Irish Living In Scotland

Very Bored

I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this on, and apologies if the question seems a little ignorant.

I am aware that there are users of Boards.ie who live in Scotland. What are your experiences of living in Scotland as an Irish person/Irish people? I have always found Scotland to be very beautiful on short trips I've spent there and have thoroughly enjoyed it. However, living somewhere is different to visiting on holiday. Is there a strong trend of anti-Irishness or is it something the media blows out of all proportion? I would like to hope its the second and that if you mind your own business its no more problematic to live in Scotland than in Wales or England. However, you do tend to hear a lot more about anti-Irishness in Scotland than in the rest of the UK.

Incidentally, the area I would be looking at is in and around Edinburgh (possibly living in Lothian or Fife).

snubbleste

Oh, just go there and see.

Very Bored

snubbleste wrote: »

Oh, just go there and see.

I'm at a stage of life, and particularly in terms of family, that I can't be chopping and changing where I live at the drop of a hat. If I make a move then I need to be looking at it for the long term. Hence, asking the question so it would be more helpful to receive more informed replies but thanks for responding anyway.

It can be an urban, working-class thing, but yes there often is a strong-anti Irish feeling in Scotland. But it's not just just the Irish you know. The same people are usually anti-English, anti-French and anti-Pakistani too.

I could never understand the animosity as I have some family in Scotland and I prefer to think of Scotland as a natural extension of Ireland. Just ignore any anti-Irish sentiment you find there, everything about it is beautiful otherwise.

Very Bored

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

It can be an urban, working-class thing, but yes there often is a strong-anti Irish feeling in Scotland. But it's not just just the Irish you know. The same people are usually anti-English, anti-French and anti-Pakistani too.

I could never understand the animosity as I have some family in Scotland and I prefer to think of Scotland as a natural extension of Ireland. Just ignore any anti-Irish sentiment you find there, everything about it is beautiful otherwise.

Thanks. I've always thought of Wales in that way to be honest. Sounds like, from what you're saying, that it exists but a lot of it is blown up by the media etc.

fran17

The trouble with Scotland,is that its full of Scots...

Very Bored

fran17 wrote: »

The trouble with Scotland,is that its full of Scots...

Always preferred this one...

steddyeddy

Very Bored wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this on, and apologies if the question seems a little ignorant.

I am aware that there are users of Boards.ie who live in Scotland. What are your experiences of living in Scotland as an Irish person/Irish people? I have always found Scotland to be very beautiful on short trips I've spent there and have thoroughly enjoyed it. However, living somewhere is different to visiting on holiday. Is there a strong trend of anti-Irishness or is it something the media blows out of all proportion? I would like to hope its the second and that if you mind your own business its no more problematic to live in Scotland than in Wales or England. However, you do tend to hear a lot more about anti-Irishness in Scotland than in the rest of the UK.

Incidentally, the area I would be looking at is in and around Edinburgh (possibly living in Lothian or Fife).

My supervisor is English and the one place he would never go back to is Scotland. There's a stronger sense of anti Englishness there than anti Irish IMO.

Very Bored

steddyeddy wrote: »

My supervisor is English and the one place he would never go back to is Scotland. There's a stronger sense of anti Englishness there than anti Irish IMO.

Similar to Ireland so .

steddyeddy

Very Bored wrote: »

Similar to Ireland so .

Well he lives here and hasn't had any problems so not really. Oh and he lived in Edinburgh.

Mr.Goodman

Has groundskeeper Willie not thought you anything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5lYXaVkA0U

Very Bored

steddyeddy wrote: »

Well he lives here and hasn't had any problems so not really. Oh and he lived in Edinburgh.

I would say it depends where in Ireland he lives. If he lives in Dublin I would suggest its different to living in certain other areas around the country and I'm not just talking about in and around the north.

That said, from what has been said by other posters here it seems like it probably is blown up at least in terms of the Irish.

steddyeddy

Very Bored wrote: »

I would say it depends where in Ireland he lives. If he lives in Dublin I would suggest its different to living in certain other areas around the country and I'm not just talking about in and around the north.

That said, from what has been said by other posters here it seems like it probably is blown up at least in terms of the Irish.

The level of anti immigrant in this case English man in Ireland doesn't compare to the levels of anti immigrant in Scotland.

Very Bored

Mr.Goodman wrote: »

Has groundskeeper Willie not thought you anything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5lYXaVkA0U

When he started proposing himself as leader of an indepedent Scotland instead of Billy Connolly I started to ignore him .

Very Bored

Very Bored wrote: »

Sounds like, from what you're saying, that it exists but a lot of it is blown up by the media etc.

It is exaggerated in my view because I've never had a problem with it, but then I've never worked in Scotland.

I imagine if you were a nurse, a bank clerk or (here, knock on wood) a clamper, you might experience this bigotry, but those people tend to become pretty hardened to the slurs of the public anyway.

If you live in a nice neighbourhood in Scotland and you work in any half-decent environment, I'd struggle to believe that you would witness any anti-Irishness bigotry, whereas you might get it in the most horrible corners of Glasgow.

steddyeddy

Well my supervisor is a scientist and experienced strong anti English sentiment from other scientists. He discouraged me for applying for a job in Edinburgh university.

Very Bored

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

It is exaggerated in my view because I've never had a problem with it, but then I've never worked in Scotland.

I imagine if you were a nurse, a bank clerk or (here, knock on wood) a clamper, you might experience this bigotry, but those people tend to become pretty hardened to the slurs of the public anyway.

If you live in a nice neighbourhood in Scotland and you work in any half-decent environment, I'd struggle to believe that you would witness any anti-Irishness bigotry, whereas you might get it in the most horrible corners of Glasgow.

OK, thanks. Doesn't sound all that different to anywhere else. I've been spat at in a rougher area of Dublin by some scumbag because I was wearing a Kilkenny shirt. Does that mean everyone in Dublin hates people from Kilkenny? Hardly. Would I have been spat at had I been wearing anything else? Possibly. Have I been in Dublin at other times with a Kilkenny shirt and not had problems. Yes, an infinite amount. Equally, I have an English friend who was told to f*ck off by a bus driver in Wales for being English. He lived in Wales for many years before and after and never had problems. Sounds from what you're saying that it is as I hoped, I could run into bother if I'm unlucky but no more than anywhere else and on the one hand it could be for being Irish whilst on the other it could be because I'm tall, wear glasses or am exceedingly handsome (rolling on floor laughing).

Sounds good. Now all I need to do is sort out all the other details.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Eugene Norman

Very Bored wrote: »

I would say it depends where in Ireland he lives. If he lives in Dublin I would suggest its different to living in certain other areas around the country and I'm not just talking about in and around the north.

That said, from what has been said by other posters here it seems like it probably is blown up at least in terms of the Irish.

That's a stretch. Plenty of rural Ireland has had English migration for years, west cork is an example.

cloud493

I'm not a fan of Scotland personally, but I'm not Irish. Not my cup of tea anyway.

whatismyname

I'm Irish, and have now lived in Scotland near 8 years.

I work all round Scotland, and have met people from all parts of the country.

I've never come across anything anti-Irish, or even been aware that it was apparently a thing - either based on my own experiences or other Irish people I've known here.

Oh and my Irish accent is as strong as ever, so it's not like they don't know I'm Irish. Constantly get asked to say 'dirty tree and a turd', and I've found there's a big novelty factor to being Irish in Scotland.

A Scot recently gave me a tip that asking Scots to say 'there's been a murder' is the equivalant of them asking us to say 33 and a third, so have been having good fun with that

All good fun, and cannot recommend Scotland strongly enough.

Also, OP, regards if you're posting in the right part of the site, I'd say there may also be a few relevant threads in the UK section, as there's a few Scotland related threads there: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=915

Very Bored

Eugene Norman wrote: »

That's a stretch. Plenty of rural Ireland has had English migration for years, west cork is an example.

I'm from rural Ireland so I wasn't having a pop and I know a number of people even from my own locality who are anti-English.

whatismyname wrote: »

I'm Irish, and have now lived in Scotland near 8 years.

I work all round Scotland, and have met people from all parts of the country.

I've never come across anything anti-Irish, or even been aware that it was apparently a thing - either based on my own experiences or other Irish people I've known here.

Oh and my Irish accent is as strong as ever, so it's not like they don't know I'm Irish. Constantly get asked to say 'dirty tree and a turd', and I've found there's a big novelty factor to being Irish in Scotland.

A Scot recently gave me a tip that asking Scots to say 'there's been a murder' is the equivalant of them asking us to say 33 and a third, so have been having good fun with that

All good fun, and cannot recommend Scotland strongly enough.

Also, OP, regards if you're posting in the right part of the site, I'd say there may also be a few relevant threads in the UK section, as there's a few Scotland related threads there: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=915

Thanks. Sounds good.

Fred Swanson

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

What an enlightened people.

steddyeddy

steddyeddy wrote: »

Well my supervisor is a scientist and experienced strong anti English sentiment from other scientists. He discouraged me for applying for a job in Edinburgh university.

That's very surprising. My mum worked in Ed U a very long time ago (in science) and loved it. She's Irish, but had lived in England a good while at that point. She often talks fondly of it.

pablomakaveli

Not living in Scotland but i've been there a good few times. The only anti-Irish sentiment i've got since moving to the UK has been from Scottish people. That said some Scottish people will love you if you're Irish.

It's not really a place i'd like to live though. I've seen enough of the place in my numerous visits there and don't really feel that compelled to go back unless i have to. (Though i will add the Hebrides is the only place i've been able to find white pudding in all my time in the UK so Scotland has that going for it.)

Kermit.de.frog

I think some Scots have a deep down resentment of the Irish for some reason. My theory is they resent that we actually did what they don't have the balls to do - go your own way. Scotland is like a child that refuses to leave home (home being the UK).

Matt_Trakker

Spent 2 summers in Scotland, Edinburgh, while studying.
Loved it, never once came across any anti-Irish stuff.
Had a ball, Scottish women loving our accents.

The thing about the Scots is that they feckin hate everyone equally, even themselves. They're a bit like the Aussies that way. They hate everyone, but hate themselves so much that they don't take out their hatred of others on them. If ya get me.

They've a very specific dark sense of humour too..... I know that's a sweeping generalisation....
It's kind of like they way us lot are very self-deprecating about ourselves individually, well, the Scots take that to a higher level.

EG.
A: I'm a bit of a bawbag
B: Aye, y'are. Sure, I'm worse though, I'm just a pure c*nt.
A: Naw, you're just a bampot, I'm the pure c*nt

etc. etc.

CantonaGod

Lived in Edinburgh and Linlithgow for 10 years, a bit of banter with the more rangers orientated locals, apart from that no issues. 99% of scots are grand and v similar in outlook to Irish. There are subtle differences (not the most generous nation). Other nationalities wil come in for much more negative reaction than Irish!

Hachiko

Very Bored wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this on, and apologies if the question seems a little ignorant.

I am aware that there are users of Boards.ie who live in Scotland. What are your experiences of living in Scotland as an Irish person/Irish people? I have always found Scotland to be very beautiful on short trips I've spent there and have thoroughly enjoyed it. However, living somewhere is different to visiting on holiday. Is there a strong trend of anti-Irishness or is it something the media blows out of all proportion? I would like to hope its the second and that if you mind your own business its no more problematic to live in Scotland than in Wales or England. However, you do tend to hear a lot more about anti-Irishness in Scotland than in the rest of the UK.

Incidentally, the area I would be looking at is in and around Edinburgh (possibly living in Lothian or Fife).

They couldn't really care if you are Irish or not tbh, I was there. Compared to mainland England there is far less ethnic minority groups in Scotland but wages are generally lower and they have some pretty bad socio economic issues in many parts of Scotland.

Nice scenery, I did the Isle of skye, the highlands and the orkney Islands. Superb.

Glasgow is a dump and Edinburgh is a very nice spot. Aberdeen is a place to avoid like the plague unless you love traffic and insane property prices.

Very Bored

Hachiko wrote: »

They couldn't really care if you are Irish or not tbh, I was there. Compared to mainland England there is far less ethnic minority groups in Scotland but wages are generally lower and they have some pretty bad socio economic issues in many parts of Scotland.

Nice scenery, I did the Isle of skye, the highlands and the orkney Islands. Superb.

Glasgow is a dump and Edinburgh is a very nice spot. Aberdeen is a place to avoid like the plague unless you love traffic and insane property prices.

I've always thought Glasgow was underrated. Edinburgh is something else though. I've never been to Aberdeen but I have always wanted to for some strange reason, for some odd reason I have a picture in my head that its nice.

somefeen

I've been living in Scotland for the last 6 years
I experienced alot of anti-Irish sentiment in smaller towns where I lived. It was quiet viscious at times but the same people are also the types who were just bigots in general.
Depends what circles you travel in. Amongst less educated people you will no doubt experience it varying from just taking the piss to genuine vicious hatred. More educated people probably think it but don't say it. But friendly piss taking will always be there and if you have a problem with that then stay in Ireland.
More often than not though you will get a warm welcome due to being Irish or just a warm welcome because Scottish people are lovely.
I live in a very small place now in rural scotland, most of the people are grand.
No idea about Glasgow and Edinburgh only every visited those places but Glasgow people are incredibly friendly. I've been there alot lately and the people are great. Used to think it was a ****hole but I've come to like it more over the last few months.