Have you ever experienced prejudice for being Irish?

DEFTLEFTHAND

I've traveled a bit and have being treated well for the most part. I was referred to as a mick a few times in New York but is was pretty much in a jokey fashion. The friend who I was visiting who lives there said that blue collar Italians sometimes refer to the Irish as White N1ggers.

The one time I did experience some hostility was in Holyhead Wales. I was drinking at bar in the town with a friend of mine. I noticed some bald headed neanderthal eyeballing us out of the corner of my eye. When we got up to leave he grabbed my arm as I passed him and said "The ferry is that way paddy"

I didn't react I just walked out the door.

Tombi!

Once in England I was nearly beaten up as a child for being Irish (granted, the other people were teenagers and more like general chavs than normal people).
And online all the time but I don't really care about that

Crumpets

Lived in Germany for a year and everyone seemed to get a bit excited when I mentioned I was Irish. Just based on my experiences, we seem to be fairly liked.

failinis

Gotten some rubbish from students at an English Uni but nothing you can't shrug off.

Two Tone

One minor bit of "You Irish are a bunch of terrorists" crap from an English guy on holiday one year, to which a bunch of other English people stood up for me. Otherwise the only negativity about Irish people I encounter is from Irish people here on Boards. Can be incredible - particularly from two posters whose usernames contain participles of the verb "to be".

theoldbreed

Have travelled fairly extensively and the only place was in a pub in Nottingham. I was ordering and the guy next to me heard my accent and said F**k off back to Ireland Paddy. I'm female, didn't want to get into anything so just ignored it. We didn't stay for too long.

darkpagandeath

I have the reverse here, Have a soft Irish accent due to the time lived here but always get asked "Where are you from ? You're not Irish."

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I have visited and lived on every continent and never got any negative response to my being Irish. Quite the contrary.

Full Marx

Yes, off English scumbags in Brittany of all places. Was in a pub watching football (celtic in champions league) and they started with the paddy, terrorist crap. When the locals copped what was going on it didn't go down well, got thrown out to a chorus of "up the IRA" and go home british soldiers

The english lads werent the brightest in fairness

Full Marx

David Shapely Hedgehog wrote: »

I have visited and lived on every continent and never got any negative response to my being Irish. Quite the contrary.

Really? I've heard the penguins in Antarctica are awful cúnts who can't stand us taigs

Slydice

My one and only trip to London was for a weekend at a music festival with a cousin.

During one of the breaks, we went and got a couple of beers.

Three lads came over and started calling us Paddys and from the sounds of things.. trying to get a fight going. I dunno, I must have been in great humour cos it all just seemed so stereotypical and I just laughed and laughed the more they did it.

They seemed to be getting more and more upset about that though so we moved along swiftly.

darkpagandeath

Full Marx wrote: »

Yes, off English scumbags in Brittany of all places. Was in a pub watching football (celtic in champions league) and they started with the paddy, terrorist crap. When the locals copped what was going on it didn't go down well, got thrown out to a chorus of "up the IRA" and go home british soldiers

The english lads werent the brightest in fairness

Odd that in France. Prob just scumbags.

Your Face

Four times.
Once in England
Once on the way to the States
Twice in Ireland.

I didn't shoot any policemen over it though.

r93kaey5p2izun

Once in Florida, a few times in England and many times in Belfast. None too serious, just obnoxious ignorant people.

Giacomo McGubbin

Experienced it a lot in when I lived in NI and Scotland, but that was more about them being sectarian and anti-Catholic than simply anti-Irish as such.

Ruu

A few times in the US but just general ignorance and a general what the fuck to the person who asked if I was Catholic or Protestant. When I said Catholic he let out a jubilant whoop and said 'Me too!' and shook his fist in the air. I said in a hushed tone, '..but its not like we're at fistacuffs on a daily basis or anything like that..'.

BBDBB

A few times as a kid
Online in the last decade a lot more, mainly from Welsh rugby fans. Sad that this sort of thing still goes on

darkpagandeath

http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/1009/733038-part-four-32-things-paddy-wants-to-know-general-election/

:pac::pac::pac:

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Once in the UK from a guy who was from the North, ironically enough. But he was widely regarded to be a bit of a twat.

Squall Leonhart

As a waiter in Australia, I had a table call management and ask for another waiter who wasn't Irish. Management refused, said I was perfectly capable and polite. They left.

Riesen_Meal

Squall Leonhart wrote: »

As a waiter in Australia, I had a table call management and ask for another waiter who wasn't Irish. Management refused, said I was perfectly capable and polite. They left.

I know the accents are similar but are you sure you are not a dark skinned irish person, and were in fact on a holiday in South Africa?



Ozzie Apartheid...

:P

Starokan

Once in North London I got a bit of abuse alright, probably picked the wrong pub to go into I guess, been in the UK a lot over the years and never anything else.

My guess would be the guys I encountered would have abused anyone that day regardless of nationality etc as they were totally off their heads, heard later they absolutely wrecked the pub about two hours later so I was kind of glad i had left by then

andekwarhola

Once, when in Scotland for a match, from a bunch of local lads. Usual Fenian something crap but they scuttled off when they realised I was in a group of lads. Don't take offence to your normal Paddy type banter though. You know yourself what bad intent is and isn't.

failinis

*received/receiving a lot growing up in N.I but thats more sectarian than anything else and it would be odd with out it in a bizzare way.

listermint

Only on boards because there is alot of self hatred and country depreciation on here.

KatW4

Once in London. A drunk homeless man asked me for some change and I told him I didn't have any. He said "**** off back to Ireland!"

darkpagandeath

KatW4 wrote: »

Once in London. A drunk homeless man asked me for some change and I told him I didn't have any. He said "**** off back to Ireland!"

Should have gave him a Scottish pound and say try spending that.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Squall Leonhart wrote: »

As a waiter in Australia, I had a table call management and ask for another waiter who wasn't Irish. Management refused, said I was perfectly capable and polite. They left.

I was in Perth for 5 months in 2010 and got a bit of casual guff also. At the time there was a problem with drunken young Irish people out causing trouble, which was true to an extent, I witnessed it myself.

At the time I was there the Western Australian Police made a plea to the GAA clubs in the city to try and get the Irish community in order.

tradhead

I wasn't allowed to give blood this week because I'm Irish! Apparently Canadians don't want our Western European blood

IrishWandering

"All you paddies are drunk f*ckin' farmers!"
— obese Londoner clearly under the influence of drugs, May 2016

The Backwards Man

Never in my life, and I've been around a fair few corners. Got a bit of grief in Cork once for being from Donegal but that's just jealousy.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Full Marx wrote: »

Really? I've heard the penguins in Antarctica are awful cúnts who can't stand us taigs

Plenty of other scientists from all over the world were there.

Penguins never commented one way or the other actually. They were quite indifferent to all nationalities.

DEFTLEFTHAND

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Never in my life, and I've been around a fair few corners. Got a bit of grief in Cork once for being from Donegal but that's just jealousy.

They don't have proper bogs down there either.

Grandeeod

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I've traveled a bit and have being treated well for the most part. I was referred to as a mick a few times in New York but is was pretty much in a jokey fashion. The friend who I was visiting who lives there said that blue collar Italians sometimes refer to the Irish as White N1ggers.

The one time I did experience some hostility was in Holyhead Wales. I was drinking at bar in the town with a friend of mine. I noticed some bald headed neanderthal eyeballing us out of the corner of my eye. When we got up to leave he grabbed my arm as I passed him and said "The ferry is that way paddy"

I didn't react I just walked out the door.

I got something similar in Holyhead. I was actually heading for the ferry anyway. Nasty little place in a lot of ways.

When I was a lot younger in Liverpool circa 1980, I got a nasty comment directed at me on the street. I was only 10 and on a pre Christmas shopping trip via the B+I ferry with my mother.

In 1982, in the Isle of Man, I got serious grief from a local lad and when I tried to defend myself, I got a box in the head. My father threatened to shoot him and got questioned by the police! I guess thats the way it was back then if you were Irish and mentioned a gun.

My memories are certainly from the early to mid 80s. Since then it hasn't been prejudice, more like ignorance that's easy to laugh off. The Jeremy Kyle show has certainly made things easier!

Clampdown

Grew up in the US, one of my friends father's used to shout to his wife 'Hide the potatoes, Jane! That potato-eater's back again!' any time I visited the house.

No, aside from the time I walked into a shop in a unionist village with my (Protestant) girlfriend whose family is from there and when I asked the shop assistant a question these teenage boys behind me heard my accent and started sniffling furiously. It could be that despite the lovely summer day that was in it they suddenly all together got a cold. Alternatively they heard my accent and "could smell a Tadhg". Shudder. An absolute cancer on society.

I was well able to handle myself but when you think of the ineffable savagery of what happened poor 15-year-old Michael McIlveen when a group of loyalist teenagers ganged up on him because of his ethnicity and you get anti-Irishness at its most evil.

A Little Pony

All the time. Orange Bastard is thrown my way all the time. Hun etc.

Grayson

I've never experienced it but I've worked in call centres that service the english market. There have been a few occasions where staff have gotten abuse. It's extremely rare though. Generally some little scumbag.

I don't have much of an accent and I was born in the UK. I've had plenty of Irish people tell me I'm not Irish. It turns out that if you have Irish parents, grandparents , great grandparents etc, and were raised in Ireland it doesn't matter, you're a brit.

Grayson

A Little Pony wrote: »

All the time. Orange Bastard is thrown my way all the time. Hun etc.

Is orange bastard accurate?

Galwayguy35

Yeah once from trucker from the north, they haul regularly from the place I work in and most of them are sound in fairness.

hairyslug

Been called a paddy a few times when I worked in pubs, by English guys.
Was over in Paris a few years ago for 6 nations, was treated like crap in a restaurant until they realised I was Irish, attitude changed straight away.

LordSutch

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Once in the UK from a guy who was from the North, ironically enough. But he was widely regarded to be a bit of a twat.

Ironically your post can be translated in several ways. If you were once in the UK you might have been in NI, England, Scotland or Wales, and the North might be the North of England? which is also in the UK. But I totally agree that the fella was a bit of a twat

Maybe you were once in England, and a guy from Northern Ireland . . . .

Samaris

Got really eviled for absently crossing myself when a funeral went by once in England. And called a witch. But that was Catholic rather than Irish :P

Odd potato jokes, but all good-natured.

The "worst" case of prejudice was someone who decided I was obviously Pakistani... (this was in Ireland though). Despite my ancestry being Irish and English, it would appear that I look ethnically ambiguous for some reason! Also gotten mild abuse for being Middle Eastern. Over the years though, especially in one place I worked (which was frequented by drunks), I've been asked am I Chinese, English, Spanish, Iranian, Indian, Pakistani, south Med and a variety of other nationalities. I put most of it down to their being drunk, and some of it down to having black hair. Actually, and quite a lot of it down to people being thick.

pauliebdub

A handful of times in Northern Ireland, i have no idea why anyone from the south would want to live there, i couldnt deal with sectarianism at all.

return guide

London early nineties when IRA d1cks where blowing up parts of England.

Got called paddy on a few occasions, but stood up and objected - always got "sorry mate wasn't thinking".

Usually ended in me buying or receiving a beer.

KungPao

Well, once in Cork bus station there was a pissed aul lad on a bench, in and out of consciousness. He caught me looking at him, starting throwing abuse at me etc.

Then he told me to "F*ck off home you Spanish bastard".

I'm Irish.

So to answer your question...not really.

Motivator

I lived in New York & worked in a bar owned by a very distant relation of the family.

There was a hockey game on & after it about 50 stereotypical American 20 somethings walked in pissed out of their minds. One of them came up to get a drink & I said I couldn't serve him (policy of the bar was do not serve people the night of games who were already drunk) but when I did he kept asking me to repeat myself & kept asking me to speak up that he couldn't hear me. As I spoke a bit louder he screamed "sorry I don't understand pig talk you Irish IRA mother****a".

There was a bit of a scene in the bar as security & plenty of regulars fought to get at this fella to throw him out on his ear. The funny part was it was an Irish bar & the bouncer said he checked his ID about 1 minute before this & the chap had an Irish surname. It was hilarious!

My evening perked up a bit not long after as I was getting loads of drinks bought for me & tips thrown at me left right & centre. After my shift ended I stayed on for a few pints with some of the regulars & ended up going on to a few other bars with a group of American girls who absolutely loved the pig talk from this Irish IRA mother****a. Ended up going out with one of the girls for 9 months.

ClovenHoof

A few snide remarks. Nothing vicious.

Full Marx

Full Marx wrote: »

Really? I've heard the penguins in Antarctica are awful cúnts who can't stand us taigs

Do they march/waddle along on July 12th too in their bowler hats and orange sashes burning tricolours? :pac:

Motivator

Motivator wrote: »

I lived in New York & worked in a bar owned by a very distant relation of the family.

There was a hockey game on & after it about 50 stereotypical American 20 somethings walked in pissed out of their minds. One of them came up to get a drink & I said I couldn't serve him (policy of the bar was do not serve people the night of games who were already drunk) but when I did he kept asking me to repeat myself & kept asking me to speak up that he couldn't hear me. As I spoke a bit louder he screamed "sorry I don't understand pig talk you Irish IRA mother****a".

There was a bit of a scene in the bar as security & plenty of regulars fought to get at this fella to throw him out on his ear. The funny part was it was an Irish bar & the bouncer said he checked his ID about 1 minute before this & the chap had an Irish surname. It was hilarious!

My evening perked up a bit not long after as I was getting loads of drinks bought for me & tips thrown at me left right & centre. After my shift ended I stayed on for a few pints with some of the regulars & ended up going on to a few other bars with a group of American girls who absolutely loved the pig talk from this Irish IRA mother****a. Ended up going out with one of the girls for 9 months.

God bless America, the land of opportunity

dd972

[QUOTE=DEFTLEFTHAND;100378978The one time I did experience some hostility was in Holyhead Wales. I was drinking at bar in the town with a friend of mine. I noticed some bald headed neanderthal eyeballing us out of the corner of my eye. When we got up to leave he grabbed my arm as I passed him and said "The ferry is that way paddy"

I didn't react I just walked out the door.[/QUOTE]

You'd think someone in Holyhead would be so used to seeing and hearing Irish people, it'd be like seeing the chap who lives next door, mind you Holyheads such an inbred s**thole he was probably jealous you were getting the ferry.