A brutal discussion took place on an online forum on Monday night about the most depressing-looking towns in Ireland - and some locals weren't holding back.
Larne in Co Antrim appeared to come out on top of the unofficial list with the most upvotes, as people who have visited the town described it as having "bleak energy".
Other places that made the list included Drogheda, Borris-in-Ossory in Co Laois, as well as Tipperary town - which one user claimed looked like it had been "bombed in the 70s and they just left it like that".
Taking to the Irish Reddit subreddit, an anonymous user asked: "What’s the most aesthetically depressing town you’ve been through in Ireland?"
They suggested Granard in Co Longford and sparked a lively debate with other Irish people weighing in with their unflattering suggestions for the most-depressing Irish town.
Here are the places that made the list.
Larne, Co Antrim
Larne is a town on the east coast of Antrim and was once suggested as a possible route for a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
However, despite the costal scenery and the locally-named 'crowndabout' - the Jubilee Crown that sits on the roundabout - it proved a popular choice for the most "aesthetically depressing town" in Ireland.
One user wrote: "It would make a good dystopian film set", while another added: "Larne has bleak energy".
Granard, Co Longford
Granard kicked off the debate on the thread to find the most "depressing town" in Ireland with many other agreeing. One wrote: "When I saw the title of the post my first thought was 'Granard'."
Another critic claimed: "Granard is probably the most depressing and disgusting places I’ve ever been in Ireland. The whole town is like an old gritty, greasey (sic), run down, industrialised, 1950s factory."
Borris-in-Ossoroy, Co Laois
Borris-in-Ossory, a town in Co Laois was renamed "Burst-of-Misery" by one local respondent.
Another person recalled how it used to be the stopping point on long-distance bus routes across Ireland, saying: "The bus from Limerick to Dublin always had to stop here for half an hour. I used to get a coffee and a twix. It was a grim place."
Tipperary town
The main town in Tipperary was mentioned on the list a number of times, with one local agreeing, writing: "True I'm from Tipp and the place is really depressing hole".
A particularly harsh critic said they thought: "Tipp town looks like it was bombed in the 70s and they just left it like that"
Bray, Co Wicklow
Bray, a seaside town on the outskirts of Dublin, received some of the highest votes on the thread.
One user claimed: "Bray has burned out buildings right on Main St with no effort to even clean them up. Also has plenty of building with gaudy window boards on them. Seafront is nice."
Another said they thought: "Bray in 2011 after the economic crash was depressing as f***. Main street had loads of boarded up shops. It looks better now."
Shannon, Co Clare
Many people jumped in the comments to claim the town of Shannon in the west of Ireland as the winner.
One person slammed the layout of the town, writing: "As someone who has lived in Shannon, it's definitely the weirdest town in Ireland. No main street, just a shopping centre surrounded by housing estates.
"The airport is a huge plus though... One of the best parts of the town is how easily we can get as far away from it as possible!"
Athy, Co Kildare
Athy, the birthplace of Irish pop rock band Picture This, received a large number of upvotes on the thread.
One confident respondent wrote that they thought: "Athy is without a doubt the most depressing town in Leinster."
Another criticised the traffic in the town, writing: "God awful place, bad to drive through and probably the worst place I've ever stopped," with another agreeing, writing: "The traffic there is always sh*te so it's a slow and painful experience going through."
Drogheda, Co Louth
As one of Ireland's oldest and most historical towns, the residents of Drogheda's main gripe on the thread was the town's wasted potential, saying it had "gone to rot".
One wrote: "In terms of unrealized potential, I say Drogheda. It has so much going for it, medieval streets, the quays, the town gates. With proper vision, Drogheda could be transformed into a gorgeous town. Unfortunately, it's a depressing hole."
Another new local, added: "I moved to Drogheda this year and I couldn't agree with you more. There's so much history here, and so many sites to visit. But walking around the town is so uninspiring. It's a real shame."
Portarlington, on the border of Co Laois and Co Offaly
The Midlands town which lies in-between Laois and Offaly. "Portarlington. Worst marriage of Offaly and Laois you're likely to come across", one person claimed.
Another named it: "The town that time forgot".
Ballinrobe, Co Mayo
Despite only having a population of 2,700 people, Ballinrobe appears to have left its mark on some of those who have visited.
One passer-by nominated it for the most-depressing town in Ireland, writing: "Ballinrobe lads. F****** Ballinrobe. I’ve only driven through it once and I still have nightmares."
Another added: "Worst thing about Ballinrobe is it’s next door neighbor (sic) is Cong which is a lovely spot."
Mountmellick, Co Laois
One person from the Midlands crowned the Laois town as the most depressing, writing: "Has to be Mountmellick, or Mountmisery as it’s affectionately known as in the Midlands."
Another person added: "I've been a few times and its the oppressive size of the buildings in the main street, they're tall and grey and depressingly overbearing awful hapes of sh*te."
Moate, Co Westmeath
Many on the thread named Moate in Westmeath as the winner of the title of the most depressing town.
One person recalled: "I worked with someone from Moate. She couldn't say the name of the place without grimacing."
