GB didn't know his eyes were blue until aged 25!

thebigleap

Has anyone heard this crazy story about Gabriel Byrne? It was posted on a message board and some posters actually believe it...for some reaason they think the Irish didn't look in mirrors back in the day because vanity was a sin! I'm talking about the 50's, 60's and early 70's. I told them the story was probably a joke and made a decent argument that Ireland was not that repressed in those days and that for one thing, men (even priests) needed a mirror to shave. I thought that would win the argument for sure but, no, someone just posted a letter that Gabriel wrote to one of his teachers (a Christian Brother) where he mentioned that the brother didn't shave because mirrors were a sin. The poster was all smug like because now she thinks she's proved me wrong....

I grew up in Ireland and I'm pretty sure that the priests were very clean cut and didn't have scars on their faces from shaving blind:rolleyes:. So does anyone know about this comment that GB supposedly said about his eyes? It's ridiculous and I'm dying to go back and laugh in their faces... I'm assuming if he said it, it was a joke.... I know most households had mirrors back then but what about the Brothers and the priests? Did they use mirrors to shave or did they put their faith in God?:D

Snowie

well he was going to be a prieast

Jesus Wept

[ ] Need a mirror to know what colour your eyes are.

Sktchr

When and where did he say this?

Doc

So let me get this straight he never saw his own reflection or had anyone tell him his eyes where blue until he was 25...

Was everything in black and white before the invention of colour pictures / TV then?

Fromvert

Hold on a minute, since when has Gabriel Byrne had the nickname GB?

I like it.

FruitLover

Was this an American forum by any chance?

Tell them Gabriel Byrne didn't realize the word 'gullible' wasn't in the dictionary until he was 25.

thebigleap

Oh yea, sorry GB is his nickname here I suppose, that's what they call him on the board I'm on. I got used to it... been fighting this one too long. The poster who started the thread never said where she saw the comment, she stated it as fact and never came back so no idea where it came from. She used to be a regular on the board so she wasn't making a joke. I know it's ridiculous but try telling that to this lot, especially when they're blaming it all on poor repressed Ireland!

I've obviously been on that board too long, i had to hit the Irish boards for some sanity...

Yea, it's an American forum, how'd you guess?:D

Jesus Wept

George Bush must have been taking a dump when they were giving that nickname out.

syklops

thebigleap wrote: »

Oh yea, sorry GB is his nickname here I suppose, that's what they call him on the board I'm on. I got used to it... been fighting this one too long. The poster who started the thread never said where she saw the comment, she stated it as fact and never came back so no idea where it came from. She used to be a regular on the board so she wasn't making a joke. I know it's ridiculous but try telling that to this lot, especially when they're blaming it all on poor repressed Ireland!

I've obviously been on that board too long, i had to hit the Irish boards for some sanity...

Yea, it's an American forum, how'd you guess?:D

So lets get this straight, a person in another forum somewhere on the internet states something that sounds improbable, as fact, does not back up the claim, and then disappears, and your response is to start a thread on this forum, quoting her as your source?

This is how the Daily Mail was set up.

thebigleap

syklops wrote: »

So lets get this straight, a person in another forum somewhere on the internet states something that sounds improbable, as fact, does not back up the claim, and then disappears, and your response is to start a thread on this forum, quoting her as your source?

This is how the Daily Mail was set up.

Except that I'm the only one on the other forum saying it's crap and IF he did say it he was joking. I came on here to find out if anyone remembers him saying this AS A JOKE so I can go back and give them the facts because they're not believing anything else I'm saying. Plus they came up with the dumb idea that Ireland was so repressed back then, ppl weren't allowed mirrors, etc, and I've been beating that argument to death to no avail.
They're all regulars and I'm relatively new so they'd rather believe each other than me. I'm fighting an uphill battle on my own here so I needed some help.

Jesus Wept

We just couldn't afford the mirrors.

Sea Sharp

It seems like a p1ss take for gullible Americans.
The same way Colin Farrell wasn't a posh cnut that went to a boarding school he was 'middle class' and regularly got into bar-fights.

thebigleap

This is the original post from the forum:

"'I can't even believe that! I mean.. I do,
why would he lie? But just the actuality of it..
I can't imagine how he didn't know..
I know it was concidered vain for religious people to look in the mirror so he didn't..
But.. how did he not see his reflection in a window, lake, etc?
Or how did no one even say "Wow, Gabe, you have really pretty blue eyes"

I just.. can't fathom how that never happened."

**********

I thought she would be laughed off the forum but no....this was the first response:

'Our guy, Gabriel, was raised in 1950's Catholic Ireland where that kind of thing often happened. Ireland is a land of superstitions and old traditions and rules and historic cultural and economic oppression, so if our guy, Gabriel, was a good boy minding his mum and the nuns in school, he wound up not looking in a mirror. '

******

And she wasn't kidding, I checked.

Terry

Link please.

pickarooney

Byrne had notorious body morphology issues that led to him hiding from himself for many years. As far as I know he's still In Treatment for it.

thebigleap

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000321/board/thread/109476486


I have no idea if this is going to work but here you go.

syklops

thebigleap wrote: »

I came on here to find out if anyone remembers him saying this AS A JOKE so I can go back and give them the facts because they're not believing anything else I'm saying.

Plus they came up with the dumb idea that Ireland was so repressed back then, ppl weren't allowed mirrors, etc, and I've been beating that argument to death to no avail.
They're all regulars and I'm relatively new so they'd rather believe each other than me. I'm fighting an uphill battle on my own here so I needed some help.

We are living in a world where practically everything that happens gets written down and published on this yoke called the internet. There is a magical portal onto this yoke called a Search engine. Why don't you go and learn how to operate this engine. You could even become a search engineer when you grow up! How exciting would that be?

In the mean time I suggest you stop hanging out in fora with dumb americans. You wont win arguments with them, and you wont learn anything new.

danniemcq

whats the forum and we'll /b/ his ass

Terry

thebigleap wrote: »

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000321/board/thread/109476486


I have no idea if this is going to work but here you go.

Oh sweet Jesus.
IMDB forums.

Home of the dumbest people on the planet. Second only to youtube comments in the line of stupidity.

thebigleap

syklops wrote: »

We are living in a world where practically everything that happens gets written down and published on this yoke called the internet. There is a magical portal onto this yoke called a Search engine. Why don't you go and learn how to operate this engine. You could even become a search engineer when you grow up! How exciting would that be?

In the mean time I suggest you stop hanging out in fora with dumb americans. You wont win arguments with them, and you wont learn anything new.

SKYLOPS,
I have searched the search engines already looking for the quote, but nothing. I just thought that someone at home might have heard him joking in an interview or something.

Yea, I'm new to the IMDB boards and it's quite an experience, but I'm pissed at these ppl making ignorant comments about Ireland when they obviously don't know what they're talking about.

Terry

Sorted.

syklops

thebigleap wrote: »

SKYLOPS,

Dont shout. Its not polite. Especially at this time in the morning.

thebigleap wrote: »

I have searched the search engines already looking for the quote, but nothing. I just thought that someone at home might have heard him joking in an interview or something.

In the future when you looking for elusive information on the interweb, I suggest you include all relevant information in the original post, including where you have already looked.

Now, I am not one of those people who say "If there is no record of it on the internet, then it didn't happen", but in this case, I cant find any record of it on the internet and therefore I don't think it happened.

thebigleap wrote: »

Yea, I'm new to the IMDB boards and it's quite an experience, but I'm pissed at these ppl making ignorant comments about Ireland when they obviously don't know what they're talking about.

If you can figure out a business plan for a company whereby you get a euro every time a person makes an ignorant comment on the Internet, I will happily invest, and you and I would end up with more money than Bill Gates, the guy who invented Tetra Pack and Lizard people put together. In the mean time, just ignore it or you will waste a load of time and effort on people who are too stupid to be helped.

thebigleap

I didn't mean to shout, sorry. Yeah I'm off to bed, over here it's very early in the am.

I will say as an Irish person abroad I get sick of ignorant comments about the Irish so I always try to put ppl straight. I don't hear too many which is maybe why I'm so annoyed by it.

The imdb's in particular are very popular boards so a lot of ppl are going to see the comments. I just thought these posters were especially dumb and I couldn't help but respond.

Yeah, they don't listen....
Thanks anyway.

Apart from the layout, this is just another reason why the imdb forums are so piss poor..

Renn

Terry wrote: »

Oh sweet Jesus.
IMDB forums.

Home of the dumbest people on the planet. Second only to youtube comments in the line of stupidity.

I think Boards still tops that list.

Gyalist

Meh, I was sleeping with someone for over a year before I noticed that she had blue eyes. She wasn't impressed.

Strange Loop

syklops wrote: »

We are living in a world where practically everything that happens gets written down and published on this yoke called the internet. There is a magical portal onto this yoke called a Search engine. Why don't you go and learn how to operate this engine. You could even become a search engineer when you grow up! How exciting would that be?

syklops wrote: »

Dont shout. Its not polite. Especially at this time in the morning.

Are you this welcoming to all noobs?

I'm having second thoughts now.

pablomakaveli

syklops wrote: »

Dont shout. Its not polite. Especially at this time in the morning.

Text on a screen /= sound

Renn

Renn wrote: »

I think Boards still tops that list.

Yet you're a registered member on here with 432 posts - if you thought this, why bother registering and then still posting?

Renn

432 top quality posts I'll have you know. Make that 433.

It has its share of good users but they're well in the minority.

General Zod

I'm not Peter Gabriel, I'm Gabriel Byrne!

Mitch Buchannon

Terry - I lmao reading your post on IMDb. Mirrors issued by the government to see if ye caught the AIDS.:D
I tell ye,its a good job the church decreed its ok to use them , otherwise we'd be all fooked !

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000321/board/thread/109476486?d=167669963&p=3#167669963

El Siglo

He's not supposed to see his reflection, he doesn't know he's a priest.

Irish Guitarist

I have photos of my father in the 1950s with his hair all slicked back. It looks like he spent ages looking in the mirror. I even have a picture from 1916 of my grandfather with his hair neatly combed.

Americans know absolutely nothing about Ireland or Irish people. They think Saint Patricks Day is called St. Patties Day for short and that everyone eats corned beef and cabbage. They either think Ireland is a beautiful green land filled with leprechauns or everyone is a member of the IRA. I used to use a chat room and anytime I met an American or a Canadian they would ask "did you grow up with a gun?".

I Googled for the quote from Gabriel Byrne so I could give you a proper reply but all I could find was a link to IMDB and this forum thread. He more than likely never said such a thing, even as a joke.

Irish Guitarist

I've just found this http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=9934
There's no explanation given as to where this information came from. It's more than likely something that got sent out in one of those chain emails.

thebigleap

Mitch Buchannon wrote: »

Terry - I lmao reading your post on IMDb. Mirrors issued by the government to see if ye caught the AIDS.:D
I tell ye,its a good job the church decreed its ok to use them , otherwise we'd be all fooked !

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000321/board/thread/109476486?d=167669963&p=3#167669963

Now that's what I should have done instead of trying to reason with the dopes. I can't wait for the reply to that one! Thanks Terry, very funny!

Thanks to everyone , especially Irish Guitarist for taking the time to find the quote online for me.

OutlawPete

From the thread title I thought it would be Gay Bryne, as the the GB Show.

Ah well, guess it could be worse .. could have been Gary Busey, only I'd say he still has no idea what colour his eyes are.

caseyann

Irish didnt look in mirror cause they have been told they are ugliest in world.

karlog

This story sounds like a load of bullsh*t

FruitLover

caseyann wrote: »

Irish didnt look in mirror cause they have been told they are ugliest in world.

Nah, that's just YORE MA

Celly Smunt

FruitLover wrote: »

Nah, that's just YORE MA

no,YORE MA

Super-Rush

FruitLover wrote: »

Nah, that's just YORE MA

pmcmahon wrote: »

no,YORE MA

Such original material.

Celly Smunt

super-rush wrote: »

Such original material.

thanks honey