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Money Diaries A 43-year-old software technician on €35K working from home in Dublin

Our reader this week details how she’s working from home through the lockdown.

WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on TheJournal.ie running weekly and looking at what people in Ireland really do with their cash.

We’re asking readers to keep a record of how much they earn, how much they save if anything, and what they spend their money on over the course of one week.

Each money diary is submitted by readers just like you. When reading and commenting, bear in mind that their situation will not be relatable for everyone, it is simply an account of a week in their shoes.

If you’d like to document your spending, or lack thereof and any lifestyle changes during this Covid-19 period, we’d love to hear from you. Send an email to money@thejournal.ie and we’ll be in touch.

Last week, we met a 29-year-old contract engineer in the pharmaceutical sector. This week, a 43-year-old software technician who lives with her nephew and is working from home.

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I live quite close to Dublin city centre. I have been renting my apartment for the past 12 years, as it’s too hard to save for a deposit. I put €100 a month into savings, but I always end up dipping into this. I am so bad with money and it always seems to melt when I get it into my account every month.

With the lockdown, I am working from home and missing my work family. I am a very lively outgoing person and I’m missing my weekends out with my friends. I love to swim but pools are closed due to the lockdown, so I am getting out for walks during the day and again in the evenings.

My nephew normally lives with my parents but he is staying with me full-time during the lockdown as it would be too much for my parents as they are quite old and unwell so we’re doing anything to make their life easier.  

Occupation: QA Software Technician
Age: 43
Location: Dublin
Salary: €35,000
Monthly pay (net): €2,346

Monthly expenses

Transport: €20 because of lockdown (it would usually be €80)
Rent: €800 (I get €380 HAP)
Household bills: €120 (Electricity and TV)
Phone bill: €20
Health insurance: Do not have it.
Groceries: €250 +
Car loan: €200
Car insurance: €56
Netflix: €7
Swimming pool: €25
AA: €16
Pension: €85, (my job pays another €85)
Counselling: €70

***

Monday

9.30 am: Working from home means I can get up later, but I am very late this morning. Quickest shower ever and straight to the PC set up in my living room for 10 am. 

10.45 am: I grab a banana and cuppa for breakfast.

1.00 pm: I usually take 40 mins for lunch in the office but because I am at home, I am taking an hour (don’t tell the boss). I’m lucky enough that my parents live down the road, so I go down most lunchtimes with my takeaway tea and sit in the back garden and have a chat with them while they are in the kitchen. I’m not that hungry so I just have a bowl of bran flakes for lunch.

3.45 pm: Quick cuppa and a wagon wheel (lockdown has me eating SO much more).

5.30 pm: I finish work for the day.

7.00 pm: We have dinner which is steak pie, peas and mash.

10.45 pm: I watch the soaps, clean up and head to bed.
 

            Today’s total: €0.00

Tuesday

9.00 am: Up and shower, have a cuppa and catch up on news etc.

9.45 am: Start work, it’s a bit quiet which is unusual. I am lucky to be in the sector I’m working in as it’s still very busy.

11.00 am: Breakfast at my desk is boiled eggs and toast.

1.00 pm: It’s my dad’s birthday today so I go to the shop and take out €70. I put €50 in a card for him and I need to get cigarettes €16 (I am trying to give up) and bread €2.70. Lunch is ham, cheese tomato and onion sambo.

3.45 pm: Cup of tea and some biscuits.

5.30 pm: I finish work for the day.

7.00 pm: We make homemade spaghetti bolognese for dinner, my nephew’s favourite. I let him watch TV for the evening, I clean up and head to bed for 11 pm.

       Today’s total: €68.70

Wednesday

9.45 am: I am late again! I’m really not sleeping at all these days. I shower and straight to my desk and get to work right away.

11.00 am: I make some tea and toast for brekkie and have it at my desk.

1.00 pm: Go to my parents’ and sit in the garden with my takeaway tea, they are in good spirits which is great to see. Lunch is ham, cheese tomato and onion sambo.

5.30 pm: I finish work for the day.

6.00 pm: My nephew wants to make banana bread, so I head to Aldi to get the ingredients. And of course, pick up more food that I do not need. It comes to €24.57.

7.00 pm: We make dinner, which is a lovely simple grill of sausages, bacon, eggs and spice burgers. Delicious! I realise that I have left my baking tin in the office, so we can’t make the bread, so we settle for ice-cream wafers instead. We clean up and head to bed for 11 pm.

                       Today’s total: €24.57

Thursday

9.00 am: Shower and have a cuppa and check news etc.

9.45 am: I get to my desk and get to work right away.

11.00 am: Tea and toast at my desk for brekkie.

1.00 pm: Head down to see my parents with my takeaway tea and sit in the garden and have the chats. Lunch is a ham and cheese toastie.

5.30 pm: Time to finish work.

7.00 pm: I need to go get petrol, and cannot remember the last time I did it. Also, I need to get milk as I forgot it in Aldi yesterday and also some cigarettes. It comes to €37.80.

8.00 pm: Go get some ice-cream (€5) and we take a walk down the coast. 

11.00 pm: I clean up and head to bed.

                      Today’s total: €42.80

Friday

9.15 am: Thank god it’s Friday, but the weeks are flying by. I should be heading away on my holidays today, so I am very sad over that. 

9.45 am: Get to work, I got a good bit of work done yesterday so might finish a bit early today.

11.00 am: I have my usual tea and toast at my desk. Must top up my phone, €20.

1.00 pm: Head out on a walk today. No lunch not feeling too hungry.

5.30 pm: I’m finished work for the day. Not in the mood for cooking so we have some frozen lasagne from the fridge. Head out to get a few beers for later, €10.

11.00 pm: I don’t drink the beers as I’m too tired. I watch TV for a while and head to bed , just wrecked.

                    Today’s total: €30.00

Saturday

11.00 am: I get up and clean around and chill for a bit.

2.30 pm: Head down to my parents as I need to go get their shopping and get my own. I also get some cigarettes so mine costs €60.

5.30 pm: I get home and relax for a bit then have a shower. We have social distance bingo tonight in the apartment block I live in. It’s for charity. I haven’t done it before so it should be a good laugh.

9.00 pm: It’s €10 each for the tickets and I buy one each for me and my nephew. We have such a good night with bingo and music. My nephew wins €50.

1.00 am: Time for bed.

                   Today’s total: €80.00

Sunday

11.30 am: Neither of us wakes up until now and we can’t believe it. We have a much later brekkie than usual of pudding and eggs.

4.00 pm: Head out on a walk for a bit clear the head.

7.00 pm: We get a Chinese takeaway, I was looking forward to it but it was not nice. It cost €13.

10.30 pm: I head to bed and can’t wait for Monday to start all over again!

               Today’s total: €13.00

 Weekly subtotal: €259.07

 

What I learned

  • I drink a lot of tea! I knew this anyway, but I spend way too much money on food and I do waste a lot of it, which I hate doing.
  • I need to start making a list and sticking to it when I go shopping. I need to stop going to the supermarket during the week.
  • Apart from my dad’s birthday, this is a normal week for me and when I look at the numbers, more or less my disposable income is going on food. I also need to cut down on the smokes, but I am trying.

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Little Diddy No
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    Dec 18th 2016, 10:58 AM

    If you have to go for a religion that would make the world a better place, this is surely the one!

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    Mute Willie Penwright
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    Dec 18th 2016, 11:17 AM

    @Little Diddy No: The Rohingya of Myanmar might disagree. All religions are means of controling the gullible so they can be used for fund-raising and even genocide.
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38345006

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 18th 2016, 12:45 PM

    Wille. That particular conflict goes much deeper than what Ideology they follow. It is more to do with ethnicity and culture.

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    Mute Mairtín
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    Dec 18th 2016, 12:49 PM

    Yes what about the ‘ Slaughter ‘ of the Muslims by Buddhist’s in Myanmar.!!!

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 18th 2016, 1:01 PM

    As I said above Mairtin. It goes much deeper that who is Muslim and who is Buddhist. The Rohynga are not ethnic Burmese. They are more ethnically Indian/Bangladeshi. Around the 15th century there were a few small villages in Rakon State where they are now concentrated. But the British during the 18th and 19th century brought in many more Bangladeshi labourers to work on the rubber plantations. And the majority of them settled around the original population. And that is how the conflict began in earnest.

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Dec 18th 2016, 1:25 PM

    The mental gymnastics on here is unbelievable. When there is fighting in Muslim countries they are systematically painted as “a bunch of head hackers”, when muslims are at the short end of it it’s “more complex” and “cultural”. The FACT is that Buddhist MONKS have been involved in violence against muslims in Burma. There is absolutely no getting away from that no matter what contorted excuses are made.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 18th 2016, 1:30 PM

    Tony. You are simply ignoring the ethnic, cultural and historical differences. In the majority of Muslim originated conflicts it is based entirely on ideological grounds.

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Dec 18th 2016, 2:55 PM

    6/10

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    Mute Claire Bracken
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    Dec 18th 2016, 8:20 PM

    Buddhists worldwide (including the Triratna order, it seems – see below) routinely condemn the actions of so-called monks in Burma who preach pure hatred in clear contradiction of everything the Buddha taught (check the verses of the Dhammapada to verify), especially non-violence.
    As Irish Dharmic practitioners will surely testify, there is no such thing as a non-practising Buddhist.
    http://www.thejournal.ie/rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-3101698-Nov2016/

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Dec 19th 2016, 4:10 AM

    @Little Diddy No: Christianity works but too many wearing fancy dress ruin it for everyone…

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    Mute Craig Barry
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    Dec 19th 2016, 9:30 PM

    @Little Diddy No: Buddhism is not a religion per se

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    Mute Abby Wynne
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    Dec 18th 2016, 11:15 AM

    The path to happiness is to disconnect from material things and reconnect to the self. Lovely article.

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    Mute Congress Tart
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    Dec 18th 2016, 2:16 PM

    @Abby Wynne: was that tweeted using your iPhone or Macbook?

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    Mute Craig Barry
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    Dec 19th 2016, 9:31 PM

    @Congress Tart: how else could she post a comment?

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    Mute Patrick Fagan
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    Dec 18th 2016, 12:09 PM

    Buddhism is not a religion it is a way of being. Vippassana teaching would say even to identify yourself as a buddist is not healthy.

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    Mute Claire Bracken
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    Dec 18th 2016, 8:15 PM

    @Patrick Fagan: I’d say it’s more of a practice. But then it’s so people-centred it’s different things to different people.

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    Mute Scarlett Milton
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    Dec 18th 2016, 11:42 AM

    a Buddhist monk goes into his dentist, he tells his dentist “,no injections” as he wants to ,transcend dental medication, an old one but i love

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    Mute Jesper
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    Dec 18th 2016, 11:49 AM

    Buddhism isn’t a religion.

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    Mute Lord Clanricarde
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    Dec 18th 2016, 12:01 PM

    “How do Irish Buddhists live?” : Peacefully I bet!

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Dec 18th 2016, 1:26 PM

    Not in Burma.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 18th 2016, 2:24 PM

    The Ethnic Burmese who happen to be Buddhists are in conflict with the Rohynga who are Ethnically Bangladeshi and who happen to be Muslim. Very much like the conflicts around Europe such as in France with their Ethnic North Africans in daily conflict with French Authorities or Turks in Germany. But in Burma on a State level.

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    Mute Breas
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    Dec 18th 2016, 11:31 AM

    silly middle class people who reject Christ in favor of lies

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    Mute weeya
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    Dec 18th 2016, 12:25 PM

    Oh the irony Breas… completely lost on you I’d say?!

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Dec 18th 2016, 1:28 PM

    0/10. Try harder.

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    Mute Dublin Living
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    Dec 18th 2016, 12:35 PM

    It’s not the “largest religious grouping in Ireland outside of Christianity and Islam”. Atheists and non-religious are certainly the second biggest grouping here.

    Note: I said ‘grouping’ like the article says, not ‘religion’. Buddhism is not a religion as such either. Buddhists are typically atheists also.

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    Mute winston smith
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    Dec 18th 2016, 1:34 PM

    Atheists, Agnostics and the like are not a religion so can’t be included.

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    Mute Dublin Living
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    Dec 20th 2016, 8:41 AM

    @winston smith: I’m well aware they are not a religion, I even said that. I said it’s a grouping which is correct. It’s very important to acknowledge that the non-religious are a very large proportion of the country and not just pretend that they don’t exist.

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    Mute Padraig
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    Dec 18th 2016, 11:32 AM

    The country’s first copper domed Buddhist temple is now being built in West Cork.
    irishexaminer.com/video/news/watch-the-countrys-first-copper-domed-buddhist-temple-is-being-built-in-west-cork-430205.html

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 18th 2016, 12:41 PM

    The thing about Buddhism is, it is all about how you live your life now will relate what kind of life you have when you reincarnate next time around. The ideal for Buddhists is to reach a state of Nirvana so that their souls can leave the Wheel of Life and transcend. And Buddha himself is not a God that you Worship but the first Human to reach Transcendency, so as you (for want of a better word) pray and meditate you are aspiring to be like him.

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    Mute Claire Bracken
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    Dec 18th 2016, 8:28 PM

    @Mick Jordan: That’s reasonably correct, apart from the souls bit. There are no souls in Buddhism, as the Buddha taught that nothing is permanent and fixed. So something continues after death, but it’s not a solid core of your being.

    Also how you live your life now will relate to what kind of life you will have in 10 years from now, or five, or a year’s time, or after Christmas, or next week. Or tomorrow. Or in while. Or right after you read this sentence. We’re all being reborn, all of the time, whether we like it or not. Easier to get with the programme :@)

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 18th 2016, 11:50 PM

    I used souls in a loose concept to describe a persons essence so to speak.

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    Mute danny corrigan
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    Dec 18th 2016, 11:28 AM

    if a bear sharts in woods, can a falling tree hit the sound of one hand clapping?… or something like that

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    Mute Eye_c_u
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    Dec 18th 2016, 12:17 PM

    Totally cool very zen. But 3rd biggest religion bit of a play with words there. A protestant would see a Catholic as different faith/religion and so on with baptist and the Mormons and jehovah witnesses. Obviously if you lump them all into one and Islam into the other there are not many more religions in the developed world. Break each down and it’s closer to the bottom. But would like to see it more mainstream and never thought as a person of science that I would ever say that about a religion

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    Mute Joey Westland
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    Dec 18th 2016, 12:16 PM

    Or you could just take a heap of codeine on an empty stomach.

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    Mute Matt Shallow
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    Dec 18th 2016, 6:27 PM

    You don’t have to be a Buddhist to meditate. Just saying…..

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    Mute Mairtín
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    Dec 18th 2016, 1:10 PM

    Buddhists believe in ‘Hell ‘, where people Burn, not so peaceful is it. They believe in Heaven, and believe ‘ Buddha ‘ is there, yet when I asked a Buddhist how he knew, he said : ‘ We just know ‘, no proof there. Ask questions of a Buddhist, like why they attacked ‘ Christians ‘ in Sri Lanka and beat them with Clubs.
    Why they ‘ Burn ‘ themselves in Protest when they can’t get what they want through legal means.
    In Myanmar Buddhist’s slaughter Muslims, burn down Villages , Reports of Rape and Murder.
    Ask questions, Buddhists don’t like pertinent questions, left of too easily, taken in by all that Talk of peace . In the Town where I come from, Monks expect their people to Feed them, in order to get ‘ Merit ‘ from the ‘ Three corner Gem ‘.
    And ‘ Buddha was conceived by an Elephant touching his Mother.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 18th 2016, 1:26 PM

    Mairtin. Is it not the case where the local people are happy to share a small portion of their food with the Monks because it gains them merit. And as for conflicts very very few practicing Buddhists would claim to be perfect. Hence striving for perfection over many many turns on the Wheel of Life. And just as with nature everthing in Buddhism such as Heaven there must so be it’s opposite Hell. Yin and Yang.

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    Mute Claire Bracken
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    Dec 18th 2016, 8:25 PM

    @Mairtín: The Buddhist hell is a mental space of pain and suffering, rather than a physical place. Many of us move in and out of us in our lifetimes. You may know it yourself.

    Secondl, the Buddha was born a human, but trascended his limitations through effort and ethical conduct to achieve nirvana, or complete mental and physical liberation.

    (As an aside, I wonder whether Tibet would be a haven for terrorist activity, guerilla warfare and bombings if the people there were anything but Buddhist?)

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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    Dec 18th 2016, 1:57 PM

    Yee never checked your facts, Hindu is the third biggest religion according the 2016 census. There are only 8.703 Buddhist in Ireland.

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    Mute Claire Bracken
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    Dec 18th 2016, 8:13 PM

    @Martin Sinnott: Hmm, that’s interesting, considering the full 2016 census results – including religious breakdown and so on – won’t be available until next year.

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    Mute Grey Beard
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    Dec 18th 2016, 11:19 PM

    There is a darker side to Buddhism that most people are unaware of including most Western “Buddhists” For example that belief that people born disabled are deserving of such because they must have done something bad in a previous life. Every Religion has their bad points I guess but Buddhism isn’t the worst.

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    Mute Stakeknife
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    Dec 19th 2016, 6:05 PM

    That’s not even partly true. You could be confusing it with Hinduism there.

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    Mute Scarlett Milton
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    Dec 18th 2016, 11:43 AM

    it

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    Mute Patrick J. O'Rourke
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    Dec 18th 2016, 2:27 PM

    My own flavour is Bushido Zen.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 18th 2016, 2:37 PM

    The Way of the Warriors.

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    Mute Frau Perchta
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 11:31 AM

    Where are the stats from the CSO with the data to back up the claim of 3rd largest?

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