Am i Irish or plastic paddy

LegacyUser

dont know if this is the correct place to post but it is a personall issue for me - just wondering am i strictly irish or a so called 'plastic paddy' - i have lived in Ireland since i was 18 months old and i am now almost 30 years old - i am an adopted child - my adoptive mother is irish and my adoptive father is english - my biological parents - are both irish - does this make me fully irish - since i was not born in the country but have lived here practically my entire life since i was 18 months and both my biological parents are irish. Just would like some feed back on this? THanks

Beruthiel

I for one would consider you irish

why does this bother you, if you feel irish, then you are!

BoozyBabe

Beruthiel wrote:

if you feel irish, then you are!

So that's why most Yanks believe they're Irish!!!!:rolleyes:

Beruthiel

BoozyBabe wrote:

So that's why most Yanks believe they're Irish!!!!:rolleyes:

you have a rather large point there

let me rephrase that then, you have lived your childhood years in ireland, born to irish parents, brought up by one irish mother, you are defo irish.
ok?

LegacyUser

I dont know really i guess its just me - but i dont think you can just 'feel irish so you are' - there are loads of americans that you can meet in america who claim to be irish because their grand mother or something came from Ireland but that in my opinion does not make them irish - its becoming a popular thing to claim to be irish - just becuase you are partially decended from someone irish - - the whol 'paddys day' thing and boston thing ' kiss my im irish' this type of thing - but there not irish - see what im getting at

Zulu

Clearly you're Spanish

Beruthiel

you still haven't said why you think you are not irish?

/edit
shadup zulu ya muppet

LegacyUser

Your Irish alright

BoozyBabe

Beruthiel wrote:

you have a rather large point there

let me rephrase that then, you have lived your childhood years in ireland, born to irish parents, brought up by one irish mother, you are defo irish.
ok?

Much better!!!

(Sorry for the smart ar$e remark, but I couldn't resist!!):D

Dave

You're Irish I'm afraid.

I have a Bangladeshi friend who has lived here since he was 5. Doesn't have Irish parents, doesn't live with Irish family, or have Irish citizenship (long story) but I would consider him as Irish as myself, just by the way behaves.

Dragan

Dude, your Irish. Having lived here for as long as you do you would be Irish just from that. But seeing as you have two "natural" Irish parents then yeah, your Irish.

Zulu

Beruthiel wrote:

shadup zulu ya muppet

Tobias Greeshman

Yes, you're without a doubt Irish. You've lived almost all your natural life in Ireland, your natural parents are Irish and your adoptive mother is Irish. You're as Irish as any other Irish person I'm afraid.

Mina Loy

I have to say that so far (apart from one or two people), the grammar in this thread has been atrocious. When you are trying to say that someone is it is you'RE not your!

Bah!

ven0m

unregged person wrote:

dont know if this is the correct place to post but it is a personall issue for me - just wondering am i strictly irish or a so called 'plastic paddy' - i have lived in Ireland since i was 18 months old and i am now almost 30 years old - i am an adopted child - my adoptive mother is irish and my adoptive father is english - my biological parents - are both irish - does this make me fully irish - since i was not born in the country but have lived here practically my entire life since i was 18 months and both my biological parents are irish. Just would like some feed back on this? THanks

You're irish....... welcome to the other half....


::: ven0mous :::

Beruthiel

Mina Loy wrote:

I have to say that so far (apart from one or two people), the grammar in this thread has been atrocious. When you are trying to say that someone is it is you'RE not your!

mina
might I suggest you read this forums charter with regards to unhelpful comments, I believe there is an english forum where you can vent your outrage
B

d-arke

you're eligible for an irish passport so yes, you're irish!!!! sure you've gave us no reason to think otherwise

LegacyUser

the reason for the post is i was reading a bloggers blog earlier on and one of the people who replied said something about Eamonn Develare been a 'plastic paddy' - reading a quick synopsiis of Eamon De Veleras life - he came to Ireland when he was 2 BUT his father was spanish/cuban - maybe im just been slightly rediculos

simu

Come into the parlour, you are Irish.

If people have been calling you a plastic Paddy, I'd ignore them - it's a stupid phrase imo.

Peteee

Yeah you're Irish. Irish parents, and lived in Ireland for most you life. You can probably get an Irish passport if you want.

LegacyUser

ive always had an irish passport - but that doesnt meen to much in itself
people can apply for other passports depending on parents nationailities or spouse are living a certain time in another country - that means feck all really about a person actual nationality

Beruthiel

from where I’m standing it would appear that you are over analysing this on account of being adopted.
would I be right?

ionapaul

I'm adopted too, no idea about my biological background (most likely Irish but could have been any pale Caucasian background ), but as I was brought up in Ireland as part as an Irish family, I'm as Irish as can be! As are you.

Slightly off topic, plastic Paddy is an awful expression...

LegacyUser

yeah you might be right - i use to be/still am very concious of my adopted father been english - im from a small town in westmeath - and my father has a very posh english accent coming from Hampstead in London - so i dont know maybe i felt a bit different or something...

Chong

I was born and bred in Ireland but because my dad is from the Netherlands everyone I know refers to me as Dutch.

The_B_Man

unregged person wrote:

.....- that means feck all really about a person actual nationality

haha u said "feck"...you're Irish!! Congratulations!

That whole plastic paddy thing is a lot more to do with slaggin our footballers who's 1st time in Ireland was playin for Ireland in Landsdowne Road, and who wouldn't even recognise our national anthem, and who probably know the words to god save the queen.

If you've lived here since u were a kid then your Irish. Basically what you said was that both ur natural parents are Irish (so u hav 100% irish blood), you've lived in Ireland since before u can remember (Irish blood livin in Ireland 99% of ur life), and you have an Irish passport (Irish citizen).

Think about it this way: IF you were playing in the premiership for Man United or whoever, what claim would you have to play for the Irish Internatinal team? A LOT MORE than most on the team at the moment.

Slán.

Brother A

You're not alone in this issue of 'identity' thats for sure.
In the past in holy catholic ireland, it probably wasn't as widespread an issue, most people here were born here, to Irish parents here, and grew up here also.
I'd say that anyone else was always on some level considered by the general population as a foreigner. (interesting...I just saw WDK's post which surprising matches with my ill-informed-speculation...)


But now with 10% of the population being emigrants and all, they are, as people in similar situations have always done, wondering just who they are, after making their home here and living here for years etc.
But more significantly vis. cultural change --- with this increase and of course 2nd generation emigrants, the general population is inevitably being forced to confront the question of: are these people Irish?. And the corollary -what is it that makes 'us' Irish.
Note: While the formation of a more inclusive social idea may be slow, the rejection of it may come a lot quicker. (witness the GAA add about it being 'in the blood'. interesting...)


As an aspiring unquestioned leader (or 'brutal dictator' if you will) of the country, I suggest that, in order to be considered Irish a person must satisfy 2 criteria
1. Live here for 7 years
2. Cheer FOR Ireland and always AGAINST the Brits during football matches
(vis. the 800 year occupation)


Oh, and do what I say too,
or you'll be classed as a 'non-aligned agitator',
and thrown into a special facility for 'Gaelic-personality-reconstruction'. (Upon completion of the programme you will be given a complementary pair of wellies, a Hurley, & medium sized bag of potatoes)


(P.S. I realise I didn't actually answer the question...but ah... send me some money to fund my rise to power and you can definately be Irish then!)

testicle

You're obviously a spanner

connundrum

unregged person wrote:

my adoptive father is english

By all standards, this fact alone would let you qualify to play for the Irish football team.

elexes

if your not irish where did you come from ?

dbnavan

In my book ur more irish then alot of people i know who claim to be, and probably more irish then half of Jacks Army

chandira

Hey- you are, like, sooooo totally Irish, m'kay?

Seriously, Irish passport, lived here most of your life, you're as Irish as my water

LegacyUser

yeah, i agree with Brother A about there is definitely a demographic/cultural shift taking place in Ireland at the moment - which has never been seen before for the best part of a 1000 years - particularly in the last 5 years - soon you will have nigerian children talking with kerry accents and chinese kids talking with cavan accents - its mad aint it!!

Victor

testicle wrote:

You're obviously a spanner

Thwack!

Banned.

LegacyUser

unregged person wrote:

I dont know really i guess its just me - but i dont think you can just 'feel irish so you are' - there are loads of americans that you can meet in america who claim to be irish because their grand mother or something came from Ireland but that in my opinion does not make them irish - its becoming a popular thing to claim to be irish - just becuase you are partially decended from someone irish - - the whol 'paddys day' thing and boston thing ' kiss my im irish' this type of thing - but there not irish - see what im getting at

Well, it doesnt have the same meaning for americans when they say that - its shorthand for "my heritage is....".

But no one can tell you what your essence is and anyone who does is being rude, your identity is yours and yours alone and no one has the right to rewrite it for you. Just as you dont have to right to tell anyone else what they are or are not.

I for one have an Irish passport and Irish [anglo-irish] parents, but my upbringing is American and that will always override the other half of my hyphenations.

Plastic paddy is an awful expression - it implies that there is some sort of atuhentication of ethnicity that meets certain criteria, and if you dont well then you're a phony, criteria usually decided by those who have met decided criteria.

deisemum

I'm Irish so is my husband. Our eldest was born in London and we moved back to Ireland when he was 16mths. Some family members refered to him as a plastic paddy as he had an english accent which vanished when he started school.

He's got an Irish passport and he can have an british one as well which I cannot see happening. As far as I'm aware if you have one parent or grandparent who was born in Ireland and you weren't born here then you're entitled to an Irish passport.

You're definitely Irish.

panda100

V.intresting reading this thread because i am what they call the original plastic paddy!

Born and raised in crickelwood in London(home of the London Irish). My mum is from Longford and my dad is from Limerick-we were brought up with the whole diddly diedily music,irish dancing lessons you name it.Everyone on my street was a murphy or an O'Carroll etc. Im moved back to Limerick then,as i am the youngest in my family,whan i was 16 and now all 5 of us including my parents are back living in Ireland. I'd consider myself now to be london Irish.I'm proud of my London roots and so in that respect I suppose I am a plastic paddy,a bit like shane Mc gowan.However,i consider myself totally Irish but still have a very strong english accent which I am not ashamed of,but when I meet people for the first time over here they cant understand how i can be Irish with an english accent-but there just stupid!Jeez jesus was born in a stable but that doesnt make him a donkey.just like i was born in England ,doesnt make me english

LegacyUser

Yes I would def consider you Irish - you're "more" Irish than most Irish people I know. One of my friends was brought up in Belgium, another has a Portuguese father, one has Chinese parents, but they're all Irish.

I consider myself Irish simply because I've lived here for the best part of my life and my dad is Irish, although I was born in England and my mum is English. Some people seem to delight and telling me I'm not Irish, as if its some exclusive club. Couldn't care less to be honest.

freebird

I used to have an English accent but I think I'm aright now, you just kinda have to stay positive.