Things that make you go What the F**k?

[seafoid]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/09/12/anthropic-founder-calls-for-global-ai-slowdown-amid-fear-of/
The co-founder of Anthropic has called for a pause in the development of AI over the threat it poses to the world.
Dario Amodei, the chief executive of Anthropic, warned that swarms of rogue AI agents could take over the internet within the next six months, and cause hundreds of billions worth of damage.

[imtommygunn]

The bus hijacking in Omagh.

[DaleCooper]

The bus hijacking in Omagh.

Strabane I read. Which would make more sense...

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Hijacked omagh drove to strabane

Both in tyrone

Makes sense 😜

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026/09/12/the-irish-urge-to-control-is-killing-our-night-time-economy/

Did you know that 2,205 pubs closed between 2005 and 2025? In 2000, there were 522 nightclubs across the State for people to ring in the new millennium; today, there are 83. What has happened to Ireland's once reasonably vibrant night-time economy?
Last year 86 pubs closed, up from 65 the previous year but down from 117 in 2023. The average closure rate has been 110–112 pubs a year over 20 years, but this accelerated to 128 a year between 2019 and 2024. A recent study, commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland, predicted a further 600–1,000 closures over the next decade.

The main reason for the death of the night-time economy is regulation that makes it almost impossible to open anything, rendering new business prohibitively expensive, requiring publicans, club promoters and restaurateurs to raise prices, squeezing already straitened customers.

Ireland's licensing system is an unruly mess of around 100 laws, some more than 200 years old, and 60 per cent of them originate in the UK, predating the foundation of the State. The foundational framework dates from 1833. Irish nightclub legislation is still based on the 1935 Public Dance Halls Act
, which almost quaintly was introduced during a moral panic. Fearing the corruption of Irish youth, the Catholic hierarchy ran an "anti-jazz campaign" against dance halls, condemning jazz as foreign music "borrowed from the savages of the islands of the Pacific".

[marty34]

Hijacked omagh drove to strabane

Both in tyrone

Makes sense 😜

Saw a few clips. Dangerous carry on that.

[Antrim]

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026/09/12/the-irish-urge-to-control-is-killing-our-night-time-economy/

Did you know that 2,205 pubs closed between 2005 and 2025? In 2000, there were 522 nightclubs across the State for people to ring in the new millennium; today, there are 83. What has happened to Ireland's once reasonably vibrant night-time economy?
Last year 86 pubs closed, up from 65 the previous year but down from 117 in 2023. The average closure rate has been 110–112 pubs a year over 20 years, but this accelerated to 128 a year between 2019 and 2024. A recent study, commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland, predicted a further 600–1,000 closures over the next decade.

The main reason for the death of the night-time economy is regulation that makes it almost impossible to open anything, rendering new business prohibitively expensive, requiring publicans, club promoters and restaurateurs to raise prices, squeezing already straitened customers.

Ireland's licensing system is an unruly mess of around 100 laws, some more than 200 years old, and 60 per cent of them originate in the UK, predating the foundation of the State. The foundational framework dates from 1833. Irish nightclub legislation is still based on the 1935 Public Dance Halls Act
, which almost quaintly was introduced during a moral panic. Fearing the corruption of Irish youth, the Catholic hierarchy ran an "anti-jazz campaign" against dance halls, condemning jazz as foreign music "borrowed from the savages of the islands of the Pacific".

Comparing height of celtic tiger with now things changed considerably and now reflect the real world.

The economy.
The price of drink.
Emigration of young ones.
People not socialising because of the curse of social media. There's so much data around this.

One of the biggest by far reasons people aren't socialising and riding anymore is because of Tinder.

[Captain Scarlet]

Mid 20s to 30s have often left rural Ireland or Ireland full stop.

The local close to me in Drumcondra gets a great mix of ages as they aren't arsed going into city centre with no taxis, coked up rows and crazy prices, on top of having to come back around 1am at the latest.

And all the younger ones do festivals so they save for that.

[Rossfan]

Is that article trying to say that if there were no licensing laws everyone would go out drinking round the lock or something?

[seafoid]

Is that article trying to say that if there were no licensing laws everyone would go out drinking round the lock or something?

In Galway in the 90s people used to go to places like the Warwick which was an old hotel with a ballroom. And they were cheap. In Dublin you had the Ormond which was part of a hotel.And the SFX was a community centre. In our town it was a small hotel with a dance space. Out the country there were 2 sheds.
The old hotels like the Warwick got knocked down. In our place a huge new hotel put the small hotel out of business. They stopped going to the sheds. It was a couple of factors

[LC]

Different times compared to what it was like 25 / 30 years ago.

In our part of the world back then any Saturday night you could have went to Toome, Cookstown, Magherafelt or at a push Omagh.  Even before you headed there you would have been in the local for a few and they were all busy as well.

Definitely young people heading out less, I hear the Uni nightlife in Belfast is not the same as it would have have been years ago either.

[AustinPowers]

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026/09/12/the-irish-urge-to-control-is-killing-our-night-time-economy/

Did you know that 2,205 pubs closed between 2005 and 2025? In 2000, there were 522 nightclubs across the State for people to ring in the new millennium; today, there are 83. What has happened to Ireland's once reasonably vibrant night-time economy?
Last year 86 pubs closed, up from 65 the previous year but down from 117 in 2023. The average closure rate has been 110–112 pubs a year over 20 years, but this accelerated to 128 a year between 2019 and 2024. A recent study, commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland, predicted a further 600–1,000 closures over the next decade.

The main reason for the death of the night-time economy is regulation that makes it almost impossible to open anything, rendering new business prohibitively expensive, requiring publicans, club promoters and restaurateurs to raise prices, squeezing already straitened customers.

Ireland's licensing system is an unruly mess of around 100 laws, some more than 200 years old, and 60 per cent of them originate in the UK, predating the foundation of the State. The foundational framework dates from 1833. Irish nightclub legislation is still based on the 1935 Public Dance Halls Act
, which almost quaintly was introduced during a moral panic. Fearing the corruption of Irish youth, the Catholic hierarchy ran an "anti-jazz campaign" against dance halls, condemning jazz as foreign music "borrowed from the savages of the islands of the Pacific".

Comparing height of celtic tiger with now things changed considerably and now reflect the real world.

The economy.
The price of drink.
Emigration of young ones.
People not socialising because of the curse of social media. There's so much data around this.

One of the biggest by far reasons people aren't socialising and riding anymore is because of Tinder.

I assume there'd be  more riding because of tinder?

[Antrim]

All the stats point the other way actually.

[SaffronSports]

Different times compared to what it was like 25 / 30 years ago.

In our part of the world back then any Saturday night you could have went to Toome, Cookstown, Magherafelt or at a push Omagh.  Even before you headed there you would have been in the local for a few and they were all busy as well.

Definitely young people heading out less, I hear the Uni nightlife in Belfast is not the same as it would have have been years ago either.

Eldest went up last week and was out every night. Maybe settle down after freshers, hopefully.

[Louther]

Was chatting to a lad who recently moved home from Sydney after 15 years there, wife and two young kids and they'd a decision to make in last few years, commit to Australia with a 1.5m mortgage to buy a property where the wanted to live or move back. They
Moved back.

He said he's been told several times since that he mad as Ireland is finished and all the pubs and nightclubs closed and it not the same. He says it's the exact same in Australia and pubs and clubs he remembers from his early days are long gone and not replaced. People just have different outlooks now everywhere, their social and entertainment habits have totally changed.

In the 90s you went to pubs and nightclubs to meet, enjoy company of people and be entertained. A quiet night was renting a video/DVD or going cinema. Maybe you'd to go to pub to watch a game on Sky.

Now you sit on your couch have multiple conversations and group chats using a device in the palm of your hand. You can instantly watch anything on the TV or online. Sports of all sorts are beamed into the home. The can or bottle of wine is in the fridge if you want.

To be truly entertained you travel to big events, weekends overseas or exotic holidays. In the 90s you might plan a week in Santa Ponsa or Gran Canaria. The all Ireland winners went to the Canary Islands for their team holiday in early spring.

Young people are different now, it's Gyms, saunas, Tinder, Hyrox, Australia, Electric Picnic, Concerts and events. The trip to the pub or a nightclub is too ordinary for them to get excited about.