An Ireland Vacation - What They Don't Tell You!

We here are never less than honest in our				once, but never again.
appraisal of any subject relating to Ireland that				Our deplorable behaviour and attitude to litter: We
we write about. This may appear very negative				must rank as one of the dirtiest countries in the
at times but that is only because the subject				modern world. Walk through the streets of Dublin
matter is negative. Where praise is due, we give				and our other towns and cities on a Monday
without trace of inhibition or caveat. There is				morning (or indeed any morning) and your senses
much to praise about Ireland and its people				are assailed in every possible way by the smell
This week however we focus on the negative.				and the sight of discarded fast food packaging,
Perhaps it is the awful January weather that has				beer cans and bottles, chewing gum, condoms
us in bad form or the doom and gloom economic				and pools of vomit. Have we no shame at all?
forecasts for 2008 which, if it all were to happen,				What sort of an impression is that likely to make
will have us begging on the streets of some				on a visitor to Ireland? It is not just the druggies
foreign land and giving our children away.				and the drunks that litter. Schoolchildren from all
The greatest industry that we have is not				strata of society seem to think that is acceptable
technology or pharmaceuticals. It is not farming or				to drop their disused receptacles at their feet as
financial services. It is tourism. It contributes more				they walk along. Many adults behave the same
to the economy than any of the above sectors.				way as though there should be a cleaner walking
Last year, 7.8 million people visited this wind and				behind them gathering their cast offs. There
rain swept north Atlantic island of ours. They				seems to be an inbuilt hereditary flaw in the Irish
spent billions on accommodation, food and drink,				psyche that deems it acceptable to litter and not
leisure pursuits and souvenir and gift purchases.				think about the consequences. We need to
Most had a great time, went home, and told their				become organized quickly because in any survey
friends all about it. Word of mouth is the greatest				of a visitors experience in Ireland, the dirtiness of
marketing tool.				the Irish people is always near the top.
Those who know these things estimate that a				Crime, drink and drugs: These three vices are put
positive review of a trip, or any experience for				together as one is generally associated with the
that matter, will be relayed to 14 people who will				other. It is not alone the visitor to Ireland that
act on the information. A negative review of the				suffers from this behavior, our own citizens do
same experience will heard and noted by 87				also. We are not a pleasant people when we are
people.				encountered with drink and drugs. Granted, the
As the old saying goes in business - it takes				vast majority of our communities are decent and
twenty years to build a reputation and just one				caring. However, the minority causes all the harm
day to lose it. Ireland is no different.				and smears the upright citizen with the
As a country, Ireland has forged an enviable				unacceptable residue of their boorish behavior. It is
reputation as a great place to visit for the sights,				downright dangerous to walk the main streets of
the history, the craic, the pubs and, most				our cities and towns after 9 pm any night of the
importantly, the people. We are perceived as a				week. Hordes of menacing youths, high as kites
laid back, easy-going race with a manana attitude,				with drugs and drink, terrify innocent pedestrians.
which bemuses most people visiting us. The fact				Little or no protection is offered by squeamish
that it is only perception and not reality anymore				Gardai who take the easy option by looking the
should concern us deeply. The obvious rebuttal to				other way and perhaps bravely put a ticket on
that point is to indicate the figures for tourists on				your for a parking misdemeanor. Stabbings and
an Ireland vacation last year. We must be doing				muggings of tourists are common, a lot more
something right, you say, and we are in many				common that we are led to believe. Hotels now
sectors of the tourism Ireland industry.				advise the unwary visitor of where to go and
However, we are also taking for granted many				where to stay. Taxi rides are advised rather than
aspects of our service to the visitor. A large				public transport because the risks of attack on
proportion of the visitors to Ireland are from				this mode of transport are deemed high.
America. Many come looking for their roots and				Ireland needs to fight fire with fire in this regard.
would not dream of visiting us were it not for				Arm the police and stop this nonsense of what
that. We have the Famine and various economic				could be termed as a holistic approach to crime
depressions throughout the nineteenth and				fighting. Two cops with batons are no threat to
twentieth centuries up to the late eighties to				the gangs of thugs that terrorize our streets.
thank for that, if that is indeed the appropriate				Two cops with guns is a different matter!
word to use.				These scumbags are cowards who operate
Compared to our European peers there is a				based on safety, strength and heightened threat
considerable amount of ground to be made up if				in numbers. They need to be confronted, not by
we are to keep eight million visitors a year coming				unarmed police who fear for their lives, but by
to our country on an Ireland vacation. The trick is				well-armed officers who will make the gurriers
to get those visitors to come back again or				fear for their lives. We are all affected by this
recommend visiting Ireland to somebody they				scourge, not just our tourists.
know.				It is time to take action on behalf of all.
Here are some reasons why they might come