"The English are no craic"

bullpost

fryup wrote: »

morrissey is a miserable bastard

That'll be the Irish in him

Hamsterchops

maybe the English have no crack?

fryup

The English are no craic ??

well they had great craic in Liverpool last night

cgcsb

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

I’d also agree that the English middle classes live very ordered lives. Much less spontaneity. Everything planned well in advance.

The city centre Pubs of the weatherspoons chain variety are to be avoided. General air of aggro in a lot of them. People lookin for trouble and often finding it.

They love complaining about this that and the other as well.

You’d feel like saying “not interested mate, do one yeah”.

Was in Birmingham for a work thing last summer, which is an absolute disaster for nightlife for a city of it's size. Anyway, lads from the office brought us to this place, turns out it was a witherspoons, like seriously, it was all slot machines, carpets and lads with tatoos on their necks. This was during some extremely intense Brexit woes, and there was a massive group of us, all with various European accents, and switching languages, sitting around chatting and being starred at, was very menacing I have to say.

McMurphy

I've a good few English pals, most of them are mighty craic.

I will say though, the further north you go in England - the better craic they do become, and as for Scottish folk, I'm friends with a group of Glaswegian lads, and they do have me howling with laughter at times, they have a wit and sense of humour that rivals many of my Irish mates.

partyguinness

cgcsb wrote: »

Was in Birmingham for a work thing last summer, which is an absolute disaster for nightlife for a city of it's size. Anyway, lads from the office brought us to this place, turns out it was a witherspoons, like seriously, it was all slot machines, carpets and lads with tatoos on their necks. This was during some extremely intense Brexit woes, and there was a massive group of us, all with various European accents, and switching languages, sitting around chatting and being starred at, was very menacing I have to say.

Yeah Birmingham is atrocious. It really is.

Weatherspoons...Jaysus. Going into one of those after 7pm is taking your life in your hands. Birmingham nightlife is bad but there are better places than Weatherspoons...I hope you stayed away from Broad Street. It's like Temple Bar on steroids and with none of the good bits. All young kids getting tanked up to ear drum splitting music.

whisky_galore

partyguinness wrote: »

Yeah Birmingham is atrocious. It really is.

Weatherspoons...Jaysus. Going into one of those after 7pm is taking your life in your hands. Birmingham nightlife is bad but there are better places than Weatherspoons...I hope you stayed away from Broad Street. It's like Temple Bar on steroids and with none of the good bits. All young kids getting tanked up to ear drum splitting music.

A case of going to the wrong places.
Most Brummies I've met are salt of the earth types, a few have Irish roots. Around where the Bird's Custard factory was used be an Irish enclave.

cgcsb

partyguinness wrote: »

Yeah Birmingham is atrocious. It really is.

Weatherspoons...Jaysus. Going into one of those after 7pm is taking your life in your hands. Birmingham nightlife is bad but there are better places than Weatherspoons...I hope you stayed away from Broad Street. It's like Temple Bar on steroids and with none of the good bits. All young kids getting tanked up to ear drum splitting music.

One of the lads who worked in the Birmingham Office said it was a real nice place, I didn't cop it was a Witherspoons at first because they all have different names. I know from the media that they are places best avoided. He didn't perceive any danger for the rest of us who were clearly not British. He also had an accent that I couldn't decipher and the other people there were all non-native English speakers and kept looking at me for a translation every time he spoke, but I was no use, the 2 Glaswegians there were even less understandable, again, I was expected to translate into international English.

partyguinness

cgcsb wrote: »

One of the lads who worked in the Birmingham Office said it was a real nice place, I didn't cop it was a Witherspoons at first because they all have different names. I know from the media that they are places best avoided. He didn't perceive any danger for the rest of us who were clearly not British. He also had an accent that I couldn't decipher and the other people there were all non-native English speakers and kept looking at me for a translation every time he spoke, but I was no use, the 2 Glaswegians there were even less understandable, again, I was expected to translate into international English.

There are countless Weatherspoons around the place and some are more obvious than others- some are in old listed buildings.

They are grand for a quick cheap lunch or 1-2 drinks after work but after say 7pm it's time to get out of dodge. It depends on the location as well.

I suppose if he was taking a bunch of lads out he might have been playing it safe by taking you to a generic solid chain pub.

I used to feel like that too when I moved over here first- a little self conscious of being a foreigner especially when the Birmingham Bombings is still on the news on a regular basis but that worry faded soon enough and never any issue. In fact most Brummies it seems to me have Irish roots which they will bring up quick enough- personally I could not give a **** if great uncle Mick left Mayo in 1920 but I'll smile away.

whisky_galore

whisky_galore wrote: »

A case of going to the wrong places.
Most Brummies I've met are salt of the earth types, a few have Irish roots. Around where the Bird's Custard factory was used be an Irish enclave.

I walked/pub crawled from New Street station to St Andrews many years ago and it seemed every pub we went in to was an Irish pub, all displaying traditional Irish memorabilia, such as Hibernian scarfs and Celtic flags.

cgcsb

Aegir wrote: »

I walked/pub crawled from New Street station to St Andrews many years ago and it seemed every pub we went in to was an Irish pub, all displaying traditional Irish memorabilia, such as Hibernian scarfs and Celtic flags.

Last summer you could have done the same in the nude swinging a cat by its tail around the place singing 'I'm Henry the effing 8th, I am' and not a solitary sinner would have seen you.

partyguinness

Aegir wrote: »

I walked/pub crawled from New Street station to St Andrews many years ago and it seemed every pub we went in to was an Irish pub, all displaying traditional Irish memorabilia, such as Hibernian scarfs and Celtic flags.

Going to St Andrews from New Street you would have taken the route down through Digbeth which is where the 'Irish' centre is. So yeah there would have been 5-6 'Irish' pubs.

cgcsb

cgcsb wrote: »

Last summer you could have done the same in the nude swinging a cat by its tail around the place singing 'I'm Henry the effing 8th, I am' and not a solitary sinner would have seen you.

I try and restrict my Birmingham visits to about once per lifetime.

Berserker

JoeEJ wrote: »

They always make an issue of me saying I'm 'grand' cause to me it means ok! but to them it means mighty or something like that!

'Grand' makes no sense to people outside of Ireland. I still don't get the use of the word 'press' by loads of Irish people and I've lived here for decades. We put stuff in the cupboard in our house.

fryup wrote: »

The English are no craic ??

well they had great craic in Liverpool last night

Doubt they did. Most Liverpool fans come from outside the city. 15K of them at home games, out of a crowd of 55K. Goodison is full of locals. Bet they were not too happy last night!

Aegir wrote: »

I try and restrict my Birmingham visits to about once per lifetime.

Not a fan of the bullring?

Ubbquittious

cgcsb wrote: »

Was in Birmingham for a work thing last summer, which is an absolute disaster for nightlife for a city of it's size. Anyway, lads from the office brought us to this place, turns out it was a witherspoons, like seriously, it was all slot machines, carpets and lads with tatoos on their necks. This was during some extremely intense Brexit woes, and there was a massive group of us, all with various European accents, and switching languages, sitting around chatting and being starred at, was very menacing I have to say.

Think i have been to that wetherspoons. An awful dive of a place so it is

cgcsb

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Think i have been to that wetherspoons. An awful dive of a place so it is

I have been gravely concerned for my English colleague's concept of a 'nice place' ever since.

dd973

partyguinness wrote: »

In fact most Brummies it seems to me have Irish roots which they will bring up quick enough- personally I could not give a **** if great uncle Mick left Mayo in 1920 but I'll smile away.

I've always found this an odd one, if somebody's born in England (or Ireland) and they have say, an Italian or French background then this aspect of them is generally accepted as part of the person's heritage, culture and identity, yet when it's Irish, even if it's both parents there's an attitude that it's the ramblings of a fantasist who was wrapped in a Union Jack at birth with all linkage to Ireland nulled and voided. It's as if their entire prior lineage didn't exist and they're some descendant of King Harold.

partyguinness

dd973 wrote: »

I've always found this an odd one, if somebody's born in England (or Ireland) and they have say, an Italian or French background then this aspect of them is generally accepted as part of the person's heritage, culture and identity, yet when it's Irish, even if it's both parents there's an attitude that it's the ramblings of a fantasist who was wrapped in a Union Jack at birth with all linkage to Ireland nulled and voided. It's as if their entire prior lineage didn't exist and they're some descendant of King Harold.

I am not quite sure I am following you or certainly that is not my experience. Sure the 2nd and 3rd generation Irish descendants are more Irish than the Irish themselves be it in the UK or the US.

Berserker

dd973 wrote: »

I've always found this an odd one, if somebody's born in England (or Ireland) and they have say, an Italian or French background then this aspect of them is generally accepted as part of the person's heritage, culture and identity, yet when it's Irish, even if it's both parents there's an attitude that it's the ramblings of a fantasist who was wrapped in a Union Jack at birth with all linkage to Ireland nulled and voided. It's as if their entire prior lineage didn't exist and they're some descendant of King Harold.

A odd post, if I'm reading it right. From my time in the UK and the US, the later in particular, people with Irish connections are very proud and open about that. Take a look at 'St Patty's day' in the US. Got talking to a young Amish lad on a visit to an Amish village in Pennsylvania once and he never shut up about the fact that he was 1/8th Irish when he heard that I lived in Ireland. Was telling me about his relatives in Laois. Lost count of the number of times, I heard the phrase "I'm Irish" in a NY twang in my time over there. Didn't happen as often in Houston but I did know two people, married couple, who's parents came from NI. They were very open about the fact that they were "going home" when they went over to N.I. on holidays.

Grayson

completedit wrote: »

Anyone see that interview with Donnacha O'Callaghan. He says they're polite and nice but "no craic". Is this an example of Ireland exceptionalism? I wouldn't call what English do when they go to football tournaments "having the craic" but it's not like they're all stuffy posh types. Of course, when he means having the craic he might mean something else. I do actually think it's a uniquely Irish thing. It's not like other countries aren't fun(Spanish I'd say are more extroverted and outgoing than Irish) but the craic is different. It's actually innocent enough messing combined with a self-awareness. There's gob****es who think they're great craic when really they're just ***** but I do think we have a unique sense of humour and happy go lucky attitude. Again, it's not like all Irish people are funny but it's like we have a national light hearted mentality.

What do you think?

If he said english are no craic then it's not irish exceptionalism. It would be exceptionalism if he said that only Irish people can have the craic.

I have some english friends that are great craic. I also know some that are the moaniset self involved people you could meet.

Electric Sheep

Berserker wrote: »

dd973 wrote: »

I've always found this an odd one, if somebody's born in England (or Ireland) and they have say, an Italian or French background then this aspect of them is generally accepted as part of the person's heritage, culture and identity, yet when it's Irish, even if it's both parents there's an attitude that it's the ramblings of a fantasist who was wrapped in a Union Jack at birth with all linkage to Ireland nulled and voided. It's as if their entire prior lineage didn't exist and they're some descendant of King Harold.

A odd post, if I'm reading it right. From my time in the UK and the US, the later in particular, people with Irish connections are very proud and open about that. Take a look at 'St Patty's day' in the US. Got talking to a young Amish lad on a visit to an Amish village in Pennsylvania once and he never shut up about the fact that he was 1/8th Irish when he heard that I lived in Ireland. Was telling me about his relatives in Laois. Lost count of the number of times, I heard the phrase "I'm Irish" in a NY twang in my time over there. Didn't happen as often in Houston but I did know two people, married couple, who's parents came from NI. They were very open about the fact that they were "going home" when they went over to N.I. on holidays.

You are mistaking small talk for actually giving a ****.

dd973

partyguinness wrote: »

I am not quite sure I am following you or certainly that is not my experience. Sure the 2nd and 3rd generation Irish descendants are more Irish than the Irish themselves be it in the UK or the US.

I was referring to how many Irish born people perceive them as completely 'not Irish' in any sense like they were put through some sort of steam cleaning machine at birth to remove any link with Ireland.

There are eejits here who would perceive Shane MacGowan of dual parentage and citizenship as being some misty eyed fantasist who isn't remotely Irish and having zero connection to the country despite his family and him actually living here past and present.

The Chinese call themselves 'Chinese' or 'Overseas Chinese' in comparison.

Feisar

dd973 wrote: »

I've always found this an odd one, if somebody's born in England (or Ireland) and they have say, an Italian or French background then this aspect of them is generally accepted as part of the person's heritage, culture and identity, yet when it's Irish, even if it's both parents there's an attitude that it's the ramblings of a fantasist who was wrapped in a Union Jack at birth with all linkage to Ireland nulled and voided. It's as if their entire prior lineage didn't exist and they're some descendant of King Harold.

No we just call them plastic paddies.

partyguinness

dd973 wrote: »

I was referring to how many Irish born people perceive them as completely 'not Irish' in any sense like they were put through some sort of steam cleaning machine at birth to remove any link with Ireland.

There are eejits here who would perceive Shane MacGowan of dual parentage and citizenship as being some misty eyed fantasist who isn't remotely Irish and having zero connection to the country despite his family and him actually living here past and present.

The Chinese call themselves 'Chinese' or 'Overseas Chinese' in comparison.

I suppose it depends on an individuals definition of 'Irish' and how an individual see themselves. Does 'Irish' mean that you have to be born here, have Irish accent, went to school here etc etc. Do you take a very narrow definition? There is no criteria.

As you said there are the Shane McGowan's of the world who grew up in an Irish household albeit in London and maintained very close links to Ireland.

But also there are those who are maybe 3rd generation who had perhaps one grandparent who go around calling themselves 'Irish' even though they have never set foot in Ireland and could not tell you the first thing about the place and even couldn't tell you where their grand parent is from- I have met people like that.

My thoughts are why are you saying you are Irish rather than 'Sure I have Irish ancestors but I am American/English whatever'.

You are not Irish. You have ancestors who were Irish- that is very different. Then again who am I to tell someone that they are not Irish or French or whatever.

Like John Lydon of the Sex Pistols experienced. His parents brought him back to Cork every summer to visit his relations. In England he was bullied for being Irish and in Cork he was bullied for being English.

completedit

I bet plastic paddies was a term invented by English to describe Irish English and we just latched onto it.

pgj2015

Feisar wrote: »

No we just call them plastic paddies.

like declan rice and jack grealish.

blinding

Donnacha has a great Crack in his A*se . Is that sort of thing useful ?

dd973

'You are not Irish'

Did they teleport the Rotunda in 1973 and move it to Sweden then? :pac:

SharpshooterTom

partyguinness wrote: »

Like John Lydon of the Sex Pistols experienced. His parents brought him back to Cork every summer to visit his relations. In England he was bullied for being Irish and in Cork he was bullied for being English.

I think John Lydon has stated he doesn't feel either.

Always a bit difficult when your in that situation, what do you put down on forms etc?

Edgware

The Irish are "great craic" until you have to sit beside some drunken spunker who thinks hes the life and soul of the place