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Original poster

Would you find this comment offensive? Irish

113 replies

erpali · 03/11/2023 20:59

Started a new job. At the team meeting I was asked to introduce myself and tell the team about my story on how I got here.

I grew up in the far west of Ireland. We spoke Irish Gaelic at home and I went to a Gaelic school. Moved to the UK for university, which was the first time I'd actually studied through the medium of English.

I mentioned that I grew up in a bilingual household in Ireland.

My boss comments in front of the team that "I'm sure your language skills will be very useful to us when dealing with our clients in Latin America". Clearly an attempt at a joke, and others in the meeting guffawed.

Obviously it's not going to be useful to be bilingual in Irish if clients speak Spanish. But I've got to admit that it gave off the typical looking down your nose sort of attitude that I have heard about. It's like he was saying my culture was pointless.

OP posts:
BogRollBOGOF · 03/11/2023 21:45

Pillowchilli · 03/11/2023 21:38

póg mo thóin boss

Slainté 🥂

Morrigandeity · 03/11/2023 22:09

It's both offensive and rude at best. It smacks of anti Irish sentiment, which, unfortunately remains pervasive in the UK.
I was also raised speaking Irish and went to a Gael scoil.
At one of my previous employments, my manager confidently informed me, I couldn't speak Irish because "we (English) stamped it out". HR had an interesting discussion with her.

The Brexit campaign was interesting to say the least, with colleagues telling me Ireland should leave the EU and rejoin the UK. All this in a large organization who prides itself on diversity.

ceepeeree · 03/11/2023 22:15

He's an immature knob. Btw-there's not a magic button that makes a boss someone who is superior in ethics/morals/running a business.

And for those of you saying it's a joke..really?is that actually funny? I love a good laugh, but that's just a shite bit of ignorance with a sprinkle of unacknowledged misogyny

Marblessolveeverything · 03/11/2023 22:16

@Morrigandeity put it better than I could. I had similar comments in Ireland working for UK company who made snide comments about me handling a query in Gaelige. The continual reference to the mainland also drove me nuts eh your from an island too and in case they hadn't got the memo they couldn't use their pounds in Ireland.

I would keep an eye the constant minimising of anti Irish sentiment needs to be flagged. Sad but it is still there.

MariaLuna · 03/11/2023 22:26

I'm bilingual and I'd be impressed with someone being able to speak Gaelic.
I love Ireland!

What a creep to call you out in a derogatory way on your first day OP.
He's probably jealous actually as he cannot communicate in a foreign language.
Well fuck him.

In life you will always come across people who will try to "put you in your place" sadly enough. Rise above it.

Turn it around and don't let these assholes get you down! Hold your head up high.

StasisMom · 03/11/2023 22:30

What a dick. But... It would probably help you to learn Spanish, if you wanted, as you're already used to learning another language.

You could tell him you know some Spanish though - ¡Qué pendejo! (What a wanker!).

ManAboutTown · 03/11/2023 22:31

He's a twat.

I'd make that sort of comment to my friends but at work for someone new you have to be a real knob

MariaLuna · 03/11/2023 22:37

^
I'd make that sort of comment to my friends^

Really? You think it's o.k. to make those kind of comments to friends, meaning you think like that too.

You wouldn't be a friend of mine that's for sure.

Racism is NEVER O.K.

Moreempatheticmyarse · 03/11/2023 22:42

Morrigandeity · 03/11/2023 22:09

It's both offensive and rude at best. It smacks of anti Irish sentiment, which, unfortunately remains pervasive in the UK.
I was also raised speaking Irish and went to a Gael scoil.
At one of my previous employments, my manager confidently informed me, I couldn't speak Irish because "we (English) stamped it out". HR had an interesting discussion with her.

The Brexit campaign was interesting to say the least, with colleagues telling me Ireland should leave the EU and rejoin the UK. All this in a large organization who prides itself on diversity.

I couldn't speak Irish because "we (English) stamped it out"

I once got confidently told by an English colleague that we only spoke Welsh in Wales because they (the English) "allowed" it. 🙄

StrangeVeg · 03/11/2023 22:43

Morrigandeity · 03/11/2023 22:09

It's both offensive and rude at best. It smacks of anti Irish sentiment, which, unfortunately remains pervasive in the UK.
I was also raised speaking Irish and went to a Gael scoil.
At one of my previous employments, my manager confidently informed me, I couldn't speak Irish because "we (English) stamped it out". HR had an interesting discussion with her.

The Brexit campaign was interesting to say the least, with colleagues telling me Ireland should leave the EU and rejoin the UK. All this in a large organization who prides itself on diversity.

Whoa, @Morrigandeity that must have taken some stomaching. Jesus.

OP he sounds insufferable. What a pathetic, unoriginal ‘joke’. I was just going to say, at least you know now what you’re up against.
May I ask who hired you?

Imagine someone who speaks Catalan getting a job in Seville and then being mocked for their languages’ uselessness.

coolkatt · 03/11/2023 22:44

asshole.
every time you can speak irish speak it. like on ur break. phone home. speak loudly. when u see him coming. sing. in irish. annoy the fk out of him with ur beautiful language. absolute twat. get ur promotion first then make him suffer.

PumpkinGnocchi · 03/11/2023 22:45

Irish is my second language. French is my third, followed by Spanish, German, and Arabic. I could tell him to shove his Little Englander attitude up his ass in all five.

StrangeVeg · 03/11/2023 22:46

I do know that Andalusia and Catalonia are the same country by the way and that the UK and Ireland aren’t, I was just trying to think of a place that had been bullied (risked loss of cultural identity) by a more powerful region and had to fight against it.

Morrigandeity · 03/11/2023 22:51

That's horrendous @Moreempatheticmyarse
Did you raise it with HR?

laladoodoo · 03/11/2023 22:52

It's not even funny, that's the worst part about it. I'd say his team are used to him coming out with similar shite and are sick of him too.
I'd not let it affect you and get on with your role - he's clearly a prick. These pricks usually get their comeuppance eventually.
Ps. I'd also probably put in my pocket for a rainy day should the anti Irish thing appear again for a little HR treat. Great when he does it in public too - thanks boss 👍

MariaLuna · 03/11/2023 22:52

Irish is my second language. French is my third, followed by Spanish, German, and Arabic. I could tell him to shove his Little Englander attitude up his ass in all five.

I like your style LOL @PumpkinGnocchi

Voteva · 03/11/2023 22:57

That was a clear put-down. He probably isn’t anti-Irish but he deliberately tried to belittle and humiliate you in a work group meeting. Maybe he hates all women, maybe he wanted to hire someone else, maybe he’s just a bully to everyone. But you’ve been warned what he’s like now so behave as you would with any bully, show zero weakness or fear and avoid as much as possible.

coxesorangepippin · 03/11/2023 22:59

Yes he's a twat

Did you have other jobs in the pipeline, op?

PumpkinGnocchi · 03/11/2023 23:01

Voteva · 03/11/2023 22:57

That was a clear put-down. He probably isn’t anti-Irish but he deliberately tried to belittle and humiliate you in a work group meeting. Maybe he hates all women, maybe he wanted to hire someone else, maybe he’s just a bully to everyone. But you’ve been warned what he’s like now so behave as you would with any bully, show zero weakness or fear and avoid as much as possible.

Why is he ‘probably not anti-Irish’? I spent 25 years in England and it’s commoner than you’d think. For a certain (small) minority of white English people, Irish people are not quite white.

kitsuneghost · 03/11/2023 23:01

It was rude but true.
Welsh, Gaelic and other similar languages really have no global benefit.

PumpkinGnocchi · 03/11/2023 23:02

kitsuneghost · 03/11/2023 23:01

It was rude but true.
Welsh, Gaelic and other similar languages really have no global benefit.

How many global languages do you speak and write fluently, @kitsuneghost?

Moreempatheticmyarse · 03/11/2023 23:03

Morrigandeity · 03/11/2023 22:51

That's horrendous @Moreempatheticmyarse
Did you raise it with HR?

I didn't, like the OP I was new at the time and in my probation period and he was a manager. I did get my revenge a year later though when we both went for the same role, I got it and he was made redundant.

ManAboutTown · 03/11/2023 23:04

MariaLuna · 03/11/2023 22:37

^
I'd make that sort of comment to my friends^

Really? You think it's o.k. to make those kind of comments to friends, meaning you think like that too.

You wouldn't be a friend of mine that's for sure.

Racism is NEVER O.K.

Edited

We just take the piss out of each other. Nothing more - tis why we're friends

Moreempatheticmyarse · 03/11/2023 23:05

kitsuneghost · 03/11/2023 23:01

It was rude but true.
Welsh, Gaelic and other similar languages really have no global benefit.

Lots of things in life have no global benefit but the world would be a sad dreary place if that was the only yardstick to measure by

AngryPrincess · 03/11/2023 23:06

yep.