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Original poster

Irish bashing

146 replies

ASAS · 25/05/2015 00:11

Is it just me or have there been an unusual number of threads passive aggressively bashing our Irish sisters lately?

I'm not Irish so not particularly sensitive, but just seems to have come up out of nowhere. Prior to this most Irish threads were about the price of tinned tomatoes in euros and staff booking St Patrick's Day in NYC without authorization.

Peace and love, remember, peace and love.

OP posts:
pandarific · 25/05/2015 01:33

I don't think anyone on this thread is suggesting that the current law is anything other than reprehensible, ComposHatComesBack. It's the patronising and ignorant comments that are annoying people. If people don't know anything about a topic, their ignorance shows.

CrystalMcPistol · 25/05/2015 01:33

if you are an Irish person, then you have religion - there is no opt out. You will confirm, you will take the pledge (though I think this has changed)

I'm sorry but you're exposing your ignorance here. Plenty of people these days 'opt out'.

FannyFifer · 25/05/2015 01:34

Pretty much every one of my Irish family & friends has posted on FB or tweeted something along the lines of how happy they were it was yes & now to repeal the 8th. It's Irish people saying this.

Not noticed any Irish bashing but if so it makes a change from the Scots getting bashed.Grin

CrystalMcPistol · 25/05/2015 01:34

if you are an Irish person, then you have religion - there is no opt out. You will confirm, you will take the pledge (though I think this has changed)

I'm sorry but you're exposing your ignorance here. Plenty of people these days 'opt out'.

FannyFifer · 25/05/2015 01:35

Pretty much every one of my Irish family & friends has posted on FB or tweeted something along the lines of how happy they were it was yes & now to repeal the 8th. It's Irish people saying this.

Not noticed any Irish bashing but if so it makes a change from the Scots getting bashed.Grin

FastWindow · 25/05/2015 01:36

And that is how a country accidentaly deviates into the strange nothing that is the UK.

pandarific · 25/05/2015 01:36

I don't think anyone on this thread is suggesting that the current law is anything other than reprehensible, ComposHatComesBack. It's the patronising and ignorant comments that are annoying people.

(Re: exports, let's not forget Zig and Zag! I still have one of their tapes - its the one with the song about bellybutton fluff.)

FastWindow · 25/05/2015 01:37

I can spell accidentally- my phone can't :/

crustsaway · 25/05/2015 01:39

Im English and just as proud of my country too.

FastWindow · 25/05/2015 01:39

crystal is that so! Then let's hope they take their own opinions forward. You give me hope.

ComposHatComesBack · 25/05/2015 01:40

crystal that wasn't the point I was making, I am well aware there's a pro choice lobby in Ireland and didn't think that everyone in Ireland just meekly accepted this situation.

My criticism is aimed at the Irish lawmakers and politicians that such a denial of a basic human right exist in a democratic western European state. From the outside it is very jarring.

Joan we aren't all English and I certainly am not on some neocolonial trip, I'm not blithely assuming that Ireland is the same as England or uninterested in how and why Ireland is different culturally, socially religiously and politically (Christ knows we get enough of that in Scotland) . However cultural relativism has its limits and I do believe in certain basic human rights and the decision to control your own fertility is one of them.

CrystalMcPistol · 25/05/2015 01:44

I personally think/hope that the marriage referendum is a sign that the horse that is secular Ireland has bolted the stable.

JoanHickson · 25/05/2015 01:45

I am English born of Irish parents, I loved part of my childhood in Ireland, the rest in England. I never know what to tick on an ethnic background thing. GrinConfused I have a unique understanding of two cultures I guess.

bumbleymummy · 25/05/2015 01:45

Like with contraception? They do have that in Ireland you know.

RobbStarksBitch · 25/05/2015 01:45

Jesus Christ what is it with MN and bashing in general?

A thread is started about how awful the Irish bashing on here is and is answered with several English bashing comments Hmm

Btw I was born in the UK and currently reside here but spent my whole life in Ireland and my entire heritage is Irish so I have no loyalty as such to either side. I see myself as both Irish and British and proud of each country for different things.

I agree that abortion might seek worlds away from marriage equality but I also think that it does seem strange that it isn't being tackled with as much passion.

Thinking about it now I bet 90% of the people on my facebook who have spoken with such excitement about the recent referendum would invest half as much energy in abortion rights and most of them are women!

To quote crusty it's weird!

It's not about supporting abortion it's about supporting choice which in my opinion is exactly what people have voted for in the recent referendum so are they really worlds apart?

RobbStarksBitch · 25/05/2015 01:45

Jesus Christ what is it with MN and bashing in general?

A thread is started about how awful the Irish bashing on here is and is answered with several English bashing comments Hmm

Btw I was born in the UK and currently reside here but spent my whole life in Ireland and my entire heritage is Irish so I have no loyalty as such to either side. I see myself as both Irish and British and proud of each country for different things.

I agree that abortion might seek worlds away from marriage equality but I also think that it does seem strange that it isn't being tackled with as much passion.

Thinking about it now I bet 90% of the people on my facebook who have spoken with such excitement about the recent referendum would invest half as much energy in abortion rights and most of them are women!

To quote crusty it's weird!

It's not about supporting abortion it's about supporting choice which in my opinion is exactly what people have voted for in the recent referendum so are they really worlds apart?

CrystalMcPistol · 25/05/2015 01:46

I personally think/hope that the marriage referendum is a sign that the horse that is secular Ireland has bolted the stable.

whitecandles · 25/05/2015 01:54

I don't see it as English bashing so much as there's a way of thinking that is very particular to the English that basically says anyone that doesn't think the same as them is weird. It is draining and shown up perfectly by crusty's assertion that she lives 'here' as if 'here' could be anywhere but England.

ComposHatComesBack · 25/05/2015 02:05

Like with contraception? They do have that in Ireland you know

Amazingly i did know that!

You know as well as i do there are are circumstances where women don't wish to continue with a pregnancy beyond 'I didn't use any contaception'

FastWindow · 25/05/2015 02:25

Composhat - I said I wouldn't want to weigh on on abortion. It's too inflammatory in Ireland. Still, it makes me go grr.

FastWindow · 25/05/2015 02:29

But it's irrelevant here right? You can't create- or abort! - a life between two XX or XY. Procreation be damned.

Tequilashotfor1 · 25/05/2015 02:33

I'm Irish desent. I don't see any Irish bashing.

That being said I'm glad I don't live there.

CrystalMcPistol · 25/05/2015 02:42

If the UK exits the EU I think Ireland might start to look a bit more appealing to some people.

ApocalypseThen · 25/05/2015 07:26

It does seem strange that it isn't being tackled with as much passion.

Poor old "seems". Doing a lot of work here.

FayKorgasm · 25/05/2015 08:08

Theres always been a degree of Irish bashing on mumsnet and in the part of England I live in.

The Catholic Church hold on Ireland is complex. It is very difficult for someone who does not come from a country where the native people were treated as little more than livestock to understand the clinging to what little glimmer of hope there is. And the Catholic Church just loved it. The indebted gratitude to the church and self importance of its representatives is loosening as those who can remember become fewer.

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