Nothing generates more enthusiasm at SHEmazing! HQ than when we jostle to share our favourite 90s memories with each other.
Discovering that one co-worker was a well-known Tip the Can cheater and another really wanted to look like Taylor from Hanson can leave a lasting impression, but that doesn’t stop us from sharing these deets on a daily basis.
When the street lights dictated your curfew and when the sound of an ice cream van ignited mass hysteria, we were flat out having the time of our lives.
Now, on the back of a major new study into all things Irish carried out by leading media agency OMD, we bring you seven things that will give any 90s kid the major feels.
1. Dancing inappropriately with no timing
Perfecting those high kicks with your mates while insisting that your loneliness was killing you was standard procedure for any 90s girl back in the day.
Whether it was an impromptu dance session or a scheduled rehearsal for the school talent show, someone would ALWAYS end up storming off in a huff.
“It’s slide, twist, shimmy damn it! You’re on your last warning.”
2. Killing your virtual pet
While most of us look fondly upon time spent with our Tamagotchis, we doubt our virtual pets would feel the same.
If we weren’t overfeeding them, we were forgetting to clean up after them – all of which guaranteed a less than happy life for those little guys.
3. Having an on / off relationship with your bike
Before we guarded our Leap cards with our lives or got our first ever driving lesson, our bikes were our principal mode of transport, and they pretty much consumed every moment of our young lives.
From being roared at for leaving them out in the rain one day to lovingly attaching coloured beads to their spokes the next, the relationship we had with our wheels was a complex, but necessary one.
4. Bob-a-jobbin’ like good things
Knowing you could make a little cash by sweeping your neighbour’s driveway or washing your dad’s car meant us 90s kids were an entrepreneurial group at the best of times.
20p would get us four woppas (two cola AND two mint obvs), and Bridie would have her windowsills washed – everyone’s a winner, sure.
“Where’s your man keep his paint cans? Let’s surprise him.”
5. Rollerblading into the next dimension
When rollerblade mania descended upon Ireland in the mid 90s, no one was safe.
Having an elderly neighbour give you a push in the right direction before launching sideways into a wheelie bin was the name of the game, and lads we loved it.
“Go ask your dad if he’ll build us a ramp, but don’t say I asked.”
6. Becoming a gamer (when you actually got a go)
There was always ONE kid on the road with the latest games console meaning that the entire estate was forced to congregate in his garden until each person was actually given a chance on that slick beast.
Between promising a go on your bike to reminding him you once found his lost football, your need to get your hands on those damn controls trumped any sense of pride.
“Be reasonable here, Ciarán. Who let you copy their Irish homework last week?”
7. Feeling part of the gang
From games of manhunt that involved the entire neighbourhood to Christmas mornings spent checking in with everyone on the road, a strong sense of belonging is our abiding childhood memory here at SHEmazing! HQ, and we’re not alone.
According to the second Future of Ireland nationwide study (hat tip to researchers OMD and Ulster Bank) 49% of Irish people say friends and family remain at the heart of Irish society, so there’s no doubt that we’re keen to maintain the strong sense of community many of us enjoyed as kids.
Us Irish are all about linking in with each other, and with the vast majority of those surveyed regularly participating in community activities, it doesn’t sound like old-fashioned community spirit is going anywhere any time soon!
Thankfully, 48% of Irish people are optimistic about the future of their community and 49% expect to still be living in the same area in 2025, so as long as Ciarán quits hogging the damn console, the future looks bright for Irish neighbourhoods.
The second Future of Ireland nationwide study – #futureire – was published today by media agency OMD with the support of Ulster Bank.
You can find out more here!
