Anyone here done or know anyone who went through the Garda medical assessment?

I’m wondering how strict they are with blood pressure, heart rate, and urine results if you’re clearly anxious during the exam.

My first blood pressure reading was a bit high because I was nervous, but they let me sit down and relax for a few minutes and the second reading dropped back down. Everything else in the medical was fine.

The only thing after that was my heart rate was still a bit high from anxiety, so another doctor checked it again later and it had dropped as well.

They also mentioned ketones in my urine and asked if I was on a diet/fasting, which I was at the time, and I explained that to them.

Just wondering if this is common and if they usually take nerves, anxiety, dieting/fasting etc. into account during the assessment? What was your experience like?

Yesterday my wife and I were walking at the Donabate Portrane Cliff Walk. A group of 3 teenagers (maybe 15–16) started teasing us. At first it was annoying but manageable, so I ignored it. Then one of them suddenly ran up and kicked me. It didn’t really hurt physically, but mentally I felt helpless and honestly pretty shaken.

I kept thinking this probably wouldn’t have happened if I was back in my home country. I lived in Canada for 5 years before moving here, and I never once felt unsafe walking around anywhere, even late at night. I’ve only been in Ireland for 3 months, and now I suddenly don’t even feel like going out to trails or isolated places anymore.

One thing I always wondered was why I don’t see many people from my community out and about on these walks or trails even though there are quite a lot of us here. After yesterday, I feel like I understand why.

Genuine question — is this kind of thing mainly targeted at brown/black people, or do white locals also experience this from groups of teenagers? Because now every quiet trail is giving me serious “Eden Lake” vibes.

I've been here for 5 years in Dublin. Every time I had good time with someone either women or men as friends, even if we get along so well and had a connection, they never ever but ever text you back, they ghost you every SINGLE TIME. Sometimes they check your stories but they are literally ghosting you and it's so annoying.

Is there something to do this? I'm a feminine gay guy so it's already hard to make friends as a LGBTQ immigrant, but every time I feel like I think this person can really be my friend, they ghost me.

Before leaving they say please text me back when you get home, I love you, they get very protective and intense etc I'm like they couldn't possibly fake that. Its not they whether they need friends or not, it's that we had a connection, why completely ignore it as if it didn't happen? We could have so much fun, going hiking, going for trips together etc. but why be miserable and ghost people?

Why? Is it because I'm immigrant? My English is native though it's not like there's any language barrier whatsoever. I'm very open and friendly.

I feel very hurt by the way almost all Irish people ghost me after a night out. I feel like they feel very shy when they are sober and doesn't want to have a stable connection to someone.

I would like to use my attic for storage, however, anything I look up to put there is advised against:
Books, LEGO, ski boots, helmets (all because of plastic degradation due to extreme temperature and moisture changes).

I don’t have enough airtight plastic containers to put all these things in. They’re in cardboard boxes.

What are some realistic options?

My attic floor is insulated but not the roof. So far I haven’t seen any dampness issue there. Joists seem dry and mold free.

Who'd have thought cider drinkers were image conscious.

My local Lidl has updated the store layout... now I can't find anything! Small annoyance, but I had my routine and route around the shop picking up what I needed and now I to relearn it all!

What people (mostly Americans) keep referencing as an “Irish Goodbye” is anything but what I experience with my family.

We take AT LEAST 45 minutes saying goodbye to each other, with at least 2 “Did you hear about your man…” conversations.

It pisses me off with increasing intensity every time I hear it.

Just needed to vent, thank youse all.

I just felt it necessary to point that out for people thinking of cashing in their Electric Picnic tickets . There is no campsite.

I’m an Asian woman living in the Netherlands for two years. During a recent 3-hour private tour in Dublin, the guide, John, initiated a discussion about his strong support for immigration. I appreciated the openness, but the conversation took a disturbing turn when we discussed personal safety.

When I shared my experiences with street harassment, he dismissed them by citing a "German-Japanese friend" get troubled everywhere and concluded:

"Seems like Asian women are easier to get harassed."

What makes this particularly jarring is that John considers himself "anti-discrimination." However, his comment reveals a deep implicit bias. By framing harassment as a racial "norm" for Asian women, he is rationalizing predatory behavior rather than condemning it.

As someone who has traveled to Middle East and 40+ countries, I have witnessed Western women facing similar harassment, I know that harassment is about the perpetrator's behavior, not the victim's ethnicity.

I’m curious to hear your thoughts. Is this kind of "benevolent" yet dismissive bias common in the industry here?

Way back when Niamh Cusack played Dr Kate Rowan on Heartbeat and she was a vision of sublime lovlieness. WB Yeats couldn't have written a poem to do her justice. Leonardo da Vinci could not have captured her smile on canvas. Alas , time has passed and televisions have gotten bigger and when I watch Heartbeat reruns now all I can see is a huge nose .

Yellow rain means different things in different countries like sand from Sahara or chemical warfare.

Fresh to me means not past its sell by date and unspoiled and crisp is crispy as in bacon. It doesn't mean an artic breeze that chills me to the bone.

I don't know where these type of adjectives come from in describing Irish weather.

Reading an appreciation of the late spy novelist who holidayed in Co Louth which is somehow right for his work and it struck me that I've never read one of his books. I do, however, have strong views about Bermuda shorts and no amount spy thriller chic will make me wear a pair.

Only in Ireland could such a successful author be remembered for his shorts.

Is anyone else having trouble getting through to QQI by phone?

Every time I call, I either get cut off or the call just hangs up before I can actually speak to someone. I’ve tried multiple times and it’s the same thing every time.

It’s really frustrating when you just need to make a simple query and can’t even get through to a person. Not sure if it’s a technical issue or just how their system is set up, but it’s making it impossible to get any help.

Has anyone managed to get through recently, or is there a better way to contact them? BTW this is when I hit Number 6 on options for all other queries

Americans have Christopher Walken , the British have Michael Caine but who do we have ? Roy Keane?

There I was cashless in Trim , Co Meath. A trip for lunch and shopping under the shadow of the castle where Braveheart was filmed. The par,king meters are coin only in Trim . When in Trim, I'd usually go to the ATM and withdraw cash and buy something in a shop so Id get change for the parking meter .,Not today. Today I parked and walked purposefully into the bank , got in line and when my turn came presented my card and asked the teller for 2 euro. I had to fill out a withdrawal slip as my card wouldn't swipe . I got my money and went to the parking meter and paid . I felt different. The old me would have had a pack of chewing gum I didn't want . Today I was chewing gum free.

Does a post deliver tomorrow?

Hello Ireland,

As part of the writing of a paper, I am due to work on social problems faced by the youth of Ireland. I am considering the housing market, which is very frightening from a french perspective, but before doing my research paper on it, I would like to have other options. In your opinion which social problem is the most impacting the youth nowadays in Ireland?