{"id":531408,"date":"2026-07-03T16:54:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T16:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/531408\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T16:54:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T16:54:10","slug":"leaving-cert-holidays-in-albufeira-you-know-18-year-old-irish-lads-theyre-not-all-careful-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/531408\/","title":{"rendered":"Leaving Cert holidays in Albufeira: \u2018You know, 18-year-old Irish lads, they\u2019re not all careful\u2019 \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Certain things stand out on a walk down the strip of Albufeira, a party town west of Faro in Portugal: the heavy police presence; club reps trying to encourage punters to enter venues; thumping dance music and an abundance of sunburned \u201cbig Irish heads\u201d.<\/p>\n

It is easy to spot those here from Ireland, with a sea of GAA jerseys making their way from one bar to another. Speaking on the strip, 18-year-old Ois\u00edn Reynolds, from Wicklow<\/a>, says: \u201cI think O\u2019Neill\u2019s sponsor Albufeira at this stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though temperatures have cooled down slightly from the height of the heatwave experienced by the west of Europe in recent days, the sun continues to beat down on the eager post-Leaving Certificate<\/a> students with highs of 30, 31 and 32 the week we visit.<\/p>\n

\"OisinOisin Reynolds and Matthew Dowd <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s well too hot for the Irish,\u201d says Matthew Dowd (18), who is here with Reynolds and a large group from Col\u00e1iste Chraobh Abhann in Kilcoole. As we are speaking, more former schoolmates arrive. <\/p>\n

Reynolds, Dowd and their gang have been here for six days and, though there was a bumpy start to the holiday with delayed flights, they have been enjoying being together in the sun.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe tried our best to drink water but it actually just disappears when you\u2019re with a big group of people,\u201d Dowd says. <\/p>\n

Thankfully, the teenagers have been waking up too late to be affected by the peak heat.<\/p>\n

For most here, it is their first big trip abroad without the watchful eye of their parents and, with a stressful year behind them, it\u2019s time to let off some steam. <\/p>\n

Albufeira is an ideal location for this, with the beach to lounge around by day and a lively pub and club scene by night. Not to mention the boozy boat trips, illuminated venue signs and plenty of places in which to drink.<\/p>\n

\"Matt'sMatt’s Bar in Albufeira is a popular spot <\/p>\n

Each day follows a similar routine \u2013 out of bed late and head to the beach or pool; lounge around or frolic on inflatables in the water until about 6pm; back to the accommodation for a shower before heading out for dinner at 8pm or 9pm.<\/p>\n

And, this year, there is the added giddiness of World Cup fever taking over the town \u2013 with matches on in every pub, young men playing keepie-uppies in the street (with more than a few pint glasses getting caught in the crossfire) and club reps cleverly using a whistle and a red card to try to pull punters into the bar they are promoting. <\/p>\n

Albufeira has long been a popular destination for young Irish people and this year is no different, with Reynolds saying: \u201cThere is a lot of Irish. You\u2019re seeing Irish people and you\u2019re chatting to them. It\u2019s gas the way the Irish connect when we\u2019re abroad. It\u2019s just good fun on a night out. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou see English [people] and a lot of them are nice but, from what I\u2019ve been seeing, they\u2019re the ones causing the trouble over here.\u201d Later on the day we speak (Wednesday), England are due to play DR Congo and they\u2019re anticipating a bit of rowdiness from the fans for the evening.<\/p>\n

Questioned about the \u201ctrouble\u201d they\u2019ve seen, they say they\u2019ve \u201cseen a bit of everything, really\u201d but mostly everything is calm. <\/p>\n

Reynolds strikes a poignant note when reflecting on the importance of the holiday to his friend group. \u201cWe\u2019ll have the next day or two together and that will be fun but it probably will be the last time we\u2019re all together because who knows where everyone\u2019s going to go,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

Following the stress of the Leaving Cert exams, \u201cI well deserve this holiday,\u201d says Dowd.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Leaving Cert holidaymakers are packing: \u2018It\u2019s so expensive, my nails are \u20ac70 alone\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

New measures have been introduced in Albufeira in a bid to balance tourism and the quality of life of those who live in the town by mayor Rui Cristina, who took office late last year. <\/p>\n

The restrictions came into place on June 1st and saw bars, nightclubs and convenience stores having to reduce their opening times by one hour. Just last week, on June 26th, further measures were introduced to limit noise pollution. Establishments now have to use council-approved sound limiters, with Cristina pledging zero tolerance for those who do not comply.<\/p>\n

Emma Buckley, who relocated from Tipperary to Albufeira in 2015, has been working here for over a decade and considers the town home. Regarding the new restrictions, she is not sure they will dampen the spirits of party-goers.<\/p>\n

\"EmmaEmma Buckley has made Albufeira her home <\/p>\n

\u201cThe bars are going to notice a difference take-in wise but I don\u2019t think customers are going to notice much of a difference. We\u2019ll notice it in the bars because that\u2019s what we\u2019re used to,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think [in] Albufeira, changes did need to happen but I don\u2019t know if reducing the bars\u2019 times \u2026 I do understand it, I totally understand it. But I don\u2019t know how much of a difference it\u2019s going to make.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post-Leaving Cert holidaymakers agree it will not make a huge difference to them. \u201cWe don\u2019t need to be out til 6am,\u201d Dowd says.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou nearly would just be staying out for the craic of staying out. In the long run, you\u2019re spending more money,\u201d Reynolds says.<\/p>\n

Having been on this exact trip in 2018, one thing really stood out to this reporter: how easy it seemed to be to access drugs in 2026. The Irish Times found a number of Instagram and TikTok accounts advertising their \u201cservices\u201d, often describing themselves as having the \u201cbest\u201d drugs in town, in the comment sections under posts about Albufeira. <\/p>\n

Eight years prior in the town, it felt the only way to secure anything illegal would be to watch carefully for the dodgy characters dotted around the strip who would offer cocaine, pills or weed to people they thought would buy. <\/p>\n

What might have been an impulse buy for a teenager in 2018 could now be decided well in advance and purchased with just one text. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0The crunch CAO question: What kind of thinker do I want to be?Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

When The Irish Times contacted one of these TikTok pages, they were sent a WhatsApp number to message. Here, the dealer sent a full menu of drugs and their prices \u2013 one gram of cocaine for \u20ac80; one tablet of ecstasy for \u20ac10; a gram of ketamine for \u20ac35; 10 grams of \u201cweed\u201d for \u20ac70, with a \u201cpremium\u201d option of five grams for \u20ac50; and \u201chashish\u201d, five grams for \u20ac40 and five grams for \u20ac60 of the \u201cpremium strain\u201d. <\/p>\n

When asked if they dealt to many Irish people, the dealer refused to comment. <\/p>\n

The \u201cold school\u201d way of dealing on the streets is still visible around the party areas too, with Reynolds and Dowd noticing dealers openly offering drugs. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou just have to be careful,\u201d Dowd says, \u201cand, you know, 18-year-old Irish lads, they\u2019re not all careful. As an 18-year-old, you\u2019re vulnerable to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

They say they\u2019ve seen the exact same kind of posts from dealers on their social feeds too. Reynolds says: \u201cYou\u2019re just scrolling and they\u2019re taking videos of the strip, looking like they\u2019re just a tourist account. But then you actually look into it \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve found most places to be offering drinks \u201cat Irish prices\u201d, Dowd says. \u201cYou\u2019d think it would be cheap. You have to find the right places. It\u2019s so easy \u2013 especially for lads \u2013 to get your money taken from these places. It\u2019s so easy for them to manipulate you.\u201d<\/p>\n

As well as that, they warn others to be cautious of club and brand reps offering wristbands to certain events, with the promise of free drinks or entry. In some instances, it might work out cheaper \u2013 with some companies offering a number of events with one band.<\/p>\n

Reynolds jokes that his friend Dowd has already spent a lot of money.<\/p>\n

Defending himself, Dowd replies: \u201cAll this stuff, like. Big bright colours and they take your money in. It\u2019s so impossible. I am broke.\u201d<\/p>\n

They\u2019re just here to do to their bit, to have a bit of a party, relax<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0Emma Buckley<\/p>\n

A group of girls from Mount Sackville secondary school in Dublin said that the main thing for them was to stick together while they\u2019re away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a good time in the day, we stay by the pool, we get our tan. We come out at nighttime. We stick together and we have fun,\u201d says Katie, who only wanted to give her first name.<\/p>\n

When asked why they came to Albufeira, the girls said it was \u201ccheaper than Zante\u201d, the Greek island, and that it seemed to be the hotspot for this year.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Buckley, who has spent 10 years in Albufeira, says: \u201cThe bars have definitely gotten more expensive but isn\u2019t that everywhere? Isn\u2019t that the cost of living everywhere, not just Albufeira.\u201d<\/p>\n

She and her colleagues watch as a wave of Leaving Cert students come to the town every year as soon as their exams end. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had chats with them. They\u2019re great. They\u2019re just here to do to their bit, to have a bit of a party, relax. They do go out, get up in the day, go out to the beach and that. They\u2019ve a lot to think about come September so it\u2019s only fair they get to come and relax,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

\u201cCome have a drink but be respectful of the neighbourhood they\u2019re in as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buckley says Albufeira has lots to offer. \u201cThere is so much more to Albufeira than the strip. I don\u2019t think people even realise that when they are coming over. They just see the strip and the old town and see it as a party town, but there is so much more to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SingleSingle newspaper tear-Hols <\/p>\n

Looking back: Post-Leaving Cert holidays are not new. In 2001, The Irish Times reported on \u201cgrowing numbers of Irish students heading abroad for a post-Leaving Cert bash\u201d. <\/p>\n

Back then the holidays cost, on average, around IR\u00a3400 or IR\u00a3500, with teenagers recommended to bring roughly the same amount for spending money.<\/p>\n

Some of the somewhat dated comments in the 25-year-old article reflect the social mores of the time.<\/p>\n

One travel agent said: \u201cIrish girls tend to stick with the same lad if they meet a nice one early on. They wouldn\u2019t want a reputation for going off with different guys all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

A young Irishman who had returned from a Leaving Cert holiday expressed surprise at the way his female counterparts behaved when away from home. His tongue-in-cheek advice to them was to \u201crelax on the drink and cover up a bit more … but I wish I could find some of them over here!\u201d<\/p>\n

Advice to parents from a family counsellor still rings true, however. One said that parents should bear in mind that all young people go through a period of experimentation during which they, like their parents, will make mistakes. \u201cAll you can do now is sit back, hold on to the arms of the chair and hope for the best,\u201d she said. \u2013 Mary Minihan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Certain things stand out on a walk down the strip of Albufeira, a party town west of Faro…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":531409,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[72,61,60,3184,2888,976,4018],"class_list":["post-531408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-leaving-certificate","tag-portugal","tag-weekendreview","tag-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/531408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=531408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/531408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/531409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=531408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=531408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=531408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}