Ah, Northern Ireland – one of the most unique and special places on planet Earth. A world of its own, growing up here is like nothing you’ll experience elsewhere, as the ten things listed below will prove.
With all its highs and lows, spending your formative years in Northern Ireland certainly shapes you into a certain kind of person. Today, we’re taking you back with ten things you’ll remember if you grew up in Northern Ireland.
From sweet treats to classic Northern Irish parental discipline, there are a few things that are so unique to our wee corner of the island – and you often don’t realise until you leave.
Feeling nostalgic? Let’s take a walk down memory lane with the ten things you’ll remember if you grew up in Northern Ireland.
- Ah, Northern Ireland – one of the most unique and special places on planet Earth. A world of its own, growing up here is like nothing you’ll experience elsewhere, as the ten things listed below will prove.
- 10. Sukie is the ultimate thirst-quencher – and hangover cure
- 9. The dreaded wooden spoon – those words would put the fear into the bravest soul
- 8. Sudocrem cures all aches and pains – the ultimate cure
- 7. School Around The Corner – your chance to get your 15 minutes of fame
- 6. The days of Pooh Bear ice cream – the poor bear had to be renamed
- 5. The immersion – you don’t want to be the one who left it on
- 4. Trips to Xtra-vision – the ultimate way to spend a Friday night
- 3. Dreamworld on the Boucher Road – the perfect day out
- 2. Dale Farm has our hearts – nothing beats a Joker lolly on a hot day
- 1. Days out at Barry’s in Portrush – hours of fun to be had
10. Sukie is the ultimate thirst-quencher – and hangover cure
Available in Apple and Blackcurrant, Orange, or Stawberry flavour, Sukie is the ultimate treat to pick up when ma or da gives you a few quid to take to the shop.
We don’t know about you, but this sweet, sugary drink was the ultimate pick-me-up when you got home from school. And as you got a bit older, it provided the perfect tasty hangover cure after a heavy night out.
9. The dreaded wooden spoon – those words would put the fear into the bravest soul
One of the things you’ll remember if you grew up in Northern Ireland is the threat of the dreaded wooden spoon.
Whether or not you ever got a whack over the wrist with this cooking utensil, the threat was always there to keep you in line and behaving yourself.
8. Sudocrem cures all aches and pains – the ultimate cure
Headache? Put some Sudocrem on it. Fell while out playing and cut your knee? Put some Sudocrem on it. Burnt yourself? Put some Sudocrem on it.
We don’t really know what exactly this miracle cream is, but it seems to be the cure for all ills, accidents, aches, and pains. And was it just us, or did it always come in the biggest tub ever?
7. School Around The Corner – your chance to get your 15 minutes of fame
An iconic series hosted by TV legend Frank Mitchell, School Around The Corner aired on UTV from 1995 to 2005 and was always the highlight of our evenings.
You either got a chance to feature on the show yourself or knew someone who did. But there was always that one kid who ended up doing something painfully embarrassing live on air.
6. The days of Pooh Bear ice cream – the poor bear had to be renamed
You can’t beat a big scoop of Mauds ice cream during a sunny(ish) day at the seaside. With so many flavours to choose from, it really was the ultimate sweet treat.
One of the brand’s most iconic flavours, Pooh Bear was the best honeycomb ice cream you’ve ever tasted. However, Disney weren’t too pleased at the name Pooh Bear and the flavour had to change to Poor Bear.
5. The immersion – you don’t want to be the one who left it on
“WHO LEFT THE IMMERSION ON?” – a frequent phrase heard in every home here and one of the things you’ll remember if you grew up in Northern Ireland.
Incredibly expensive to run, you always had to switch it off as soon as the water was ready. But somehow, it was just easy to forget. You’d better hide if you were the culprit or the wooden spoon might come out.
4. Trips to Xtra-vision – the ultimate way to spend a Friday night
Before the days of Netflix and Amazon Prime, we used to rent videos from Xtra-vision for our Friday night entertainment. Hours spent browsing what new releases they had was all part of the fun.
You’d just better make sure you didn’t forget to return your videos on time or you’d be hit by a hefty fine.
3. Dreamworld on the Boucher Road – the perfect day out
A haven of soft play with huge slides, trampolines, mini roller coasters, a pirate ship, and even a PlayStation area, you were guaranteed hours of fun at Dreamworld.
If you were lucky enough to have a birthday party or two here, then you really were living the dream. And only the bravest souls tackled the Free Fall. If you went to primary school in Northern Ireland, then you definitely went here a few times.
2. Dale Farm has our hearts – nothing beats a Joker lolly on a hot day
Just missing out on the top spot on our list of things you’ll remember if you grew up in Northern Ireland is the absolute chokehold Dale Farm had over us.
From Sukie to the best ice lolly selection you could wish for (our personal favourite was the minty Croc Pop) to their incredible vanilla, honeycomb, and raspberry ripple ice cream blocks, you really can’t go wrong with Dale Farm.
1. Days out at Barry’s in Portrush – hours of fun to be had
No list of memories of a Northern Irish childhood would be complete without a mention of Barry’s.
This iconic Portrush amusement park was the highlight of our summers as we sheltered from Northern Ireland’s summer weather (rain, rain, and more rain) and spent countless hours taking turns on the rides. Ah, bring us back to the good ol’ days.
