What constitutes to someone being Irish?

[Cybercubed]

Born there? Parents from there? Grandparents from there?

I'm born and raised in England, my parents are both Irish (mum from Belfast Dad from the ROI). In England whilst growing up people routinely called me Irish and so that's how I saw myself. Then I moved to Northern Ireland as teenager and had a reality check, because then everyone started calling me English. I still have an English accent so everyone still refers me to as an English person here. I've always understandably have a bit of an identity crisis therefore, compounded by the fact that the "British vs Irish" issue is right of the forefront of Northern Ireland politics as well I don't feel I fit in with either community here.

We've all heard of the term 'plastic paddy' which usually gets thrown at anyone with a non Irish accent calling themselves Irish. I personally don't really identify as anything more and feel kinda stateless but do you think calling yourself Irish should be reserved for those who are born and/or raised there only?

@sarahpaula, fair enough but careful who you direct your anger at because one thing for sure on my part, I feel no hate. I very strongly wanted IReland and England to be neighbouring European nations and it's disappointing to feel we've gone backwards. I feel like you were quite hostile to me, you explained why, and I 100% get it, but please just take a minute to see if people really do feel the ''hate'' that you're attributing on to them, and berating them for feeling!

None of the people alive in England today did anything to Ireland. They cannot be blamed for the past.

That is not true. The perpetrators of the dublin and monaghan bombings were aided by UK forces.

Nobody has expressed hatred. We are just arguing with Wolfgirl as she was really quite amusing. We really should be more grateful to Britain for all the lovely things they've done for us.

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

The heritage nationality thing results in Americans telling you they're Irish because they have one Irish great great grandparent amount the multiple Dutch, German, Spanish, English, Scottish and Welsh ones (ignoring the fact that that actually means they are 1/32nd Irish)

Yes this is my favourite thing - North Americans (because Canadians do this too) who are 31/32 English, and 1/32 Irish, and that Irishness apparently outweighs everything else to make them 100% Irish in their eyes, and not English at all. Or even American in many cases, just pure Irish, exactly the same as somebody born and raised there.

To me, that is what “plastic paddy” refers to, not somebody like OP with Irish parents who happens to have been born abroad, and who has now moved back. I’d say OP could identify as either English or Irish or both, up to her.

@Sarahpaula

I am just angry because I know of people's lives who have been ruined by hate:

I know Irish people who received hate in England,
And I know English people who received hate in Ireland.

I know people who's lives were made a misery from this hate.

None of the people alive in England today did anything to Ireland. They cannot be blamed for the past.

It would do Ireland and England a lot of good to both move forward

www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-52995747

There most definitely people alive in England who've done wrong in Ireland.

I was just thinking, can we all be really, really grateful that there was no pandemic on the 25th of May 2018, that all of the Irish women living in the UK were able to return to Ireland so easily to vote. Because it was close. So thank goodness that was an easy journey for them.

@loveisanopensore okay so the hate should be directed as those specific people, yes?

Not a whole country of people?

I never understood the idea of hating everyone from a country, because some people in that country did things.

As two neighbouring islands, it would be great for everyone to get on. Many of us in ireland and England, are mixed Irish and English anyway

Close? It was 66% in favour of repeal.

I don't know where you get the hate from Sarah. We're just outlining history. There's no hate. Stop imagining things.

Brexit means we'll be less allied to the UK going forward, but that was the UK's decision.

Here.

@loveisanopensore

Close? It was 66% in favour of repeal.

Sorry! The stress I felt in the run up to it! Revisionism. I'm equating my level of stress with it having been close!

Muser - yes, at the time, we didn't know whether it would be close or not.

Those specific people were soldiers in the army.

I don't hate anyone. I lived in the England for a.while and there's lot's to like. I just wish English people were more aware of their history with us.

@ChristmasCarcass

Appreciate your opinion. Its nice once in a while to get a post which actually answers the question. 😂

Thank you @Sarahpaula

As for making us 'aware of our history' - do you go round making everyone else aware of their history? Do you bring up the enslavement of many British soldiers by the Japanese whenever you talk to a Japanese person? Do you bring up Mussolini and his support of the Third Reich whenever you meet an Italian person? Do you bring up the mistreatment of Native Americans whenever you talk to an American? Should I be resentful to the Danish, for wiping out our language and trying to eradicate our culture?

If not, what makes the Irish so special that their history matters but nobody else's does?

Nobody will even answer that so I dont know why I'm asking...

Wolfgirl - why would we bring up things that don't relate to us?

@Howallergic because it doesnt relate to you. You were not even alive when these things happen. You have no right to 'own' them, or use them for dramatic effect.

Let me rephrase the question: should I bring up the railway enslavement whenever I talk to a Japanese person, just because one of my relatives was taken hostage and eventually committed suicide?

Isn't it funny how someone with no posting history always pops up on these type of threads.

@Wolfgirrl - should I bring up the railway enslavement whenever I talk to a Japanese person, just because one of my relatives was taken hostage and eventually committed suicide?

If a Japanese person was claiming that Japan had protected the British soldiers, and was complaining about their lack of gratitude, which is pretty much what you are doing here, then yes, it would have been reasonable to do so.

@OchonAgusOchonO

So remind me again, what was the reason for the famine being brought up on this thread..?

@Wolfgirrl - no idea. I came late to the thread but I assume it was brought up to explain some of the history of why the relationship between the UK and Ireland can be fraught. The history is still relevant today as Ireland is still partitioned as a result of Britain's imperial past.

@OchonAgusOchonO

All history has had an impact on the present, in every country in the world. It is only the Irish who think they have had it the hardest & want to endlessly complain. Everyone else just moves on.

@Wolfgirrl - All history has had an impact on the present, in every country in the world.

Of course. However, some is more relevant to current times than others.

It is only the Irish who think they have had it the hardest & want to endlessly complain. Everyone else just moves on.

What utter nonsense. You are showing your insularity and ignorance again. You only have to look at UK attitudes towards Europe to see that.