How much of a problem is anti Irish racism still in the UK today?

[Cybercubed]

I was born and raised in England to Irish parents. I moved back with my parents to Northern Ireland aged 14 where I lived since. I'm thinking about moving back to England for the first time as an adult, but just wondering about how much of an issue anti-Irish sentiment (if any) there is in the UK?

Growing up I experienced quite a lot of prejudice for my Irish background, although I don't take it too seriously because I know kids can be cruel at that age and if it wasn't my Irish background they would have picked on me for something else, but has left me feeling a bit paranoid/insecure of Irish background, even if I have an English accent.

I do see a a lot of anti Irish commentary online which worries me, disproportionately from some Scots online relating to the old firm, Rangers fans singing the famines over why dont you go home, which of course is very painful to hear from somebody in the Irish diaspora, and worries me how widespread those views are elsewhere in the UK. (I'm aware Celtic fans behaviour is often equally sectarian). I'm also aware Irish online often can appear anti British too at times.

I know this is going to sound offensive but sometimes I feel I wish I wasn't of Irish descent and that that my parents came from a country that didn't have such an ugly past with the UK like Sweden or something.

I'm half Irish, I was born in Ireland and my Dad is Irish and I have an extremely Irish surname but I was brought up in England. Generally I haven't had many comments about it but I was once in the bank in the UK depositing some money and the cashier got something wrong and said to me 'Oh I'm being really Irish' and I was really shocked because she could see how Irish my surname is. Then a little while later my boss also said the same thing when he got something wrong. Both times I was shocked but didn't say anything but I really should've said something! There is still this crappy view that Irish people are stupid.

@emmathedilemma

The Old Firm thing is limited to a very small number of football fans, Glasgow is the only place where I've ever heard (someone who wasn't even religious) refer to someone being protestant or catholic! I've got lots of friends who grew up in Northern Ireland and I've never heard anything derogatory aimed at them, or them complain about it.

You haven't been out much in Scotland if that's what you think. Scratch the surface.

I’m in the west coast if Scotland and it’s pretty bad worse than when I was growing up. It’s anti catholic/anti Irish though.

It is NOT an old firm thing abducts certainly nothing to do with Celtic. The bigotry at this weekends orange walks was not linked to football. Yes the idiots turned up in rangers tops but an orange walk and football ha should be linked.

I don’t think it’s such an issue elsewhere in the UK.

should not be linked sorry

Perhaps it depends what circles you mix in @Grellbunt but that’s my experience of it!

I am born and bred in England with Irish parents, and obviously if you didn't know my family you would just think I was English.

I still hear crap about the IRA, 'that's a bit irish' jokes, 'Potaaaatoes', all that bollocks sometimes, I don't know if I notice it more because I am more sensitive to it. There are some people who are still pretty ignorant.

Having said that, depending where I go in Ireland, it's definitely true that there is anti-English sentiment in Ireland as well!

I've experienced and noticed far more anti-English sentiment in Ireland than anti-Irish sentiment in England.

I'm not Irish but am old enough to have lived through the troubles, I have literally never heard anyone make an anti Irish remark.

I remember reading a similar thread about someone thinking about moving from Scotland and worrying about their child being the only Scot in the class and was totally bemused that could possibely even be on anyone's radar.

I can only conclude that there is a lot of anti English sentiment that Irish/Scottish people think is replicated here in the opposite direction.

Obviously I don't speak for all the English but, seriously, we don't care, no one is even going to notice

To add, of course Scotland and Wales may have different views but my experience is limited to England.

I happen to have been listening to an audiobook - the history of Britain vol 2 Simon Scharma ?sp - there is so much fighting at the times that the sectarian stuff relates to - battles all over England, Scotland, Scots, English moving into Ireland, Irish in armies in England or Scotland, Catholic kings, Protestant kings, I struggle greatly to follow it - however it was a violent, cruel time all over Britain.
My point is it's ridiculous to pick out some certain events or some particular battles out of a violent century or two and make them the centre of some pathetic militaristic remembrance parade today.

Everyone could find a point at which their religion or their ancestors, or their region was badly treated. We need to move on.

@emmathedilemma

Perhaps it depends what circles you mix in *@Grellbunt* but that’s my experience of it!

Well you're lucky

Are you RC/Catholic yourself?

You are moving to england but worried about the views expressed by (some) rangers fans. Well that's not exactly a cross representation of society in another country. Its like saying is england racist because online the bnp say some nasty stuff.

Its pretty bad in Glasgow and seems to be getting significantly worse recently.

I moved here just after Brexit! And i am mid forties and won’t be changing my accent soon.. I was raised with a lot of anti British sentiment, but God has no country, you have to put that ol. Crap aside and move on. We are happily settled, made friends and are jollying along with everyone else. And lots of English people don’t live where they were born and there’s so much more to life to be thinking about ..

I grew up in NI and have lived/worked in London in a multinational company for over 20 yrs. Never had any problems. However I would not want my DC to attend school or uni in NI or ROI as they have English accents and I think they would be subject to anti-English feeling despite being Irish.

I spent one yr at a uni in Scotland (Aberdeen) but was a postgrad so maybe a bit different although I lived with a mix of students from different years and nationalities. The only ribbing I got was from a lecturer who used to say “so it was” to me but I didn’t mind at all…it was a joke. I’m not a sensitive type.

I moved to the UK in the early 90s when there was still IRA activity and had some anti-Irish abuse. I'm a bit of an accent chameleon so by the time I'd been there three or four years I sounded like I'd grown up in the home counties. I lived there until 2010 and didn't have any anti-Irish comments after I sounded English (except for saying 'haitch' which lasted longer than the Irish accent did), even though I have an Irish surname. I have no idea whether the anti-Irish sentiment would have continued if I had kept my accent.

I moved back to Ireland in 2010 and didn't get any anti-English sentiments even though everyone assumed that I was English from my accent for the first few years.

I don't think I have seen any anti Irish sentiment in years, one of my best friends from uni is originally from Cork and I don't think we ever experienced it when we have been on nights out, we worked together for years and both of our kids go nursery and pre school together. I would not count anything into Rangers (or Celtic) fans, both usually come across as a thoroughly unpleasant bunch.

In Scotland (outwith daft football stuff) I've never come across any anti Irish sentiment whatsoever. I used to live in Ireland and now live in Scotland with my Irish partner.

As an Irish paramedic working in London, you better believe there is anti Irish sentiment all around

At least once a day someone refuse s to let me examine them

I grew up in London in the 70s - red hair, Irish name and there was a lot of anti Irish sentiment and racist comments made to my face. I honestly don't think I've heard a nasty comment now for 25 years.
I guess the racists have moved on to abusing other groups now!

@Unfashionable

There is much, much less ‘anti-Irish sentiment’ in England than there is anti-English sentiment in Ireland.

Yes. I keep quiet about it as I know the history and I would feel the same if I was Irish and they were English, but it’s very noticeable and shocked me at first as I was naive to it.

@elizabethdraper

As an Irish paramedic working in London, you better believe there is anti Irish sentiment all around

At least once a day someone refuse s to let me examine them

That’s awful.

I'm not Irish but am old enough to have lived through the troubles, I have literally never heard anyone make an anti Irish remark.

Yes well if your English they wouldn't exactly be directed at you, would they?

@WarOfAttrition

I agree it is possible to develop a case of a persecution complex in these situations which I'm trying to avoid.

@Vroomed

Have you ever thought about integrated schools? I went to one here and I think I benefited from it with my English accent since the ethos was more about inclusion with people of different backgrounds. I went to QUB and never had any anti-English sentiment, universities on average should be more tolerant. There's plenty of people with English accents at Queens.

@elizabethdraper

As an Irish paramedic working in London, you better believe there is anti Irish sentiment all around

At least once a day someone refuse s to let me examine them

That sounds insane. Is there a specific type that refuses or is it seemingly random?