Are you proud to be Irish?

IrishExpat · 10-10-2014 1:07am

I don't know enough of my own country to say if I can be proud of it in a general sense; what and who I really 'know' of Ireland's limited to Kildare, Dublin and maybe Tipp & Kerry. The people (and those we unfortunately export in high numbers) are a source of pride for sure when I meet them, in terms of work ethic and openness, we're quite adaptable and integrate well when abroad, more than other nationalities. Current politics and never-ending scandals aside, if not 'proud', I do consider myself lucky to be Irish.

Jhcx · 10-10-2014 1:16am

For ages i spent my life on middle ground. it tore me apart. it was like angels and devil's standing on my shoulders coaxing me to either land. I did not part take in Irish ways but now im trying to make up for it. after seeing the beauty of our land the magnificence our american friends are always going on about i decided to step into the heart of our country. Sure everyone thinks their town is a hole but step back and try to appreciate its irish it has its own special appeal. We have amazing sports teams. Im late admitting it but no matter how far i go around the world nothing will feel like home because this is what i know this is my culture and i love it.

madmaggie · 10-10-2014 1:23am

How Soon Is Now wrote: »

Jaysus thats even worse !! Get out of our thread !!!

At least you didn't say get out of our country, now if only I had a pound or euro for every time I've heard that......

Missyelliot2 · 10-10-2014 1:24am

I remember feeling extremely proud of being Irish during various times throughout my childhood, teens and twenties. I was really lucky to live abroad (in saner countries) throughout the Celtic Tiger s*****
Having returned home after that rubbish (with kids), we're all delighted to be back! People here are the reason that Ireland is so special.
I was mortified to say I was Irish during those years.......

How Soon Is Now · 10-10-2014 1:25am

madmaggie wrote: »

At least you didn't say get out of our country, now if only I had a pound or euro for every time I've heard that......

To be honest id spend the rest of my life if i went around telling non Irish people to get out of Ireland at this stage :pac:

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 10-10-2014 1:26am

For a small island of just over 6 million, we've made a big impact on the world around us, even if much of it was as a result of emigration. We have one of the most beautiful countries in the world, many of the great scholars, poets and playwrights are Irish, we've given the world music and dance that is famous and revered all over the globe, and our sports teams generally punch above their weight. We're well received in nearly every country we go to and we usually leave a good impression. Being Irish is never a hindrance and can often be a help.

I'm not proud of the traditions we have of cronyism, political strokes, cute hoorism and begrudgery, they're the only things I abhorr about Ireland. But all in all, I'm immensely proud to be of Ireland.

Penfailed · 10-10-2014 1:27am

Shakespeare's Sister wrote: »

Wondering why that post was aimed at me as I never said people should feel pride in their nationality, but maybe you just randomly picked my post.

You were saying that people shouldn't be ashamed because of something that happened in their country...I was saying that people shouldn't be proud for the same reasons.

gormdubhgorm · 10-10-2014 1:30am

Proud to be a Dub! and the rest of youse are very lucky that Dublin is in Ireland! :cool:

The part I love about Ireland is that there is a disdain for authority/celebrity and people who "have notions".

Some might call it begrudgery. But I think it's gas. It is the one thing that will stop us turning into Americans completely!

Zebra3 · 10-10-2014 1:30am

Ashamed of how pathetic Irish people are.

Get independence, let the paedos in the RC church take the real power.

Bow down to the ECB and IMF like a pack of bitches to take on the debts of wealthy gamblers.

Fighting Irish, me hole.

GerB40 · 10-10-2014 1:31am

I taught myself how to play the guitar, I'm proud of that.
My parents had sex which resulted in my birth, I'm not proud of that. Why would I be, I had nothing to do with it.

I'm not proud or ashamed to be Irish, I'm happy to be Irish.

Shakespeare's Sister · 10-10-2014 1:33am

Zebra3 wrote: »

Ashamed of how pathetic Irish people are.

Aw, don't be so hard on yourself.

Missyelliot2 · 10-10-2014 1:34am

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Proud to be a Dub! and the rest of youse are very lucky that Dublin is in Ireland! :cool:

Yep....all of us culchies....
we thank our stars daily:p

GerB40 · 10-10-2014 1:34am

Zebra3 wrote: »

Ashamed of how pathetic Irish people are.

Get independence, let the paedos in the RC church take the real power.

Bow down to the ECB and IMF like a pack of bitches to take on the debts of wealthy gamblers.

Fighting Irish, me hole.

I'm sure if you said that in public you'd quickly understand the fighting Irish clichè.

Zebra3 · 10-10-2014 1:36am

GerB40 wrote: »

I'm sure if you said that in public you'd quickly understand the fighting Irish clichè.

So Irish people are likely to resort to violence if you speak honestly?

Wow. :rolleyes:

gormdubhgorm · 10-10-2014 1:38am

Zebra3 wrote: »

Ashamed of how pathetic Irish people are.

Get independence, let the paedos in the RC church take the real power.

Bow down to the ECB and IMF like a pack of bitches to take on the debts of wealthy gamblers.

Fighting Irish, me hole.

America had independence and you could argue that they did excatly the same thing. Peados - RC church organised religion/bible belt.

Also the phrase "fighting Irish" originated as slur against the Irish by the British and was then used to describe an Irish division that fought for the yanks. It is now used as the catch phrase for Notre Dame College football.
http://www3.nd.edu/~wcawley/corson/whyfightingirish.htm

I have never heard the phrase used by a person born and bred in Ireland

Shakespeare's Sister · 10-10-2014 1:38am

Zebra3 wrote: »

So Irish people are likely to resort to violence if you speak honestly?

Wow. :rolleyes:

So it's all right for you to make sweeping insults about Irish people but not for another poster to?
Wow. ":rolleyes:"

DarkyHughes · 10-10-2014 1:40am

Yeah we should be proud. What other people turned their countries into one of the most prosperous to live in just 150 years after suffering from a crippling famine. Plus we've been saying imperialism is really bad way before any other westerners.

GerB40 · 10-10-2014 1:40am

Zebra3 wrote: »

So Irish people are likely to resort to violence if you speak honestly?

Wow. :rolleyes:

Go up to any group of people from any country in the world and tell them they're pathetic because of where they come from. See if resorting to violence is an Irish only thing..

Zebra3 · 10-10-2014 1:42am

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

America had independence and you could argue that they did excatly the same thing. Peados - RC church organised religion/bible belt.

Also the phrase "fighting Irish" originated as slur against the Irish by the British and was then used to describe an Irish division that fought for the yanks. It is now used as the catch phrase for Notre Dame College football.
http://www3.nd.edu/~wcawley/corson/whyfightingirish.htm

I have never heard the phrase used by a person born and bred in Ireland

I couldn't give a toss what the Yanks done.

No shortage of Irish people use the phrase, or have it on flags, t-shirts, themselves.

GerB40 · 10-10-2014 1:45am

Zebra3 wrote: »

I couldn't give a toss what the Yanks done.

No shortage of Irish people use the phrase, or have it on flags, t-shirts, themselves.

Jaysus Zebra3 you're not out to make friends are ya??

davemc180 · 10-10-2014 1:49am

proud to be a dub..

lv a very strong Dublin accent serves me well when abroad!!

Putin · 10-10-2014 1:50am

MaroonAndGreen wrote: »

Are you proud to be Irish?

What do you think OP?

Zebra3 · 10-10-2014 1:55am

GerB40 wrote: »

Jaysus Zebra3 you're not out to make friends are ya??

I thought this was a forum for offering an opinion, not for licking a*ses. :rolleyes:

gormdubhgorm · 10-10-2014 1:55am

Zebra3 wrote: »

I couldn't give a toss what the Yanks done.

No shortage of Irish people use the phrase, or have it on flags, t-shirts, themselves.

See my previous post above...

Jayus I heard of Zebra crossings but not cross zebras!

Zebra crossings were actually invented in Britain are you proud of that?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra_crossing#History

or are you still?

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/13792342578336005/:eek:

Missyelliot2 · 10-10-2014 2:06am

No....Irish people don't rebel. Not any more- we are all fed-up with water charges/USC etc. The powers the be have drained the life out of people - I'm apolitical, but feel that Fianna Fail have screwed up the whole country.
I have a child I teach that's in need of a psychological assessment (urgently), and the Psychologist employed by the state is on maternity leave - there is nobody else employed to replace this psychologist - she will not return until February 2015. Her Maternity leave is not being replaced.
This child is in urgent need of care .......there is no care available-end of!
So....Great place to live.....but if you're vulerable.....forget it!

Yep........proud to be Irish!

Sunnyisland · 10-10-2014 7:14am

Yes I am .

Packrat · 10-10-2014 7:39am

How Soon Is Now wrote: »

Im more proud of being from Dublin then being from Ireland.

I guess i have my moments the country has its good and bad points ive never been one of these in your face paddys though.

Im proud of being me!!

Dublin is barely Irish tbh.

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Proud to be a Dub! and the rest of youse are very lucky that Dublin is in Ireland! :cool:

The part I love about Ireland is that there is a disdain for authority/celebrity and people who "have notions".

Some might call it begrudgery. But I think it's gas. It is the one thing that will stop us turning into Americans completely!

Another one, - and now you'll both be insulted by my comment above, but this one shows the truth of my assertion that ye are barely irish.

Zebra3 wrote: »

Ashamed of how pathetic Irish people are.

Get independence, let the paedos in the RC church take the real power.

Bow down to the ECB and IMF like a pack of bitches to take on the debts of wealthy gamblers.

Fighting Irish, me hole.

As pointed out above (ironically by someone who is parochially a dub before he/she is irish) nobody who lives here uses that expression.

Also, and more importantly: Sod off you miserable git. Where are you from thats so great? Here? Well then why don't you self-hate from someplace else. We don't need your negativity.

davemc180 wrote: »

proud to be a dub..

lv a very strong Dublin accent serves me well when abroad!!

If you say so Dave. Tbh most of us cringe when we hear thay accent abroad.

Missyelliot2 wrote: »

No....Irish people don't rebel. Not any more- we are all fed-up with water charges/USC etc. The powers the be have drained the life out of people - I'm apolitical, but feel that Fianna Fail have screwed up the whole country.
I have a child I teach that's in need of a psychological assessment (urgently), and the Psychologist employed by the state is on maternity leave - there is nobody else employed to replace this psychologist - she will not return until February 2015. Her Maternity leave is not being replaced.
This child is in urgent need of care .......there is no care available-end of!
So....Great place to live.....but if you're vulerable.....forget it!

Yep........proud to be Irish!

If its that awful, why not just leave? We wouldn't mind. Honest.

caustic 1 · 10-10-2014 8:07am

Right crowd of Moody Margarets aren't ye. :rolleyes:

unjedilike · 10-10-2014 8:15am

I only became properly Irish the minute I emigrated.

HIB · 10-10-2014 8:27am

MaroonAndGreen wrote: »

Poll added.

Are you proud to be Irish? Why / Why not?

I've never really understood what people mean when they say they're proud to be Irish/English/Kazakhstani...
For me, Irish is just something that I am. I was born it. Its not something I achieved.
Do I think the Irish are a "grand bunch of lads"? Yes and no. No more so than other nationalities really. The Irish as a group are people I find easy to talk to though .... I reckon that's down to shared experiences though. If I was French, I'd probably enjoy the company of French people more.
As for sporting figures etc., yeah I've cheered on Irish teams, and athletes etc. But taking sides is a necessary part of sport. You won't enjoy it as much if you don't. For the same reason, I'd cheer on county and parochial teams... Not out of some deep rooted "ballygobackwards till I die" ethos, but because its just the best way to watch sport.

Out of curiosity...just googled the definition of pride.

" a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired."

Hard to see how a nationalistic sense of pride falls under this definition really.

Voting "no" here, but as someone else suggested, would feel more comfortable with a "neither" option.

Are you proud to be Irish?

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