To apologise for arguing that discrimination against the Irish 'isn't a thing'

[wheresmymojo]

I was on an AIBU thread months and months ago where someone was talking about 'Irish twins' (used for two children born 12 months or less apart).

I argued that it wasn't offensive because Irish people aren't discriminated against. That I've never, ever seen any disparaging remarks about Irish people except in jest, etc.

Anyway...I just wanted to say: I was wrong.
I should've listened more to the Irish people on the thread and I've learned my lesson there.

With the discussions about the NI border due to Brexit I've been reading up on the relevant history (back to before the famine) and I've been shocked at how our English Govt treated your people. I've been very naive about the degree to which English education misses out some lots of inconvenient parts of our history.

I also commented on several FB threads after the recent Bloody Sunday prosecution and was shocked at some of the comments of other people.

So I was wrong, and I apologise (even if no-one reads this - it's been playing on my conscience).

and yes I realise 'racism' isn't quite the right word re: Ireland as were all caucasians but I don't know what word to use

I'm Irish and I'm not Caucasian

I’m disheartened by rainbows posts.

Did you know the Irish resident in Northern Ireland (entitled to chose to be Irish under GFA) are going to have their EU rights limited post Brexit because they’re not going to be considered Irish but British by the British govt. How’s that gonna work?

Well actually it probably is a reason that some English people are racist towards the Irish, in the same way they are muslims. They are completely wrong but it happens as they are mis-informed about the IRA due to media etc.

feelingthesunshine that's something 😀. Dylan Llewellyn (the wee English fella in Derry girls) was on Irish tv recently saying how he knew nothing about it based on his history classes in school not covering the troubles and how eye opening it was when he started reading up himself. He's in his early 20s I think so it may have changed/be different in different schools.

Well actually it probably is a reason that some English people are racist towards the Irish, in the same way they are muslims. They are completely wrong but it happens as they are mis-informed about the IRA due to media etc.

And their reasoning at other times? Was there one reason until 1969, but it changed to terrorism?

Also, people were bigoted towards Muslims before 2001, they just now blame that on terrorism too.

That's the thing, some people are massive bigots, but they often like to justify their bigotry and terrorism makes a useful excuse for expressing those revolting opinions. However, if it wasn't that it would be something else.

If we are on about current times then yes, before the troubles most of that came from Oliver Cromwell who hated the Irish and decided to crush them when he came to power. After that he perpetuated that they were less than them, thing lower humans. Which lasted through subsequent monarchs. After the troubles terrorism was the new way to hate the Irish, and yes it did fuel Irish bigotry.

Dylan Llewellyn (the wee English fella in Derry girls)

I've not seen DG, but if anybody asked me to have a stab at which UK home nation Dylan LLewellyn was from, England wouldn't be my first guess - or is that meant to be the joke?!

You can hear the discrimination in the way all of this is defined as "the Irish problem", the "Irish backstop problem", "the Irish issue" etc etc ... .

No! This entire clusterfuck emanated from the British government, more specifically the Tory "bastard" faction and Cameron's response to them.

Rainbow, are you familiar with the phrase “When you’re in a hole, stop digging”?

I've not seen DG, but if anybody asked me to have a stab at which UK home nation Dylan LLewellyn was from, England wouldn't be my first guess - or is that meant to be the joke?!

I've no idea of the actor's background (although, yes, his name does clearly point in a Welsh direction ) but his character on DG is English, and frequently referred to as "the wee English fella", among much less flattering descriptions.

YABU for not watching Derry Girls. It's the funniest thing since Father Ted.

Dylan is the name of the actor.

He’s called James in the programme.

WeBuiltThisBuffet he's from Surrey😁

And yy to what was said, everyone should be watching it. In the spirit of the show and this thread 'if your lot had stopped invading us for 5 fucking minutes there'd be a lot less to wade through'.😁

Rainbow, are you familiar with the phrase “When you’re in a hole, stop digging”?

This ^

I'm Scottish and grew up in the 90s, most everyone i knew including myself growing up had either Irish grandparents or Irish parents (must have been the area) the ira was always a topic of discussion and taught in schools, as was Irish history along with English and Scottish (although i can't recall learning much about Wales)

Thank you OP, it's not many people would actually apologise nevermind go do all that research too

Good for you OP. Will RTFT later.

I’m English and DH is Irish so have been educating myself on Irish history recently - my son is half Irish and this is part of his heritage so I felt I needed to know more. Shocked and disgusted by it.

My husbandi was often referred to as a left footer in work - Irish Catholic but we have no idea why. (Not so much now)

Left handed from Latin sinistra meaning left took on meaning of evil.

That’s where it comes from. Left footed. Evil footed.

In Ireland you were not allowed to speak your mother tongue ditto in Wales, the English really were appalling in their treatment. If you have heard of the phrases "hedge schools" and "Welsh not" you know what I am talking about.

Tinytemper a left footer is usually an Irish term to describe a person who is different - specifically a Protestant where I come from.

Well actually it probably is a reason that some English people are racist towards the Irish, in the same way they are muslims. They are completely wrong but it happens as they are mis-informed about the IRA due to media etc.

Which is why having an open discussion is a good thing. Maybe if some of these people did a bit of research, they'd realise they were wrong.

I don't get why you're attacking the OP for doing just that. If you know it's wrong to label all Irish, all Muslims, etc, why are you being so defensive about someone owning up to their mistake?

This type of arrogant British attitude is precisely why this Brexit mess is happening, and why Britain has gone from being a respected country to the laughing stock of the world.

Op thanks for the post by the way. It’s not often people from the U.K. understand the atrocities of the Irish famine and the terrible hardship and some say genocide inflicted on the Irish people. Until you have stood and looked at a famine pit in a famine grave yard filled with a thousand bodies, You will never quite get the horror of it all.

I always understood that the term "Left footer" was an anti-Catholic slur used by Protestants.

Irish in Ireland here too and another thanks to the OP who has taken the time to educate herself AND apologise. We appreciate it :)