Things about us micks that drive you foreigners nuts...

toomevara

Recently posted a thread re: a typically horrendous/hilarious (delete where applicable) bashup I witnessed between a bevy of baltic bruisers. A particularly thin skinned Lithuanian replied telling me that the paddies also engage in annoying alcohol abuse and pointless violence (shock, horror, stop the presses)...which he found distasteful....

Got me thinking though...So come on foreign types! Tell us all about your Paddy pet hates....and do you actually like living here or are you all in it for the cash?

CrazyGirl

who cares!

whiskeyman

toomevara wrote:

or are you all in it for the cash?

Aren't we all in it for the cash anyway?

Plug

CrazyGirl wrote:

who cares!

Very intreasting.

greenteaicedtea

well people don't move to dangerous countries just for the cash. They go there because it's safer than what was back home, sometimes.

toomevara

CrazyGirl wrote:

who cares!

Nothing like an intelligent, incisive response to a post to make it all worth while....

damnyanks

If someone has a problem with the place they can always move. If it's not worth moving over its not something that drives them nuts

Me personally the typical Irish lady irritates me, died blonde hair, fake tan and just random crap coming from their mouth. I've been abroad for a few years now , it doesn't seem so bad anymore.

I'm just negative when I'm bored though

toomevara

whiskeyman wrote:

Aren't we all in it for the cash anyway?

Ummmmm.... no. I guess what i'm trying to get at is what feelings of affinity if any do people coming to live here have....what do they like/dislike about ireland etc...in other words are they here for purely economic reasons or are there other considerations.....

toomevara

damnyanks wrote:

Me personally the typical Irish lady irritates me, died blonde hair, fake tan and just random crap coming from their mouth.

Elaborate please and could you be more specific re: the 'random crap'. you'll get
no argument from me concerning the fake tan...the OompaLoopa look beloved of so many Irish ladies does leave me cold....

Ickle Magoo

greenteaicedtea wrote:

well people don't move to dangerous countries just for the cash. They go there because it's safer than what was back home, sometimes.

Not all "foreigners" here are economic migrants - some of us were stupid enough to marry an Irishman....:p

There are loads of things I don't like about Ireland....the truly awful drivers, being laid back to the point of almost being unconcious & so nothing ever gets done (tradesmen & politicians especially), moaning to each other but never to the appropriate authorities so things change, the drinking culture is unbelieveable, it's like a mini US but several decades behind, the corruption (guards letting off pals, dodgy politicians are forgiven instantly, etc), the Catholic Church & the hold they seem to have on A) the public & the state....erm....there is more but I think that is quite enough to be getting by on....:o

For the record, there are also hundreds of things I love about the Irish/Ireland....it's not all bad!

Hobbes

Ickle Magoo wrote:

being laid back to the point of almost being unconcious & so nothing ever gets done (tradesmen & politicians especially), moaning to each other but never to the appropriate authorities so things change

Heh! You just named two of my missus pet peeves. Especially the first one. We had plumber in to fix something one time and she was freaking wanting to know why he didn't show up when he said he would and turned up a few days later.

Another one I heard from a friend (she lives down the countryside) was that nearly everyone in the village had to know what she was up to and had to tell everyone else.

Mind Hunter 85

What annoys them is Irish Employers thinking that they should work for up to 50%
less wages, when they have the same or more experience as their irish counterparts .
And the fact there there treated as second/third class citizens who should be grateful for that .the 2 basic issues they have are that money and disrespect.

damnyanks

ASTA20 wrote:

What annoys them is Irish Employers thinking that they should work for up to 50%
less wages, when they have the same or more experience as their irish counterparts .
And the fact there there treated as second/third class citizens who should be grateful for that .the 2 basic issues they have are that money and disrespect.

Random crap I can't really explain... it's just one of those things sorry... this could of course just be my problem but its the general D4 attitude (But more so in the D6 area)

Bad explanation but thats what I'm about

The thing Hobbes said about everyone in the locality needing to know your business is true.

IRISH PEOPLE ARE NOT FRIENDLY, WE ARE NOSEY, WE WANT TO KNOW YOUR BUSINESS

Once again don't get me wrong, I'm nosey. I guess its being nosey / friendly. but more so nosey (Where ya from, will ya have sex with me ? Why not etc.)

Fanny Cradock

damnyanks wrote:

Random crap I can't really explain... it's just one of those things sorry... this could of course just be my problem but its the general D4 attitude (But more so in the D6 area)

huh?

^ that statement sounds like random crap to me

RandomOne

Ickle Magoo wrote:

Not all "foreigners" here are economic migrants -

There are loads of things I don't like about Ireland.... being laid back to the point of almost being unconcious & so nothing ever gets done

Not an economic migrant here either, but whilst that laid-backness is damn irritating when you're waiting for the plumber, it's also one of the best things about it. The "live and let live" attitude and (nosey)friendliness first, rather than suspicion and "Can I sue him for that". I know my neighbours here, I didn't in England. Teenagers say hello as I walk by whereas in England you really hope they ignore you. People are proud of their heritage and even if St Patrick's day is an excuse for an almighty booze session, at least you know when it is - ask an Englishman when St George's Day is! It's generally cleaner and even if your waste system is a tad bizarre to me, at least you're trying!

That's not to say some Irishfolk aren't bloody rude.

Drunken Irishmen you're really not half as funny as you think except to other drunken Irishmen!

Your "luxury goods" i.e. not weekly groceries are a ridiculous price and the standard of your roads are appalling but at least they keep moving outside of city centres and rush hour.

As long as I do a decent job, I get paid and have a decent standard of living without being put upon to do 6 other people's job as well and being constantly stressed out.

If I have a party at the weekend, no-one troubles me and it wouldn't occur to anyone to call the police or sue me for infringing on their right to a peaceful Sunday afternoon. If anyone's ever campaigned to have church bells silenced here and won, I've not heard of it.

Some of your bureauocracy is a joke whilst some of it is wonderfully simple. Either way, people try and get you through it instead of shrugging you off.

.... That's all I can come up with off the top of my head.

qwytre

Ickle Magoo wrote:

Not all "foreigners" here are economic migrants - some of us were stupid enough to marry an Irishman....:p

There are loads of things I don't like about Ireland....the truly awful drivers, being laid back to the point of almost being unconcious & so nothing ever gets done (tradesmen & politicians especially), moaning to each other but never to the appropriate authorities so things change, the drinking culture is unbelieveable, it's like a mini US but several decades behind, the corruption (guards letting off pals, dodgy politicians are forgiven instantly, etc), the Catholic Church & the hold they seem to have on A) the public & the state....erm....there is more but I think that is quite enough to be getting by on....:o

For the record, there are also hundreds of things I love about the Irish/Ireland....it's not all bad!

Well that was some rant and I found some of it offensive, I would reply properply but I couldn't be arsed, and I am a bit drunk.

RandomOne

qwytre wrote:

Well that was some rant and I found some of it offensive, I would reply properply but I couldn't be arsed, and I am a bit drunk.

God help you when you get to mine then!

eiretamicha

qwytre wrote:

Well that was some rant and I found some of it offensive, I would reply properply but I couldn't be arsed, and I am a bit drunk.

LOL. I'm assuming the irony of your reply was intentional.

crosstownk

Ickle Magoo - interesting post. I've always wondered what others think of the Irish, and what the Irish image is in the eyes of a foriegn person - and from the perspective of thier culture.

I'd be interested to hear from others too.

toomevara

Hmmmm, its all gettin' nice and juicy now....come on foreigners, more dirt..I love it (as an occasionally self flagellating Irish man)....Incidently Ickle Magoo, i spent 5 years living in London, coming home only for crimbo etc...and when I moved back, I was struck by many of the things you mentioned, indeed since I've come back I've never really felt at'home' here...weird...and am off again in september..

Whats all y'alls take on irish peoples perception of themselves? I've always felt we were intolerably smug, specially re: the whole "'sure were all great party animals and lovely welcoming sorts altogether, and everybody loves us" feckballery. Also is exploitation of foreigners as widespread as I fear it is?

qwytre

eiretamicha wrote:

LOL. I'm assuming the irony of your reply was intentional.

Yes....yes....em, intentional of course

Seriosuly though, a lot of what is said here I agree with but I was wondering if the people replying have spent all their time in Dublin? I find other parts of Ireland (e.g. Galway) to be be quite different to the "culture" in Dublin.

DublinWriter

toomevara wrote:

Whats all y'alls take on irish peoples perception of themselves? I've always felt we were intolerably smug, specially re: the whole "'sure were all great party animals and lovely welcoming sorts altogether, and everybody loves us" feckballery.

Very true. I got away with several shades of blue murder during my time as a consulting IT professional in London in the early naughties. But as I always delivered the goods and was seen as a 'good egg' it wasn't a problem rolling up to work smelling of wimmin and drink the occasional lunchtime. It was (still is to a lesser degree) fashionable to be Irish in London. I don't think any of my English collegues could have gotten away with the same feckballery and paddywhackery.

Compare and contrast with my Father's experience of working as a navvie in the London of the late 50's - early 60's. The whole 'No Blacks No Dogs No Irish' vibe was in swing and you were made feel about as welcome as a ham sandwich at a barmitzah or a fart in a spacesuit.

jimmycrackcorm

blah blah blah worst thread ever - where's me close button....

Ickle Magoo

qwytre wrote:

I was wondering if the people replying have spent all their time in Dublin? I find other parts of Ireland (e.g. Galway) to be be quite different to the "culture" in Dublin.

I'm "down the country" with in-laws in Dublin so see a good bit of both....:)

toomevara

DublinWriter wrote:

Very true. I got away with several shades of blue murder during my time as a consulting IT professional in London in the early naughties. But as I always delivered the goods and was seen as a 'good egg' it wasn't a problem rolling up to work smelling of wimmin and drink the occasional lunchtime. It was (still is to a lesser degree) fashionable to be Irish in London. I don't think any of my English collegues could have gotten away with the same feckballery and paddywhackery.

Compare and contrast with my Father's experience of working as a navvie in the London of the late 50's - early 60's. The whole 'No Blacks No Dogs No Irish' vibe was in swing and you were made feel about as welcome as a ham sandwich at a barmitzah or a fart in a spacesuit.

Uncanny, had a very similar experience in london meself (worked in publishing),and got away with blue murder, regarded as a 'character'. their word not mine.

toomevara

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

blah blah blah worst thread ever - where's me close button....

Good man, and now you've graced it with the worst post ever...where's me ignore button....

FlutterinBantam

Fanny Cradock wrote:

huh?

^ that statement sounds like random crap to me

Sounds like pure crap to me

FillSpectre

DublinWriter wrote:

Very true. I got away with several shades of blue murder during my time as a consulting IT professional in London in the early naughties. But as I always delivered the goods and was seen as a 'good egg' it wasn't a problem rolling up to work smelling of wimmin and drink the occasional lunchtime. It was (still is to a lesser degree) fashionable to be Irish in London. I don't think any of my English collegues could have gotten away with the same feckballery and paddywhackery.

Compare and contrast with my Father's experience of working as a navvie in the London of the late 50's - early 60's. The whole 'No Blacks No Dogs No Irish' vibe was in swing and you were made feel about as welcome as a ham sandwich at a barmitzah or a fart in a spacesuit.

My experience of London in the 90s was very different. English people drink at lunch time as a normal tradition a lot more than here. I found their work ethic quite low overall. I also got many racial taunts for being a "paddy" or "mick". Most thought it was fair that any Irish people should be treated differently when near mass trasnport. A decade later after peace I guess things could change.

As for Irish people being nosey that is part of social capital. If you remove group involvement it is actually very bad. There are good and bad with most things

Black Swan

OK, I've heard one complaint while overseas. Why does the Guinness in Dublin taste like divine brew, and the stuff that's exported to the States often tastes terrible?

The Hill Billy

toomevara wrote:

Uncanny, had a very similar experience in london meself (worked in publishing),and got away with blue murder, regarded as a 'character'. their word not mine.

Doubly uncanny - Worked just outside London (in IT) & got away with blue murder in work, also regarded as a 'character' (the only manager to wear an earring & Doc Martens' with a suit). Regularly pursuaded my boss to have "off-site planning meetings" in The Three Horseshoes in Marlow. Dem were de days!

/misty-eyed with nostalgia

toomevara

FillSpectre wrote:

My experience of London in the 90s was very different. English people drink at lunch time as a normal tradition a lot more than here. I found their work ethic quite low overall. I also got many racial taunts for being a "paddy" or "mick". Most thought it was fair that any Irish people should be treated differently when near mass trasnport. A decade later after peace I guess things could change.

As for Irish people being nosey that is part of social capital. If you remove group involvement it is actually very bad. There are good and bad with most things

There's no doubt that english attitudes to the irish changed totally over the 90's....I first went to London as a young lad in the late 80's (working in pubs and clubs) and received regular and often quite scary abuse both at work and out and about...some pretty hair raising stuff, so i couldnt believe it when I went back ten years later, albeit in a white collar job, attitudes had turned a full 360, it was very cool to be a paddy and in four years never experienced a single incident....

Even now there's still a residual whiff of cool about being a muck mucher over there....but a good friend of mine who's a senior nurse in london often gets alot of abuse in A&E and even had an incident where, recently, an older chap refused to be treated by him 'cos was a 'paddy', mind you he says the filipinos and nigerians get constant abuse.....

Ickle Magoo

Definately cool to be Irish where I come from in Scotland....there are Irish pubs on every other corner & they are always busy....there is a large Irish polulation there too....we always have good craic with our Celtic cousins!

adonis

yeah if i wasnt irish there would be a couple of things that would annoy me

the general appearance of the irish - fat
the general attitude of the irish girls - stuck up
and the general "it'll do attitude" -- sometimes it doesnt do
and the americanisms...but apart from that the weather is pretty good these days

mike65

I think its the "t'will do" attitude that most annoys me, that and the time-keeping of course!.

Mike.

toomevara

what about the American/Australian interrogative which drives me nuts...everyone under twenty five and of a certain social grouping uses it...you know like? where like? every statement you make? is framed as a question? it makes me want to scream?

RandomOne

qwytre wrote:

Yes....yes....em, intentional of course

Seriosuly though, a lot of what is said here I agree with but I was wondering if the people replying have spent all their time in Dublin? I find other parts of Ireland (e.g. Galway) to be be quite different to the "culture" in Dublin.

I'm not in Dublin and have only visited it once before I moved out here!

toomevara wrote:

Even now there's still a residual whiff of cool about being a muck mucher over there....but a good friend of mine who's a senior nurse in london often gets alot of abuse in A&E and even had an incident where, recently, an older chap refused to be treated by him 'cos was a 'paddy', mind you he says the filipinos and nigerians get constant abuse.....

Everyone working in A&E gets a lot of abuse whether English, Irish, white, black etc. My white, English daughter was punched three times in the stomach by male patients whilst visibly pregnant. That's not anti-Irish attitude, it's anti-authority, & "the world owes me, my taxes pay your wages" mentality prevalent in England. If there's a whiff of cool re the Irish still in existence it wasn't obvious to me. (But then I'm not Irish so possibly wouldn't see it) General attitude is they're courteous and good fun ... and English girls & guys go for the accent and blue eyes big-time.

toomevara

RandomOne wrote:

Everyone working in A&E gets a lot of abuse whether English, Irish, white, black etc. My white, English daughter was punched three times in the stomach by male patients whilst visibly pregnant. That's not anti-Irish attitude, it's anti-authority, & "the world owes me, my taxes pay your wages" mentality prevalent in England. If there's a whiff of cool re the Irish still in existence it wasn't obvious to me. (But then I'm not Irish so possibly wouldn't see it) General attitude is they're courteous and good fun ... and English girls & guys go for the accent and blue eyes big-time.

Christ, thats bloody awful re: your daughter...excellent point on the whole 'world owes me' business. Totally in agreement.

metrovelvet

Inertia.
Scapegoating England or America for everything and yet import their culture from entertainment to clothing from both nations.
How **** and SORRY are the two most used words in Hiberno English.
The ah sure it'll do attitude.
The willingness to pay high prices for utter crap/junk thereby keeping up an overpriced economy.
The need to have several pints before you can talk about anything real.
Cliquishness
How in love they are with themselves for being Irish. They think everyone loves them, yet the only time ive heard this is from them! Go figure.
Terrible customer service.
Driving.
Stuck in the past.
The attitude to sexuality and the body.
The class system [which seems almost feudal].

toomevara

Can I ask where you're from MetroVelvet, and how long have you been living here?

Fanny Cradock

metrovelvet wrote:

Inertia.
Scapegoating England or America for everything and yet import their culture from entertainment to clothing from both nations.
How **** and SORRY are the two most used words in Hiberno English.
The ah sure it'll do attitude.
The willingness to pay high prices for utter crap/junk thereby keeping up an overpriced economy.
The need to have several pints before you can talk about anything real.
Cliquishness
How in love they are with themselves for being Irish. They think everyone loves them, yet the only time ive heard this is from them! Go figure.
Terrible customer service.
Driving.
Stuck in the past.
The attitude to sexuality and the body.
The class system [which seems almost feudal].

back to your own country then.

IRELAND FOR THE IRISH

Ickle Magoo

Lol - And how the Irish can't accept criticism unless from another Irish person....:p

Metrovelvet, I was reading your list, nodding & laughing!

joe_chicken

Ickle Magoo wrote:

being laid back to the point of almost being unconcious & so nothing ever gets done

This is why our economy is so bad then?

Ickle Magoo wrote:

moaning to each other but never to the appropriate authorities so things change

This is exactly why I love Ireland so much, things do get done, but in their own time... It's a national past time to moan (escpecially) when you know nothings gonna get done about it... it's fun, you should try it

Ickle Magoo wrote:

the drinking culture is unbelieveably good

Finally we agree on something... phew

Ickle Magoo wrote:

it's like a mini US but several decades behind

American culture is sweeping every country in the world... not just Ireland

Ickle Magoo wrote:

the Catholic Church & the hold they seem to have on A) the public & the state

Give me an example of you or someone you know being affected adversly by the Catholic church in the last 5 years (as far as state policy or public opinion)
I think you've been reading a few too many Frank McCourt books... The Catholic Church has had no influence in this country for the past 20 years (or more)

LadyJ

joe_chicken wrote:

Give me an example of you or someone you know being affected adversly by the Catholic church in the last 5 years (as far as state policy or public opinion)
I think you've been reading a few too many Frank McCourt books... The Catholic Church has had no influence in this country for the past 20 years (or more)

What about on schools and their attitudes towards gay marriage?

They might not directly control anything but they do have an influence on the people who vote.

RandomOne

Ickle Magoo wrote:

Lol - And how the Irish can't accept criticism unless from another Irish person....:p

Metrovelvet, I was reading your list, nodding & laughing!

It had to happen didn't it. Someone invites "foreigners" to tell what's good and bad about Ireland/Irish ....... I'm surprised it took so long :rolleyes:

Ickle Magoo

joe_chicken wrote:

This is why our economy is so bad then?



This is exactly why I love Ireland so much, things do get done, but in their own time... It's a national past time to moan (escpecially) when you know nothings gonna get done about it... it's fun, you should try it



Finally we agree on something... phew



American culture is sweeping every country in the world... not just Ireland



Give me an example of you or someone you know being affected adversly by the Catholic church in the last 5 years (as far as state policy or public opinion)
I think you've been reading a few too many Frank McCourt books... The Catholic Church has had no influence in this country for the past 20 years (or more)

And I repeat....how the Irish can't accept criticism....:rolleyes:

joe_chicken

LadyJ wrote:

What about on schools and their attitudes towards gay marriage?

They might not directly control anything but they do have an influence on the people who vote.

I had an a$$hole religion teacher in school who hated gays and would tell us quite regularly...

That, however, has nothing to do with religion in my eyes, that has to do with him being an a$$hole

joe_chicken

Ickle Magoo wrote:

And I repeat....how the Irish can't accept criticism....:rolleyes:

We can take criticism... just not when those critiques are based on outdated stereotypes

Archeron

LadyJ wrote:

What about on schools and their attitudes towards gay marriage?

They might not directly control anything but they do have an influence on the people who vote.

How and who? I dont see the church as having any affect on any aspect of society anymore, and the only people who IMO would be swayed by church morals are the elderly in society who have more familiarity with the church and who also (again, IMO) have a greater fear of their own mortality and therefore feel more of a need to have a spiritual side to their lives. from speaking with people that I know, more and more people are investigating how they feel spiritually, and this is leading to more and more people moving away from the Catholic church and to alternative ways of thinking.

I am 29 years old and the church has never had ANY impact on my life. OKay, I made my communion, confirmation etc, but its never swayed my mind or my opinions on anything at all, and I can safely say the same for pretty much everybody I know.

As regards gay marraige, I know we're all wonderfully open minded and modern :rolleyes: but I reckon Bertie hit the nail on the head when he spoke about it being pointless to put it to referendum. Homophobia is sadly, a big part of society here and you cant blame the church for that.

LadyJ

joe_chicken wrote:

That, however, has nothing to do with religion in my eyes, that has to do with him being an a$$hole

Yes but you have to admit that if all the "good catholics" were banned from voting then we might have a more liberal country.

RandomOne

joe_chicken wrote:

I had an a$$hole religion teacher in school who hated gays and would tell us quite regularly...

That, however, has nothing to do with religion in my eyes, that has to do with him being an a$$hole

True, but teachers can influence at least some pupils' thinking - however they can't vote so hopefully the real world undoes such "teaching". Priests influence rather more of their congregations' thinking. Since there is still a strong church here, that thinking is spread across the congregation who vote, therefore affecting/influencing matters.

LadyJ

RandomOne wrote:

True, but teachers can influence at least some pupils' thinking - however they can't vote so hopefully the real world undoes such "teaching". Priests influence rather more of their congregations' thinking. Since there is still a strong church here, that thinking is spread across the congregation who vote, therefore affecting/influencing matters.

Exactly.

This is all I'm saying.

I'm not saying that they control the country but they do have an effect on certain things.