Saoirse Ronan, Sky News and 'claiming' Irish people as British

I know many people are sick of this topic, but what are your thoughts on the recent Twitter sh*t-storm involving Sky News anchor Richard Suchet claiming Saoirse Ronan was “one of ours” (i.e. British)?

When Suchet was challenged on this by on Twitter by RTÉ, he responded.

“She’s from the British Isles & whether you like it or not, Brits will be willing her to win. Glad you got an article out of it tho.”

It reminded me of a time when Chris O'Dowd was interviewed by a journalist from the UK, who called him British. O'Dowd face seemed to immediately drop, but he corrected her, she apologised and the interview continued with no harm done.

We could have used that humility here.

https://twitter.com/TheFanOfWords/status/686052465335119873

Into The Blue

They just don't have the chip on their shoulder we have.. We claim Daniel Day Lewis, they don't give a shït.

Realt Dearg Sec

We never had this problem with British serial rapist Larry Murphy.

The Pheasant2

Into The Blue wrote: »

They just don't have the chip on their shoulder we have.. We claim Daniel Day Lewis, they don't give a shït.

That's not a like for like comparison at all - DDL lives in Ireland and holds Irish citizenship whereas Saoirse Ronan has no connection with Britain.

Regarding this not too seldom occurrence, my main gripe is that they ignorantly claim people from a completely separate sovereign nation and then have the neck to try and argue about it.

For me anyway this attitude can only exist when there still exists some kind of feelings of ascendency over us. You never really see British media accidentally claiming French people for example in spite of the geographic proximity.

Nodin

The Pheasant2 wrote: »

That's not a like for like comparison at all - DDL lives in Ireland and holds Irish citizenship whereas Saoirse Ronan has no connection with Britain.

Regarding this not too seldom occurrence, my main gripe is that they ignorantly claim people from a completely separate sovereign nation and then have the neck to try and argue about it.

For me anyway this attitude can only exist when there still exists some kind of feelings of ascendency over us. You never really see British media accidentally claiming French people for example in spite of the geographic proximity.

He said she should take it as a compliment.

The Pheasant2

Nodin wrote: »

He said she should take it as a compliment.

Yeah so I've heard...really he's just identifying himself as an ignorant twat - the most infuriating aspect of this however, is that he doesn't realise he's an ignorant twat.

spurious

It's Sky. I wouldn't expect too much.

DeanAustin

Big swinging mickey. We look small time whinging about it.

arayess

DeanAustin wrote: »

Big swinging mickey. We look small time whinging about it.

it's kinda embarrassing that hordes of people fall for this click-bait rabble rousing. If it's a problem let Ronan herself issue a statement - otherwise calm the fcuk down.

kneemos

Claiming she's British when she's actually American!

The cheek.

everlast75

In my view, I ignored it the first few times it happened but I'm getting a bit sick of them doing it now. It has to be on purpose.

A little even more insensitive considering our history and the year that is in it.

I believe we need to send Samuel L Jackson over to explain again to them the errors of their ways, in that intimidating manner that only he can do...

I mean... There's far too many other things to worry about, rather than caring about an article I didn't read or a Twitter post I'll never read either.

AndyBoBandy

Claims she's from Carlow yet sounding like she's from Sheriff Street!! That's what I'm offended by!

"Whas da bleedin storee bud"

AndyBoBandy

everlast75 wrote: »

I believe we need to send Samuel L Jackson over to explain again to them the errors of their ways, in that intimidating manner that only he can do...

I've seen that interview before (re Colin Farrell) but can't find it on YouTube!! Got a link to it?

kneemos

It's an excellent method of infiltrating the enemy.

robinph

It's because the reporter couldn't care less if you are from England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland. If you speak with one of those accents then the safest option is just to call all of their interview subjects British rather than worry about where they were born or what they might identify as now.

If you speak with a north American accent expect to be called American, if you speak with a French accent expect to be called French. Nobody really cares if you are actually Canadian after they have done 5 minutes reading up on why they are interviewing you beforehand they certainly won't have been checking your nationality.

Get over it, correct them, and move on. No need to get your knickers in a twist over some insult that only exists in your own mind.

Sam Kade

Thread title misleading, looks like you are saying that Ronan claims Irish people as British.

The Brits can claim her if they want, who cares?

P. Breathnach

It's a great betrayal of the men of 1916 that many people in England believe that we and they have something of a shared identity.

As a protest, we should refuse to allow our rugby players (except those from NI) permission to play with the British (& Irish) Lions.

El Horseboxo

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I've seen that interview before (re Colin Farrell) but can't find it on YouTube!! Got a link to it?

You could not of śeen if as it doesn't exist. It was not recorded and can't be verified he said it.

fatknacker

This is a grave insult. So many didn't die in the last 100 years so some British news fellow could call an Irish actress lady one of theirs! The tyranny. It's cultural vandalism, the likes of which we've never seen. I say we go to war in a manner most befitting of our times. Armed with spray cans at the top of Georges street in Dublin...we shall paint a mural to OUR Saoirse and in large tricolour letters say OURs. Will the "s" also be orange? That remains to be seen. Let's show those dirty Brits what's what. To cans, lads!

Tell me how

Deleted User wrote:

I mean... There's far too many other things to worry about, rather than caring about an article I didn't read or a Twitter post I'll never read either.

So why get involved in the thread?

DeanAustin

Whenever I see stuff like this, I'm always reminded of a quote from the Evening Herald (a rag admittedly but the Irish print equivalent of Sky News nonetheless). It was from the time President Obama came to Ireland and the Herald went with "Barack Obama is coming home".

We are no strangers to making these sorts of claims.

Sam Kade

fatknacker wrote: »

This is a grave insult. So many didn't die in the last 100 years so some British news fellow could call an Irish actress lady one of theirs! The tyranny. It's cultural vandalism, the likes of which we've never seen. I say we go to war in a manner most befitting of our times. Armed with spray cans at the top of Georges street in Dublin...we shall paint a mural to OUR Saoirse and in large tricolour letters say OURs. Will the "s" also be orange? That remains to be seen. Let's show those dirty Brits what's what. To cans, lads!

She's a gobsh1te, so they can keep her.

everlast75

I love the fact that if anyone on here finds it mildly irritating, the rest over dramatise the reaction in order to mock it.

All I've seen is people saying it's kind of annoying - no one has declared we should invade them or a trade ware.

We know there are plenty of things worth getting more annoyed about - it doesn't mean you can't find this mildly annoying.

Sam Kade

DeanAustin wrote: »

Whenever I see stuff like this, I'm always reminded of a quote from the Evening Herald (a rag admittedly but the Irish print equivalent of Sky News nonetheless). It was from the time President Obama came to Ireland and the Herald went with "Barack Obama is coming home".

We are no strangers to making these sorts of claims.

Christ almighty, who'd want to claim that fool?

Baron Kurtz

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

Claims she's from Carlow yet sounding like she's from Sheriff Steret!! That's what I'm offended by!

"Whas da bleedin storee bud"

So true. What's that all about!? Not even a neutral Dublin accent, but a big howya bellow:)

AndyBoBandy

El Horseboxo wrote: »

You could not of śeen if as it doesn't exist. It was not recorded and can't be verified he said it.

fair enough so, I must have just read about it, and with the winds of time, upon hearing about it again, must of thought I'd seen it!

haveringchick

DeanAustin wrote: »

Big swinging mickey. We look small time whinging about it.

We are small time

endacl

xband

Monsieur Suchet would probably get a tad annoyed if he won an award and they claimed it for France.

I mean England used to be run by the Normans, what's the difference?

bobbysands81

Into The Blue wrote: »

They just don't have the chip on their shoulder we have.. We claim Daniel Day Lewis, they don't give a shït.

At least have an analogy that's correct.

Britain claiming Saoirse Ronan (New York born Irish girl) would be analogous to Ireland claiming Terry Butcher (former English soccer player born in Sweden).

Daniel Day Lewis considers himself (at least) partly Irish, is immensely proud of his Irishness and holds an Irish passport.

Your post is political correctness to the extreme.

budgemook

robinph wrote: »

It's because the reporter couldn't care less if you are from England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland. If you speak with one of those accents then the safest option is just to call all of their interview subjects British rather than worry about where they were born or what they might identify as now.

If you speak with a north American accent expect to be called American, if you speak with a French accent expect to be called French. Nobody really cares if you are actually Canadian after they have done 5 minutes reading up on why they are interviewing you beforehand they certainly won't have been checking your nationality.

Get over it, correct them, and move on. No need to get your knickers in a twist over some insult that only exists in your own mind.

Eh, of course they should check nationality. I can't think why that wouldn't be one of the first things checked.

BettePorter

Baron Kurtz wrote:

So true. What's that all about!? Not even a neutral Dublin accent, but a big howya bellow

Yes! I thought i'd imagined it. Off topic but I'm sure she didn't have that accent a couple of years ago. It's as if when she hit the big time she turned into this 'ah shure i'm so bleedin salt a t'earth dublin me, so oi am'. It sounds so affected I find it hard to listen to her.

xband

I think it's long overdue that we claim Judi Dench and Kate Bush tho.

Both have Irish mammies.

Always found it surprising we don't make more of a big deal of it.

The Black Oil

Fairly standard operating of procedure for elements of the British press, has been for years. Wonder if that reporter thinks someone born in Toronto is an American.

Mind you, considering how obsessed Ryan Tubridy is with asking his Late Late guests about their Irish roots, I'm not sure we can complain too much.

mobileforest

budgemook wrote: »

Eh, of course they should check nationality. I can't think why that wouldn't be one of the first things checked.

If they did that they'd call her an American (born in NYC, US nationality along with Irish, lives in US).

DeanAustin

bobbysands81 wrote: »

At least have an analogy that's correct.

Britain claiming Saoirse Ronan (New York born Irish girl) would be analogous to Ireland claiming Terry Butcher (former English soccer player born in Sweden).

Daniel Day Lewis considers himself (at least) partly Irish, is immensely proud of his Irishness and holds an Irish passport.

Your post is political correctness to the extreme.

"Your post is political correctness to the extreme".

Like an overstatement don't you?

DeanAustin

haveringchick wrote: »

We are small time

If that's true, it's partly because we worry about crap like this.

everlast75

I think the thing that mildly irks me* about it is their propensity to only claim those who are successful. There are zero stories in their press regarding these folk unless it's about some glory.

In fact, its almost as if they're disowned if they do something wrong. David Coulthard would often be referred to as a British driver when winning a race, but Scotish if he crashed out.

*Note - no outrage

Bazzo

People need to stop vilifying others who get mildly annoyed about this sort of thing. I live in England and love it here and have loads of good friends but I'd still be a little annoyed and correct a British person calling me British(it's happened maybe once). Most of my mates here would have enough cop on and respect to have known the difference anyway which begs the question why do the media not?

Anyway there's nothing wrong with being proud of where you're from, I know Canadians who get fairly annoyed if they're called American and as far as I know Canada doesn't have a "chip on its shoulder" regarding the USA.

robinph

budgemook wrote: »

Eh, of course they should check nationality. I can't think why that wouldn't be one of the first things checked.

Why? They are most likely being interviewed about some movie, reality show, soap opera they appeared in or minor other celebrity they were seen out with.

They nationality is irrelevant for most of that nonsense and only mentioned as filler to make it seem as if they have something interesting to say.

monkeysnapper

https://youtu.be/BzIBquGnkX8

I always remember this beauty .

Flint Fredstone

I'll never understand patriotism, it's the weirdest thing. I've been lambasted by friends for hoping Conor McGregor got put on his arse. "But he's Irish" so what, so is that dickhead 2 doors up from you that you despise, would you be cheering him on?

But then I do give a shíte when 11 men, not even all Irish, pull on a green jersey and kick a ball around to represent the country.
As I said, I'll never understand patriotism.
It's probably just deep rooted tribalism most of which is beyond our control.

bobbysands81

DeanAustin wrote: »

"Your post is political correctness to the extreme".

Like an overstatement don't you?

The post is nonsensical tripe to try and portray himself to be right on.

kneemos

Flint Fredstone wrote: »

I'll never understand patriotism, it's the weirdest thing. I've been lambasted by friends for hoping Conor McGregor got put on his arse. "But he's Irish" so what, so is that dickhead 2 doors up from you that you despise, would you be cheering him on?

But then I do give a shíte when 11 men, not even all Irish, pull on a green jersey and kick a ball around to represent the country.
As I said, I'll never understand patriotism.
It's probably just deep rooted tribalism most of which is beyond our control.

Up Cork.

realdanbreen

Into The Blue wrote: »

They just don't have the chip on their shoulder we have.. We claim Daniel Day Lewis, they don't give a shït.

Hang on a minute, Daniel is as Irish as Tony Cascariono or Ray Houghton !

xband

It's a little amusing how they don't ever claim Northern Ireland when it's doing something internationally embarrassing.

For example : "Gay Marriage banned by UK Region."

"British politicians in regional assembly block attempts to introduce same sex marriage due to their extreme religious conservatism."

"Nope, that's a totally foreign issue happening in Northeren IRELAND. Nothing to do with us mate"

budgemook

Saying she's American is silly too. My cousin was born in Woodlawn, New York to Irish parents and moved back here when she was about 3 (exact same thing as Saoirse Ronan). Saying that my cousin is American is beyond ridiculous

SterlingArcher

This is an actual news story?.. Shudders... Anyone who is outraged by this should be made walk through the streets naked as the rabble chants "shame, shame, shame"...:D

haveringchick

budgemook wrote: »

Eh, of course they should check nationality. I can't think why that wouldn't be one of the first things checked.

Or what? Do you want a tribunal into it? Do you think there should be a formal apology or should the guy be sacked? Do you object to all the myriad of mistakes live journalists make everyday or just the ones that you think are a personal insult to you?
When did your employer tell you that your work was 100%

haveringchick

DeanAustin wrote: »

If that's true, it's partly because we worry about crap like this.

That's my point