To be surprised at how little British people seem to know about Ireland?

[WriterofDreams]

I'm from Ireland and I've lived in England for a total of two years. In Ireland we watch all the British channels and get all the British newspapers so most Irish people are pretty up to date on everything that's going on in Britain. Also, the Irish news tends to mention Britain a lot, so even if you only watch Irish tv or read Irish newspapers you'll still get a lot of information on current affairs in Britain.

When the whole thing with Ireland going down the pan financially came up on Channel 4 my mum rang me to say "Ireland's on the British news!" and we knew then it must be bad, simply because Ireland is so rarely mentioned over here. Now I know it's a tiny country but it's a close neighbour of Britain and a large population of Irish people live in Britain, so I would have thought it was reasonable that there would be a fair amount of mention of Ireland in schools and in newspapers and on the tv. But that's not the case.

Since living here it has struck me that so many people don't seem to know basic facts about Ireland, such as who the President is, who the Taoiseach is, what the native language is called, what the native sports are and so on. I've noticed in primary schools (not sure about secondary) that Ireland is rarely mentioned as part of history or geography despite the long and complicated historical links between the two countries.

Would it be fair to say that there isn't much mention of Ireland in Britain? Do you feel you know much about Ireland? Not saying we're special or owt, just curious.

It's just come to me Hurling!

Sorry, Writer I do have that effect on people.

The language is not Gaelic. (Thats Scotland, innit?) It's simply Irish, unless you are speaking in Irish, in which case it is Gaeilge.

The Taoiseach is Brian big gobshite bastard Cowen, President is Mary McAleese (interestingly no male president in last 20 years)

The only reason I would have expected British people to have a greater knowledge of Ireland than they do is the fact that it's the country right next door. Also, the two countries were very closely linked for such a long time (800 years as we were endlessly reminded in school) and that association only ended in 1921 which isn't that long ago.

Good attempt to answer that question Mum2HarryandBen but Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are the only two main parties in Ireland, so saying it's one or the other is like say "Labour or Conservative" for Britain.

When I lived in the US I remember something about British people being all offended because most Americans had no idea who the Prime Minister was or what party was in power.

It's just the way of the world - big/popular/powerful/famous countries/people/institutions get more attention and people know more about them.

It's not that American people are ignorant and stupid (as some British commentators were trying to claim) or that English people are (as some Irish people do), it's just that, like our pal RedSuede here, they don't give a shit really.

I was so relieved when I'd been away from Ireland long enough that I didn't have to give it as my previous address - the lack of postcodes really did confuse so many websites/people.

There are a curious number of people here who don't actually realise that Dublin is not in the UK... Amazing. How long has that been an issue - just a few hundred years, why should it have sunk in? Did give the lie to the IRA though - "you can take our litter bins at stations but you will never take our ignorance"...

It's not just English people, though - moving from Ireland to Germany was an eye opener. Many Germans are also distinctly hazy about where the UK starts and where Ireland stops...

Fact is, most English people probably have minimal knowledge about Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland too. So proximity doesn't make a huge difference.

I agree that we should learn about our closest neighbours.

Any non-French person like to tell me what party is in power in France? The Netherlands? Belgium? They are right next door too.

No the English do not know much about Ireland. A huge generalization here but a large proportion of people over 40 say still don't really like the Irish.
The troubles had something to do with but there has been maybe 300 years of the English mocking the Irish.

Usually the English would only see the Irish as immigrants, so poor, uneducated, illiterate, huge families, wrong religion, drinkers. The Daily Mail sort of outlook.
I?m from an Irish background with a not very Irish name and work in construction (another cliché). I am not obvious as someone who has Irish parents.

I am constantly amazed at the casual racism re the Irish that is still prevalent. Thick paddies that sort of thing. I was in a meeting once when some one described one of the Engineers as a ?jumped up Paddy with a private education?
Hmmm I bow my head in shame as I didn?t start a conversation about race relations but you can only fight so many battles in day.
The English mock the USA for being insular but they are heading that way themselves,
I blame the losing of the empire which has led to the reduction in things to talk about in Geography.

Just curious - why should I know about Ireland? I've never been, have no interest in going - so why does it actually matter if I don't know much about you all?

I think it's impressive to know the names of the two sides in our ridiculous Civil War politics.

writer of dreams, I met Gareth Fitzgerald and that other overcomb chubby fellow when I was a kid, they came to canvas near where I lived, (lived in Ireland for part of childhood) and visit every so often, that is the only reason I know anything about Ireland!

So - France is right next door too and for many of us it's closer than Ireland is.

How much would the majority of Irish people know about UK current affairs if they didn't have the BBC streamed into their living rooms?

When I was in Zimbabwe it amazed me that in general knowledge questions the kids new more about the UK (the prime minister of the time, the capital, the Royal Family, famous landmarks etc) than they did of their next door neighbour South Africa. Reason was because they had that on the news every night (and as there was only 2 channels and they both covered the same news broadcasts there was little choice of news or something else to switch over to).

Of course Baroquin, you get full marks simply because you didn't say Gaelic! I suppose that achievement is dimmed by the fact that if you said anything at all besides Gaelic you would still have got the mark. You can tell I have a severe Gaelic allergy can't you?

The only contexts in which Gaelic is correct are when you say "Gaelic languages" which is a group of languages much like French, Italian etc are "Romance languages" and in reference to the Gaelic Games, which are the native games of Ireland. The Gaelic games are hurling (a bit like hockey, but about 4 million times faster and 10 million times more aggressive) and Gaelic football (which bears some resemblance to soccer but has many different rules).

in fairness, England's relationship with France has been thorny for a good long time, and it's not like we get chapter and verse on French affairs. And there's not so much coverage of what's happening on Welsh/NI and Scottish affairs on the national news either, so not covering a whole other country is perhaps forgiveable.

actually I know a fair amount of Scotland and Wales (admit my NI knowledge isn't so hot), and I do follow the "world" news as well.

Trouble is that unless it comes up in the news I don't actually going seeking it out. And Ireland isn't often in the news......

French is Union pour un mouvement populaire, and Belgium have a coalition of, well, everyone...don't they?

I agree with Methsdrinker, speaking with an English accet, and having been born here, I have heard so much Irish racism when I was younger (they did not know I had a link). In the 1960's there were signs apparently:

NO Blacks
No Irish
No dogs

I think the Irish if they come to the uk in mass emigartion will be treated like the eastern europeans... personally...

I found it hallarious when I visited Ireland about 4 years ago to find in the west shead loads of Easter Eurpoeans, they only emigrants I have known of (other than invaders), I understand they have left now, it may be part to blame why Ireland is in the mess (not main or only reason) as the stretch on Ireland must have been huge in so many ways.

oh dear

clearly more learning to do......haven't watched bbc alba enough. Should have known about hurling.........(trudging up the stairs to bed, still bloody snowing.)Anyway, what is wrong with learning Irish or Gaelic?

"it may be part to blame why Ireland is in the mess (not main or only reason) as the stretch on Ireland must have been huge in so many ways."

No, we needed them. We had negative unemployment for most of the "boom"

Oh and talking about the Troubles as a reason to not like Ireland/Irish people is ridiculous in itself...the troubles was Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland is a seperate country altogther (which was sort of the problem, but still).

Spidookly, really? There are ghost towns in some parts of the west (don't know if that is the case everywhere) where eastern europeans left, I have been told by relatives!

"Anyway, what is wrong with learning Irish or Gaelic?"

It's really hard and pretty pointless?

(spoken as a fluent Irish speaker who never speaks Irish. Probably not even properly fluent any more)

Weeeeell, the island is called Ireland soooo, the bit below Northern Ireland is, by default, Southern Ireland. Not the official name of the country but not technically wrong either?