Ah you're a Catholic!

[Appleday11]

I moved to England to work last year. I'm Irish.

When I arrived at my workplace, one of my colleagues said "Ah you are Irish, this is a nice city, there is a Catholic church down the road that you can go to".

I think she was trying to be helpful but I thought it was quite bizarre. I'm not Catholic and I told her so.

Second time - I was out in the pub with a mixed group of people. Some of them I had never met before. One man said "ah you're Irish, you're a Catholic!" I told him Im not.

Third time- I was at another group. A woman said to me "you are Irish. Ah so you like such and such. And you are a Catholic". I told her I am not.

I found it strange as I have never really thought about religiom. Do some people here think that all Irish people are Catholics? My family were not religious at all and I was never brought up any religion

A majority isnt everyone though. Spain is majority Catholic. Ive never assumed that any of the Spanish people that I know are Catholic. One of the Spanish women that i know told me that she was brought up no religion.

You’re thinking of Northern Ireland. Ireland (ROI) has traditionally been >90% Catholic, although that has changed in recent years.

No, of course not. But some people aren’t very deep thinkers, or are a bit socially inept. Given this person’s later comments, they also just sound like an arsehole.

Regardless of the stats though, why on earth would you assume an individual person's religion and then point them to the nearest church?

You’re overthinking this. Ireland is majority catholic. It’s not unreasonable to assume you’re catholic (a catholic atheist if you will) anyone over 40 will assume the same. They mean no harm. I would do the same from a family of Irish catholics. You must be very young if you’re from Ireland and have never thought about religion.

As Ive written, my colleague is under 40

My parents are Irish. IMO what you’ve experienced is related to English people tending to know Irish people of my parents generation (the big influx of immigration in the 50/60s) who would’ve had catholic backgrounds.

many British people wouldn’t know any Irish people who lived in Ireland more recently than that. As you know the diaspora brought a lot of community with them and that was often visibly associated with the church.

personally I’m surprised that people are asking you about it, but British people aren’t very religious in any recent generation so it might just be something they remember/ are interested in?

I’m talking about you. Not your colleague. They’ve probably just finished Derry girls.

IMe a lot of British people absolutely don’t know that Ireland is multicultural now.

When I've lived abroad most people have assumed I'm Christian because I'm English. I go with it even though I'm an atheist. I'm culturally Christian and celebrate Christmas so it doesn't feel like too much of a stretch.

I’m mid 30s and assumed everyone in republic of Ireland was Catholic, but I wouldn’t assume they were all necessarily practicing catholics - I wouldn’t say “there’s a church down the street for you” like your friend did! But I’d assume you were all brought up in a Catholic household with varying degrees of practising (that was the only word I could think of!)

Why did you think that?

When I visited Ireland I felt like I were Catholic.
I, to this day, have a new appreciation for the Catholic traditions.
I love saying my forebears were Irish Catholic.

So the curiosity would be coming from a place of reverence and admiration. And a recent exploration of the Potato Famines etc perhaps.

Oh dear I’d stop now before you can sound any less Irish or more offensive 🙈

I think you’re being unreasonable by over-estimating the standard English person’s knowledge of Ireland. When I lived there, l met so many people that didn’t know the difference in the North & the Republic, didn’t know that the Republic uses euros, and one even asked me did we have supermarkets in Ireland (in 2010!). A lot of them gave no consideration at all by what Brexit might mean for Ireland (north & south). They go by what little they know. They don’t know it’s a more multicultural place now and one of the few things they probably know is that Ireland is historically VERY catholic. I can understand their assumption, as I would assume most white Irish people have Catholic heritage - not that they’re necessarily practicing Catholics

Religion has cultural significance in Ireland but surely you know that? Also I’d assume that someone with no religion was the minority in your school in the 80s and 90s.

If you have a noticeable Southern Irish accent, it’s probably ‘fair’ to assume that you are Catholic. Your colleagues probably don’t think it’s offensive to make this assumption.

You seemed to be triggered however. I’d just say ‘oh no thanks Jenny, I’m not religious’ and leave it at that. I wouldn’t necessarily be offended by it.

Why do they know that and a lot of them don't know anything else!

How weird. There are loads of English Catholics, and a Catholic Church in every town. I’ve never heard anyone make comments like that.

Of course its not "fair" to assume im a Catholic.

As Ive already written, there were many non Catholics in school in Ireland with me in the 90s. I certainly wasn't the only one.

presumably the same reason a lot of Irish people won’t know much about other places if they’ve never had cause to learn or go there 🤷‍♀️ just a few outdated ‘facts’.

I don’t think it’s worth the angst you’re giving it.

For what it’s worth, I am Catholic, with a religious sounding name, and when people meet me they’re surprised as ‘I don’t look Catholic or like a (insert my name)’.

Not something to get worked up over IMO

I'm 40 and wasn't baptised. I don't think my religion or lack of has ever come up in conversation as an adult here in Ireland. I don't think anyone who knows me knows that one of my parents was Protestant and the other Catholic. It's never come up in conversation. Neither of them ever practised religion in any way as adults. My kids are without religion like me and have always attended multidenominational schools so religion has never been a feature in their lives either. My kids do joke though that my Protestant side is showing when I tell them to put the toaster back into the cupboard.

I knew a lot about the Uk before I moved here.

I suppose a mixture of the media (Father Ted, Derry Girls - which I know was Northern Ireland but ROI was often featured, The Magdalene Sisters), Irish people I’ve met throughout my life, who have all been Catholics, and just the reputation Ireland has for having such a huge Catholic and religious presence. I bet if you asked most people in the UK (or even America) what’s the first thing that comes into your head when you think of Ireland the answer would be priest or nun

Ive been to America. The first thing they all said to me about Ireland was Conor McGregor!

He is an Irish Mixed martial artist fighter. He is very popular there.