Facebook picks Dublin for international HQ

Social networking website Facebook plans to establish a new "international headquarters" in the Irish capital of Dublin. The Dublin HQ will house Facebook's sales and support staff catering to its Europe, Middle East, and Africa users, the Irish Times reports. Its current commercial office in London will not be affected by …

[Solomon Grundy]

Last Minute Ploy - Now Is the Time

Seeing as how Ireland is traditionally known for drinking (and poor use of the English language) and only in the past decade have gained a tiny bit of traction regarding an internatinal business home, they'd best be happy with what they can get: even if it is Facefuck. If something truly doesn't happen there (other than tax breaks) they are just going to degerate into the same bunch of overly loud drunkards that ruled Erin in the past.

Personally I think a Nation of Drunks is more sustainable and valuable that some temporary tax haven; some people may think differently. It's Truth Time for Globalization and Ireland is certainly a mean measurement point.

[Angus]

Re: Top o' the morning...bitch

Love it. :)

[Rich]

Ireland

It's interesting how Ireland is doing so well out of being better governed than the UK and having a less moronic population. Now Britain is complaining when they bring in sensible policies like bank deposit guarantees because these are "anti-competitive".

[KenBW2]

This shouldn't last long

It's only a matter of time before everyone gets bored of facebook and moves elsewhere.

[John Latham]

The remarkable thing about Ireland is...

...that everyone is an expert. Including me, obviously.

@Solomon Grundy: all parts of the 'British' Isles are famous for their drinking. Perhaps you mean "positively regarded".

@Rich: 'Ireland is doing so well out of being better governed than the UK...sensible policies like bank deposit guarantees'. You obviously don't live here (Ireland) then. Rearrange these words: 'door bolted horse closed after stable'.

[Michael]

@Last Minute Ploy - Now Is the Time

"Seeing as how Ireland is traditionally known for drinking (and poor use of the English language)".....

er, ,I think someone's asking to be flamed here( Is't that right, ye little fecker! which nation came out worse than the Russians for drunken behaviour abroad in Daily Express survey

...Daily Express ,ffs ! )

still, i'd prefer it if , say , Google moved to Cork, and we had some decent Linux repositories along the kerry border.

[pc]

Jealous Much Mr. Grundy?

What happened? Barman wouldn't serve you on the stag weekend to Temple Bar?

[Anonymous Coward]

@Last Minute Ploy - Now Is the Time

In my experience i would tend to find that irish people speak much better english than their english counterparts... mebbe not after 10 pints though lol.

"If something truly doesn't happen there (other than tax breaks) they are just going to degerate into the same bunch of overly loud drunkards that ruled Erin in the past."

That'd be the english then...! :P

[Rory]

@solomon grundy

It's thanks to the old stereotype of the drunken paddy that Ireland has done so well - while the brits are laughing at us, we take their money

[Peter]

Awfull traffic and still no Ikea!

The town is absolutely stuffed with traffic, really really impossible to get around. And it gets so much worse at commute time. There is some help with the new road and the tram service, but only if you live and work in the right places. Otherwise expect a ridiculously long commute.

As soon as you get outside the town the roads become narrow 2 tracks with very little defined edges (no kerbs). The ever present mud is thrown up on the road edges and on the (tiny!) road signs. Everyone has a car with a filth covered rear screen.

Oh and Ikea STILL haven't got there!

P.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Last Minute Ploy - Now Is the Time

@ Solomon Grundy

You slate the Irish in your post claiming poor use of the English language, while you talk about Dublin being an "internatinal business home" and that they are "going to degerate into the same bunch of overly loud drunkards". May I suggest you perfect your own grasp of the English language before slating an entire nation on theirs.

[Anonymous Coward]

Solomon Grundy trolled on Friday

Watchu sayin' Grundy geez' you don't know nuffink 'bout nuffink, you fink them Brits speak better English than them Paddies, and all they wanna do is go down the Rub-a-dub-dub for pint's a Stella and a Ruby Murray up the apple 'n' pears wiff their plates of meat? Uh, I've gone off point there sorry, but I think it's well known that the Brits cant handle their alco-pops:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/world/europe/24crete.html?scp=1&sq=british%20drinking%20greece&st=cse

Sure, they come for the tax breaks, but they stay for the craic.

[Ferry Boat]

@Rich

Although it's the British Bankers Association that's complained to the Irish government it's about a possible breach of an EU rule on state aid. The Commission may well get in on the act after the meeting tomorrow.

We'll see how sensible a policy it is if it ever gets used. I wonder where the money will come from, oh I see, the tax payers. Not so different to Northern Wreck after all.

As for the Irish being better governed, I think you need to bone up on a certain Charles Haughey and a certain Bertie. It's a little too early to tell with Cowan. It might please Mr Grundy to learn that Cowan used to work in a pub.

[Peter]

Stupid comments

I note that the majority of comments so far have been about the Irish/Dubliners ability to drink. Which does not assist or improve the comprehension of others who may be considering moving to these parts.

My comment left some time ago today about traffic in Dublin seems to been ignored by the Reg. Why?

P.

[Anonymous Coward]

@ Solomon Grundy

Where exactly are you from mate??? If it's the UK then you've got very little to talk about coming from that crime ridden hell-hole that is your island.

I'm not surprised they didn't set up in London - facebook is aimed at teenagers, and too many of your teenagers are shot every few days to make it worthwhile.

[Sarah Bee]

Re: Stupid comments

>My comment left some time ago today about traffic in Dublin seems to been ignored by the Reg. Why?

Because we hadn't got to it yet, and because I was doing some writing and sub-editing and such, and because sometimes comments slip through or fall to the bottom of the cage and lie there writhing and making pitiful noises until we pick them up.

Or it's because [insert censor-tastic conspiralunacy here]. Your pick.

[Norfolk Enchants Paris]

@rich

No IKEA?

In my books, a good thing. The shopping experience is like being cattle herded through an abattoir.

[Anonymous Coward]

Unaccountable

Poor infrastructures, roads smaller that an average german/french/italian/spanish town, low skilled personnel and a massive amount of knackers/skankers living around.

The tram? More that one year of roadworks to lay down 1.7km of new tracks digging up and closing the same spots up to 10 times. The works are halfway and no tracks have been deployed in my area.

Ireland overall is just underdeveloped bad copy of the UK with people are living their lives with the hope of getting some alcohol during the weekend or the daily pint at 5PM.

Returning froma trip abroad? Fuck the souvenirs, let's ride the duty free: here the beer is cheaper. Yaiiiii.

[pc]

Re: Stupid comments

Miss? How did I do with my comment miss? Can I have an A+ miss?

Grade me now!

P.S. I get the DART to work, so traffic is not a problem. And it's Friday afternoon, and although I have red hair and blue eyes I'm not drunk yet... Does this mean I have to hand my passport back?

[Anonymous Coward]

90 minutes...

@ Fredd

So, I need 90 minutes on a bus to cover 10km (still 40 minutes at 6 AM with no cars around) because I have a narrow mind?

Do you have an explanation for the knackers happy sllapping people and stealing/trashing cars during te weekend?

Because of course it must be my fault as well...

[Greg Kerr]

@ illiterate idiot Solomon Grundy

Your grasp of both spelling and grammar leave a lot to be desired, I would suggest improving your communication skills before addressing the imagined deficiencies of others.

Do you know what Heaney, Beckett, Shaw and Yeats have in common? Hint: they all won a little prize. For work in English.

Given that the UK's population is almost 15 times larger I think our return has been pretty good.

We also have one or two other successful and well-regarded authors, poets and playwrights.

You should try and read a book, it would be good for you. Start with something straightforward like Harry Potter. Or maybe something with pictures.

G

[Anonymous Coward]

Eire

As a tenious link to this story the band I'm not about to mention are on FaceBook.

Anyway some mates of mine were invited to play with their band at a festival in Eire last month & they were treated like royalty (but obviously not Lord Mountbatton) they found the people really nice and welcoming but great time they did not have (he says Yoda like). the people at the festival, they said were scared shitless of the Garda (Police) & couldn't relax & have a good time & the Pub they visited when the Police turned up the places fell silent, the place closed & everyone filed out in a line like they were convicts. Non of this happy Irish banter, lock-ins & relaxed atmosphere their tourist office tries to lay on.

Give me good old Blighty anyday if it's like that, where you can say what you think to a copper as long as you can run faster than him.

[Seán]

@AC

It's not Eire it's Ireland and I don't know what kind of sad sacks your band were hanging round with but they sound like they're from Cork which is where we keep the shitheads.

[Anonymous Coward]

Ref: Sean

Sorry for making the mistake of trying to be polite and using the Irish language name "Éire" instead of the English language "Ireland". I was just trying to be polite and tip a hat to what is still I believe an official language of "Ireland".

Funny I never seem to get a complaint when I try to be polite and use French to French people, Welsh to the Welsh & once I even got a smile from a German petrol station attendant when i repeated (badly) in German a rhyme I'd been told which means "german language is hard to speak".

Oh and your right I think it may have been Cork way.