Confused About My Nationality (Irish or English?)

SharpshooterTom

Is anyone else confused as to what their nationality is?? Ok a little life summary:

I was born in England (Wallingford in Oxfordshire) to Irish parents
I moved to Harrow, London at the age of 1
Moved to Ipswich at the age of 6
Moved Omagh, Northern Ireland at the age 14

I admit I was a proud plastic paddy, I was brought up to support Ireland during the "Jack Charlton" days during 90s. My parents encouraged me to, bought me Ireland tops etc and never really supported England.

A lot of my childhood friends in England also considered me Irish and stated that I couldn't be English. A lot of my friends fathers used to be in the British army/former paratroopers/SAS members and held quite anti Irish views, some serving in Northern Ireland. One father refused to let me into his house because I wore a Republic of Ireland shirt.

I don't think I could ever call myself English/British, because I believe a lot English I grew up with wouldn't allow me too and see me blatantly as nothing else other than Irish. I appreciate a lot of blacks and asians who proudly call themeselves English/British, passing the Tebbit test which I didn't, but I have this paranoia and suspicion a lot of English people would call me Irish again if I went there etc. Theres this underlying feeling that if you're not White Anglo Saxon Protestant (WASP) you can't be English. Now I dont think like but believe secretly a large percentage of the population do in my daft paranoid brain.

I moved to Northern Ireland at age 14 Im nearly 26 now and still speak with an English accent. I got called "English bastard" etc when I came here, ridiculed everytime England did badly in sport (even though I said I didn't support England). Even because of the religious situation here everyone thought I was a protestant (even though my parents are catholics). So I lost my sense of Irishness obviously a bit as I'm a "blow in" lol. I don't really support Ireland as much, but still don't support England either as I don't/cannot see myself as English.

I've learned to come to accept I have no nationailty. I've moved around too much and have kinda been rejected by both countries. I love football, but can't support anyone at euro 2012, only for fun or for players of countries I like. Its like this for every sport.

I hold both British and Irish passports (and a Canadian one too shortly!).

Are there any other messed up 3rd culture kids who have grown up all over the place, parents from different places etc? Theres a good chance I'll be living in Ireland for the rest of my life anyway. Anyone?

FishBowel

You're Northern Irish.

drunkmonkey

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

I was born in England

You'd be English then.

amdublin

You're English

galwayrush

What do you want to be OP?

Diego Maradona

You're British

SharpshooterTom

drunkmonkey wrote: »

You'd be English then.

But I do not, cannot and will never feel it. I have no afinity due to my childhood experiances and upbringing.

If England played in a world cup final, I would probably cheer on the other team.

I don't mind people calling me English, but I hope they accept I will never cheer them on in any sport.

Sonics2k

Both.

Just declare one over the other if you want to.

I was born to Irish parents in London. Entire family is Irish and moved back to Ireland when I was 7 or so.
I've always considered myself Irish and use an Irish passport.

mattjack

Get yourself an Irish Wolfhound...if it likes you you're Irish, if not you're dogfood.

bwatson

You have already asked this question several times on a previous account

You live in a part of the world where you are free to make up your mind and identify yourself however you wish. Why do you need to (continuously) ask people this fairly personal question?

policarp

You probably have a british passport. . .

christmas2012

An irish person tempered with a little english maybe..

Pedant

You're a rotten Fenian with one of those terrible NI accents.

Possibly Canadian

im invisible

spitfireIRL

Sonics2k wrote: »

Both.

Just declare one over the other if you want to.

I was born to Irish parents in London. Entire family is Irish and moved back to Ireland when I was 7 or so.
I've always considered myself Irish and use an Irish passport.

same except i was ten when i moved over to Ireland. Irish through and through in my eyes..

SocSocPol

Your English, but entitled to an Irish Passport and citizenship.

Kiera

bwatson wrote: »

You have already asked this question several times on a previous account

You live in a part of the world where you are free to make up your mind and identify yourself however you wish. Why do you need to (continuously) ask people this fairly personal question?

Yeah I've read this thread before.

ringadingding

I'm half English, half Irish.
To annoy my English Mates I'm proud to be a paddy, to my Irish mates I'm proud to be a Brit.

It's more fun that way. Alot of pisstaking and messing.

Truth be told, I don't care, I'm not a patriotic kinda person.

HowAreWe

you're English in Ireland, in England you're Irish.


Enjoy your life as a reject until you become famous.

boom boom boom

your english, hard luck pal. now get off our bandwagon choo choo

ScumLord

You have to do a jedward on it and combine the two, your "Engrish".

mattjack

OP, thats nothing .. I've a Scottish grandparent and an English grandparent.. and mrsMattjack has Jewish ancestry and has mixed race blood ..

The Jewish/Scot mix makes my kids the meanest fcukers alive.

Martyn1989

Op surely just keeps asking because he feels shuned by both Irish and English people and wants peoples opinions on the subject, alot of the shunning has happened around sporting events which wouldn't bother me. By those standards you could claim many normal Irish lads as out and out Mancunians etc.

Unofficially I would consider the OP Irish, born to Irish parents and brought up to be proud of his roots etc. He seems to identify himself as more Irish then English.

I wouldn't overthink it there was some lad from Wexford posting here a week or two ago saying all Dubliners were English and refering to Dublin as the Pale. That kind of thing just shows a lack of inteligence imo.

SharpshooterTom

bwatson wrote:

You have already asked this question several times on a previous account

Kiera wrote:

Yeah I've read this thread before.

I keep asking because my uncertainty of it all rises during patriotic feeling. So when Euro 2012 comes around I feel left out.

When I see all those Union Jacks around the golden jubliee I think yuck yuck yuck!

I see protestants in Northern Ireland wave their union jacks for the Queen in stormont I think yuck yuck yuck!

Put it this way I feel a protestant from Northern Ireland is 100 times more British than I am, as they would have grown appreciating British culture etc but thats just me.

Kiera

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

bwatson wrote:

You have already asked this question several times on a previous account

Kiera wrote:

Yeah I've read this thread before.

I keep asking because my uncertainty of it all rises during patriotic feeling. So when Euro 2012 comes around I feel left out.

When I see all those Union Jacks around the golden jubliee I think yuck yuck yuck!

I see protestants in Northern Ireland wave their union jacks for the Queen in stormont I think yuck yuck yuck!

Put it this way I feel a protestant from Northern Ireland is 100 times more British than I am, as they would have grown appreciating British culture etc but thats just me.

Well suck it up cause you're English.

SharpshooterTom

Kiera wrote: »

Well suck it up cause you're English.

I have no problem with people calling me English, but I don't feel it and thats just that. And no I wont suck it up, if I was a professional footballer I would reject a call up from England.

Kiera

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

Kiera wrote: »

Well suck it up cause you're English.

I have no problem with people calling me English, but I don't feel it and thats just that. And no I wont suck it up, if I was a professional footballer I would reject a call up from England.

Well you're not!

Stop asking the same question over and over in the hope someone will give you the reply you want. You're English. End of.

SharpshooterTom

Kiera wrote: »

Well you're not!

Stop asking the same question over and over in the hope someone will give you the reply you want. You're English. End of.

In your opinion.

Awww annoyed by my question? Hope it really bothers you. It looks like it does.

complicit

You are 100% irish it would seem. You are probably more irish than some of those that would call you english. A lot of boardsies aren't aware that irishness is an ethnicity handed down from parents to children

Sunnyisland

I want to be from the moon & live with the moonies.

dd972

Born in North West London to Irish parents, only have an Irish passport and both parents were Irish. live here and am as familiar with the politics, infrastructure and history of the state as anybody born here.

If you were born to the same parents in China, OP, you'd still be Irish and not Chinese, same as if you were born in Nigeria, you'd still be Irish and not a Nigerian.

Thousands of people of all nationalities are born outside the borders of their home countries, I don't see what's so special about being Irish that our brethren born overseas have to be excluded or that an English accent or birthplace somehow negates all vestiges of Irishness.

When it comes to the third or fourth generation of people reared overseas claiming Irishness only then do I begin to see why they might be ridiculed.

You're whatever you want yourself to be. I was born in Dublin but lived in Kerry from age 11 to 22. I still wouldn't consider myself a Kerry man though.

Neeson

You're English. Whether you like England or not and do on.

Seaneh

OP, if you feel Irish, are an Irish citizen (hold an Irish passport) and were raised in an Irish Family, you are Irish, **** whatever anyone else says.

slapbangwallop

You are what you consider yourself to be. You could rightfully lay claim to Irish or British/English nationality.

Citizenship and nationality are two different, but often overlapping, concepts.

Where you are born does not determine ones nationality. Is Ronan O'Gara an American? Is Cliff Richard an Indian?

I lived in many Irish communities in the UK and the US and understand the very strong and very real attachments to second generation Irish people to Ireland. I also find it a little annoying and embarrassing when Irish-born people attempt to denigrate or are disparaging about the "Irishness" of people who have Irish backgrounds and consider themselves Irish but weren't born in Ireland. Its generally a sure sign of someone that grew up during the Celtic Tiger and never lived anywhere except Ireland.

I know a girl from London and she considers herself Irish but her older brother doesnt. Anyone that kind of brings me back to the original point, in cases like this it boils down to personal preference and which country you feel more attached to.

Reading the OPs post, he seems more attached to the Irish nation. There I would consider your nationality Irish.

slapbangwallop

Kiera wrote: »

Well you're not!

Stop asking the same question over and over in the hope someone will give you the reply you want. You're English. End of.

thats a rather silly and childish argument dont you think.

Some things just arent so simplistic.

Spread

You are a self-obsessed citizen of the world. Now stop asking silly questions. If you feel rejected by all sides ........... other people might have a greater understanding of you, than you do yourself.

Precious flower

I was born in Wembley to Irish parents and moved to Ireland when I was around five. I suppose I feel more myself Irish, more than likely because I was only five when I came here. I've have cousins over in England who consider themselves Irish because their parents are Irish. Take whatever nationality you feel comfortable with. To me it wasn't any big deal, my passport says I'm Irish and I had no idea that I could have even put down English when applying for it. It might be a big deal for some but I didn't really care.

DoneDL

Bad news OP, you`re Irish.

Neeson

slapbangwallop wrote: »

Kiera wrote: »

Well you're not!

Stop asking the same question over and over in the hope someone will give you the reply you want. You're English. End of.

thats a rather silly and childish argument dont you think.

Some things just arent so simplistic.

Sometimes they are though. It would be different if the person moved maybe at a year old or something but having gone through the education a bit and soaking up the old english culture makes Them English. At the end you'd think it doesn't matter where I move to I'll always be from the place I spent my early days.

But if the op wants to be someone else then that alright too.

pragmatic1

You're Irish boss.

Merkin

You're Swiss

Patrick Cleburne

You are British.

slapbangwallop

Neeson wrote: »

Sometimes they are though. It would be different if the person moved maybe at a year old or something but having gone through the education a bit and soaking up the old english culture makes Them English. At the end you'd think it doesn't matter where I move to I'll always be from the place I spent my early days.

But if the op wants to be someone else then that alright too.

Sometime things are yes, but not when you are dealing with issues of races and nationality. Often there are large shades or grey!

If you (assuming you are a married straight guy) and your wife got some contract to work in say China, and you had a child whilst there and when the child was say 10 you moved back to Ireland and that child lived out its remaining days in Ireland.

Would you think that that child would consider itself Irish with an affinity to China or would consider itself Chinese?

I'm not sure, again it would come down to the individual much like it does with the OP. However, I would guess the child would lean towards considering themselves Irish.

purplepanda

Sonics2k wrote: »

Both.

Just declare one over the other if you want to.

I was born to Irish parents in London. Entire family is Irish and moved back to Ireland when I was 7 or so.
I've always considered myself Irish and use an Irish passport.

I failed my English stepmoms test (Like Norman Tebbit's cricket test but harder!) because I'm not Anglo-Saxon enough but Keltic LOL She's got an Anglo Saxon heptocracy surname to boot

I've got Flemish, Anglo Saxon, English & Norse surnmes in my Irish background so I wouldn't pass the 100% Gaelic DNA / pure West of Ireland test either!!! :pac:

SharpshooterTom

Its not that I feel really Irish, I don't a lot of the time. The Republic of Ireland were my childhood team, obviously coming over being called English a lot of the time has altered my attitude towards my Irishness abit. I'm apathetic to it.

But I will NEVER support England at anything. I hope Murray goes out asap, I hope Britain do badly at the olympics, I hope Australia win the next Ashes and I'm delighted Italy knocked them out of the shootout as well. Phew.

Spread

So this means that we're all from Athy! Well if we were born near Athy, we are. Simple as! Hope this doesn't start a passport rush from places like Monrovia, Vladivostok, Timbuktu etc.

Patrick Cleburne

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

Its not that I feel really Irish, I don't a lot of the time. The Republic of Ireland were my childhood team, obviously coming over being called English a lot of the time has altered my attitude towards my Irishness abit. I'm apathetic to it.

But I will NEVER support England at anything. I hope Murray goes out asap, I hope Britain do badly at the olympics, I hope Australia win the next Ashes and I'm delighted Italy knocked them out of the shootout as well. Phew.

So do many Scottish people, they are still British. You are British.

SharpshooterTom

Patrick Cleburne wrote: »

So do many Scottish people, they are still British. You are British.

Scots still wave the union jack for the Queen. Support Britain at the olympics.

You'll never find me doing that.

chillywilly

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

I hold both British and Irish passports (and a Canadian one too shortly!)

Jaysus you have more passports than Jason Bourne!