to be proud to be Irish - Biden reportedly wants The Chieftains for his inauguration.

[Shuddawuddacudda]

www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/joe-biden-irish-band-chieftains-inauguration?fbclid=IwAR2hHpONAH86n_voO69ZwFK8gooFuU8rByZQnbMGXIDU4_w43_zQVggfPGU

'Reported by media'.

Good to know whose corner he's in.... Only the other day, Sky News were gloating that Boris got a phonecall from Biden before Ireland lol.

I think Obama was a fan of The High Kings too. Might have had them at Paddy's Day or something at the WH.

Big honour for The Chieftains if true!

Funnily, unlike Obama and Biden, not much is made of Pence's Irishness in Ireland 😂

Indeed.

I wouldn't read too much into choosing the Chieftains music as part of his inauguration. He still phoned Boris first. And the Taoiseach embarrassingly has to delete a tweet which claimed he'd spoken to Biden, when he hadn't.

@Baaaahhhhh

Sorry, but I find Biden's obsession with his Irish roots a bit odd. Biden is of English, French and Irish descent. His Irish roots are very distant in modern terms, his great-great grandparents on his mothers side. I have to say I think it is a bit odd that he sees himself as so Irish, when he is absolutely an American of mixed European descent and is actually only less than 1/5th Irish.

It’s a combination of sentimentalism and a desire to capitalise on association with the Kennedys and the Irish-American political interest. Fintan O’Toole had interesting things to say about it in Saturday’s Irish Times.

@Stripesnomore

Biden isn’t Irish anymore than Trump was Scottish. They are both American.

Their ancestral claims are just about American Imperialism and interference in other countries.

Yes I totally forgot that Ireland and Scotland were occupied by the Americans. Right-o.

Leaannb
You say Biden was truthful that Orange people by which he meant Protestants were not welcome in the White house. So much for his support of the GFA. Ulster Unionist leaders were there, they had travelled to the celebrations in the White house and he was saying they were unwelcome.
He can celebrate his Irish roots without being sectarian. The GFA was supposedly about respect and a shared future.

For all the people criticising Biden -- look, if you've never lived in an Irish American community (as I have) then you'll never get it. And that's fine. But that doesn't mean you're right and 33 million Irish Americans are wrong. So maybe just let it go and accept you'll never understand it.

Think they should play this at the inauguration;

Hmmm. Better version;

Think I was there when it was filmed

@Wildswim

Funnily, unlike Obama and Biden, not much is made of Pence's Irishness in Ireland 😂

Indeed.

I wouldn't read too much into choosing the Chieftains music as part of his inauguration. He still phoned Boris first. And the Taoiseach embarrassingly has to delete a tweet which claimed he'd spoken to Biden, when he hadn't.

That you Adam Boulton? Lol. Who knew there was a competition.

It’s very American to claim he heritage from generations ago. I lived in Canada for ten years and it was the same there. As long as he keeps it in check when it comes to foreign policy then let the auld fella get on with it, he’s not long for the world anyway.

My paternal grandparents were Irish but I’m 100% Mancunian and would never say that I’m Irish.

Bloody brilliant. Love it!!

Thats a huge point of pride in the States. Twenty five percent of Americans can trace back to the Mayflower. 8 of our Presidents can

No way. From 50 survivors? Someone's telling porkies. So they are all proud to be descended from ultra Protestant English/Dutch loons who were kicked out of England for being, well, loony!

you've never lived in an Irish American community (as I have) then you'll never get it. And that's fine. But that doesn't mean you're right and 33 million Irish Americans are wrong. So maybe just let it go and accept you'll never understand it.

I don't really get it, as an Irish person raised elsewhere. The above sounds like something an American would say! 😆

No way. From 50 survivors? Someone's telling porkies. So they are all proud to be descended from ultra Protestant English/Dutch loons who were kicked out of England for being, well, loony!

Well the thing about this statement is I’ve never come across even one person who made this claim, let alone the apparent entire nation who is supposedly proud of it.

I mean, I only spent the first half of my life in the US so maybe I just didn’t get out enough?

I love the Chieftains. I'm American, though my Kilkenny-born mother and aunties did do my head in growing up (I'm much more like my reclusive Eastern European dad), but the music in our household was stellar. The Chieftains, The Fureys, Clancy Brothers filled the air of our mental family gatherings.

[quote Leaannb]@Janegrey333...Or he loves the family who still lives in Co. Cork...I know I still love my Aunts and Cousins and Uncles who live there[/quote]
🙂

I think it's a very individual thing. I am Irish descent but born in England. I have always seen myself as poor Irish than English.
Others in the same situation almost denied their Irish heritage.

More not poor.

@CherryVelanc...Thats because Ireland doesn't like him and his super conservative attitude and they think he is hypocrit going on and on about his immigrant past when he was so supportive of Trump's immigration policy

@gwenneh

No way. From 50 survivors? Someone's telling porkies. So they are all proud to be descended from ultra Protestant English/Dutch loons who were kicked out of England for being, well, loony!

Well the thing about this statement is I’ve never come across even one person who made this claim, let alone the apparent entire nation who is supposedly proud of it.

I mean, I only spent the first half of my life in the US so maybe I just didn’t get out enough?

Nope. No one is telling Porkies. 25 percent of Americans can trace their liniage to the Mayflower and they are very proud of that fact

apnews.com/article/6d093e5a5beb416dbd30922a68a903bf

On top of the maternal influence, there is the tendency among American Catholics to retain a strong ethnic identity in RC parishes.

Parishes are where you're from in most eastern and midwestern American cities with large RC populations, not neighbourhoods. Even little towns are divided into Irish / Italian / German parishes. There is a certain small town in Nebraska that has a St. Patrick's church and a St. Joseph's.

Not that long ago if someone in Chicago asked you where you came from, your answer - the name of your parish - would tell whether you were of Italian, Irish, Polish or German descent.

Members of different parish tribes generally didn't mix. A marriage between members of Italian and Irish parishes was considered a mixed marriage.

The distinctions sprang up because of the tendency of immigrants to live close to their fellow countrymen. Even still there are areas of American cities with a strong ethnic flavour.

Biden was most certainly brought up in this sort of culture.

Interesting article.

It says that “ There are an estimated 10 million living Americans and as many as 35 million people worldwide who descended from the Pilgrims, according to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants.”

So that’s more like 3% of the US population. Which makes more sense considering I’ve lived half my life there and never heard this claim from anyone, much less run into whole groups of people who regarded it as a source of personal pride.

@Griselda1

Leaannb You say Biden was truthful that Orange people by which he meant Protestants were not welcome in the White house. So much for his support of the GFA. Ulster Unionist leaders were there, they had travelled to the celebrations in the White house and he was saying they were unwelcome. He can celebrate his Irish roots without being sectarian. The GFA was supposedly about respect and a shared future.

His support of the GFA that he pushed Clinton into is a personal compromise. He would much rather have a Unified Ireland than it being seperate. However,, he knows ota If the GFA fails the Troubles will start all over again and he knows its not his place to tell another Goverment what to do. All those Irish pubs in Boston and NYC will start funneling cash and arms to Seinfeld Finn. Let me reiterate that point for you. The Irish Mob will use their legitimate businesses (Pubs in the US) to funnel cash and ARMS into Sein Finn. Just like they have before. UUP was definitely unwelcomed he made no bones about it. They were not there to give NI back. Biden wants a Unified Ireland. He wanted in the 70s, he wanted it in the 80s ( heard him speak at a St. Patrick's day rally) and the 90s. Like I said before the GFA is his personal compromise. He wants a Unified Ireland (like many Irish Americans) but will settle for the GFA. It wasn't about religion but about reunification He did his part in the peace process on that front and he will fight to keep the GFA protected. There was a reason he called Ireland's Prime Minister before Boris.

Trump begrudgingly did it but his heart was never in it

His heart? You think Trump has one?
All this not acknowledging that he's lost crap - I've been wondering why they can't just chuck him out for being insane.
Although if they did that he'd probably try and wrangle it into an excuse not to stand trial for embezzlement, fraud, rape, sexual assault....

The Chieftains are great, especially live.

I'm (Northern) Irish, and not proud of it. Why would I be proud of an accident of birth? But then I think all patriotism is a bit weird. I couldn't get out of Northern Ireland quick enough anyway, although I did enjoy the decade I spent living in Cork. I hope Biden visits Ireland as soon as he it is safe, it will be a terrific boost for tourism. And thank goodness he is such a strong supporter of the GFA, especially now that fuckwit Boris is so willing to sell the whole thing down the river.

@bumperdump

you've never lived in an Irish American community (as I have) then you'll never get it. And that's fine. But that doesn't mean you're right and 33 million Irish Americans are wrong. So maybe just let it go and accept you'll never understand it.

I don't really get it, as an Irish person raised elsewhere. The above sounds like something an American would say! 😆

Well it should, because I am American