Irish vs. British (and sometimes Australians)

[MrMacphisto]

I've always wondered why some Brits have something against the Irish. It's never made much sense to me, since it seems like the British spend more time insulting (or have a longer history of attacking or abusing) the Irish than the Irish do to them. The one case where this isn't true is the IRA, but that small fanatical group is simply a reaction against the Loyalists. After seeing "Bloody Sunday," it amazes me that a full-scale war didn't result from the atrocities committed on that terrible day. Granted, some would say that the conflicts in the following decades were basically a guerrilla war between the IRA, the Loyalists, and the British Government. Thankfully, it seems that the conflicts have lessened in recent years, but the prejudice toward the Irish appears to remain. I've even looked a little bit into this idea concerning Australia. From what I can tell, it seems that some Australians also share this prejudice (which is ironic, considering their history of being a penal colony). Whatever the case, Irish pride seems to be more common in the U.S. than Irish prejudice, although there are obvious exceptions to this rule. In the earlier part of the 20th Century, the Irish and Italian immigrants seemed to conflict often (whether verbally or violently), so some people in the Northeast U.S. still have a certain unspoken prejudice against the Irish. Anyway, I just was wondering if there's anyone here that can help clear up this matter about the British and the Irish.

 

[The Sean Man]

The British Empire felt the world was it's oyster back then, and pretty much tried to 'control' just about everywhere and everyone. The Irish didn't appreciate it, and pretty much developed the "f__ck you, Britain" attitude.
As for this country, some people still consider the irish (as well as most other "non-american" nationalities) as the unwashed part of the neighborhood. It's sad.

The Sean Man

 

[red indian]

Does anyone..............

....REALLY want me to make a contribution to this thread? I fear it could lead to a lot of pompous e mails to me from the mods!

 

[The Sean Man]

Fire Away......

The Sean Man

 

[Slant]

As far as I'm aware there isn't any anti-Irish feeling at all... that's some weird other-country's-stereotype thing. Most of the stereotype-based "anti" humour concerns the French - they did invade us 1000 years ago you know!

 

[MrMacphisto]

Slant and Red Indian

Slant, it's funny you should mention that there doesn't seem to be any anti-Irish sentiment. I suppose I should ask where you live in the UK. As far as I can tell, it seems like southern England seems to have more of this kind of prejudice against the Irish, whereas northern England/Scotland seems to have more of a kinship with them. I knew a number of people in college from England, and I had a British girlfriend for a short while that seemed to have something against the Irish (despite my own Irish heritage). I also spoke a lot in college with a Welshman who had a very strong respect for the Irish.

Red Indian, feel free to contribute to this thread; I'm anxious to hear what you have to say, but just be prepared to defend anything radical.

 

[Slant]

I'm in Oxford (central south of Britain) atm, but I went to school in Wales... I can only speak for my own experiences of course, but I've genuinely come across more references to anything Irish in American telly programs than anywhere else, seems to be quite a big "Irish pride" thing as was said earlier in the thread (St Patrick's day etc.)

A lot of the (friendly) animosity of the British Isles is due to the fact that we all kept invading each other all the time - if you go back to the Picts and the Scots it all gets very confusing!

 

[red indian]

Thanks but......

....no thanks, you will get me thrown off here for good!

 

[BigJim]

Re: Slant and Red Indian

Slant, it's funny you should mention that there doesn't seem to be any anti-Irish sentiment. I suppose I should ask where you live in the UK. As far as I can tell, it seems like southern England seems to have more of this kind of prejudice against the Irish, whereas northern England/Scotland seems to have more of a kinship with them. I knew a number of people in college from England, and I had a British girlfriend for a short while that seemed to have something against the Irish (despite my own Irish heritage). I also spoke a lot in college with a Welshman who had a very strong respect for the Irish.

I live in Hampshire, which is directly in the heartland of the south of England. For my part I have never come across any attitude that could be considered "anti-Irish", beyond the Pat & Mick jokes you'd get after a few pints in the Dog & Gun. Certainly nothing like you might find against the French or the Iraqi's. There's many predjudices out there, but anti-Pat and Mick-ism is one that is very rare.

As for Bloody Sunday, I've seen it as well. A nice, happy drama scripted, funded and screened by the ever eccentric and increasingly lefty BBC. You see those nasty big soldiers opening fire with their 7.62 SLR's and mowing down women, children, priests, cripples and orphans don't you? What the Bollocks Broadcasting Corporation DOESN'T bother to show, is the guys picking up revolvers from the dead, collecting them in buckets and then running like buggery into the nearest tower block. Lots of nice, sanitised, catholic corpses for the cameras by the time they get there. Something else you don't hear about from the BBC is the catholics who tried to make it open about how some gunmen infiltrated the peace protesters, only to have the Provos frighten them off by threatening to take a Black & Decker to their kneecaps.

Yes, the British Government has treated catholics in Ireland like shit. Yes there have been many incidents that Amnesty International would pop a vein at. But the kind of shite that is propogated about Ireland, in America, is deeply unbalanced and desperatley short on facts.

 

[BigJim]

Oh and trust me, there is PLENTY of antagonism between the English and the Scots. Just try going into a pub in Glasgow where all the football fans are wearing white shirts with green hoops, and say...


"Up the Gers, I'm proud to be an Orange man!"

 

[Knox The Hatter]

Hey, Mr. MacPhisto:

READ!!!!!!!

The act will surely set you free.