Derry/Londonderry - The UK City of culture

[screenexile]

Total non-story. There are drunken layabouts in every town every day, just waiting to mouth off (or worse) to anyone who doesn't know to steer clear. They never make the news.

Obviously Tourists are liable to run into "Dog Bites Man" difficulties, such as pickpocketing, drunks, rip-offs, ignorance, even hostility etc wherever they go.

Perhaps what made this incident "Man Bites Dog" (newsworthy) is that these particular tourists were drawn into what might be expected to be an entirely local problem (in this case, sectarianism).

Which for a city which is trying to attract Tourists via City of Culture etc, is especially depressing.

[Unless, of course, the Newsworthiness lies in the fact that it is Taigs  who are alleged to have indulged in Sectarianism. I mean, I always thought it was only Prods who did that sort of thing...  ]

Who has said that? why do you feel the need to score cheap points? Every City in the world has it's problems be it racism or in this case sectarianism. Can we not accept that some people are assholes and move on?!!!

[trasna man]

Total non-story. There are drunken layabouts in every town every day, just waiting to mouth off (or worse) to anyone who doesn't know to steer clear. They never make the news.

Obviously Tourists are liable to run into "Dog Bites Man" difficulties, such as pickpocketing, drunks, rip-offs, ignorance, even hostility etc wherever they go.

Perhaps what made this incident "Man Bites Dog" (newsworthy) is that these particular tourists were drawn into what might be expected to be an entirely local problem (in this case, sectarianism).

Which for a city which is trying to attract Tourists via City of Culture etc, is especially depressing.

[Unless, of course, the Newsworthiness lies in the fact that it is Taigs  who are alleged to have indulged in Sectarianism. I mean, I always thought it was only Prods who did that sort of thing...  ]

Residents angry at 'Relief of Derry' on doorstep  A marcher urinates just outside the pensioner's front door.

Published on Tuesday 14 August 2012 09:55


The family of a Waterside pensioner have spoken of their distress at the "terrible conditions" their mother and her neighbours are forced to endure each August 12.


The daughter of the woman, who in her late 70s, said her mother and her neighbours become "prisoners in their own homes" during the annual celebrations and have to witness marchers and spectators using their gardens and laneways as urinals.

"The area in which she (the pensioner) lives is mostly pensioners," the woman's daughter said. She added that things have become progressively worse over the last few years - so much so that she instructed her mother to take pictures of the marchers and their actions.

Those pictures feature a number of marchers urinating in a laneway and against garden walls in The Triangle.

The woman further claims that her mother's 86 year-old neighbour was forced to clean up human excrement from her garden after two female spectators defecated on her lawn.

She said: "The seriousness of these offences is being scoffed at by the police on duty.

"My mother asked a policeman for help to move these people on and was told by him, 'Sorry, I cannot leave this spot unless I am instructed or given orders to'.

"Several other pensioners also complained to the PSNI who were on duty throughout the day, but again nothing was done to prevent it from happening."

The woman said she offers to take her mother away for the day each year but her mother feels she cannot leave her home as she fears she will come home to a bigger mess.

"All roads in and out of her area are closed from early morning and she has difficulty walking so basically she is a prisoner in her own home for an entire day," the woman said.

The Journal also received calls from residents of Simpson's Brae, one of whom said she witnessed "at least 100" marchers using the gable end of a nearby house as a urinal.

"It comes down to simple respect for the people of Derry and - I didn't see much of that about on Saturday," the second caller said.

one mans culture another mans imprisonment i'm sure the tourist seen nothing here to offend

[nrico2006]

When you consider that Derry and Belfast are the two main cities in Northern Ireland, there is likely to be more unsavoury incidents in these places than anywhere else.  Belfast seems to have a lot of trouble going on in it with regards to tourists/immigrants, whether it be racist attacks on Polish immigrants or rapes on American students.  Derry is no worse thasn Belfast, and when you compare the crime in these cities with that in other major tourist destinations (e.g. New York), then it makes the cities in the North seem very safe.

[sheamy]

Should this thread be renamed 'Social activities of drunks'? Fascinating stuff.

[Dougal Maguire]

Wait till this time next year when the Fleadh is in full swing and  Nolan and Wend Austin are talking about the disgraceful scenes of drinking in the street etc. and Gregory Campbell complaining about how loyalists were effectively kept out of the City Centre for a week. I'm in Cavan at the minute and a lot of people are saying they have no intention of going to Derry next year. In fact there's already talk of an alternative Fleadh.

[nifan]

I'm in Cavan at the minute and a lot of people are saying they have no intention of going to Derry next year. In fact there's already talk of an alternative Fleadh.

Why? because of potential gregory campbell whining?

[Dougal Maguire]

Not specifically, its just that folk don't think the place is geared up for a Fleadh and there could be trouble. 

[andoireabu]

A lad I know was in Cavan and he said that the guards were more like supervisors than security and when they clocked off they joined in the fun and there was no bother.  I doubt the boys up here would be the same.  Anybody know what area of Derry this will be in?  Can't be too spread out or it wouldn't be good.

[theticklemister]

By reading the name of the thread I was getting my anti-UK city of culture points ready to type down!!! Shame it's only about 2 louts!!!

A lad I know was in Cavan and he said that the guards were more like supervisors than security and when they clocked off they joined in the fun and there was no bother.  I doubt the boys up here would be the same.  Anybody know what area of Derry this will be in?  Can't be too spread out or it wouldn't be good.

Love my hometown to bits, but the fleadh next year won't be a success. There is a severe lack of traditional music in the town and the people won't appreciate it one bit when it comes next year; you'll have lads running around in celtic tops asking for Fields of Athenry and Go On Home British Soldiers during the sessions.

The only reason the city got the fleadh is because they got the UK City of Culture award.

Now don't get me started that in an Irish city accepting such an award.

[bailestil]

http://www.thejournal.ie/derry-makes-the-lonely-planets-top-10-best-cities-for-2013-646178-Oct2012/

Despite all the negativity about derry (lead by our very own former resident theticklemister)
this recognition by Lonely Planet is quite an achievement and will be a big boost to the city.

[theticklemister]

http://www.thejournal.ie/derry-makes-the-lonely-planets-top-10-best-cities-for-2013-646178-Oct2012/

Despite all the negativity about derry (lead by our very own former resident theticklemister)
this recognition by Lonely Planet is quite an achievement and will be a big boost to the city.

back being being resident for a few months anyway 

[theticklemister]

Not a sign of Galway, Cork, Dublin, Belfast or Kilkenny in sight; very disappointed................................


______________________________________________--
Eleven places have put their names forward to become the UK City of Culture in 2017.

The government-led programme is inspired by Liverpool's time as European Capital of Culture in 2008.

The English contenders for the 2017 title are Chester, East Kent, Hastings and Bexhill-on-Sea, Hull, Leicester, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Southampton, and Southend-on-Sea.

Swansea Bay in Wales and Aberdeen and Dundee in Scotland are also competing.

[deiseach]

Not a sign of Galway, Cork, Dublin, Belfast or Kilkenny in sight; very disappointed................................

Don't be daft. Everyone knows Kilkenny isn't a city!

[bailestil]

How you enjoying the City of Culture so far Tickle.
did you manage to get tickets for the Ballet in the end?

[theticklemister]

Meh..............