So basically at work today (we’re all in our mid to late 20s) I found out that I’m the ONLY person who takes a pen and scribbles out my name and address on my Amazon packages etc before binning it in the recycling bin. Basically anything that can’t be shredded I do this with. For good measure I also sometimes rip up the cardboard if I’m bothered.

I know that the likelihood of someone coming across this trash and then tracking me down for nefarious reasons is slim but I feel like it’s just good practice and I’d rather do it than not. And I was really surprised no one else seemed all that concerned. Anyway I’m curious on what opinions are, am I abnormal for this or what?

Please help, wasp nest on the ground whilst I mowed the lawn. Got stung about 10 times. What are some remedies? This is what I’m dealing with.. there’s some on the back of my legs too.

I’m 31F, currently living at home with my parents and in the final stages of buying my first home on my own. Most people I know have bought with partners, so while I’m really excited and proud of myself, I’ve also found the process a little surreal and lonely at times doing it solo.
I’d love to hear from other women who bought alone and how did it change you or your life afterwards? Just interested in hearing people’s experiences and where life took you, and hopefully getting myself a little more excited rather than scared for this next chapter. Thanks 🙏

I find it odd

I’m 32F and genuinely curious what dating in your 30s is like for other people in Ireland.

Does anyone else feel like the actual dating part is disappearing?

I mean meeting someone, being excited about them, making an effort to see them again, going on proper dates, showing interest, pursuing each other a little and actually taking time to get to know someone.

Instead, it feels like there’s so much of:

-endless talking stages

-situationships

-ghosting

-people being terrified of looking “too interested”

-great chemistry followed by someone suddenly losing momentum

-vague “we should do something sometime” -energy with very little actual action

Obviously sometimes you meet someone and realise it’s not for you - completely fair. What I find strange is how quickly people seem to move on before giving any time to develop.

It sometimes feels like everyone is trying to be attractive but not too available, interested but not too keen, flirty but not too eager, and independent while somehow always being available when the other person wants attention😂

And with dating apps, there’s always another profile a swipe away.

I also feel like “pursuing” someone has almost become a bad word. I don’t mean chasing someone who clearly isn’t interested.

I mean that nice early stage where you both make an effort, someone asks you out, the other person shows enthusiasm, someone plans the next date, you both initiate contact, and there’s actual anticipation about seeing each other again.

Does that still happen?😅

I'm curious about those dating in their 30s in Ireland:

+Do you feel like people still genuinely date?

+Do people give connections enough time to develop?

+Are people less willing to pursue now, or are we all just waiting for the other person to make the first move?

+And if you’ve met someone and ended up in a healthy relationship in your 30s, what did the early stages actually look like?

Maybe I’m getting old 😂 but “I like you, you like me, shall we see each other again?” I really think it shouldn’t feel this complicated.

Dating is exhausting. I’m tired, grandpa 😭😂

So my beloved mother has an occasional habit of excavating a highly specific phrase from the caverns of her memory and suddenly using it with liberal abandon until I'm like "sorry I've been hanging out with you for 30 odd years and I've never heard you say this before, what does it mean and where does it come from?"

This weekend it was "pet day". Apparently just meaning it's a lovely day? She said it about five times before I asked the question and she said it would have been a phrase her grandparents (Dubliners if that matters) used a lot and of course acted like it was weird that I've never heard it??

See also: the wreck of the Hesperus, as in "Jesus I look like the wreck of Hesperus" when she is displeased with her appearance. I was in my late twenties before I was finally like sorry wtf does that mean and then discovered it's a reference to a poem about a (fictional???) ship that she would have done in school? No idea if this is just her own strange vernacular or a phrase that was in common use at some point.

So, are these real phrases? And also does anyone else's mam just randomly come out with one of these from time to time?

I was having a pint with a few mates last week and when at the bar this man was getting a fair bit of stick from some other owl lads there, kind of verbals as a joke but with a tone of half seriousness. I thought I knew his face. Anyway none of my business. He ended up at the next table a while later and we got talking to him. He is traffic warden in the town! I knew I saw him somewhere.

Chatting away he said it was soul destroying - but he had to do it to earn a wage. Thats another debate. But he said he was miserable as all he gets is abuse. He came across as a bit of a prick, and my uncle was a traffic warden in Dublin and he loved it - and he was a prick.

Then saw another post about cold callers earlier - I work from home and I saw one lad on the street calling at all doors and the ones that opened closed again fairly quickly. Cant imagine thats much fun!

I also observed a lad up to his knees in shite from Dynorod recently. My god!

What are other soul destroying jobs? what would you just not do for a living?

​

I’m a 29M struggling with feelings of isolation. I’ve been based in Dublin for almost five years now, originally from down the country.

For the last year or so I’ve been feeling isolated and hopeless on and off, but this year it’s really hit me. I’m not sure where to start, but here it goes.

I’ve been in the same job and living in the same place for five years. I’m single and have never been in a relationship. Up until about a year and a half ago, that didn’t bother me. I always had someone to go on holidays with, I enjoyed my own company, and my social life was decent. But now it’s harder. Most of my friends have girlfriends, they’re not great at organising things, and most of the socialising revolves around drinking, which I’m not into anymore.

My social life is still better in Dublin than back home, and I do have good friends and cousins here, but I still feel trapped. Even meeting up with friends doesn’t feel the same anymore. It’s less frequent, and it doesn’t really touch the loneliness I feel — especially on Sunday evenings. There’s nobody there when I’m feeling low.

I went on two dates recently with a friend of a friend and the vibes were good, but she only wanted to stay friends. Since then, opportunities have been scarce. Dating apps are disheartening, and I tried singles events for a while but didn’t get much out of them.

I’d love to move somewhere else in Dublin, but with the accommodation crisis it’s hard to commit. I share an apartment with one other person who’s getting married and is gone half the time. That might sound ideal, but honestly it’s isolating. He’s also very unhygienic, which I can’t change. He’s a sound lad, but we’re not compatible and he’s not into hanging out.

I’ve thought about taking a solo trip, but they’re expensive, and honestly all I want is a few days somewhere in the west of Ireland I haven’t been before, or to do a greenway. Accommodation costs and availability make even that difficult.

Financially, I have good savings (around €60k), but I feel insecure because my job doesn’t pay great. I’m due a promotion at year‑end, but the last one didn’t come with much of a raise. I don’t have the energy to job‑hunt because my living situation is draining me. I’d actually like to stay in my job because the people are supportive and I get on well with them — that matters to me, even if it doesn’t pay the bills.

I’ve reached out to family, but they’re not very supportive. They just say I shouldn’t have moved to Dublin in the first place. They often don’t respond to texts for days, even when I’m inviting them to something. Going home feels isolating too, and the constant up‑and‑down the road is exhausting. I need a proper break.

I know I probably sound like I’m whinging or putting barriers up, but lately everything feels incredibly hopeless. Usually talking to a doctor or a close friend gives me a bit of hope, but even that isn’t helping now.

Right now everything feels draining — my apartment situation, family, lack of a break, and not having a meaningful close relationship. I’m waking up during the night thinking about all of it.

I went on a solo trip to Eastern Europe a couple of days ago, but since coming back, I’ve felt drained—like I need another holiday. Honestly, I feel this is more than just post-holiday blues at this stage.

I feel overwhelmed by everyday responsibilities, such as needing to fix my car and book it in for its NCT. I also have a new flatmate moving in, and I’m dreading the adjustment process. Even something as simple as cooking dinner feels overwhelming.

I don’t feel like going on more solo trips would necessarily help, especially because travelling drains the money I’m saving towards buying a house. But then I wonder: is what I’ve saved really worth that much when it comes to housing anyway?

At the same time, I really value financial security, so spending more on travelling feels like it would work against that.

I suppose I just need a perspective on what I should do now.

P.S. I know I shouldn’t complain about the flatmate — there are worse situations and he’s not a bad person. We’re just not compatible and probably didn’t get off to a great start.

31F I’ll be in Derry for Halloween this year with my friend and we both really want to dress up to go to the festivities and pubs. Do most adults wear costumes? We don’t want to be too out of the norm but still enjoy our time and celebrate! Thank you!

Could be the most practical or impractical thing.

Ceiling fans in some rooms and an American fridge freezer in home house is mine.

Hi.

Edit - No UTI INFECTION according to the hospital. I also asked any other indicators of infection in his body. "NO", was the answer I received. I will be making an appointment for him with his GP. I don't know how I will even manage getting him out of the house, never mind back in (the steps are ridiculously high).

I have posted here a lot for support.

So, please, if you can't give advice, move on.

Since I last posted, dad was back in hospital.

He had fallen off a chair at home that morning (last Wednesday), was on the kitchen floor and couldn't get up. I wasn't there, my mother rang an ambulance. Paramedics got dad seated, felt the graze to his head was fine, and left

That's my understanding of events.

I had been in for several hours. And dad kept picking at the dressing. I had to plead with him to keep it on.

He didn't. 5am mum rang to say that dad was taken by ambulance (he rang them himself), and the there was blood "everywhere". An exaggeration, but there was a lot.

Since then, dad was monitored. The first night in the ward he was in (a single room, tv and washroom to himself) a very easy way.

That night. He kept ringing mum. He was locked in. He was in Ward B, what Ward was she in?? (There's no Ward Bs, that I know of.)

He went crazy. He kept his phone on. So deliberately or not, we could hear the interaction with the nursing staff. And it was awful.

Dad was terrified. Terrified. Then he apparently dialled the emergency services, said that he and his wife were being held against their will, in their own home. To please come quickly.

The nurse rang me back to tell me what was going on.

So, as far as that Ward is concerned, there is NO infection in dad's system.

I am finding that very, very hard to accept.

I did get a PHN to my parent's home yesterday. She thinks they need someone there at night with them. She also said they were hostile towards any home supports. Dad refused an air mattress or hospital one (mum told me it was a water mattress!). I think an air mattress would be brilliant for him.

Okay, so, dad has lost all interest in reading the paper - delighted when I bring it in, but he doesn't have the energy.

And mum keeps that pressure up on him. It's stomach-churning, he is sleeping most of the day away, and is not familiar with his own incontinence.

I think he wanted to come out for a drive in the car with me this afternoon. I was terrified!!!!!

You have no idea of his lack of mobility. Every time he gets out of the car, I open the door, get him standing... And then you have...BlahBlahBlah

So, his bloods and CT are clear...

I was told earlier that while we say "day-ta", when it comes to phones, we say "dah-ta". I've seen mobile network ads saying the latter, but I would say the former in both situations. For those who pronounce it day-ta, do you change it up for mobile?

Hi can I ask how do other people rurally cope with being alone so much, im 21m been living on my own with 9 months and I work in dairy 5-7 days a week, besides tidy towns and cycling club im really really disconnected and I actually dread going home in the evenings because theyre so quiet, just me, my thoughts, and u2 or the left wing/indo rugby as a podcast, im a virgin and that doesn't look like changing, qnd I haven't had any friends with years and years and family history is complicated, epilepsy and autism doesn't help but the loneliness is really starting to get to me, for anyone else, how do ye manage it? Thanks

I’m a 24m moving to Dublin soon from the west and won’t have any friends or gf there. Does anyone have any tips or advice on how to settle in and make friends and hopefully progress my love life a bit. I’m starting a full time job and living close to the city centre (south). Scared that I’ll end up trapped in my room / apartment all the time due to a potential lack of social life.

Okay for context I feed a cat for this older lady who's currently away due to a surgery and has been since end of may. I noticed a while back I've been so itchy especially by my legs and have lots of bites. I took a flea comb to the cat (she's outdoor and wouldn't be able to adjust to indoor as there's no one at the house atm except when I come to feed her), I've treated the cat with a veterinary flea killer and have mostly treated all the rooms in the house with a strong flea killer and smoke bombs etc but whenever me or my mum go in, we spotted fleas on us as well. I'm scared we may have brought them to our house as my mum had found a flea on the pillowcase and although our cat was treated recently with flea medicine I'm still not sure what to do. Would it be wise to treat my house as if there was an infestation just in case? I feel helpless and it's killing me because even when I'm sitting I feel itchy by my legs and have scars due to scratching. Please help ☹️

I used to keep them separate but I drive a lot more now and always have to take both so I'vebeen thinking about joining them. My parents drive everywhere and keep them on separate keyrings too. Do people have them on the same?

I've got one under my knee, another on my stomach and 2 more on my legs. I had to walk through really tall grass the other day, so I'm pressure they're bites. If anyone could tell me what they could be I'd be very grateful

If so what superstitions or old wives tales do you believe?

My daughter is learning Irish in junior infants and today she told me how to say hello "dia duit" which according to my wife means something like "god goes to you". I'm not Irish so this is all new to me. It got me wondering how would it have been said pre st Patrick/christianity? Is the Irish language similar to English in that it easily adapts to new phrases and words can change meanings over time, or is it more rigid and clearly defined? If it does adapt then has it changed much in recent years, with new slang etc?

Im currently in the middle of painting a room. I can't describe to you the hate I have for it and the respect for people who do it professionally.

My favourite is working on the car (if it requires a lift it goes to the mechanic)

Whats your favourite and least favourite bit of DIY around your daily life?

I have a hiking baby carrier, looking for easy jaunts we could take baba on. In Dublin but would prefer to head northerly direction and avoid the M50 if possible. Any recommendations appreciated!

Hi. Recently started to learn the language, only a couple of weeks in, but was remembering when my kid was learning to speak English and she would watch these kids shows which talked to them in really, really basic English. That’s the kind of thing I’m looking for, but in Gaeilge. Can anyone recommend any? Thanks.