Why the Polish?

Exit

I've been living out of the country for the last couple of years, but obviously I've kept in touch a little bit about what's going on in the country. I had assumed the Polish were just another set of people immigrating here, but since being here for a bit now, it seems that they're more accepted here than any other group.

They have their own section in the Herald and earlier I was watching a Polish international game on Setanta, and a lot of the ads were in Polish.

I don't know the statistics, but are there more Poles here than anyone else? I'd have thought Nigerians were up there. Is it just that they've integrated better?

And because it seems to be a prerequisite: I have zero problems with the Poles, or any other nationality (the more the better IMO) but I'm just curious why the Poles and not anyone else?

Stephen

I think there are actually a lot more Poles here than any other immigrant group.

forbairt

I think the census showed around 130000 ? ... and I've seen other figures putting it around 200000 ... so there are quite a few

davyjose

They're not trying to rape the system either - they're here to work, and work (hard) they do!

Pigman II

Plus they're white, which always helps.

spurious

They are also white - which makes a big difference - sad but true.

**edit"" snap..what the Pigman said.

mike65

There were about 63,000 here when the census was taken last year but Poles come and go so the population rises and falls quite a bit and as said they are here to work.

Mike.

KTRIC

As said in previous posts , they are not harming anyone and working harder than most Irish. Some people have a problem with them because they are making them look bad, thankfully thats the minority.

Most of the people that are complaining seem to forget that a good majority of the western world (US) is decended from Irish. There are appoximatly 35 million Irish passport holders worldwide and only about 4 million in Ireland , so do the math.

dodgyme

Also we seem to like the poles. They are a bit like the irish. Even in the US over the last century. Irish people would in general if marrying outside their nationality would marry an italian or polish etc, perhaps in general the polish and the italians were generally catholic like most irish and lived in similar areas etc.

electric69

They like to drink a lot so they get along with us pretty well i think

AlmightyCushion

KTRIC wrote:

Some people have a problem with them because they are making them look bad, thankfully thats the minority.

Unfortunately there are some small minded people that have a problem with them just because they're foreign.

JIZZLORD

AlmightyCushion wrote:

Unfortunately there are some small minded people that have a problem with them just because they're foreign.

People complain how they're taking our jobs, but when i was in secondary school i used to work in a sawmill in the summers and i worked with lots of poles and latvians, excellent workers who would ask the boss can they come in at 7 in the morning to work an extra 2 hours. Excludind the boss, his sons and the delivery driver there was a 20 year age gap between myself and the other irish.

The poles are working hard for their future and taking he crap jobs that the irish wont take, and there is always a certain percentage of irish who will never hold down jobs, yet their malice and bitterness is always heard. I'm not saying that the polish are perfect, with immigration you tend to get all sorts, and certain elements of the press seem to be on witch hunts to find crime related to these people, but in reality they're doing what my uncle and aunts did, immigrate to a foreign country for a better future.

Mellor

There are alot of people who dont understand the system, and have a problem with the poles, refering to them in the same context as the asylum seekers. I heard one woman on the radio complaining about poles getting BMWs of the goverment, and the guy on the radio was basically taking the piss out of her and almost calling her an idiot.

Numina

davyjose wrote:

they're here to work, and work (hard) they do!

they really do, i worked in C&C for a while, and there was one polish guy and he was the better than anyone else at his job, he done it insanely fast!

Owen

A lot of them are doing degrees in College at night too. My gf's Polish, and in her course at night, there's 5 other Polish people too - and that's just one course!

445279.ie

and they're Catholic

Pherekydes

Pigman II wrote:

Plus they're white, which always helps.

Why so because?

Surely a mixing of the (white) gene pool is what the doctor ordered?

Have a look at the election results to see the effect of inbreeding.

I recall a flier back in the 90s that scaremongered about all 110 million Nigerians arriving here if we didn't do something about immigration. :eek:

Only 16 thousand at the last census. Disappointing.

Dave!

Yeah the Polskis make up the largest portion of immigrants here AFAIK.

I'm learning some bits of Polish

I can say: hi, how are you, sorry, thanks, bye, good.

It's nice to have little phrases, cos I work with a few Polskis!

edit:
This site is pretty handy:
http://onestoppolish.com/useful_polish_phrases.htm

Mr. CooL ICE

I used to work with a guy who had a problem with them. He admitted that they do take the crap jobs and work hard at them, but hated the fact that they buy their food in Lidl, buy their drink in off-licenses and drink at home. Basically giving out that they earn all the 'irish' money and don't spend it here, and bring it back to Poland. IMO, as long as they work and pay their taxes, they can do whatever the hell they like with with the money that they have earned.

Zillah

Ireland and Poland have very high Catholic populations, probably a large reason they choose here.

Tha Gopher

Probably because they drink nearly as much as we do, and alot have the same music taste as alot of Irish people (hard dance mainly). However I have to say this hard work thing is a stereotype. While I worked with Polish hard grafters in my old crap minimum wage job, in my office environment Ive worked with at least two Poles who were appallingly lazy (both female). As for free unchecked entry I can think of at least two Poles this country would be better off without (both Gypsies mind, and the average Pole seems to regard them the same as most of us regard travellers).

Hoops1888

Well to be honest their more accepted than Nigerian's for example because their white sad but true + if you ever really see one their not really white kinda funny their country is colder than here but most of their woman have nice brown cough lips


Also I must say when I went to Milan v Celtic on the way back to London they were all inviting me to a house all them were dead on + most Polish hate the English which again I believe works in their favour maybe not on this board but we all know this is true.

Hail 2 Da Chimp

They took our JOBS!!!!


But the real reason they are so accepted... Hot Polish chicks!

chamlis

Just generally better looking anyway.

"The Todd appreciates hot. Regardless of gender"

Dave!

YES. Polish chicks are really really hot.

Hoops1888

DaveMcG wrote:

YES. Polish chicks are really really hot.

Very true, my barber has been making a fortune off me

the_syco

They're white.

They like their drink.

Their women are hot.

They religon is as f*cked up as ours.

They work hard.

mike65

Hoops1888 wrote:

Also I must say when I went to Milan v Celtic on the way back to London they were all inviting me to a house all them were dead on + most Polish hate the English which again I believe works in their favour maybe not on this board but we all know this is true.

Sounds like they need a history lesson. Unless they thought anti-english comment was simply appropriate behaviour while watching a Celtic game.

Mike.

Hoops1888

mike65 wrote:

Sounds like they need a history lesson. Unless they thought anti-english comment was simply appropriate behaviour while watching a Celtic game.

Mike.

They need a lesson?

Poland v England? Ring any bells.

mike65

I was thinking about WW2! Which match did you have in mind -1974 or 2004?

Mike.

MooseJam

aren't there more Lithuanians than Poles, we gave Lithuania 12 points in the eurovision

ROCKMAN

Yes I agree about the polish and their work ethics, having worked with them and others nationalities on sites.. But one worrying thing that is starting to Happen (3 cases already in the last year in my city). Is a few groups polish lads have being hunting in packs and being unprovoked attacks without warning single or smaller groups of Irish people .In the worse case ,the victim was a 18 year old girl who was walking down the road with her best mate (17 year old female) The attack so vicious and savage that the victim was knocked out and spend time in hospital . The ringleader of this attack has being caught, prosecuted and sentenced.
Yes their are scumbags in all walks of life , and I do not want to paint everybody with the same brush,But for me these case are little danger signs hopeful i will be wrong but it will be ten to twenty years down the road before we will see the true outcome off all this people movement........

Owen

ROCKMAN wrote:

these case are little danger signs hopeful i will be wrong

Danger signs of what exactly? Irish people are doing a good job of stabbing and shooting each other. You're trying to say one gang of Polish people represent the majority who come to work here? Or that now that one gang has started, the rest of our Poles will think 'Hey, that's a great idea. Let's all assault Irish people'? :rolleyes:

Hoops1888

mike65 wrote:

I was thinking about WW2! Which match did you have in mind -1974 or 2004?

Mike.

Well it's been a long time since I was in nappies and going to school sadly im not in college learning the second world war.

Anyway's I dont know the match for sure all I know is they were playing England started riot's and alot of them got stabbed.

If you've ever watched the show about English soccer fans you would of seen that alot of them went to Poland started doing something like this Rangers fans were doing against Israel. Talking of history?

demanufactured

davyjose wrote:

They're not trying to rape the system either - they're here to work, and work (hard) they do!

Yeah but theyr here to rape our river and lake systems of fish , therel be nothing left at this rate

Hoops1888

demanufactured wrote:

Yeah but theyr here to rape our river and lake systems of fish , therel be nothing left at this rate

Thats very true mate nice to see someone sticking up for the fish.

Up the lough there with their net's.

Your from Athlone? Alot of people were talking about if they catch them at it they were gonna throw them out their boats and sink, your hardly one of them boys?

demanufactured

if i caught them taking fish there not meant to , (which i have) , i report them ,if that dosent work,,well....

ROCKMAN

ned78 wrote:

Danger signs of what exactly? Irish people are doing a good job of stabbing and shooting each other. You're trying to say one gang of Polish people represent the majority who come to work here? Or that now that one gang has started, the rest of our Poles will think 'Hey, that's a great idea. Let's all assault Irish people'? :rolleyes:

First read my post " not painting every body with same brush etc etc....."
OK i may look very racist here but ,
Over the last few years as the numbers have grown and a good foot hold has been achieved in the Country ie support groups etc ..The numbers and amount of criminal activities among your immigrant workers and refugees has been on a steady and alarming rise, So my point is that in ten/twenty years went we have a complete muticultral community with compete ethnic areas in all our cities, it may not just be our home grown scumbags we have to deal with............

445279.ie

MooseJam wrote:

aren't there more Lithuanians than Poles, we gave Lithuania 12 points in the eurovision

Only because Poland wasn't in the final

Owen

ROCKMAN wrote:

The numbers and amount of criminal activities among your immigrant workers and refugees has been on a steady and alarming rise

I doubt it's alarming. I'd be willing to bet, that per ethnic group, the native Irish have a much higher ratio of criminals : people than the equivalent Polish. It's also just a tad obvious, that as we get more and more immigrants that immigrant crime will rise.

Crazy Christ

When our stupid economy, which relies entirely on the property boom, collapses they can return the favour to us

GerryRyan

Going to echo what other posters said before me:
The fact that they're white and work very very hard is to their benefit.
I worked a few weeks with a blockie last Summer, and they put the Irish worker to shame ... has to be said. And it's a rare sight to see a massive line of Polish near the dole office (but feel free to correct me on that one).

Time Magazine

Hoops1888 wrote:

Well it's been a long time since I was in nappies and going to school sadly im not in college learning the second world war.

Britain entered World War II to liberate Poland.

If you've ever watched the show about English soccer fans you would of seen that alot of them went to Poland started doing something like this Rangers fans were doing against Israel. Talking of history?

In the same way Celtic fans/Republicans often support the Palestinian cause, Rangers fans/Unionists support the Israeli cause. Poland had a significant Jewish population before the Germans invaded in 1939 and the Germans killed 90% of them. Despite this, it seems Poles still have a grudge against Jews.

sickpuppy

What is integration packs of poles 15 to ahouse?
I have worked with all nationalities in 6 years in dublin,and withouta doubt the polish are the most introverted unfriendly smallminded bunch of the lot. They have no interest in ireland and most get paid cash in hand on building sites they do anyway.They are good workers but it saddens me to seethe country populated with large tracts of them. The reason big construction companys employ them is cheap labour,and they have no social life as such work every day under the sun thats there peroggative,but they wont get paid overtime for saturdays sundays etc.And on building sites there safety is terrible partly because they are afraid they will get sacked if they dont do jobs that any sane irish person would,eg working without adequate fall protection etc,work in the lashing rain they wont get paid if there sick ,basically with there work practices they will drag the reat of us down to there level.

RoundyMooney

Ibid wrote:

Britain entered World War II to liberate Poland.

The clue is in the username Ibid, as I'm sure you've gathered

Ibid wrote:

In the same way Celtic fans/Republicans often support the Palestinian cause, Rangers fans/Unionists support the Israeli cause. Poland had a significant Jewish population before the Germans invaded in 1939 and the Germans killed 90% of them. Despite this, it seems Poles still have a grudge against Jews.

I remember visiting Auschwitz a while back. The tour guide, while not on the face of it minimising the extent of the Jewish massacre, went to great lengths to stress the amount of Poles, gypsies and others who perished, to the point where their loss was a dominant part of the tour, by comparison to the widely held view that the camps were dominantly populated by Jewish people.

Hoops1888

Ibid wrote:

Britain entered World War II to liberate Poland.

In the same way Celtic fans/Republicans often support the Palestinian cause, Rangers fans/Unionists support the Israeli cause. Poland had a significant Jewish population before the Germans invaded in 1939 and the Germans killed 90% of them. Despite this, it seems Poles still have a grudge against Jews.

If Unionist/Ranger's support ISRAEL can you explain this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fCtX56tokk that's my point England fans went to Poland and done the same thats what started the fight over there.

LordChessington

LordChessington wrote:

I used to work with a guy who had a problem with them. He admitted that they do take the crap jobs and work hard at them, but hated the fact that they buy their food in Lidl, buy their drink in off-licenses and drink at home. Basically giving out that they earn all the 'irish' money and don't spend it here, and bring it back to Poland.

Ha! have seen the other side of that argument, my mother worked in London and sent all spare earnings back to Carlow to help my grandparents family.
If they earn it, then thay can spend it or save/send "home" any way they see fit.

RoundyMooney

RoundyMooney wrote:

I remember visiting Auschwitz a while back. The tour guide, while not on the face of it minimising the extent of the Jewish massacre, went to great lengths to stress the amount of Poles, gypsies and others who perished, to the point where their loss was a dominant part of the tour, by comparison to the widely held view that the camps were dominantly populated by Jewish people.

Warsaw had one of the largest jewish ghettos in Europe before the start of WWII, those jews were Polish!
PS also been to Auschwitz, unforgetable..

Deliverance

Poland and Ireland have a trade agreement as far as I know(which strengthens the Irish economy). Poland being an up and coming country with a lot to offer is a good addition to Ireland. The Polish folks are a good addition to this country. Work hard and stay on your toes folks, this is Europe after all.

Be nice, it might not be long before our great Irish workers might be going to Poland to build them up as well. As we have done with the USA.

Damn saying that I hope Bush has no Irish connections. Hopefully he is an inbred texan.

Slutmonkey57b

ROCKMAN wrote:

First read my post " not painting every body with same brush etc etc....."
OK i may look very racist here but ,
Over the last few years as the numbers have grown and a good foot hold has been achieved in the Country ie support groups etc ..The numbers and amount of criminal activities among your immigrant workers and refugees has been on a steady and alarming rise, So my point is that in ten/twenty years went we have a complete muticultral community with compete ethnic areas in all our cities, it may not just be our home grown scumbags we have to deal with............

Right... so when the term "paddy wagon" was coined in the states it had nothing to do with the fact that 90% of the occupants of said wagons were Irish then? And we've been happily exporting our home grown scumbags all over the world for centuries. The past 20 years, we've been exporting our scumbag terrorists to those friendly arabs.

Still, it's these foreigners we have to watch out for. Up the Irish!

junkyard

I have a Polish guy working for me and I can honestly say he works more than twice as hard as the Irish guy that works for me, is more obliging and is actually better at his job and more clued in and is interested in working. I can tell lunch time and home time by the Irish guy but not start up time.:rolleyes:And he gets paid the same as the Irish guy and overtime too.