“When a nation is filled with strife, then do patriots flourish.”
Adlai E.Stephenson, one-time US ambassador to the United Nations.
The only thing that’s flourishing in Ireland today, though, is cross-border trade, as southern shoppers flock north in a bid to escape rip-off traders and high Government taxes.
Ironic then, that Fianna Fail (the Republican Party), is in decidedly twenty-six county mode; appealing to shoppers to be patriotic by spending their money down here.
Gombeen Man is sick to the back of his rotten, yellowy teeth, by these repetitive appeals to that basest of instincts, patriotism. Indeed, Brian Lenihan has upped the ante by reminding shoppers that, by spending up north, they are contributing to “Her Majesty’s taxes”. “Spit!”, is the reaction he hopes to provoke, it seems.
Well Gombeen Man can tell Brian – as it’s almost certain that he is an avid reader of the blog – that he, for one, would gladly pay Her Majesty’s taxes, rather than hand over his hard-earned to the corrupt bunch of tax-extorting, public-money-wasting shower of scheming shites that is his Government, and its State agencies.
For the record, this morning Herald AM lists some price comparisons, which are (Dublin prices green, northern prices orange) :
Jameson (Irish) Whiskey, one litre: EUR 38.59 EUR 24.96
Jacobs Creek Charonnay EUR 9.49 EUR 5.37
Sony Bravia TV EUR 1,149 EUR 873
Republic of Ireland football shirt EUR 60 EUR 50 (love that one)
Nescafe Gold Blend 100 g EUR 4.44 EUR 3.35
Pampers nappies EUR 4.99 EUR 3.35
Adlai E.Stephenson, one-time US ambassador to the United Nations.
The only thing that’s flourishing in Ireland today, though, is cross-border trade, as southern shoppers flock north in a bid to escape rip-off traders and high Government taxes.
Ironic then, that Fianna Fail (the Republican Party), is in decidedly twenty-six county mode; appealing to shoppers to be patriotic by spending their money down here.
Gombeen Man is sick to the back of his rotten, yellowy teeth, by these repetitive appeals to that basest of instincts, patriotism. Indeed, Brian Lenihan has upped the ante by reminding shoppers that, by spending up north, they are contributing to “Her Majesty’s taxes”. “Spit!”, is the reaction he hopes to provoke, it seems.
Well Gombeen Man can tell Brian – as it’s almost certain that he is an avid reader of the blog – that he, for one, would gladly pay Her Majesty’s taxes, rather than hand over his hard-earned to the corrupt bunch of tax-extorting, public-money-wasting shower of scheming shites that is his Government, and its State agencies.
For the record, this morning Herald AM lists some price comparisons, which are (Dublin prices green, northern prices orange) :
Jameson (Irish) Whiskey, one litre: EUR 38.59 EUR 24.96
Jacobs Creek Charonnay EUR 9.49 EUR 5.37
Sony Bravia TV EUR 1,149 EUR 873
Republic of Ireland football shirt EUR 60 EUR 50 (love that one)
Nescafe Gold Blend 100 g EUR 4.44 EUR 3.35
Pampers nappies EUR 4.99 EUR 3.35
Playstation Three 80 GB EUR 399 EUR 377.34
Do we need any more examples?
It’s amazing that "patriotic" appeals seem addressed only to the consumer, never the profiteers. Is there any chance that Irish retailers could lower their prices? Or that the Governent could lower its VAT in line with UK rates?
As that is not going to happen any time soon, Gombeen Man will head north next weekend, with a pocketful of Euro for Lizzie’s exchequer (God bless her).
He might even see some of you up there.
11 comments:
Thanks GM, hope some more Irish will wake up and check the prices. See you in the north, Dagda
Had to look up that one. Thanks yourself, and happy shopping.
I have to say I'm amazed at the difference in price now.
I remember when I was younger we always used to go up to Enniskillen for xmas shopping because the prices were always so much lower than down south.
There even used to be regulat "shopping buses" going up there
Everyone used to cross the border to fill up with petrol.
Then last time I was over there about 8 yrs ago, most of the cross border petrol stations had closed as the price down south was actually cheaper.
Wonder what price petrol and Diesel is over there now?
by the way just in case you didn't know, you can get the € symbol (euro in case it didn't work) by holding down the ctrl and alt keys and pressing the number 4
Thanks Lew. Ch€€rs!
At the moment, petrol is 99.9 Cent a litre in Tescos Maynooth. Real supermarket price,that! That would be cheaper than most.
wish it was that cheap here
Although I use diesel (when I pay for it)
it's still around £1.07 a litre here which is about €1.29 I think
I use biodiesel when I can get it and as the oil I get is free all I do is pay someone to make it for me, which works out about 20p a litre.
I did use just oil in the old car which was great, never cost me a penny to run other than tax and insurance.
no duty on biofuels here if home made(including oil from supermarkets or anywhere else) and we use less than 2500L a year
That's some set-up you've got there, Lew. Great. The only access to oil I'd have, though, would be to buy the stuff in Lidl! So, is there much involved in converting to bio? Excuse my ignorance... not too well up on this.
its easy once you know how.
BEst way to get hold of oil cheap is see all the chippies, and nursing homes hospitals and so on, a lot of the chippies actually (illegally) throw it down the sink. most people actually pay to have it taken away and usually jump at the chance to get it taken for nothing.
if you want to learn more take a look on the veg-oil site (http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/forum/index.php) very friendly bunch of people there and actually a few from the republic using oil or making bio also
and even using it as heating fuel too.
Nice one! Cheers.
Hi Gombeen
The South and it's tax money has been pillaged for the last 15 years. They followed an american way of over pricing everything getting more taxes and then wasting/pocketing the money. Our hospitals, schools, water supply, broadband, telephone system, transport system and state agencies are still below any european level of acceptance. When are the people going to wake up to fact that Ireland is in serious trouble. We have little infrastructure. If the last budget was bad wait till we cop the next one. Obama wants to take american industry back to America and the EU through the nice treaty wants to end Irelands tax breaks to American corporations. Thats a lot of jobs disappearing out the back door. I think the world is gearing up for protectionist policies again, against trade and markets. Bam another blow. FF do not know what they are doing they need to be ousted now. 'Alot done more to do' When did they ever start ? Shop up North Patriotism my A**e
Yes, Anon...it a new era - or should that be Eire - alright. All the State-sponsored inflationary boom did - fuelled by tax shelters and reduced capital gains and inheritance taxes to benefit the wealthy - was make the rich even richer. Disparity post "Celtic Tiger" is greater than ever. Those jokers in governent and the gullible fools who voted for them have a lot to answer for.
In order to attract business to Ireland the government introduced a corporate tax rate of 12.5%, guess what, it worked. If the powers that be want us to shop in the Republic well then why don't they just reduce the prices, I'll bet it would be effective. As Ireland is part of a 27 Member State bloc, it should not matter where in Europe we choose to make our purchases be it Newry or Navan.
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