The Troubles and Irish Accents

PTH2009

Something I've always wondered In the UK during the height of the troubles would all Irish accents be looked down upon by some people or was it just those from the North

Probably a lot of people in the UK dont know much about the south of Ireland

con747

In my experience over there in the 70's it made little difference whether a northern or southern accent. London area.

Kylta

Lived in Birmingham in the early nineties and Irish was Irish. The only people could which part of the country you were from were fellow Irish. The Welsh and Scotch would seem to have some idea whether you were say a northerner or southerner. Actually now that I think of it some english folk who think I was scotch or welsh at times. (Maybe they just taking the piss )

Hamsterchops

PTH2009 wrote: »

Something I've always wondered In the UK during the height of the troubles would all Irish accents be looked down upon by some people or was it just those from the North

Probably a lot of people in the UK dont know much about the south of Ireland

I think you mean Britain/England ...

The UK has so many accents & regional dialects, not least those in Northern Ireland itself. People in England might have been s bit wary of all Irish accents during the Troubles (just in case), but they were by & large very understanding. Most Irish people in England & Britain were not involved in the Troubles anyway. Terry Wogans Irish accent was adored in Britain

Kylta

Hamsterchops wrote: »

I think you mean Britain/England ...

The UK has so many accents & regional dialects, not least those in Northern Ireland itself. People in England might have been s bit wary of all Irish accents during the Troubles (just in case), but they were by & large very understanding. Most Irish people in England & Britain were not involved in the Troubles anyway. Terry Wogans Irish accent was adored in Britain

I think most were understanding because they were most probably descendants from previous generation of irish that had spread through all of Britain. Althought throughout the generations has an entity she has caused so much hardship upon this nation ( I hope your thread doesn't end up being all about the troubles, and the brit atrocities carried outover the past generations). But many an irishman/woman went to Britain to earn a living and to this day still do. It doesn't really matter how troubled our histories are! I would imagine britian gets more irish visitors yearly than any other country

nthclare

When I lived in Edinburgh they used to ask was I a northerner or a southerner.

Even one morning I was walking into work and the police were checking people's identification because supposedly there was some guy smuggling in people from the Ukraine back in 1999 for cheap labour and ironically it was an Irishman who was the gaffer lol in a vegetable farm nearby and they were stopping everyone on the road walking in the same direction as the vegetable farm. I was going to my work in a garden centre.
But they were polite and respectful, first they told me why they stopped me.
I'd no problem giving my details as I've nothing to hide.

A thick Clare accent and the smell of booze from the night before and they asking me was I from the north or south of Ireland...

They didn't know the difference.

El_Duderino 09

PTH2009 wrote: »

Something I've always wondered In the UK during the height of the troubles would all Irish accents be looked down upon by some people or was it just those from the North

Probably a lot of people in the UK dont know much about the south of Ireland

The general punter wouldn't have a clue about accents in Ireland. But as Alan Partridge said to the Irish bloke who told him he's from the south , "ah but you made the bombs down there".

Why do you ask? OP?

hi5

I lived in England in the 90's. I'm from Carlow.
Most people I met couldn't differentiate between north and south of Ireland accents and didn't care either way.
I remember soon after I started work there and having a discussion with my English colleagues about Halloween, I mentioned that fireworks were illegal in Ireland without a licence. I was asked if that was because of the Troubles.

cml387

Whereas southern Irish accents were quite happily tolerated on the British media for years, Gerry Anderson (Derry) was hounded off the air after he had the temerity to present a programme on Radio Four. So there may have been some prejudice against northern voices.

Harry Palmr

Gerry Anderson had a voice and a style that divided opinion it's fair to say - like Pattie Coldwell before him (or maybe the same time).

banie01

My own experience of being in the UK a lot in the '90's.

Once you spoke, you were Irish and fair game for the "jocularity".

The cease-fire didn't help much, but the rise of Islamic terrorism and our not at least looking too different did as much for the Irish in the UK as the peace process has.

The simmering undercurrent of anti-irishness in parts of the UK was quick enough to resurface when Brexit and WA issues came to the fore.

Hamsterchops

Gloria Honeypot was a regular on British TV back in the day, as was her daughter Karen on Blue Peter, loved to bits by the British public, as was Fergal Sharkey & the Undertones, + Van the Man.

All Nordies with Nordie accents working in Britain.

Kylta

Its mad that in such a small country we have so many different accents.

Bobblehats

Kylta wrote: »

Its mad that in such a small country we have so many different accents.

A reflection of how at odds we are with ourselves. And how ripe we are for more..

Kylta

Bobblehats wrote: »

A reflection of how at odds we are with ourselves. And how ripe we are for more..

Well never one to let things slide, and to cause some good natured ( good nature I said) banter. The dublin accent is a beautifully natural accent. Then followed by the other Leinster accents.

JohnnyFlash

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Gloria Honeypot was a regular on British TV back in the day, as was her daughter Karen on Blue Peter, loved to bits by the British public, as was Fergal Sharkey & the Undertones, + Van the Man.

All Nordies with Nordie accents working in Britain.

A lot of the nordie accents are disgusting in fairness. Especially when coupled with their belligerent and aggressive tone, propensity for anger, and small minded pettiness.

Bobblehats

Kylta wrote: »

Well never one to let things slide, and to cause some good natured ( good nature I said) banter. The dublin accent is a beautifully natural accent. Then followed by the other Leinster accents.

Yeah they all sort of branch out from there :cool:

Westmeath girls are where it’s at

Lux23

I would imagine they wouldn't know the difference as I would even struggle to tell the difference between a rural Derry accent and a Donegal one.

Kylta

Bobblehats wrote: »

Yeah they all sort of branch out from there :cool:

Westmeath girls are where it’s at

I spent over ten years with a mullingar woman (they were happy times I must admit). When I started going out with her I found that (not her). That they spoke very fast, so I get them to slow down a bit so I could understand, or maybe they just got over excited in my presence.

KungPao

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Gloria Honeypot was a regular on British TV back in the day, as was her daughter Karen on Blue Peter, loved to bits by the British public, as was Fergal Sharkey & the Undertones, + Van the Man.

All Nordies with Nordie accents working in Britain.

Winne the Pooh’s favourite presenter I hear.

maccored

when i lived in london some irish people (well, Irish exiles living there for decades) used to think I was scottish. Always hated the term 'troubles'. It was a damn sight more than that

maccored

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

A lot of the nordie accents are disgusting in fairness. Especially when coupled with their belligerent and aggressive tone, propensity for anger, and small minded pettiness.

stop talking about southerners!!

Ipso

Lux23 wrote: »

I would imagine they wouldn't know the difference as I would even struggle to tell the difference between a rural Derry accent and a Donegal one.

That’s wild, sir.

Sunny Disposition

In the 70s they hadn't a clue about the partition of Ireland and the Troubles in the South of England, and very few of them held being Irish against you. People were a bit more touchy up north I thought, and there certainly were people who didn't appreciate us Paddys in Scotland.

Agricola

The average Brit wouldn't have a clue about regional Irish accents. But then would the average Irish person know the difference between an Inverness and an Edinburgh accent.

odyssey06

Agricola wrote: »

The average Brit wouldn't have a clue about regional Irish accents. But then would the average Irish person know the difference between an Inverness and an Edinburgh accent.

No... but from soaps \ footballers etc on TV Irish people might pick up on say strong Scouse, Geordie, Brummie accents.

mick087

I lived in London and Birmingham in the 90s. Ireland was Ireland very few asked what part i was from. I was always called the Irish in the local pub. They did seem to know accents was from various English regions.

kenmm

Kylta wrote: »

Lived in Birmingham in the early nineties and Irish was Irish. The only people could which part of the country you were from were fellow Irish. The Welsh and Scotch would seem to have some idea whether you were say a northerner or southerner. Actually now that I think of it some english folk who think I was scotch or welsh at times. (Maybe they just taking the piss )

They thought you were a whisky?

It's great - a thread about the ignorance of our neighbours, showing the ignorance about our neighbours!

JohnnyFlash

maccored wrote: »

stop talking about southerners!!

I’m not. I’m talking about the Nordie accent. The Tyrone one in particular sounds like someone is doing something illegal to a donkey from behind.

kenmm

.

Mad_maxx

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Gloria Honeypot was a regular on British TV back in the day, as was her daughter Karen on Blue Peter, loved to bits by the British public, as was Fergal Sharkey & the Undertones, + Van the Man.

All Nordies with Nordie accents working in Britain.

All unionists bar sharkey

Ipso

odyssey06 wrote: »

No... but from soaps \ footballers etc on TV Irish people might pick up on say strong Scouse, Geordie, Brummie accents.

mick087

kenmm wrote: »

They thought you were a whisky?

It's great - a thread about the ignorance of our neighbours, showing the ignorance about our neighbours!

I dont know if it was Ignorance, they just didnt care where i was from. I was a local in the pub and a guy from somersets name was Oo Are, a chap from London was called paddy becauuse his gran dad was from Ireland. In fact most had some sort of nick name.

mick087

mick087 wrote: »

I dont know if it was Ignorance, they just didnt care where i was from. I was a local in the pub and a guy from somersets name was Oo Are, a chap from London was called paddy becauuse his gran dad was from Ireland. In fact most had some sort of nick name.

I think it was on the military forum on here a while back.

A lad joined the British army and at first was really put out by constantly being called a paddy bastard. Then he realised his fellow new recruits were the jock bastard, the scouse bastard, the cockney bastard.......

cj maxx

Aegir wrote: »

I think it was on the military forum on here a while back.

A lad joined the British army and at first was really put out by constantly being called a paddy bastard. Then he realised his fellow new recruits were the jock bastard, the scouse bastard, the cockney bastard.......

There was an ex sqaddy used to drink in the Irish pub I worked in called Paddy. He was from Dublin. It was only after a while I found out it wasn't his name but what he was called in the army.

Ipso

The Royal Irish Fusileers must have been a confusing place.

mick087

Aegir wrote: »

I think it was on the military forum on here a while back.

A lad joined the British army and at first was really put out by constantly being called a paddy bastard. Then he realised his fellow new recruits were the jock bastard, the scouse bastard, the cockney bastard.......

Well yes there be much truth in this, at the time i would of been a regular and the nick names was defentley was a sign affection, there was no malice to anyone with these names. The brummies had nick names for each other as did guys from other countries cites.

Hamsterchops

Mad_maxx wrote: »

All unionists bar sharkey

What, Fergal Sharkey was the only non Unionist in the Undertones :eek:

Anyway, can English people really can't tell the difference between a Nordie Unionist accent & a Nordie Nationalist accent? I don't think they care.

callmehal

English people don't count anyone from Northern Ireland as British for the most part. That's why there was never much uproar over the number of murders committed by the British army up there. Imagine if that was happening anywhere else in the uk!

odyssey06

callmehal wrote: »

English people don't count anyone from Northern Ireland as British for the most part. That's why there was never much uproar over the number of murders committed by the British army up there. Imagine if that was happening anywhere else in the uk!

Wales could disappear into the sea and it would barely make a headline in London...
Much rejoicing as the English border now gets a sea view.

mick087

callmehal wrote: »

English people don't count anyone from Northern Ireland as British for the most part. That's why there was never much uproar over the number of murders committed by the British army up there. Imagine if that was happening anywhere else in the uk!

When i was living in the UK i think this was true, Most british people didnt know the diferernce between Ireland and Northern Ireland. I dont think this is true today most people would know the difference. I have friends come over every year and it the 90s they was afraid they would be blown up.

Granadino

callmehal wrote: »

English people don't count anyone from Northern Ireland as British for the most part. That's why there was never much uproar over the number of murders committed by the British army up there. Imagine if that was happening anywhere else in the uk!

Plenty of them think all of Ireland is still part of Britain. They did pre Brexit anyhow.

mick087

Granadino wrote: »

Plenty of them think all of Ireland is still part of Britain. They did pre Brexit anyhow.

I wouldnt go that far, i didnt find that when i was living there. But when i was in the early 90s and the friends i made would admit this, they had no idea Ireland was split.

John Doe1

PTH2009 wrote: »

Something I've always wondered In the UK during the height of the troubles would all Irish accents be looked down upon by some people or was it just those from the North

Probably a lot of people in the UK dont know much about the south of Ireland

Define southern accent?

Im from east donegal and my accent is indistuishable from someone from Derry/West Tyrone

Also northern ireland is in the UK and i dont think they would look down upon their own accent?

Had family living in the east end in the 80s and 90s and the IRA cause a lot of disruption in London at the time, they were on a nearby bus when one of the big bombs were off the were always conscious of staying quite if the was disruption as they did not want anyone to here there accent.

Ipso

John Doe1 wrote: »

Define southern accent?

Im from east donegal and my accent is indistuishable from someone from Derry/West Tyrone

Also northern ireland is in the UK and i dont think they would look down upon their own accent?

The through the gap accent is shocking.

kenmm

Granadino wrote: »

Plenty of them think all of Ireland is still part of Britain. They did pre Brexit anyhow.

I don't think so.. more they don't really care about Ireland in general.

The Irish care a lot more about the British for sure.

kravmaga

PTH2009 wrote: »

Something I've always wondered In the UK during the height of the troubles would all Irish accents be looked down upon by some people or was it just those from the North

Probably a lot of people in the UK dont know much about the south of Ireland

Southern Ireland is a region not a country, its real name is called The Republic of Ireland , ROI.

When I lived in the UK, I had to keep correcting English people who kept referring to , Oh your from Southern Ireland.

Would you be English by any chance?;)

kenmm

kravmaga wrote: »

Southern Ireland is a region not a country, its real name is called The Republic of Ireland , ROI.

When I lived in the UK, I had to keep correcting English people who kept referring to , Oh your from Southern Ireland.

Would you be English by any chance?;)

Don't you mean "Wouldn't you be Southern British by chance?" ?

Meself

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I’m not. I’m talking about the Nordie accent. The Tyrone one in particular sounds like someone is doing something illegal to a donkey from behind.

Clearly jaded by a Tyrone lass 🙄.

Feisar

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

A lot of the nordie accents are disgusting in fairness. Especially when coupled with their belligerent and aggressive tone, propensity for anger, and small minded pettiness.

I work with a load of Derry men, about as decent a bunch as you'll come across.