We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on The Journal that looks at how people in Ireland really handle their finances.
We’re asking readers to keep a record of how much they earn, what they save if anything, and what they’re spending their money on over the course of one week.
Are you a spender, a saver or a splurger? We’re looking for readers who will keep a money diary for a week. If you’re interested send a mail to money@thejournal.ie. We would love to hear from you.
Each money diary is submitted by readers just like you. When reading and commenting, bear in mind that their situation will not be relatable for everyone, it is simply an account of a week in their shoes, so let’s be kind.
Last time around, we heard from a company secretary on €81K living in Dublin shares their diary. This week, a data analyst on €61K living in Co Laois.
I rented in Dublin for ten years when college started and after the first three years, grew incredibly frustrated with the rent increases I was seeing (oblivious to the fact that this would continue up to the present).
I decided with my now-wife in 2013 that a house was not going to be possible without putting some serious groundwork (and having some luck!) in place. She stayed at home near Rush in North Dublin and I caught a very lucky break in renting from a friend’s family near Rathmines for €360 a month plus bills. This rent never increased so I know that this, along with my partner living with her family, is the core reason we have a house today. I dropped most social activities save for the odd event, and we saved as much as we could. The only exception to this was small getaways that we usually got for great prices across Europe.
This year, despite our best efforts, Dublin was just not possible a place to settle down with a house purchase, but we did find our dream home within budget in Portlaoise with a 20-year mortgage. We weighed up all the pros and cons of moving there and can happily report that all is going well now. We do make the effort to see friends/family in surrounding counties where possible. The house is an actual family home, and we hope to start a family of our own in the coming year or so. Savings and selling a large portion of my retro video game collection went towards securing the house.
We are both expected to be in Dublin for work one day a week which is great, and we are both happy with staying with our current jobs for the foreseeable. I think we have developed a solid plan to manage finances through honest communication and a shared vision for the future.
With the house purchase and a very very small wedding now complete, the goal has moved onto diversifying where money is kept instead of having it all in one personal bank account and planning to become parents.
Occupation: Data analyst
Age: 32
Location: Portlaoise
Salary: €61,100 gross (on a scale that should increase annually to €69,500). My wife earns €46,000 gross
Monthly pay (net): €3,670 (€182 for pension is deducted (5%), and employer contributes €364 (10%), €700 is invested into various stocks, and €200 is placed into the credit union)
Transport: €50 on petrol as I don’t drive too much and €100 on public transport to get in and out of Dublin
Mortgage: We pay 825 each towards the mortgage every month in an effort to reduce the 20 year term by two-three years
Household bills: Changes every month but an average of €80 each per month for electricity. We don’t have gas. As we chose to get a house with a BER rating of A2, the electricity costs decrease significantly in the summer months
Phone bill: €10
Life insurance: €17 each (this was mandatory to get when buying the house)
Health insurance: €0 currently but I do want to change this
Groceries: €200 each – we tend to do one large weekly shop every weekend
Bins: €11 each
Internet: €22 each
Subscriptions: Amazon Prime – €10, Google Drive – €2
Various entertainment: €120
Video game collection: €120 (I still collect for retro video game consoles and generally will add bits and pieces to it every month)
When all savings and expenses are taken into account, the remaining €1,000-odd is either saved in the regular account or used to absorb any unexpected costs that come my way
***
7.00 am: The dreaded alarm sounds. I get up and go for a morning run that I try and talk myself out of; part of a wider goal to lose weight. I generally do a run of three kilometres and I’m working my way up to five. Into the shower straight after and then a mug of filtered coffee and a banana to get me ready for work. My office is currently the smallest bedroom in the house which is still cluttered with boxes that we need to unpack after the move.
8.00 am: I start work and plan the day and make sure I have all meetings/events for the week properly recorded. The morning was actually a busy period of unexpected calls and requests from other teams so before I know it, midday is approaching.
12.30 pm: Lunchtime and I quickly whip up some scrambled eggs on toast. I get lost scrolling through my phone on things I want to buy but don’t need to buy and resist the urge.
1.30 pm: The work frenzy has disappeared thankfully, and I get on with the regular routine work tasks. Some meetings break up the tasks and I’m able to have a small tea break where I have a quick catch-up with my mam over the phone.
4.00 pm: I log out for the day and do a routine of push-ups and sit-ups. I get a bit deflated as I could not do as many as last week but remind myself of the longer-term progress I’ve seen. I find myself once again on my phone comparing prices for things I want but don’t need.
6.00 pm: My wife makes her signature roasted butternut squash risotto and it’s amazing. A bit of cleanup and then I spend an hour or so playing Mario Kart with her on the Nintendo Switch.
8.30 pm: We have a small discussion about any upcoming house costs like furniture or lighting.
9.00 pm: I make a final cup of tea and sip at it as I catch up on some YouTube channels I like.
10.30 pm: I have a late phone call with my older brother about Christmas plans and we get the message out that we will host Christmas in our home this year to give family a small break. It’s off to bed right after.
Today’s total: €0.00
8.00 am: Back out for a run this morning. Thankfully got in just before the rain came down hard. Shower and coffee straight after. I don’t eat anything as my appetite is just not there.
9.00 am: A much easier morning today at work, allowing me to catch up and get ahead of some of the bigger projects. I get an unexpected call from my little sister who just started college saying she must get a wisdom tooth extracted and that she got an appointment slot but couldn’t afford it. Her total bill for treatment over several sessions came to €390 for extraction, two molar fillings, general clean up, and consultation and seeing as she was in a lot of discomfort, I said I’d cover the cost and send it to her over Revolut. While I was not suspicious at all, she did send me on the treatment plan for the dentist to prove it was not for a mad night out instead, which I did appreciate. (€390)
11.00 am: I take a quick drive to a nearby Aldi to grab some soy sauce (€0.89) and Oyster sauce (€2.99) as I didn’t realise we had run out. I also end up picking up some frozen food (€5.50) and a bottle of port wine for Christmas (€11.50). Back to work straight after driving home.
1.00 pm: For lunch, I have a soup and some sourdough bread. My wife and I agree on the Christmas tree and some decorations we will get but decide to wait a week or so until we get it. I forget to do my small exercises.
2.00 pm: There were some meetings in the afternoon where I was wondering why I had been invited. I crack on with basic tasks throughout it and keep my camera off. A generally fine workday with little stress or pressure.
5.30 pm: I cook up a beef teriyaki stir fry for dinner and then we both head out to the local cinema to see ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and I pay for both tickets (€28.00). We bring our own snacks and drinks. A very good film but a very long film!
10.00 pm: Back in the house and feeling very sleepy after that film. I make a cup of tea and look up any deals online for retro games I want for the collection.
11.00 pm: Absolutely no deals to be found so off to bed.
Today’s total: €438.88
8.45 am: Had a bad night’s sleep so almost slept in. Decided not to go for a run this morning and so almost roll into my office space to log in. Make the usual coffee and have some toasted sourdough with butter.
12.30 pm: I feel pretty tired still and seeing as a meeting was cancelled last minute, I decide to go out for a walk. I grab a coffee to go from my favourite place in Portlaoise (€3.40) along with a lemon muffin (€2.60). The fresh air definitely helped, and I get back to the house ready for the afternoon’s work.
2.00 pm: I get going on more work and start finalising a report that is due on Friday. I quickly check my investments (I use Trading 212) and my bank account. The Amazon Prime subscription has come out (€10). I make some good progress with work tasks so feel better about the slow morning.
5.30 pm: I do some small exercises and do the preparation for a Cajun pasta medley dish using up some things that will go off soon. It turns out pretty good!
7.30 pm: I decide to buy a small bundle of games from eBay for the Sega Megadrive that I am missing in the collection (€100 which includes postage). I decide to unpack some of those boxes that have been lying around and manage to get some of them organised and stored in the attic.
9.30 pm: I start a new book that’s been on my list for a while (The Jungle Book!) and that lets the evening sail by until bedtime. I realise I didn’t have an evening cup of tea which is very odd for me.
Today’s total: €116.00
5.30 am: Much earlier start today as I am in Dublin for work. It always takes longer for me to get ready to leave when it’s so early and dark outside. It’s a 25-minute walk to the train station and I get damp with misty rain. I have a return ticket for the train (€25) and I’m at the desk by 8.20 am. The morning has several in-person meetings about progress updates, and I go out with two colleagues in between to grab a coffee and pastry (€5 combo price). It’s good catching up with some colleagues who I don’t see in person as much.
1.00 pm: I treat myself to a salmon bento box for lunch (€13.50) and my sister texts me to say the wisdom tooth extraction was done and the relief she is feeling from it. I finish lunch with an espresso from the office’s coffee machine and learn after the first sip that it needs to be cleaned so the coffee might taste awful. It did.
4.30 pm: I leave the office and meet up with a friend who is renting in Dublin. I always try and add on extra things when I do the journey in as I avoid rush hour commuting and feel like I’m getting the most out of the day. We catch up on all the things happening in the world and try to make sense of it all.
7.00 pm: We meet up with more friends and share some tapas and beer in a cosy little restaurant (my contribution comes to €14).
11.00 pm: I arrive back in the house feeling absolutely exhausted and after a small catch-up with my wife we both agree that sleep is the way to go.
Today’s total: €57.50
7.00 am: I have a really good morning run today, and switch things up a little bit by doing my exercises almost straight after returning home before a rapid shower. I pour myself some granola and yoghurt and finish with a coffee before work. I even have 20 minutes to spare to get around to general cleaning I had been putting off in the kitchen and living room. It’s the small wins really!
9.00 am: Work starts with a bit of an issue where I’m told the report I will be submitting today needs a follow-up report early next week. This last-minute addition is annoying, but I carry on with the current objectives. A delivery arrives for a piece of furniture we ordered a month ago.
10.00 am: The core meeting of the day runs over by quite a bit. It appears that plans for 2024 are already showing issues coming down the line so good to be in the loop.
12.15 pm: Back to the report and we receive two calls to the door by sales representatives from electricity providers. Thankfully both are understanding that we are happy with our current deal. Back to report finalisation.
1.00 pm: I quickly fry up some chicken and using ingredients on hand make a small but filling tortilla wrap.
2.00 pm: I finish my proofread of the report and send it off to senior management. I decide to leave the follow-up report to Monday as there are some other tasks I need to finish before close of business today.
5.00 pm: I log out for the day and have a call with my mam. We generally always have a catch up on a Friday evening and I tell her about the week and plans for the house. She tells me about life back in the 80s and early 90s in Ireland when she was house hunting and dealing with the issues of that period. I enjoy these calls as I know she can get worried about the current issues the world and Ireland faces so it’s good to keep in contact.
6.00 pm: My wife had defrosted two portions of our spaghetti bolognaise we had batched cook the previous weekend. A bit of reheating and cooking some spaghetti with a bit of parmesan and we have a very good dinner.
7.00 pm: We snuggle up on the couch and watch two episodes of the new series of Invincible.
9.00 pm: I make a hot chocolate for my wife, and we make a general plan on what groceries we will need to get tomorrow. The weekly shopping works well for us as we always know almost exactly what we need on any given week by checking the food presses.
10.00 pm: I play a little bit of the Playstation 4 and buy one game off Amazon (€22) that reduced in price by a good bit.
11.30 pm: I read another two ‘chapters’ of The Jungle Book and head off to bed. I didn’t realise it’s actually a short story collection.
Sometime in the early hours: I get woken up as I was snoring quite loud. Woops!
Today’s total: €22.00
8.00 am: I roll out of bed for the usual jog, shower, and then get ready to head down to the shops.
9.30 am: Drive to the shop and get everything we need for the week along with any last ingredients we need for a batch cook that we do once every two weeks. We also grab a few small things for Christmas that we can store, along with quite a few cleaning products we had run out of. The total comes to €118.38 and I send half (€59.19) to my wife via Revolut.
11.00 am: I make a quick coffee and have some porridge with toppings before deciding to unpack another group of boxes in the house. They seem to be never ending.
1.00 pm: I prepare the ingredients for the batch cook (this week it’s chicken and sausage gumbo). Once I have it all done with the initial cooking steps completed and with everything at a minimal simmer and safely covered we both head back out in the car to go for a nice walk through a nearby forested path. It’s a bit chilly but the colours of Autumn are mostly still there so it’s lovely. Having bought out of Dublin, we do try and explore the area around us in Laois as much as we can when time allows during weekends.
4.30 pm: Once home, it’s time to do a very quick wipe down of surfaces while my wife handles the vacuuming. The gumbo is smelling really, really good!
5.00 pm: I am playing the Nintendo Switch again and it’s great to just put my feet up for a bit.
6.30 pm: I would like to leave the gumbo going for longer but I’m also starving. A quick batch of basmati rice and we are ready to go. After we eat, there are five full portions packed up in former takeaway containers and placed into the fridge. I make sure to label them with today’s date.
8.00 pm: I end up finishing The Jungle Book and it really was not what I was expecting. Happy to tick it off my list and I’ll be jumping onto something very different next week: George Orwell’s 1984.
10.00 pm: I do some quick push-ups and then sink into the couch and end up watching an hour of David Attenborough doing what he does best. I learned more about locusts than I had intended today but am in awe at how they can now capture such amazing details of nature in these documentaries.
Today’s total: €59.19
8.00 am: The alarm goes off. I turn it off and then go right back to sleep.
10.00 am: I decide to get out of bed and we head to a local café to grab brunch. I get eggs royale (€13) and a cappuccino (€3.50) and my wife picks the French toast. We talk about the year that is coming to an end and our honeymoon to Thailand next year.
12.30 pm: We drive to the Rock of Dunamase and soak in the scenery. It’s very quiet and just really nice to slowly explore the area. We get some lovely photos.
4.00 pm: When we arrive home, I eat a Kinder Bueno bar and have a cup of tea before sitting down to confirm some meetups and small events happening in and around Dublin with friends next week. Most are still going ahead so I confirm who we can stay with for a night or two to reduce commuting. I almost forget to pack my work laptop!
5.30 pm: I end up playing the Nintendo Switch again and beat the game I have been focused on. To use up some last ingredients in the fridge, I make Thai basil pork but end up putting in a bit too much bird’s eye chilies so struggle a bit with the spice while my wife keeps telling me me it’s not that spicy (but it really was).
7.00 pm: I do routine chores like putting a wash on, ironing some shirts from the previous load, taking the bins out, and getting rid of some clutter in the living room. A cup of tea follows with another Kinder Bueno.
8.00 pm: We watch the film ‘Evil Dead Rise’. Much better than I was expecting!
10.00 pm: I decide to have a bath and almost slip getting out. I make a note to get a non-slip mat of some kind in my phone.
10.45 pm: I spend a bit of time looking at some indirect lighting options for the living room and main bedroom. Some good deals at the moment so I’ll run them by my wife next week.
11.15 pm: Bedtime!
Today’s total: €16.50
***
What I learned –
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Remember the absolute insanity during covid. People on here daily, calling for forced imprisonment and injection of their fellow citizens whose only “crime”, was being sceptical of the government and RTE. A lot of people showed their true colours then. The power that the media has over the minds of the easily led, is impressive and terrifying. It just takes a constant bombardment of news coverage, to turn regular people into blood thirsty savages. It’s a lesson that should not be forgotten but it already has been. I’ll bet that if some of these people were handed a list of the disgusting things that they said at that time, they would feel a mixture of horror and shame. And rightly so.
@I’m Far Right: ‘blood thirsty savages’ is over-egging it a bit.
When your case is weak, shout loudly.
@Brendan O’Brien: €1.25 has been deposited to your account.
@Brendan O’Brien: You’re probably thinking of Goebbels.
@Brendan O’Brien: Well said!
@I’m Far Right: Far right? More like SO right! And certainly not being hyperbolic at all. I’m so glad there are strong minds like yours out there impervious to the insidious media agenda. You’re a cut above the rest my friend
@Brendan O’Brien: aka you were wrong! “lol”
@I’m Far Right: What a ridiculous comment grow up. We were in a global crisis.
@Brendan O’Brien: Oh I know you will. You would be gone long ago if being wrong was fatal ;)
@B6Tr3OgE: *manufactured global crisis
@I’m Far Right: …. according to conspiracy theorists all over the world! The flat, totally not round, world. Also – lizard people from the moon did it!
@I’m Far Right: i never saw anyone act in such an extreme fashion on either side, in real life. The journal comment section does not reflect it. People acting like they were flogged in the street for having to have a coffee outside for a month or two as a result of their own choices is funny, though.
@Setanta O’Toole: “I never saw it so it didn’t happen”
@Setanta O’Toole: Some people see themselves as heroes and ‘freedom fighters’ for having behaved in an antisocial fashion.
@Setanta O’Toole: In your mind, the government removing equal status among citizens, equality under law, can be reduced to having to “have a coffee outside”. That’s really something. I see you have learned nothing at all from the whole thing.
@I’m Far Right: Equal status under law? Does this mean that all medical professionals are being treated in an illegal fashion because they have to have vaccines to work? What about those that want to drive without their seat belt on? The fascist dictatorship in your mind is surely illegally removing their equal status by forcing them to wear one while driving.
@Brendan O’Brien: Just change your name to “What The Journal said” and get it over with.
@Diarmuid Hunt: Driving is a privilege, not a right. Working in a hospital is not a right either. Try again lad.
@I’m Far Right: Found your own copy & paste catchphrase I see. Pot, kettle. Typical.
@I’m Far Right: Waterford had one of the highest jab rates and highest covid case numbers of anywhere in the world at the same time and no media outlet questioned this…that for me destroyed any semblance of an effective vaccine.if at the time Waterford had very few cases the media would be in a tizzy proclaiming the proof in the effectiveness of the vaccine
@James Carroll: What is my copy and paste catchphrase? Please elaborate.
@I’m Far Right: there was equal right to take the vaccine or not. Choices have consequences, it was ever thus. I learned most people who got on with it have covid in their rear view and the people who denied it at all costs and claim to have not complied with any measures anyway are the ones still shiting on about it on a daily basis.
@Setanta O’Toole: “Do what you’re told or else” is not being given a choice, you halfwit. It’s coercion.
@I’m Far Right: it’s coercion to contrarians who would protest the opening of an envelope if they had nothing else to rail against. To the rest it was a choice.
@Shane Doyle: Was it even a vaccine? A vax should prevent future infection of a particular viral strain. All the covid vax did, at best, was to reduce effects. It didn’t even reduce transmission, yet non vaxed were made social pariahs and practically accused in the media or causing further spread and overwhelming hospitals, (nothing to do with the piss poor hse infrastructure, staff shortages & forced quarantine of close contacts to further reduce staff members).
@I’m Far Right: “€1.25 has been deposited to your account.”
@Setanta O’Toole: It wasn’t a really a choice. You were still coerced by fear and propaganda.
@Mike Carson: It wasn’t a Live-attenuated vaccine but a non-live vaccine, so protection fades over time. Certain vaccines must be periodically updated to protect against mutation-prone viruses that cause waves of infections months or years apart. So, to stay protected, people must get the updated vaccines even if they got an earlier version. The seasonal flu vaccine is reformulated each year to target the four strains expected to be most common and most dangerous.
@Setanta O’Toole: no coercion whatsoever mate but we will prevent you from dining out with the missus,playing sport,socialising with mates down the pub or even going on holiday unless you take this
@Shane Doyle: I did all those things but never vaxxed. stayed outside. my choice.
@I’m Far Right: we all remember the absolute insanity of the tin foil sheep refusing to follow necessary public health measures
@I’m Far Right: yep such as that guy roj blake who wanted the unvaccinated kidnapped and injected
@Roj Blake: The only one wearing the tin foil hat was you thinking the unvaccinated were zombies who were going to wipe out humanity…now back to your basement until the next whinge
@Bill Spill:
If the MSM told you that the earth was flat and inhabited by lizard people you and your sad ilk would 100% believe it, and do mental gymnastics trying to convince everyone else of the logic of your argument, yet you think you’re so clever with your sneering contempt for anyone who disagrees with your MSM version of reality.
Make sure you get your experimental boosters now, there’s a good little sheep…
@I’m Far Right: And it’s a right to have a coffee at a privately owned company? What right was taken away? Try again lad.
@I’m Far Right: or else an informed choice that everyone had an opportunity to make, but then again you don’t really care. It’s just a conduit to feed into your persecution and/or superiority complex.
@Ken O’Neill: Reaching there kenny. Having to make up stuff to suit your argument. I don’t read the MSM, so there! You, however, believe the moon landing was faked. I need say no more :)
@Bill Spill: I wouldn’t be boasting about believing in the moon landings, gullible doesn’t even begin to describe the depths of credulity and naivette one has had to plumb to swallow that monumental brick.
@Diarmuid Hunt: The privately owned companies didn’t come up with the idea, they were made to refuse service, under penalty of closure, from the government. There is a name for that type of thing, do you know what it is? Begins with an F.
@Ken O’Neill: Ok great thanks! What about chemtrails? Can I get your opinion? Real or super real?
@Bill Spill: Sure you believe in the moon landings, I couldn’t possibly stoop to engage you in any semblance of rational rhetoric.
@Ken O’Neill: I love that you are so verbose! Usually makes people seem smart. However, it doesn’t work when employed to promote crazy theories like the moon landing being faked! I’m going to go out on a limb and guess you DO believe chemtrails are a thing. I think you’re just to embarrassed to admit it now…
@Bill Spill:
You’re a laughing stock Billy Boy, beneath pity, and no where near as clever as you like to think you are.
@Ken O’Neill: That a yes on the chemtrails, isn’t it kenny? Oh boy. Ok, what about crystals? Do you believe they have special healing properties? Or are they just good for cloud busting?
@John John: yes you did,under restrictions and you didn’t jump in a plane for your holidays
@Bills pill:
Desperation creeping into your once hubristic rhetoric I see, self doubt surfacing there Billy Boy you see, and aren’t you a bit old to be believing in fairytales about 12 men going to the moon and back over half a century ago?
@Ken O’Neill: oh I would be absolutely fascinated to know what you see as desperation?! I’m also genuinely interested; is the moon landings being faked the only conspiracy theory you believe in? And also; how do explain the roughly half a million people involved with the landings ALL being in on the conspiracy?
@I’m Far Right: No, there are plenty of laws which govern what a private company can and can’t do, is making selling tobacco illegal to an under 18 fascism? What about time restrictions on selling alcohol? Selling knives to children? Think, please.
@Bill Spill: Ah, interesting, you may be willing to learn after all, well you’re obviously not familiar with the concept of compartmentalisation, besides whistleblowers had no hope of being heard had they summoned up the courage to speak out, with career or reputational suicide being the price to pay or worse, as in the case of Gus Grissom who called an unauthorised press conference in 1968 in which he declared they were at least 10 years away from landing a man on the moon, he had hung a lemon under the module that morning in protest, 3 days later he and fellow astronauts Ed White and Roger Chaffey died in a horrific oxygen fire on the launch pad, Grissom’s family believe he was deliberately murdered to shut him up.
@Bill Spill: The jokes on you by the way Billy Boy, you’re the one who believes in impossible fairytales because you’re incapable of thinking for yourself, and that answer is not for your benefit, it’s for anyone with an open mind who may have come across this exchange with an open mind that hasn’t already been brainwashed like yourself.
@I’m Far Right: the people you speak of have no shame.
@Ken O’Neill: ok fair enough Ken. I kinda thought you were kidding or trolling a bit. If you’re that serious, good luck to you. I think it’s batsh!t myself, just like flat earth, chemtrails etc. But who knows. The truth is out there!
@Brendan O’Brien: shouting loudly regardless of your case strength will always fall on deaf ears for people who are afraid of their own shadow to give an opinion that goes against the general narrative that has ‘follow the science’ attached to it, the new religious rhetoric!
@B6Tr3OgE: you’re so scared aren’t you ..of everything!
@Diarmuid Hunt: the seat belt argument again…exactly the same thing as being injected with experimental drugs against your will which was the case in so many countries.
The next 2 weeks are crucial.
Still won’t pay TV licence,
How did anti vaxxer become an insult? Isn’t it more like a badge of honour? The anti vaxxers were right afterall. Incredible to see how easily manipulated people were by the media
@The ghost of Ireland’s past: Anti-vaxers and conspiracy theorists are only right in their own minds.
@The ghost of Ireland’s past: badge of honour? Only in your head.
@Jimmy Wallace: they decided arbitrarily one day recently they were ‘right’ and seem to have ran with it.
@The ghost of Ireland’s past: well it became synonymous with idiocy so what else would you call people who reject expertadvice!
@The ghost of Ireland’s past: no.
delighted i didnt take the jab. and never will.
Keep your Vax and your TV licence.. Never again.
We have re-rebranded Covid in order to shift boosters. Remember, as Health Minister Harris told us in 2020, there had already been 18 brands before the 19th. We are all in this together, and we got this.
@Tríona Commode: You do realise the19 in covid19 refers to the year it was discovered not that its the 19th version of it? Its moronic statements like yours that overshadow the real concerns of people who didn’t think lockdown and forced vax was necessary. The pro vax brigade use people like to label the rest of us as, uneducated fools .
@Mike Carson: she clearly does Mike. Again you aren’t understanding peoples posts.
@Mike Carson: Simon Harris, our Health Minister at the time, said something to the effect of ‘We’ve seen the previous 18 strains of Covid so we know how to deal with this’ at the very beginning of the hysteria – that’s what he’s referring to
@Dylan Bvrn: She’s referring to* excuse me lol
@Jimmy Wallace: This article was only updated with info re the vaccination programme in the last hour – I had posted my comment beforehand, curiously enough.
@Mike Carson: Apparently, irony & sarcasm must not always across in writing. We could start using the ‘(!)’ exclamation, but that’d defeat the purpose.
@Dylan Bvrn: Ah, yes, I remember. My apologies
I would have expected the non-vaxed to be clogging up our hospitals.
@Jimmy Wallace: proof?
@I’m Far Right: I’m not the one making the claim. My initial post is in relation to the now, the present and I think that I’m right in saying that the non-vaccinated are not clogging up our hospitals. That is a fact.
@Lorne Malvo: HPSCs weekly epidemiological reports
@Lorne Malvo: excess of deaths from pneumonia & flu last winter, circulation of other respiratory viruses, an ever an ageing population, back logs and bed jams… The majority of people got the vaccine, so will be the majority in any situation. More vaxxed buy yoghurt than non-vaxxed, and conversely, less non-vaxxed wear the colour blue than vaxxed. It’s not complicated, it’s just counting.
@Roj Blake: my point is that non vaxed are not clogging up our hospitals. You can dance around it all you want with non relevant stats and arguments.
@Lorne Malvo: Probably because they’re a minority.
Roll on the Covid deniers and anti vaxer’s let’s be having your comments…..
@Cormo R: Yes, the covid deniers words are cheap. Especially to those of us who lost someone.
@Cormo R: Any regrets about how you acted during covid, in hindsight? I’ll bet that you said some really nasty stuff to people. You probably told me that I don’t deserve a hospital bed or that my kids should grow up without a father. Stuff like that.
@I’m Far Right: I have absolutely no regrets as I acted accordingly and guess what? I never caught Covid. As for the rest of your dribble, it takes a special kind of person to think of of kind of “Stuff like that”
@Cormo R: you could have covid right now and not know it. Unless you are testing yourself daily.
@Cormo R: Well I also have no regrets and I never: wore a mask, took the vax or took a test, so what’s your point? And it’s not hard to think of examples as there were plenty. Scroll back to two year old journal comments and you’ll easily find examples. You’ll find people calling for nurses, who were previously “heroes” to be fired for not complying. People calling for the unvaccinated to be banned from public spaces. Vaccine status taken into account when hospital treatment is needed. “Pandemic of the Unvaccinated” that was a good one. “No Jab No Job” Remember all the “Stuff like that”?
@I’m Far Right: Some people saying harsh and intolerant things in comment sections? I’m shocked!
@Cormo R: I never got vaxed, and guess what? I never, to my knowledge, caught the deadly Covid either.
@I’m Far Right: And that’s the way every single person who got vaccinated treated those who didn’t in your mind?
@Mike Carson: That’s excellent hopefully you never do.
@Lorne Malvo: Very true. At the moment, though, due to the new wave, I am testing regularly with antigen tests as I work in healthcare and have parents in their 80′s.
@Cormo R: No, I never said that. You definitely did though. I can tell by the way that you’re speaking to me now. I bet you used to wet the bed every night out of anger that I was walking around, unvaccinated. You just couldn’t stand it that I seemed completely unaffected and unafraid. You’d see me in shop, maskless, and curse me under your breath. You saw me as an enemy and you still do. I suspect that jealousy was a big part of it. You were jealous that I could walk around and live life as I’d always done, while you cowered in fear of anyone with a runny nose or a cough. “Its not fair” you’d think. “Its not fair that I’m being a good boy and doing what I’m told and this guy doesn’t have to :-(
@Cormo R: Oh I probably have had it if im being honest. I’ve had sniffles, like most humans since the dawn of time. It could of been the deadly covid, but it hardly registered with me so I didn’t feel the need to isolate or put my life on hold. I did what we did in years gone by, I got on with it. This new covid scam is suddenly back in the new to try distract from more pressing issues. RTE, Housing, Migrant issues etc.
@I’m Far Right: do you want a medal for “walking around unafraid” with no mask on potentially carrying and transmitting a virus that a huge amount of us lost loved ones to? Cos I can get you a medal no problem
@Isla Carabine: Get yourself a medal too because you are probably doing the exact same thing right now. You also did the exact same thing before covid. So don’t give me that nonsense.
@I’m Far Right: You should write a book with that imagination of yours although you probably already have, and it’s being used to level a wonky table….
@I’m Far Right: Genuinely the saddest post I’ve ever read on here. I am not joking. You must be hurting real bad. I’m sorry for that
@Cormo R: I’m not a covid denier, just not a fool who believes its the new bubonic plague, not someone who selfishly believes the whole world should shut down to protect the few. Its strange how the vulnerable weren’t just isolated so the rest of society get on with their lives. No we were all locked down and restricted. Some of us demonized and discriminated against for our choices, which were ours alone and not impacting one else. I was labeled anti vax for expressing freedom of choice by pro vax Nazis. I’ve had other proven vacancies, so hardly anti vax, and personally didn’t feel the need to take a trial vax for covid unless I felt confident in it, which I don’t. By personally not taking it it only affected me. Vax people could still spread covid so why were unvaxed being treated like plague spreaders? I don’t see the same pressure being applied to people to get the flu jab? Is that because covid killed off the flu?
@Bill Spill: I’m not hurting. I want people to acknowledge what they did and how they treated others.
@Mike Carson: right , that must mean it didn’t exist .
@I’m Far Right: yep like my loved one died from a selfish pr..k like you.
@Annette: I’m very sorry for your loss but I am not to blame. It’s more likely that they contracted it from a loved one or healthcare worker (who was masked and vaxxed).
@Ronan Meagle: How to you mean it didn’t exist? I don’t believe I suggested it didn’t exist. I’m suggesting that it was blown out of proportion, but I’m sure you know that and are just trying to push you own deluded narrative. Like all the false reporting of deaths attributed to covid that seems to be over looked, as admitted by our own Gov at one point.
@I’m Far Right: you’re saying, to people you don’t know, that they “definitely” said things that you have no idea that they did. You’re desperate to blame someone for, my suspicion is, your pain
@Annette: Really, did they murder your loved one? Have they been caught and locked up for their crimes?
Maybe you should of taken more personal responsibility and done more to protect your own loved one rather than blaming others for an illness your loved one had. Did you isolate them? Did you and your family isolate for them to? Do you honestly think the whole world should of stopped for your loved one? I think maybe you’re the selfish pr..k. Life goes on everyday, people are born, people die. People get sick. You cant blame others for illness and you cant expect the world to pause for your loved 1. I lost family through illness. I don’t blame others and I dam sure didn’t want the world to stop so the could attempt to get better.
I focused on them and what I could do to help along with the doctors and nurses,not the entire general population.
@Lorne Malvo: and once again those of you against the public health actions taken show whot you know….absolutly nothing. It is only CoViD-19 if you develop symptoms, so you cannot have ” covid right now and not know it” as you put it. What can happen is you contract the virus, SARS-COV-2, and not know it, and if you are vaccinated, there is a good chance you never will.
@Joe x: Shows how much you know dumb ass. SARS-COV-2 is COVID 19. The who decided to call it COVID 19 to try and not cause massive panic in Asia where they were already exposed to previous SARs outbreaks’. Its one and the same. A catch all label for all the different variants. So weather you vaccinated or not you could still catch SARS/COVID.
@Mike Carson: and you have just shown who the real dumb ass is Mike. YOURSELF.
SARS-COV-2 is the virus that causes the disease CoViD-19. It is not CoViD-19 until you develop the symptoms that define it. You can contract the virus without developing the disease and thanks the vaccinations that is more and more the case. Same goes for the Influenza virus and the disease it causes…the flu
@Cormo R: In other words you’re just a nasty piece of work regardless of circumstances, hopefully you took the snake oil.
@Mike Carson: btw Sars, the disease is cause by the virus SARS-COV. again virus and disease. Now I will admit that normally the disease moniker is usually taken from the name of the virus like in the case of the Flu and Sars, and you are correct in the reasoning behind the naming of CoViD-19, however SARS-COV-2 and CoViD-19 are 2 different things as I have oreviously explained to you. Hope that clears up your confusion.
@Joe x: Did you get a covid vaccine or a SARS-COV-2 vaccine? What does it say on the little gold sta… sorry, sticker, that you got?
@I’m Far Right: it’s a vaccine against SARS-COV-2, which if you read my previous comments correctly is the name of the virus that causes CoViD-19. However in the incorrect vernacular, it is called a Covid Jab. It is actually the same with influenza vaccines and how they are called the Flu Jab in the vernacular. BTW……what grade star did you get or was it a fine big red X for being a know-it-all by any chance?
@Joe x: I came out of the whole thing completely unscathed. Bodily autonomy intact and everything. Feels good knowing that I didn’t give in to the pressure.
@I’m Far Right: going by some of your comments you were clearly emotionally hurt by the whole thing, so I wouldn’t say ‘unscathed’. And I’m not having a go. I really don’t think anyone, of any stripe or opinion, came through it unscathed. Whether you took the jab or not, believed it was a hoax or not, etc etc, that was a very turbulent time
@Joe x: Ah old Joe is back. loves a good rant about covid
@Bill Spill: That’s a great point to think about, not directly about I’m Far Right but in general.
@I’m Far Right: totally unscathed is it? Judging from your own comments I think you are trying to convince yourself of that instead of others….tell you what….easiest way to put your mind at rest is to either avoid the covid articles or do what I did….get vaccinated.
@Paul Keenan: well what you expect Paul when you see so much stupidity denying expert advice, good to see your still knocking around, not heard from you in a long time. How you been?
@Bill Spill: Yeah I suppose that’s a fair point. The whole thing seems like some weird dream now. What a crazy time.
@Joe x: Im great just like 99% of the population who have moved on, but sure theres always the few that just wont let it go, imsure they will be calling for masks again and the likes of o callaghan
trying to scare parents about sending kids back to school
@I’m Far Right: can agree on that alright
@Paul Keenan: good to hear. At this stage I couldn’t care less what people do but it just annoys me how people cannot differentiate between virus and disease. But hey, I know that is more my problem than theirs but it comes from my trade where we are meant to be very clear in the documentation for what we do. Now, those same people are the ones who will cry if a particularly nasty variant arrives which hopefully will never happen. But if it does, I’ll just get my vax and move on.
@Paul Keenan: BTW Paul, seeing as you brought up the subject of masks, why dont you explain your understanding behind the reasoning for wearing them. Just so you know, I still wear one if I’m ever feeling fluey ( or should that be covidey), it’s just that I cannot really understand what the issue is for some people.
@Joe x: As I already said there is a Tony minority that just won’t let it go.
@Paul Keenan: No worries, I was just trying ti understand what the issue was with them since you brought it up, but if you’re not up to discuss it, then fair enough. Anyway until the bexf time.
@Joe x: * next*
@Annette: Did you find them after you got your vax?
@Bill Spill: Well that’s something at least. Truth be told, I know why people acted like they did. It was a massive shock and awe campaign, hard to resist. I’m just disappointed by how everyone acquiesced to the disgusting way that my family and others were treated. The country of my birth turned it’s back on me and many others. We are supposed to champion individual rights and instead, that notion was ridiculed as the government instituted group rights and privileges for those who were compliant. It was simply wrong. Lines were crossed that should not have been.
@I’m Far Right: we’d have to talk a lot more for me to understand what you’re saying there, about how your family was treated etc. It’s rarely ever one thing or even one side in these things though. For example; I personally think that there’s a lot of contrarians in the country. Just always negative. And a lot of people who don’t have a great hand and are itching to push back and rebel whenever they can. There’s also plain old ignorance. That one is worse than ever now everyone has access to so much info, but scant skills to interpret it truthfully. Then talking about truth, there are those making a killing on giving you whatever flavour of it you’d like. So easy to fall into an echo chamber really. Added to what you said, it is a mess out there in a lot of ways. Occam’s razor is useful!
@Annette: Your comment makes no sense at all.
Christ! Close the pubs. Local hospitals going into lock down. I’m off to get my toilet rolls,
The next crucial flatten the week two curves….
@Derek Power: I’ll take ‘Word Salad’ for $800 please Alex
OMG! Shut everything
@Dan Danny: while you can make light of it. Which is great cause you must be in fine health. Meanwhile, A family member of mine is recovering from a stem cell transplant for their leukemia. So this news is important to us cause it can help us take extra precaution so we don’t kill him with any type of infection. The world is bigger than ourselves.
@Mike Carson: yep those things too. Get over yourself. That’s exactly what we are doing. I’m not advocating for any of the things you mention or interfering with any other person’s lives. That last thing I want is more lockdowns The only thing I was saying was that the reporting of this news is appreciated so better planning can be made on our parts. And I’m sure it is for others. I’ve no idea how you came to that conclusion So there’s no need to be flippant about an article like this is all. So redirect your anger somewhere else.
@Sean Partidge: Planning for what? If you have a family member who is as sick as you say you should be planning for them regardless of covid. Common colds and flus are ever present. Don’t need articles trying to reinvoke the mistakes of the past and attempting to elicit fear. The pandemic emergency is over. The real issue with covid is the piss poor infrastructure the hse provides. Covid is being used in an attempt to cover it up.
@Mike Carson: we are planning for them regardless of covid. This article is about covid so keep up. If it was about the flu or chicken pox going around it’s the same point…..Worth knowing. The planning is who does the regular hospital appointments , who can visit the home? Medication, What food can be made to name a very small few. it’s really quite complicated so any news is welcome to be careful of. Meanwhile I couldn’t give two flying fks what other people do. Completely their choice. You are very insecure mike.
@Sean Partidge: These articles are distraction tools trying to force people to look away from real issues of concern in this country, like cost of living, housing, RTE, substandard HSE etc, Trying to reinvoke fears of the lockdown. I’m not one bit insecure, if I was I would of jumped on the vaccine band wagon and got an unnecessary, (for me), Jab. But fluting on about your sick relative means you’re the insecure one. Looking to others for a pat on the back and some sympathy, needing constant reminders form the media that illnesses exist in the world, Sounds very insecure to me.
@Mike Carson: haha you’re some grade A flute. I’d say you’re a pain to be around.
Got the new strain of Covid and absolutely dying, while I know I’ll be fine, I don’t remember ever feeling this sick with the flu. I had Covid when it first came and it was barely a thing, I burnt up for a few hours, coughed a few times and it was done. This one is awful, can’t breathe without a hacking cough. Not fun! But no more lockdown sheningans or anything of that sort, personal responsibility I started feeling crap on Monday and awful by Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday worse and today just as bad, will hopefully isolate until Monday and be done with it.
@HAC: Hope you’ll be feeling better soon
@HAC: you poor ol duck, hopefully you’re well soon and no long effects
@g m: thanks me too!
@Isla Carabine: thanks!
@HAC: Take a good few days rest & maybe dose up on zinc VitC quercetin magnesium etc.
My son got the new strain on the plane home from portugal a few weeks ago.
We then all caught it from him so it seems to be very contagious like the old BA2 used to be in early 2021.
We found it very similar to the ba2 omicron but with worse fever but milder head congestion. it seemed to affect the ears too though.
Grand so
Moderna share price is down 74% since the peak in 2021. Great call by ex Blackrock manager and analyst Ed Dowd. A year ago he was highlighting the big changes seen in life insurance data.
Data from Switzerland shows 34% increase in sick days in 2022/23 compared to 2019.
But at least the vaccines prevented people from dying right? Must be something else.
I like my blood to remain pure…..doing enough damage with the fags and whiskey,
@lumberjack: People are now more aware of the risk of infecting others when they are sick, so are more likely to stay at home. And in Switzerland (and elsewhere) non-Covid illnesses returned with a bang last year e.g. – those with influenza jumped by 64% compared to 2019.
@John John: must be a deadly flu strain if that’s the reason, eg Japan population fell by 800k people last year
@lumberjack: I was referring to Switzerland because you were referring to Swiss Data.
@lumberjack: Japan. Omicron, although it’s less pathogenic than previous variants of coronavirus, hit older people there particularly bad last year. Doctors reported many cases of elderly people dying from aspiration pneumonia (lung infection connected to weakened ability to eat and swallowing e.g. dysphagia). Japan also saw an increase in the number of deaths in respiratory diseases and senility.
@lumberjack: pure? Are you an Egyptian pharo or from a long line of incest?
I’ll take covid again,2 weeks off was a nice break
The first year of the pandemic was indeed serious & should have been taken seriously, the 5k limit was another matter. Fortunately for us, as the virus mutated, it grew weaker. This whole ‘more transmissible’ tagline only stokes fear. Plus, wasn’t the last one & the one before that, more transmissible too? Yeah, you’ll probably catch it quite easily but the important thing is you probably won’t be very sick with it.
Close the pubs
You’d be left in no doubt that the journalists and politicians are on holidays with these headlines
The ‘safe and effective’ clot shot. Line up plebs.
I got the yellow fever vaccine then got yellow fever 4 times! That vaccine is crap!
My heart swells with happiness over this news!
No covid in the US; Trump put the cure for covid in the chemtrails back in 2020
@Chief Of police Retired – Truther MAGA Trump 2024: How did you get a profile pic? Can’t seem to do it from the phone app.. does it work on a pc?
@I’m Far Right: it should be part of your google account or facebook account..just dont use fake profile pic as you will lose credibility
@Chief Of police Retired – Truther MAGA Trump 2024: lol love it
@Chief Of police Retired – Truther MAGA Trump 2024: ok ok, you can be quite funny!
@Chief Of police Retired – Truther MAGA Trump 2024: Lol okay. Thank you for your service, Chief. MAGA
It is not a form of the Omicron variant, it is a decendant of the Omicron variant.
@Joe x: “descendant”.
@John John: that your only issue with my statement? My spelling?
@Joe x: You should try to spell correctly. In order to bring people across, we have to present well. The variant in the article, (EG.5 or Eris), is related to an Omicron subvariant called XBB.1.9.2.
The thing that strikes me is how the media have not reported Pfizer at the senate house committee refusing to say anything about how the vaccine causes the mycardoitis or how fauci was caught lying over his funding of gain of function in Wuhan.
Comments are
@HisMastersAlibi: aren’t they though? But what is to be done?
There are little or no vaccines produced at this stage due to the fact most have a very low shelf life and must be refrigerated.
Does anyone know where to view the results of the biggest phase 3 study ever performed on the human race?
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say