Racism on the rise in Limerick

Limerick_Lass

A report by Andrea Laidman and Dr Siobhan O'Connor with Doras Luimni, the local support service for all migrants, has recently been submitted to the International Committee on the Eradication of Racial Discrimination. It claims the recession has led more migrants in Limerick and the Mid-West to be subjected to racial abuse and discrimination. It contains many harrowing, anonymous testimonies from migrants locally, who have reported racism in their work places ect.

Ethiopian runner, Labeta Debela, who won the half marathon in the Great Limerick Run was beaten up by two young men who knocked him unconscious on Old Cratloe Road as he was jogging past Moyross last Thursday.

Disgraceful and embarrassing.

munstergirl

Thats not a limerick thing, thats an irish thing.

Plenty of people get beaten up by scumbags every day of week. Black or white.

Its made headlines cause he's black.

Hope he gets better soon.

The Snipe

I can't seem to understand why people put such a stigma on people of different races, but then again, It is only western and some easten seocities that have these "racist" idelogies attached, that its actually considered a stigma, In other countries its part of their culture and belifs that their race is more powerful, or that women shouldn't have power etc.

Limerick_Lass

munstergirl wrote: »

Thats not a limerick thing, thats an irish thing.

Plenty of people get beaten up by scumbags every day of week. Black or white.

Its made headlines cause he's black.

Hope he gets better soon.

Yes racism is an irish thing but there has been an increase in Limerick and the mid west according to the report. One can believe the attack was just coincidental or racist. Easy to turn a blind eye at times

dave 27

I think to be honest any built up area in Ireland and indeed the world will always have scumbags hitting on innocent people, regardless of race.

I do agree with the poster above saying that it only made headlines because he was black, if I was jogging by moyross and got beaten, I would report it but it wouldnt make headline news.

munstergirl

Not turning a blind eye.

There are certain areas i would not walk alone, thats not a limerick thing, if i did get beaten up by scumbags it would not make headlines.

Limerick_Lass

munstergirl wrote: »

Not turning a blind eye.

There are certain areas i would not walk alone, thats not a limerick thing, if i did get beaten up by scumbags it would not make headlines.

I know what you are saying and I didnt mean to imply that you are turning a blind eye. Its just easy for society to at times.
In the past year, unfortunately I have witnessed many racial attacks or slurs towards blacks, asians, polish along the street, at work ect ect.

Kess73

It is nothing new in Limerick or anywhere else in Ireland for that matter. It might seem to be on the rise in Limerick because maybe more cases are being reported whereas a few years back the victims may not have been so quick to come forward.


Of course there are plenty of fake victims as well which add to the figures as their claims go towards the reported figures as well.


Never ceases to baffle me though how small minded people try to judge/hate other people based on the colour of their skin or by their accent or religion.

I have gotten a bit of stick in Limerick because of my accent and the ironic part about it is people call me an English bast*rd and worse, when in fact I was born in Limerick City, but my family moved back to Liverpool when I was a wee thing. Worst abuse I ever got in Limerick over my accent was not even from an Irishman, it was from an Italian.

TheScore

There's always been a level of racism in Limerick/Ireland, because it's more comforting to blame foreigners for all the woes of the country, when most of the time the woes are well and truly homegrown...

bazz26

I think as a nation we are still racist. My g/f is South African but has lived here since the age of 16, still has a strong South African accent. It still amazes her how the tone and expression of some people changes as soon as they hear her speak.

gaf1983

Just read the report there. Scumbags.

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/African-athlete-assaulted-in-Limerick.6466352.jp

Kev_ps3

lol at racism being an Limerick / Irish thing. Its in every country in the world.

phill106

Coach thinks its the first athlete thats ever been attacked? Doubtful.
I dont think its a limerick thing, and I dont think its a racist thing. Some people are just thugs.
If he was black, they would call him racist names.
If he was overweight they would have called him fatty
If he was thin they would have called him beanpole
Goes on and on, people like that just fixate on anything at all, then attack.
Of course i regret it happened, but dont think the fact that he was foreign or an athlete was the reason he was attacked, merely the reason it was reported in the papers.

campo

I think racisim is high enough and I speak from personal experience
I was born and breed in Limerick in fact in what would be described as a rough part of the city but I dont look like I have Asian origin ( which I dont ) but many people have asked me what part of Asia am I from ( have no problem with dont count that as racisim ) but I rememver I once walked down cruises street and a scobe from no where through a punch at me and told me to get back to my own country ( ok he was a scobe ) but many other times even in the workplace I have been subjected to racial slurs where they think it is funny and are only taking the pee.

I am not insulted that people think I look Asian but I do get insulted when people use it in a racial way for example when I first meet my girlfriend she said my parents might be awkard meeting you as there are old school and might not understand me dating a Chinese man ( lol even she did not realise I was Irish ) but when people start taking the pee using the usual racial slur for a chinesse person that I wont repeat here that really gets to me

kilburn

I think its just scumbags doing what they do, only got reported because of the skin colour. Dont condone it.

Karmafaerie

The very idea that racism is a Limerick/Irish thing is beyond a joke.
It's just new to us, as we are relativly late to the party when it comes to imigrants.

Is America racist?
What with the KKK, anti-Chinese groups, anti-semitism, The whole "OIrish" stigma, fear of Latinos?

Is Englnd racist with the BNP, racial profiling, and a hell of a lot more racial attacks.

Same with France, Russia, Germany, etc, etc, etc.

Yes racism is on the increase in Limerick/Ireland, cause people from other races are on the increase!
It really is that simple.


Anyone who thinks that this is a Limerick/Irish thing is kidding themselves.

To put this in perspective, I know somebody who works with refugees.
And they are (obviously not all) just as racist as us.

Traditionaly Chinese have strong predudeces against blacks.
Much like the Polish.
Russians still treat Polish/Latvians like second class citizens.
And we all know how the Balkan nations hate each other.
My personal favorite is how nearly every nation in Africa have predudeces against the Nigerians.

If anything, while there is racism in Ireland, it's a lot less than in other countries.

In 10 years we've gone through racial intergration that it took other coutries a hundred years to go through.
And while turning a blind eye to racism is wrong, so is implying that it's a bigger problem than it is IMO.


As Kess said earlier, the Irish have been racist towards the English for as long as all of us have been alive and longer, but that's socially acceptable in Ireland.
Perspective needs to be kept here.

Even within our own country we're profiling constantly.
People in Limerick are all scum to the rest of the country.
Dubliners are Jackeens.
To Dubliners the rest of the country is a giant bog.
People from Clare are sheep sha**ers.
etc.

We're not becoming racist.
You won't find a country in the world without a racial stereotype to fall back on.
Racism is part of the human condition.

pappyodaniel

Anyone remember when Paula Radcliff used to train in Limerick? I heard stories of her heading off early in the morning and going wherever she wanted to. Numerous sightings of her going through some of the dodgiest parts of the city.

Kess73

Karmafaerie wrote: »

The very idea that racism is a Limerick/Irish thing is beyond a joke.
It's just new to us, as we are relativly late to the party when it comes to imigrants.

Is America racist?
What with the KKK, anti-Chinese groups, anti-semitism, The whole "OIrish" stigma, fear of Latinos?

Is Englnd racist with the BNP, racial profiling, and a hell of a lot more racial attacks.

Same with France, Russia, Germany, etc, etc, etc.

Yes racism is on the increase in Limerick/Ireland, cause people from other races are on the increase!
It really is that simple.


Anyone who thinks that this is a Limerick/Irish thing is kidding themselves.

To put this in perspective, I know somebody who works with refugees.
And they are (obviously not all) just as racist as us.

Traditionaly Chinese have strong predudeces against blacks.
Much like the Polish.
Russians still treat Polish/Latvians like second class citizens.
And we all know how the Balkan nations hate each other.
My personal favorite is how nearly every nation in Africa have predudeces against the Nigerians.

If anything, while there is racism in Ireland, it's a lot less than in other countries.

In 10 years we've gone through racial intergration that it took other coutries a hundred years to go through.
And while turning a blind eye to racism is wrong, so is implying that it's a bigger problem than it is IMO.


As Kess said earlier, the Irish have been racist towards the English for as long as all of us have been alive and longer, but that's socially acceptable in Ireland.
Perspective needs to be kept here.

Even within our own country we're profiling constantly.
People in Limerick are all scum to the rest of the country.
Dubliners are Jackeens.
To Dubliners the rest of the country is a giant bog.
People from Clare are sheep sha**ers.
etc.

We're not becoming racist.
You won't find a country in the world without a racial stereotype to fall back on.
Racism is part of the human condition.

Pretty much argee with what you are saying, but I don't think anyone is saying that racism is simply a Limerick/Irish thing, I think that the Limerick/Irish thing is being said as it is the county/country that most posting here are living in, and it is being discussed as people see it within that context.

Of course there is racism, although prejudices may be more accurate most of the time, all over the globe, in pretty much every country on the planet. I have lived in too many towns/cities and in too many countries to try and make a wild claim that it is worse in Limerick/Ireland than other places, but to be honest I struggle to find any level acceptable.

A few people on the thread made comments about scumbags and I think, in Limerick anyway, that is closer to the truth than any massive problem with other races or creeds. Limerick simply has a higher number of a certain type or person than many other Irish towns in terms of a % of the population in it.

The same people will go looking for trouble regardless of the skin colour/religion/origin/accent of their victims.

The simplest way to see people has generally served me well. If you are a decent sort, then I regard you as such, if you are an ass, I regard you as such. How you act and treat others is what defines you as a person imo, not some backwards notion about a skin colour or accent.

Then again as an Irish born lad with a scouse accent and somewhat dark skin, I got stick from pretty much every quarter growing up.:D

In the UK being Scouse was held against me, and if my Irish roots were known then that was too.

Over here I get called stuff for being English and scouse and have gotten comments on skin colour too.

Never had a person come up and make any of the comments to me in a one on one scenario though, so I learned young that ignorance and cowardice go hand in hand.

The one place where I have never gotten stick on anything like that was in Southern Germany when I lived there, but then again there were other nationalities that were treated in an awful manner there.

Kess73

pappyodaniel wrote: »

Anyone remember when Paula Radcliff used to train in Limerick? I heard stories of her heading off early in the morning and going wherever she wanted to. Numerous sightings of her going through some of the dodgiest parts of the city.

Not sure what you are trying to say.

Are you saying that it is safe to run anywhere in the city, or are you trying to say something about people of other nationalities being able to go anywhere in the city?


If the latter, then it is a bit moot, as Paula would not stand out as not being local unless she was talking out loud.

Jigga

Paula did have to take cover from a loose horse that chased her when she was training along the Canal Bank few years ago.

pappyodaniel

Kess73 wrote: »

Not sure what you are trying to say.

Are you saying that it is safe to run anywhere in the city, or are you trying to say something about people of other nationalities being able to go anywhere in the city?


If the latter, then it is a bit moot, as Paula would not stand out as not being local unless she was talking out loud.

Na, not really, just fishing for info (as in has anyone ever seen her out and about). I meant, she was a world famous athlete with that distinctive head bobbing run of hers. I've heard sightings of her going down by Roxboro and heading into Southill. She really didn't know where she was going and had to be told on numerous occasions not to go off on her own and into such areas.

campo

pappyodaniel wrote: »

Na, not really, just fishing for info (as in has anyone ever seen her out and about). I meant, she was a world famous athlete with that distinctive head bobbing run of hers. I've heard sightings of her going down by Roxboro and heading into Southill. She really didn't know where she was going and had to be told on numerous occasions not to go off on her own and into such areas.

Ya seen her a couple of times Sonya O'Sullivan too I think there is some famous foot doctor/trainer based in Limerick not sure who though not big in athletics/fitness

pappyodaniel

campo wrote: »

Ya seen her a couple of times Sonya O'Sullivan too I think there is some famous foot doctor/trainer based in Limerick not sure who though not big in athletics/fitness

Ya Gerard Hartmann out in UL. He's supposed to have some unbelievable sports memorabillia at his office as he's worked with some of the World's best known sports stars.

Limerick_Lass

I cant see anywhere here on the thread where someone is claiming racism is just an irish or Limerick problem

Racism is a two way process. Black people are racist to white people, white people to Black people, settled people to Travellers and Travellers to settled people ect. Sure, all groups carry prejudices about each other. But only white people and settled people as a group wield power and control resources at a level where their prejudice makes a difference.

Maybe the increase lately has got to do with more irish people losing their jobs and feeling resentful towards some foriegn people who are doing well since setting up home here, and they feel these people are taking "our" jobs ect.?

Nockz

Limerick_Lass wrote: »

I cant see anywhere here on the thread where someone is claiming racism is just an irish or Limerick problem

Racism is a two way process. Black people are racist to white people, white people to Black people, settled people to Travellers and Travellers to settled people ect. Sure, all groups carry prejudices about each other. But only white people and settled people as a group wield power and control resources at a level where their prejudice makes a difference.

Maybe the increase lately has got to do with more irish people losing their jobs and feeling resentful towards some foriegn people who are doing well since setting up home here, and they feel these people are taking "our" jobs ect.?

I don't think that's racism But I see your point. I feel the recession has a fair bit to do with it but like, most people would never dream of expressing such silly views of another persons race/culture/etc. I think it has to do with manners really. Sure any one of us can think such things but portions of society today hold no respect for anyone outside of their own. Sad really.

Limerick_Lass

True.... its basically down to lack of education and ignorance I guess!

sceptre

Limerick_Lass wrote: »

I cant see anywhere here on the thread where someone is claiming racism is just an irish or Limerick problem

Well, of course it's not (and as you said, I don't think anyone here claimed it is, nor has anyone ever claimed it is).

Having said that though, it's perfectly rational and reasonable (and hopefully expected) for rational and reasonable people to be concerned when that kind of thing happens in our own city. There's more we can do about that than there is about the problems faced by white farmers in Zimbabwe or rampant dislike for black people in Japan.

T runner

Karmafaerie wrote: »

The very idea that racism is a Limerick/Irish thing is beyond a joke.
It's just new to us, as we are relativly late to the party when it comes to imigrants.

Is America racist?
What with the KKK, anti-Chinese groups, anti-semitism, The whole "OIrish" stigma, fear of Latinos?

Is Englnd racist with the BNP, racial profiling, and a hell of a lot more racial attacks.

Same with France, Russia, Germany, etc, etc, etc.

Yes racism is on the increase in Limerick/Ireland, cause people from other races are on the increase!
It really is that simple.


Anyone who thinks that this is a Limerick/Irish thing is kidding themselves.

To put this in perspective, I know somebody who works with refugees.
And they are (obviously not all) just as racist as us.

Traditionaly Chinese have strong predudeces against blacks.
Much like the Polish.
Russians still treat Polish/Latvians like second class citizens.
And we all know how the Balkan nations hate each other.
My personal favorite is how nearly every nation in Africa have predudeces against the Nigerians.

If anything, while there is racism in Ireland, it's a lot less than in other countries.

In 10 years we've gone through racial intergration that it took other coutries a hundred years to go through.
And while turning a blind eye to racism is wrong, so is implying that it's a bigger problem than it is IMO.


As Kess said earlier, the Irish have been racist towards the English for as long as all of us have been alive and longer, but that's socially acceptable in Ireland.
Perspective needs to be kept here.

Even within our own country we're profiling constantly.
People in Limerick are all scum to the rest of the country.
Dubliners are Jackeens.
To Dubliners the rest of the country is a giant bog.
People from Clare are sheep sha**ers.
etc.

We're not becoming racist.
You won't find a country in the world without a racial stereotype to fall back on.
Racism is part of the human condition.

Thats bull! There may be a gut suspicion of strangers i some people but it is not inherent racism. You grow and get wiser and that suspicion dissapears.

Racism may exist in every country to some degree but not every society is racist. Would you use theb "Racism is part of the human condition. " cop out to excuse some of teh barbaric racist atrocities in human history?

Well dont use it to excuse an attack on a defenceless runner, doing nobody any harm.

We have a problem with racism in Irish society. Many of the educated people think badly of immigrants but react with self righteous indignation when uneducated poor lads act out what they are thinking.

Mc Love

I hate the way when something happens to a black person, the first thing people say "oh thats racism, we are all doomed now"

People need to get a life, one story about a black man getting attacked shouldnt be published over an white man getting attacked.

Its really sad

Limerick_Lass

Mc Love wrote: »

I hate the way when something happens to a black person, the first thing people say "oh thats racism, we are all doomed now"

People need to get a life, one story about a black man getting attacked shouldnt be published over an white man getting attacked.

Its really sad

Have to disagree with that, it would be published if it was a white or black athlete.

And which people are you referring to that needs to get a life?

topper75

Limerick_Lass wrote: »

Maybe the increase lately has got to do with more irish people losing their jobs and feeling resentful towards some foriegn people who are doing well since setting up home here, and they feel these people are taking "our" jobs ect.?

I am willing to boldly hazard a guess that the people who gave Lebeta a hiding were not at all peeved about jobs, unless maybe he was tipping them as to where they might find one.

I don't think Limerick people on the whole are racist or intolerant. Despite the 'hard' external image of the town, there has always been a thriving gay scene (they now have a pride parade) and indeed some of the rougher areas would even have an immediate regard for blacks due to their affinity with the gangsta rap thing. The novelty of the exotic transcends fear of the outsider!

I hope Lebeta recovers and gets back training soon, and I hope there is swift apprehension and justice for his attackers.

Limerick_Lass

topper75 wrote: »

I am willing to boldly hazard a guess that the people who gave Lebeta a hiding were not at all peeved about jobs, unless maybe he was tipping them as to where they might find one.

I don't think Limerick people on the whole are racist or intolerant. Despite the 'hard' external image of the town, there has always been a thriving gay scene (they now have a pride parade) and indeed some of the rougher areas would even have an immediate regard for blacks due to their affinity with the gangsta rap thing. The novelty of the exotic transcends fear of the outsider!

I hope Lebeta recovers and gets back training soon, and I hope there is swift apprehension and justice for his attackers.

I was more referring to the recent report about racism, than that particular incident but nobody will probably ever really know the reason why this attack occured on Lebeta. I also wish him a speedy recovery.

aspasp1

munstergirl wrote: »

Not turning a blind eye.

There are certain areas i would not walk alone, thats not a limerick thing, if i did get beaten up by scumbags it would not make headlines.

you r right ! i am non national and I would not in my wild dream consider irish as racist. Its just scumbags in Limerick, but tbh they dont care you are irish or not. they take the pi** out of anyone. Nothing to do with racism..

aspasp1

CiaranMT

Jigga wrote: »

Paula did have to take cover from a loose horse that chased her when she was training along the Canal Bank few years ago.

Sounds like a Rubberbandits sketch

zuroph

There was no racism in Ireland before them bloody foreigners arrived. :pac:

Shammy

Of course racism is on the up , a lot of Irish people are losing their jobs to non - nationals who will work longer hours for less pay.

Unfortunately it is the non-nationals that are being blamed , i blame the government for not putting a cap on the limit of people coming into the country.

zuroph

Shammy wrote: »

Of course racism is on the up , a lot of Irish people are losing their jobs to non - nationals who will work longer hours for less pay.

Unfortunately it is the non-nationals that are being blamed , i blame the government for not putting a cap on the limit of people coming into the country.

facepalm.

Shammy

zuroph wrote: »

facepalm.

How so ?

grenache

What i can't tolerate is when track-suited scobes come into the shop i work in, and shout racist abuse at a Polish or Nigerian, and come out with this ''you're taking all our jobs" nonsense. The irony is truly baffling.

billy the squid

Shammy wrote: »

Of course racism is on the up , a lot of Irish people are losing their jobs to non - nationals who will work longer hours for less pay.

Unfortunately it is the non-nationals that are being blamed , i blame the government for not putting a cap on the limit of people coming into the country.

caps on immigration are stupid, you set the cap at 4000 and you get 3000 cleaners, what happens when you need 1500 doctors? do you let the system go without the 500 doctors because you have reached your cap?

Kev_ps3

billy the squid wrote: »

caps on immigration are stupid, you set the cap at 4000 and you get 3000 cleaners, what happens when you need 1500 doctors? do you let the system go without the 500 doctors because you have reached your cap?

I suppose its impossible to filter the immigrants based on their skills?

zuroph

Kev_ps3 wrote: »

I suppose its impossible to filter the immigrants based on their skills?

you'd suppose right.

Kess73

Kev_ps3 wrote: »

I suppose its impossible to filter the immigrants based on their skills?

Other non EU countries try to do this. They try to filter immigrants based on skills and also ability to speak the main language of the country they are looking to enter. But the word try is the key one there.


Don't think that can be done by an EU country to person from another EU country. I could be very wrong on that though.

People coming here to Ireland for work does not bother me though, after all there are plenty of Irish who would refuse to do many of the same jobs.

I could not care less if the person who serves me in a shop is Irish, Polish, German, Chinese or whatever. As long as they can do the job correctly, and were the best candidate for the role, then that is all that matters.


The way I see it, if you are willing to make the effort to move to another country, and are willing to work, then fair play to you. Changing countries is not always easy, having worked in a few different countries at this point in my life I know this all too well.

zuroph

There is nothing wrong with an EU citizen willing to work for a legal wage. At thsi stage many of our immigrants have now moved on to better economies. Those who are left and are workign are helping keep struggling Irish companies afloat, and in turn, keeping Irish people in jobs. Every day in the news we hear of greedy Irish Unions with the hand out asking for more money, and the companies they suck dry shutting down as a result, leaving everyone unemployed. The short-sightedness is staggering.

The economic down turn is not the fault of immigration, controlled or uncontrolled. We created this mess ourselves with our greed, and we have no1 to blame but ourselves.

froodie

pappyodaniel wrote: »

Anyone remember when Paula Radcliff used to train in Limerick? I heard stories of her heading off early in the morning and going wherever she wanted to. Numerous sightings of her going through some of the dodgiest parts of the city.

Yep, And I've also *heard* that another world-class athlete who was in Limerick working with Hartmann around the same time had all manner of abuse thrown at her while training. Guess the difference between the two?

Shammy

billy the squid wrote: »

caps on immigration are stupid, you set the cap at 4000 and you get 3000 cleaners, what happens when you need 1500 doctors? do you let the system go without the 500 doctors because you have reached your cap?

So thats why most of our 60,000 college grads this year felt they had to go abroad to find work.

Kess73

Shammy wrote: »

So thats why most of our 60,000 college grads this year felt they had to go abroad to find work.

So is it wrong for non Irish to come here to try for work when they cannot get the same in their own countries, but fine for Irish to go abroad for work when they cannot find work in Ireland?

Shammy

Kess73 wrote: »

So is it wrong for non Irish to come here to try for work when they cannot get the same in their own countries, but fine for Irish to go abroad for work when they cannot find work in Ireland?

Not at all , like i said in a previous post i dont blame the non-nationals , i blame the government.

Stricker measures should have taken place on the number of people entering the country, the warning signs were given but the government took no notice.

Shammy

Kess73 wrote: »

The way I see it, if you are willing to make the effort to move to another country, and are willing to work, then fair play to you. Changing countries is not always easy, having worked in a few different countries at this point in my life I know this all too well.

While i agree with your post why are there so many non-nationals signing on.

billy the squid

Shammy wrote: »

While i agree with your post why are there so many non-nationals signing on.

Firstly, these people are not stateless, so are therefore not non-nationals

secondly, in order to claim benefits in this country they have to have worked for two years. you can't just get off the plane and sign on.

Kess73

Shammy wrote: »

While i agree with your post why are there so many non-nationals signing on.

Maybe they have been let go from jobs that they were in for the last few years, same as many Irish folk that are signing on.