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

I was born in UK spent 15 years in Ireland. Was on the receiving of horrible abuse from teachers, kids, adults as I was perceived as English.
Return to England and not anything that compares.
An occasional stupid comment that I can deal with robustly but not malice a d physical aggression.

DoTheHop have reported. It’s shocking.

I’m British and DH is Irish (son half Irish) and so I learned about our mutual history so I knew more about my son’s heritage. I was absolutely appalled. And feel ashamed I didn’t educate my self sooner.

I’m Irish,studied in England - had the odd comment made about being a leprechaun, getting called irish at work,instead of my name and once told I sound like Ian Paisley (I am not from anywhere near where he is from!) but all in all I feel like it was in jest.

I have no idea what the Irish look is? I do have dark hair and fair skin but I’m the only one in my group of friends (also all Irish) that looks like this?

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0003rj1

This is a BBC programme on the famine featuring Ireland’s leading experts on the issue. They specifically address the question of whether the famine was a genocide and state categorically that it was not.

Genocide has a particular meaning in international law.

I'm mixed Welsh/Scots/Irish/English. Have lived in England all my life, sound totally English. The number of sneering comments I've heard (because people think I'm totally English) about Welsh/Irish/Scots is astounding.

There's also a huge amount of ignorance about the history of the English in those countries.

They specifically address the question of whether the famine was a genocide and state categorically that it was not

Ok, phew! I can stop caring about it then

It's a BBC programme though '... 'Nuff said....

@ Ethelfleda

Guess it boils down to whether people want to accept what Niamh Gallagher, Cormac Ó Gráda and Enda Delaney have to say about the famine or go with the assertions of some random on the Internet.

www.irishhistorylinks.net/History_Links/IrishFamineGenocide.html

@DoTheHop

Ireland’s leading historians of the famine. Listen to it. You might learn something.

@Deemail

An article from “anon”. Really ?

My mother told me a story of trying to find somewhere to live in London in the 50s ( still bombed out) and being asked a couple of times by landladies because of her dark hair and pale skin ‘ You aren’t Irish, are you ‘ - Welsh was fine apparently .

I’m Irish, living in London, strong accent.
I’ve never received any comments about being Irish. If anything, I find people warm to me quicker because I’m Irish, at work in particular. I’m sorry to hear this OP.
Friends will make the potato joke, but I laugh and their inability to pronounce “R”!

How about this one?

The famine was not a genocide in law. That doesn’t take away from the death that resulted. But I note all the posters who assert that it was don’t explain their reason for saying it and why.

Plus, I am still mystified why you would expect it to be taught or otherwise referred to in public life. You would expect so in Ireland, but why Britain?

Cadisa I posted the link not to further the belief shared by many that the famine was genocide but to give a brief over view as to what happened during those times.

I have an Irish, Catholic friend, husband from Glasgow, his family are Protestant, had such a horrible time when she went up there, she never went back. Horrible sectarianism Has never experienced any problems anywhere in England

Lex if that's the case then we shouldn't expect Germans to learn about the mass murder of Jews at the hands of their ancestors.
The idea of teaching this type of history is to learn from it so it will never be repeated.

There was a discussion on Radio 4 about whether NI was represented enough in discussions pre election. Obviously the dynamics are complex within NI parties... but no one thought to invite anyone to participate in pre general election debates with the other parties. The country that will be the most affected by Brex-shit.
I think the lack of thought/care given to NI within the uk Is pretty callous. I know this is tangential to the discussion but relevant I thought in some way.

I am Irish descent on both sides. Dark hair, dark eyes and light olive skin. Had the 'you don't look Irish comments all my life along with insinuations I am really a different, often maligned, race/religion. No prizes for guessing which one. Knew I was Irish but got it tested and I am only 2% Scandinavian.

I've made a 'black Irish' board on Pinterest to prove my point to doubters. The stereotypical 'Irish look' is really from the Vikings

pin.it/f7y5bs4zt6held

When I lived in London I often got mistaken for Russian or eastern european, I must not have the inbred irish "look"

I didnt encounter any serious anti Irish sentiments when I lived there though, maybe just gentle ribbing about my accent or stuff like that. I've seen plenty of it here on MN recently though, maybe things are changing for the worse in the UK. It's ok to be irish by descent when you want a passport though

I’m Irish and have never experienced racism here. You get the odd “to be sure”, “gwan gwan” char but mostly it’s affectionate or “banter”.
That said, people I meet tend to be well educated so would be unlikely to make jokes based on your ethnicity, certainly not to your face anyway. Or maybe I’ve been lucky but my other Irish friends here have never experienced it either. Dare I say if anything it might be the other way round. Certainly they’re all laughing at the shambles that is Brexit (so “stupid Brits” chat)

I have had two experiences recently of people I work with making anti Irish comments.
One was my manager talking about a new patient that had been referred to us. She said in a derogatory tone. Oh he's Irish. She knows I am of Irish decent but is generally insulting to everyone who isn't Indian.

The other one was said in a jokey manner from a younger Indian male about me being Irish so I must be violent.

I called them both out on it in an "oi do you mind kind of way but they just laughed"

I feel if it was the other way and I made similar comments about them being Indian I would have been in trouble.

@LexMitior
I'd say it should be taught in the same way that other British events in History are. Ireland is one of our closest neighbours and through learning the history of the British and Irish relationship it would lead to a better understanding of the current NI and Republic of Ireland situation. Very relevant now that Brexit looks likely to steam ahead.

The Irish are not immune from their own prejudices which they were and are more than comfortable to express, at length and for anyone to hear both in UK and at home.
A neighbour of mine, from Trinidad told me the first person who said anything racist to her when she first arrived to UK was an Irish woman who she was nursing.