Guy asked me my religion within 15 mins of first date! Bin him?

[LaBrasseria2024]

Hi all,

Dipped my toe in OLD about a year ago. It's been a year lol. 32 female.

I went on a date with a guy a few weeks back.

Perhaps my post would be better in Craicnet (I'm N.I)

The guy asked me within 15 mins of the date if I was a particular religion ( his religion) obviously hoping that I was.

I just think it's a bit rude and a touchy subject in N.I, especially one a first date.

I wouldn't dream of asking someone this as I don't feel it's appropriate and it doesn't matter to me. I wasn't brought up like that!

I brushed it under the carpet as I wouldn't want an argument on the first date. Apart from that we got on and I found other things he said very funny.

We have texted quite a bit since, second date arranged, but I had to cancel due to being sick.

But it has played on my mind he felt it okay to ask me this. He is a 35 year old man and should know better, ffs!

Am I being oversensitive? Or should I throw this one back?

That is not the case. Anyone born in NI is Northern Irish and may also identify as British or Irish. They are also entitled to many of the benefits of Irish citizenship if they so wish.

The British government has ignored the part of the GFA that allows anyone born in NI to be Irish, British or both, as they have insisted that anyone who is born in NI is British by default. As an Irish person, I respect the GFA and the right of anyone born in NI to be Irish, British or both.

They remain irish by birth because they are born on the island of Ireland. Do you think a person born in Abergavenny isn't Welsh if they identify as British? Bizarre

The constitution defines Ireland as the 26 counties.

But bunreacht na heireann does not define irishness as curtailed to the boundary of the 26 counties. Anyone born on the island of Ireland is eligible to apply for Irish citizenship and if your heritage goes back at least w generations on the island of Ireland you are extremely unlikely to be refused irish citizenship, just cf all the ones from Ballymena and Portadown now travelling on Irish passports post brexit 😎

Eligible being the key word there.

Yeah, the birirish government unlitaterally decided that british natiojalitybr the fault be the default but thankfully the courts rejected that a)l9

But yet you feel that you can unilaterally decide Irish is the default nationality.

When did the courts reject that?
My understanding was they hadn’t.

I don't, the constitution of Ireland does and the British government acknowledges that 🙌

De Souza

Why are you assuming he is sectarian/bigoted? Was there anything else about him that made you think he was a hateful person? I probably would have assumed he was asking so he could make "appropriate" jokes because taking the piss is a very NI thing. He obviously hasn't realised that you don't see humour in these things which will make things awkward going forward.

No the constitution doesn't. It states that anyone born in NI has an entitlement, not that they are Irish by virtue of birth. And the British government must certainly do not agree. They accept that NI people have an entitlement, which is something very different.

Nope. That’s not what happened there.

Somebody missed the last 1000 years of history on the island of Ireland.

No-one in Northern Ireland is Irish by birth because they were born on the island of Ireland.

The island of Ireland has been two countries since 1921.

Northern Ireland is part of the UK and it's citizens are British - unless they choose otherwise.

But you know all this, don't you.

I think other posters are getting sick of this too.

Do you think a person born in Abergavenny isn't Welsh if they identify as British?

But people from Northern Ireland who do not consider themselves Irish; consider themselves Northern Irish by location/region and British by nationality.

There are many variations between geographical origin, region, ethnicity, nationality, identity etc etc.

A large portion of the population of NI do.not consider themselves Irish. Even if they were born on the geographical island. They consider themselves Northern Irish & British.

I was born in the country/state of Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland. I am Northern Irish. I'm not Irish. In terms of nationality, I am British.

But again, you know this already.

but by birth if you are born in Ireland north or south you are Irish.

There is no "Ireland, North and South" ...there are two countries; Northern Ireland and Ireland.

I know you want that to be the case and I know you believe that to be the case ..... But we are dealing with facts here, not beliefs; and there are currently two countries on the island of Ireland.

You are not Irish if you born in Northern Ireland; unless you choose to be.

One truly has to wonder at your agenda, to be spouting this sort of thing, repeatedly.

@StrawberryDream24

"Northern Ireland is part of the UK and it's citizens are British - unless they choose otherwise."

"You are not Irish if you born in Northern Ireland; unless you choose to be."

Just pointing out that both Irish and British are equal choices, rather than the way you present it as British being the default and Irish requiring active choice. Admittedly the British government have contravened the GFA by claiming you must actively do something to not be British but the GFA does not require you to actively do anything either way, you just are whichever (or both) is your preference.

You are not Irish if you born in Northern Ireland; unless you choose to be.

That’s it in a nutshell.
And you have to be proactive in choosing it, eg get a passport, or you’re not legally an Irish citizen (even though you may still feel/identify as Irish).

It also means of course that people in NI are British by birth even if they choose not to be…which is against the sentiment of the GFA in my opinion, but that’s the situation as it stands at the moment. No court case has overturned that yet to my knowledge, @ForFunAmberDeer.

It is legally the default as far as I know @OchonAgusOchonOh. Not fair imho.

You don't have to get a passport to be Irish. Being born in NI is all you need to do. You then make the decision (or your parents make it for you) as to whether you are Irish, British or both.

It is legally the default because the British government have not implemented the legal framework to comply with the GFA. The current legal position of the British government is contrary to the GFA.

https://www.irishlegal.com/articles/analysis-ni-court-of-appeal-upholds-automatic-british-nationality-for-ni-citizens

Well, yes.
But it’s still the current legal position and they’re not planning to change it.

Fair enough.

I should have phrased it - you are neither Irish nor Northern Irish/British by default when you are born in Northern Ireland - you can choose to be either (or even both).

The poster claiming that everyone born on the geographical island of Ireland.... Or "Ireland, North or South" .....(I'd be interested to know where 'Ireland North" & "Ireland South" are ... haven't heard of those countries, strangely) is automatically Irish in any way (nationality, identity etc) ...... Is still completely and utterly wrong.
I wouldn't want English people and other people on here to become misinformed due to her posts.

(I understand you've been refuting her claims/opinions and are trying to be accurate).