It's not shameful to be Irish

Einhard

Ye know what, I've just got in from a night out, and sad as it is but I had a ghlance at boards, and especially AH before I went to bed and lo and behold, there's another thread dedicated to how **** Ireland is, and Irish people are, and how we can all concur about our crappiness. It's a case of post hre about how you/we suck. It's probably coincidental with the fact that I'm slightly (very) drunk, but I happen to think that Ireland is a wonderful country to live in and the Irish a people apart.

I know this spunds like sentimental bollix but it's not. I came home from Tuscany a while back. I travelled around the region on bus, and even though I often herad the drivers speak English on the radio, whenever anyone spoke to them they pretended that they spoke only Italy. At one stage, a passenger missed her stop by a few feet and asked the driver to pull over for her. She was Italian and yet her response was a snort and a walk of a few kilometres.

I got home from Italy and hopped on a JJ Kavanagh bus. There was about ten people on the bus, and the driver had a word for us all, even those who didn't speaK English. We travelled down the country, and the driver stiopped a few times t6o let people out closer to their houses when they asked him to. Nobody minded. It added maybe 5 minutes to the whole journey, and there were no complaints.

Thyat's what I like about Ireland. I like how friendly we are. I like how unconvinced we are about our own attributes. But sooner or later, someone has to stand up and say, "hey I'm Irish, and there's an awful lot going for this country, and for this people." I may be drunk, but I like Ireland,and I like the Irish.

oppenheimer1

You should have educated your fellow traveller on the "fuck you driver, I'll get off where I like" button (also know as the emergency door open button) and saved them the walk.

me_right_one

You're dead right its not shameful to be Irish! Fuck anyone who thinks it is.

gurramok

I'm very surprised you said that OP.

Killer Pigeon

I think your right. I was in Italy recently too and I found the people a little ignorant and ... well, not as friendly as Irish people. I mean if you're in a shop in Italy and when you pay for your stuff they leave the change down on the counter in front of them for you to pick up yourself instead of giving the change into your hand, and they don't even say hello or goodbye. They don't have much sense of humour either. In Ireland, at least the person at the till would actually say something, like thank you, etc.. I mean I've gone nearly all over Europe now and the friendliest people I found were the Irish and the British (no joke, history aside they are quite pleasant people). And the food in most parts of Europe is shite too, well to me anyway. I've been to America too but I find the Americans just a little too false and they boast quite a lot. In the end, I think if I had to emigrate to some place abroad, I would never be ashamed of my roots, I would always identify myself as Irish and if anyone were to criticise where I'm from I'd still defend my homeland and ancestors. The country might be in a crap state at the moment but that doesn't beat the Irish spirit. We should be proud of who we are because basking for too long in negative self analysis isn't going to get us that far.

11:11

I know for a fact from spending last 3 years in Australia and before that been in various places in Europe and north Africa that Ireland is NOT bad. I will say to you that there are situations in Ireland you can be in that are bad, the country is ****ing heartbreakingly gorgeous though.

As for the people, I think they have a ****ing right to complain about their lives. The term wage slave is an understatement here. None of my friends have managed to move out of their parents house, and they've been working years. To me, that is a valid complaint.

As for friendliness...........I live in a particular northside suburb of Dublin, I generally don't get neighborly niceties. But anywhere else I generally talk to people easily and interact on some level.....having said that, the only people who don't give me the time of day are eastern Europeans in shops etc. but get an Irish person and they will treat you well, granted you do to?

fryup

Einhard wrote: »

"hey I'm Irish, and there's an awful lot going for this country, and for this people." I may be drunk, but I like Ireland,and I like the Irish.

:pac:

Wagon

For some reason, ive noticed a trend that people are often saying the Italians are rude lately. They're right.

I live in Italy at the moment. I've met some great people here, really really sound. But a lot are pig ignorant bastards, as you'l find when trying to get on board a train, or onto a bus. Italians are a mixed bag. Get a good one, and you have a friend for life. A bad one, and you feel like smashing their head into the wall.

And I can't wait to come home. I visited Dublin a few months back and i was atually sad to leave and come back here. I don't give a ****e about the crappy Irish wearther (42 degree heat with mosquitoes isn't exactly pleasent, Id prefer a little rain) and it's better to work in Ireland as well. Worked two jobs for people here. Never got paid. And i cant contact anyone because now its August, everyone has ****ed off on holiday for the entire month.

Never thought I'd say this but...I miss Ireland

dlofnep

IRELAND! IRELAND! IRELAND!

Ush1

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

I think your right. I was in Italy recently too and I found the people a little ignorant and ... well, not as friendly as Irish people. I mean if you're in a shop in Italy and when you pay for your stuff they leave the change down on the counter in front of them for you to pick up yourself instead of giving the change into your hand, and they don't even say hello or goodbye. They don't have much sense of humour either. In Ireland, at least the person at the till would actually say something, like thank you, etc.. I mean I've gone nearly all over Europe now and the friendliest people I found were the Irish and the British (no joke, history aside they are quite pleasant people). And the food in most parts of Europe is shite too, well to me anyway. I've been to America too but I find the Americans just a little too false and they boast quite a lot. In the end, I think if I had to emigrate to some place abroad, I would never be ashamed of my roots, I would always identify myself as Irish and if anyone were to criticise where I'm from I'd still defend my homeland and ancestors. The country might be in a crap state at the moment but that doesn't beat the Irish spirit. We should be proud of who we are because basking for too long in negative self analysis isn't going to get us that far.

Spanish do the same thing with the change. Alot of them aswell don't find it rude to bump off you while walking.:mad:

Minstrel27

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

I mean if you're in a shop in Italy and when you pay for your stuff they leave the change down on the counter in front of them for you to pick up yourself instead of giving the change into your hand, and they don't even say hello or goodbye. They don't have much sense of humour either. In Ireland, at least the person at the till would actually say something, like thank you, etc..

ORLY?

I have encountered many people working in shops that would spit at you before saying hello. Not as commonplace as the continent but there are people here who would put your change on the counter too.

MagicMarker

You're right OP, I like to judge a country on it's bus drivers too.

Believe it or not, we have shít bus drivers just like everywhere else in the world, and there's a few good ones in there too.

Quite the revelation!

Jesus Wept

Thanks for the update.

genericguy

i don't suffer from self-loathing. being irish is an accident of birth, so fcuk the whole issue.

Kev_ps3

Many of the people who are "ashamed to be Irish" on here are not even Irish so I wouldn't take much notice of them.

bonerm

Maybe pick a better country than Italy to compare us to.

bleg

I got back from the Galway races yesterday. Yea, there was a bit of feck acting, but most people were in the city to have a good time. What a party it was too.

SugarHigh

When you have a reply to a thread it makes more sense to just post it in that thread instead of assuming your response is so important that it deserves it's own thread.

Killer Pigeon

bonerm wrote: »

Maybe pick a better country than Italy to compare us to.

Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, France ...

Rockery Woman

Is it normal practice on the continent to put your change on the counter instead of handing it to you??? Ive been to Austria, Italy, Germany and France and it seems to be the norm, has anyone else noticed this?????

Killer Pigeon

Rockery Woman wrote: »

Is it normal practice on the continent to put your change on the counter instead of handing it to you??? Ive been to Austria, Italy, Germany and France and it seems to be the norm, has anyone else noticed this?????

I know, but it's fairly impractical in my opinion.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

How many Irish train/bus drivers do you know who are equally intolerant towards foreigners or anyone who can't speak the local language...?

Doc

Which one should he reply to there have been so many negative threads about Ireland and the Irish its begriming to be a pain in the ass.

I like being Irish and I like Ireland. I don't expect Boards.ie to be a place where slaging of our nation is more popular then being proud of it.

Its pathetic. Why the self hatred? Has boards been taken over by EMO's when I wasn't looking?

Every country has something wrong with it but get a grip and look at the positives and try and fix the negatives.

We don't need all this negativity.

Wolfe Tone

I love Ireland

Starburst85

I love Ireland and I love being Irish and Im proud of that

ElaElaElano

Problem with AH is we sensationalise everything. The OP is right, there's no shame in being Irish. Neither should there be a shame in pointing out its flaws and discussing what's wrong with it. There's absolutely no way it's as bad as some people make it out to be though.

We have a few rude people, we have corrupt politicians and we have issues with crime in a few of the bigger cities- but please, show me a country that doesn't? There's no such thing as paradise but compared to much of the world, I think we're closer to it than they'll ever be.

That doesn't mean we can't be angry when some bastárd gets away with years of corruption, or another kid gets shot in a drug war. But some perspective goes a long way. Don't be needlessly downtrodden; don't be blind in praise.

kfallon

We have the greatest country in the world, end of!

Kfallon has spoken!

MJRS

I'm with the OP, I mean, the fact that so many of us even have the ability to fire up our computers, connect to the internet and bitch and moan about the country just shows how bad this place really isn't!

kfallon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz_dHcduUTU

lemonjelly

Nice one OP. Even though we have a few reasons to moan about the state at times being Irish is defo nothing to be ashamed of. Our culture in general is great.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

Seems like every day there is at least one new thread giving out about Ireland, so what if they government are incompetant bastards, we don't have it all that fcuking bad!