn't actually Shankill  I worked with a girl who lives in Shankill with her family and is dying looking out of it because of the undesirables around the place. I have never felt worried walking about any area of Lurgan but I'd say a lot of females wouldn't fancy walking through Shankill, Taghnaven, Victoria Street etc by themselves at night! Kilwilkie is now one of the quieter areas ffs.

The other side of it is, I feel lurgan has a lot going for it. Rushmere, good sports facilities (golf, gaa, soccer, tennis, swimming, gyms), Cinema, restaurants etc. These murders don't help with the promotion of all that though.

[Eamonnca1]

Restaurant recommendations in Lurgan, Jim?

Palomo in Church Place. New Haven Café in Windsor Avenue.

[brokencrossbar1]

Restaurant recommendations in Lurgan, Jim?

I've always found it to be 100% and as previously said, not a pile different than a lot of other similar sized towns around it. One thing was always different for me however. It always seemed that there were more people in the bars in Lurgan than in the other towns. I mean day drinkers, midweek drinkers etc. A great drinking town as you would hear people say. Not sure it still rings true today.

And another thing. I was in it around May in the blistering heat and trying to find a decent ice cream shop was nigh on impossible. You'd think they could sort that out!

I'm sure illdecide could have pointed you in the right direction....

[David McKeown]

Restaurant recommendations in Lurgan, Jim?

I've always found it to be 100% and as previously said, not a pile different than a lot of other similar sized towns around it. One thing was always different for me however. It always seemed that there were more people in the bars in Lurgan than in the other towns. I mean day drinkers, midweek drinkers etc. A great drinking town as you would hear people say. Not sure it still rings true today.

And another thing. I was in it around May in the blistering heat and trying to find a decent ice cream shop was nigh on impossible. You'd think they could sort that out!

I'm sure illdecide could have pointed you in the right direction....

Marshmallow ice in one of the Cafolla's surely the way to go

[tonto1888]

Restaurant recommendations in Lurgan, Jim?

I've always found it to be 100% and as previously said, not a pile different than a lot of other similar sized towns around it. One thing was always different for me however. It always seemed that there were more people in the bars in Lurgan than in the other towns. I mean day drinkers, midweek drinkers etc. A great drinking town as you would hear people say. Not sure it still rings true today.

And another thing. I was in it around May in the blistering heat and trying to find a decent ice cream shop was nigh on impossible. You'd think they could sort that out!

I'm sure illdecide could have pointed you in the right direction....

Marshmallow ice in one of the Cafolla's surely the way to go

Cafollas for sure

[illdecide]

Restaurant recommendations in Lurgan, Jim?

I've always found it to be 100% and as previously said, not a pile different than a lot of other similar sized towns around it. One thing was always different for me however. It always seemed that there were more people in the bars in Lurgan than in the other towns. I mean day drinkers, midweek drinkers etc. A great drinking town as you would hear people say. Not sure it still rings true today.

And another thing. I was in it around May in the blistering heat and trying to find a decent ice cream shop was nigh on impossible. You'd think they could sort that out!

You wash your mouth out with a bar of soap...all this great debate about Lurgan and then this crap

[toby47]

A quick google of the accused.

How was he on the streets?

*Caught with over £200,000 class A & class B drugs in 2022
*Charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm to a female in a 'prolonged & violent' attack.
*Pleaded guilty to having a loaded sawn-off shotgun and cartridges in suspicious circumstances on September 12 last year. He also admitted having a machete and a knife.
*Arrested for a drunk-in-charge offence showed that he also had cannabis and Diazepam in his system