Irish racism in England

[angell84]

I am shocked. I am half English, half Irish. My Irish mum lived in England for a long time, gave birth to us children there with her English husband, and then moved back to Ireland.

The reason that she always gave me for returning to Ireland, was that, "she could not take the nastiness to her anymore". She described one incident of many to me: she went to my brother's primary teacher in England, and said that he had lost something, he must have been six at the time, and the teacher said to her , "sure what do you expect - he is half Irish".

I always thought of it in an abstract way, I never really understood what she meant. Until I spent quite a long time in the U.K this year.

I was absolutely shocked at the hatred and nastiness, and calling Irish people stupid.

How can it be possible? The U.K stole alot of Ireland's land, committed mass genocide during the famine, eradicated the Irish language,

And yet instead of apologising, many people are going around calling Irish people stupid.

Isn't it nearly unbelievable? It would be like a German going up to a Jew and calling them stupid. That it was their fault , thhat everything happened the way it did.

I am really shocked

Seriously it,s like you have only jusrt found out. No Irish signs were not unusual in pubs. Not sure when it began to get better. English man, Irishman jokes don,t seem to exceptable any more so hopefully things have got better.

That your excuse for not being able to recite the Hail Mary? That you're not a practising Catholic? Are you SURE you're Catholic? What was your father's occupation?

Ffs what shite is this? Having to give her father's occupation to "prove" her irishness? Bonkers.

You obviously weren't around in ireland during the Celtic tiger if you think that irish people dont come from money or talk/brag about it!

Also, I can recite the hail Mary and the our father. Do I win a prize? I'm not a practicing catholic though and dont even consider myself to be one at all. Never believed any of it despite going to an all girls convent school

I’ve just realised I can still do the Angelus in Irish and remember all the Sorrowful, Joyful and Glorious Mysteries in order.

I just don’t understand the I am really shocked comments?

Have you had a lot of abuse towards you as an Irish person recently? It’s not clear from your posts.

All racism is bad. However I do disagree that because of history some people can be more racist than another. I’ve had a lot of anti English racism towards me from Scotland and Ireland as, ironically enough, all my relations live there, and it’s said with ‘well you English deserve all you get you oppressed us etc etc’

No I did not personally oppress you. And you are not personally oppressed!

I’m all for remembering history, but I’m not for throwing it in an individuals face in an aggressive way just because they have the same accent.

I would not be having a go at any German person about the Nazis for the same reason.

I assumed this was some incredible game of top trumps taking place

Ye Lex. I won.

Now we have lawyers arguing the toss....... Strange times.

Here's your winner's medal

Here's yours

I'm blonde, female and work in a traditionally "male" environment. I have had assumptions made about my intelligence throughout my life. I love the look on their faces when they realise I have a brain and have bigger balls than my male colleagues. I don't get offended or consider it blondist. If they can't be bothered to find out who I am before judging my abilities then that is their loss. Not gonna lose sleep over it.
It is not about race, colour or creed, it is about ignorance. Ignorance and judgement over what makes us different to them. Accent, glasses, clothing choice, skin colour, hair colour.....anything. Sad really.

Well I am Irish and did not know until now that all the other countries in Europe had a potato blight too. I didn't know that the other food was exported to England either!
So there is no way I could expect an English person to have known about this.
I'm Irish, and look very irish and would laugh off any comments about being thick because I'm not.
My parents are pioneers and we had a housekeeper.

I suppose the message I'm getting from this thread is that we are all a big mix and all different, but equal.

@3luckystars did you not learn history in school. We were forced to grow and “sell” our corn and wheat to the English and we were left with potatoes which failed as a crop. The English did not allow us access to our crops so we starved and died. Some English groups fed the Irish as long as we converted to Church of Ireland which is where the phrase taking the soup comes from which is a derogatory term for a Irish Protestant who converted in order to get food.

For the person who said we don’t I’ve lawyers in Ireland we do. My dh describes himself as a lawyer as do many of his colleagues.

Dothehop, Are you Ok seriously?
You sound deeply embittered, especially against people who come from a different background to you...perhaps you led a sheltered life in Ireland and haven't been exposed to people from different walks of life.
Brace yourself because this is really going to upset you...may even ruin your weekend, but....my mother played Bridge!!!
How dare we we so privileged in Ireland in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s to the present day?
Celtic Tiger or not!

My parents played golf, bridge and Dad made a mean martini. Maybe I should check my DNA to see if I am really Irish.

Dothehop I had a laugh when you said the Irish don't brag about money! Seriously, We're you around during the Celtic tiger, it was all - second homes holiday homes and thousands spent on Communions. Also I have never lived anywhere else but Ireland and I would say lawyer and of course there was wealthy Irish people in Ireland.

But sue51 can you say the Hail Mary ?

I am not irish but married an irish man, i live in ireland now but children birn in london. We lived in london for over 15 years.

The link below is a great piece of irish history. The english involvment and responsabilities in the famine is shocking. We have got to put emotions aside and be able to learn from the past. In the same way the french, the spanish, the portuguese and the german have a difficult past for some of their history. It was not done by us but it is in our history. Blaming each other now is wrong BUT akbowledging that it HAS happened is fundamental to a better future. We ve got to keep the memory.

www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/famine/before.htm

Dear god you're comparing your opression to that of black people now?

'victors rite history' is a load of old balls. The most famous of historians, Thucydides, was on the losing side. We have countles german accounts of the war.

*write the

And everytime I see that phrase its being used to justify some nationalist pap.

I did learn history in school. I learned about the potato famine. I learned that they sent food over to England but I didn't understand that there was organised armies sent over to take it all and starve the people entirely.

I lived in London for 8 years during the mid 80’s and 90’s. Can honestly say that I never encountered any anti Irish behaviour or comments with the exception of security staff at Heathrow airport who would often make comments about terrorists etc that you would just have to stand and take .
I visit London 3-4 times per year and it’s always a wonderful experience . I find everyone in shops etc to be so friendly .

The airport experience is totally different now . The security staff are always polite .

My ancestors took the soup. One side of the family definitely. I'm glad I"m here today to say that.

I agree with the English poster who said that you wouldn't give the Germans a hard time for what the Nazis did!

I only ever felt exasperation and frustration with the UK following brexit. So it's not what happened in the past, it's what's happening now that makes me feel exasperated at the UK, no individual.

The good Friday agreement was only ever a truce and a lot of people in the uk didn't get that or didn't think of it when voting.

The UK is changing rapidly before our eyes, yuogslav style, except luckily no wars, just elections and referenda before our eyes. Scotland is Croatia and wants independence and will get it I believe. Wales is like Montenegro, culturally more rural with farmers' values and preoccupations it is smaller and will side with England/Serbia. Northern Ireland is Bosnia, ie, completely divided....

I am not pro Brexit but really despite all the hysteria (where you would have thought the country was on the brink to judge from the papers( the reality is that in election after election things largely stay the same!

Britain being involved in Europe is a very recent development. It doesn’t surprise me that it’s moving away from the E.U. Whether the whole thing survives will be interesting, but there’s a good reason it did well the first time and that reason is not just the English getting rich. A lot of other people in other parts of Britain made money too! So it will survive. Watch Boris Johnson spend like mad to ensure that it does.

That isn’t to dismiss the benefits of the E.U. but chances are Britain will be still ticking over in 100 years. After all, the certain only way to get out is to fight your way out and claim independence!

Dominant historical narratives are written by the winners - that doesn’t mean there aren’t others but well, they aren’t the big story.