The Ireland Thread

[James Joyce]

Thought I'd set up a thread for the Irish amongst us, those with Irish descent, and those just curious and wanting to find out about Ireland. A place to post major Irish news stories and chat about them, and all things Irish in general.

I'll start. Here's a link for those who are asking "What's Ireland?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland

And here's a news story.

Pharmacies pocketed over €300m from State scheme

http://www.independent.ie/national-...-over-8364300m-from-state-scheme-1311601.html

THE country's biggest pharmacy group Unicare earned almost €15m in fees and mark-ups for dispensing drugs under the State scheme.

Figures show that pharmacy owners, who are in dispute over plans to cut their margins, earned a total of €329m under the scheme last year. This figure does not take into account what the Health Service Executive (HSE) pays the pharmacy for the cost of the drugs.

The highest single earner was Abbey Health Care Ltd which operates a chemist shop in Blackrock, Co Dublin and earned €1,088,201. But the Unicare pharmacy group earned close to €15m from various outlets around the country.

Other pharmacy groups which earned multi-million sums included Wembar which trades as McCabe's Pharmacies, Hickey's Pharmacies Ltd and the Sam McCauley group.

According to health sources the revenue earned from fees and mark-ups under the scheme represents about 10 per cent of a pharmacy turnover with the sales of other prescribed medicines, over the counter drugs, cosmetics and other add-ons making up the rest.

The HSE has decided to cut the chemists' margins on the wholesale cost of the drugs from 17.7 per cent to 8 per cent. They say that this was twice the EU average and over half of it was given back by the wholesalers to pharmacies in discounts.

As a result of this cut the Irish Pharmacy Union says that some chemists may go out of business and it has led to a protracted stand-off between the chemists and the HSE.

As a result, some chemists have started legal proceedings against the HSE for breach of contract and others are threatening to withdraw from the community scheme which would leave Medical Card holders having to find alternative sources for drugs or pay for them themselves and then seek a refund from the HSE.

 

[chaseter]

I'm part Irish and one day I would love to visit the homeland and get drunk. I am also part German and that side of me yells at me at tells me not to trust the dirty Irishman inside of me.

 

[James Joyce]

I'm part Irish and one day I would love to visit the homeland and get drunk. I am also part German and that side of me yells at me at tells me not to trust the dirty Irishman inside of me.

The German side's absolutely right, .

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

There's already an Irish thread. Use search.

 

[knowsbleed]

My name is Patrick. Does that count?

Hell yeah it does.

 

[webhead921]

I went to Dublin last november. It was awesome. I spent most of my time going to museums/tours, and just walking around the city. It is such a cool city, with tons of cool stuff. I'm taking a history of Ireland post famine class at my university, and it's really fascinating.

 

[James Joyce]

There's already an Irish thread. Use search.

What's the thread called? I used search, I couldn't find it.

 

[Handsome Rob]

The most beautiful woman I ever knew was Irish.

But, my pre-American lineage is Scottish . . .

 

[bullets]

I went to Dublin last november. It was awesome. I spent most of my time going to museums/tours, and just walking around the city. It is such a cool city, with tons of cool stuff. I'm taking a history of Ireland post famine class at my university, and it's really fascinating.

It's one of my dreams to visit Ireland. The history and culture is really interesting . Also alot of hardships and tragic stories.

 

[War Party]

I'm Italian, but I been to Ireland. Beautiful place. You Irish need to go see your homeland.

 

[hammy]

With a name like Casey, what else would I be? But I don't want to read about any crooks in Ireland. I want to imagine it's beautiful and all the people are good and honest.

 

[bullets]

 

[Obi-Ron]

Can someone please tell me what "begorrah" means?

 

[hammy]

Exactly.

 

[James Joyce]

Can someone please tell me what "begorrah" means?

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/begorra

 

[James Joyce]

Could a mod please close this thread? No one's interested. So I'm just gonna set up a Yahoo group and put the link in my sig.

 

[SuperMonkey]

I'm about a 1/4 Irish.

 

[tzarinna]

Callahan in the house, let me hear ya say, hell ya.

Anyway, I had a blast when I went back in '02. Trip of a lifetime.
One day when I'm not so lazy I might up load some pictures of my journey.

 

[Alexia Dark]

I think I'm of Irish decent. I'm half-redhead somehow.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Im partly Irish decent and would love to go

Are Protestants and Catholics still fighting? (or something like that)

 

[James Joyce]

I think I'm of Irish decent. I'm half-redhead somehow.

You could have Irish descent. You could also have English, Scottish, or Welsh descent.

 

[James Joyce]

Im partly Irish decent and would love to go

Are Protestants and Catholics still fighting? (or something like that)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland

 

[terry78]

You're all gingers.

 

[James Joyce]

You're all gingers.

No.

We're not.

 

[Alexia Dark]

You could have Irish descent. You could also have English, Scottish, or Welsh descent.

I know I'm at least 1/4 Welsh.

Meh, same dif. We were all awesome, battle-hungry, ass-kicking Celts at one point.