People who still think Ireland is part of the UK

whisky_galore

joe40 wrote: »

The Northern Ireland troubles was world wide news at the time.

There are grown adults now who weren't around or were in nappies at that time.

joe40

Amirani wrote: »

The thing is, we don't really. Possibly for finance because we're a bit of a tax haven, but same applies to the Caymans, Luxembourg, Malta, Switzerland etc. Switzerland probably "punches above it's weight" far more in finance terms given they're HQ to 2 globally systemically important banks - UBS and Credit Suisse and have a massive financial and banking sector.

Sport and commerce we just don't - we haven't done anything particularly special in either. But it's not just us, lots of small countries tell themselves that they "punch above their weight". Even the UK does be at it...

I don't think we punch above our weight as a country in those areas, (probably the opposite) but I think as a country we are "better known" for want of a better term, than similar sized countries even if it is only by the stereotypes.

American culture has worldwide spread and Irish American heritage is fairly important and well known part of American heritage.

Also the Northern Ireland conflict was the only long term conflict of its type in western Europe for a long time. We were in the world news, for all the wrong reasons obviously, but still in the public mind.

Supercell

Works to our advantage for those looking to explore the world through TEFL. Just put down you are from Ireland in the UK, never gets questioned and will put you ahead of others. Pro's and cons!

Mad_maxx

air assault wrote: »

Before anyone says part of Ireland is still part of the UK, I'm aware of that.

I remember watching a video on YouTube where there's an Irish guy from the IDA or some organization like that discussing trade on an American tv show. One of the panelists was totally confused why Ireland used the Euro and Scotland uses the pound. He seemed to be oblivious that we are an independent country.

It seems to crop up now and again. It really annoys me and shows people ignorance. What's everyone's thoughts.....

Here's the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpasQJJF-h0

Joe Kernan is the guy in the bar - opinionated loudmouth member of the morning trio on CNBC

the anti intellectual republican foil to jewish liberal Andrew Ross Sorkin , becky quick being the centrist voice of reason , like most american shows of this kind , much of it is an act

Mad_maxx

Deleted User wrote: »

We are an incredibly small country. If you asked people even what continent Papua New Guinea is in, let alone the currency, most people would get it wrong even though they have about twice the population.

talk about a bogus comparison , we are giant in terms of ancestral groups in america , you could have at least used somewhere like Denmark as a comparison

VinLieger

Amirani wrote: »

The thing is, we don't really. Possibly for finance because we're a bit of a tax haven, but same applies to the Caymans, Luxembourg, Malta, Switzerland etc. Switzerland probably "punches above it's weight" far more in finance terms given they're HQ to 2 globally systemically important banks - UBS and Credit Suisse and have a massive financial and banking sector.

Sport and commerce we just don't - we haven't done anything particularly special in either. But it's not just us, lots of small countries tell themselves that they "punch above their weight". Even the UK does be at it...

On a global level we do massively punch above our weight politically though

Theres a really good economist article from last year thats unfortunately pay walled but even the first 2 paragraphs give a an impression about how much soft power we wield which is far more than we should for a country of our size

https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/07/18/how-ireland-gets-its-way

Mad_maxx

VinLieger wrote: »

On a global level we do massively punch above our weight politically though

Theres a really good economist article from last year thats unfortunately pay walled but even the first 2 paragraphs give a an impression about how much soft power we wield which is far more than we should for a country of our size

https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/07/18/how-ireland-gets-its-way

for our size and population , only one nation has more influence in america and thats israel

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] wrote: »

They are just terminologies? What? So it's perfectly understandable to you if most Irish people incorrectly think the Isle of Man is in the UK, but not if most American people incorrectly think Ireland is in the UK?

We are arguing straw men here. You’ve decided that Irish people think Northern Ireland is in Britain, not the U.K. source.

I have also lived in the US. Most of my Americans friends do indeed know the distinction between Ireland the UK. However, that is obviously a very biased sample. I worked in America as a teacher, and many of my fellow teachers did not know the difference let alone the students.

It does not become a "fact" just because the people you personally knew in America are aware of the distinction.

I didn’t say it was a fact that everybody knows. I keep saying “educated” people. Like the plonker in the op should have been. Educated that is.

Do I expect people in the ghetto to know? No.

By the way people who think Ireland is part of the U.K. both know where Ireland is and the U.K. is, so it’s not the same as not knowing anything about the island. It’s not “do you know where this island in Malaysia is”.

As for Europe the educated classes should know about Brexit and the problems with the Northern Ireland protocol.

If only the British knew before the referendum.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

We are arguing straw men here. You’ve decided that Irish people think Northern Ireland is in Britain, not the U.K. source. .

If you asked the average Irish person where the Isle of Man, that large island off our coast, is located, most would say it's in the UK or Great Britain, both of which are wrong. So why should we get a free pass for that but America shouldn't for Ireland?

Deleted User wrote: »

I didn’t say it was a fact that everybody knows. I keep saying “educated” people. Like the plonker in the op should have been. Educated that is.

Do I expect people in the ghetto to know? No.

So what do you mean by educated? Do you think the majority of educated people in Ireland know that the Isle of Man is not in the UK?

Mad_maxx

Mad_maxx wrote: »

talk about a bogus comparison , we are giant in terms of ancestral groups in america , you could have at least used somewhere like Denmark as a comparison

Not a bogus comparison. The title and OP's post is general and not just about America. He talks about people's ignorance not just the ignorance of Americans, and my response was to that point which is why I bolded it in my first reply.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

It's annoying when Brits are so ignorant of this, but it's really to be expected further afield. How much do Irish people know about small countries that they don't often deal with?

I blame the Scots and Welsh for much of this misconception. They expect to be treated as real countries despite not being independent. People assume Irish people are similar.

dxhound2005

Mad_maxx wrote: »

talk about a bogus comparison , we are giant in terms of ancestral groups in america , you could have at least used somewhere like Denmark as a comparison

Denmark is a lot bigger than us when you include Greenland. Not a lot of people know that Mexico is in North America. Or maybe they do.

Mad_maxx

Deleted User wrote: »

Not a bogus comparison. The title and OP's post is general and not just about America. He talks about people's ignorance not just the ignorance of Americans, and my response was to that point which is why I bolded it in my first reply.

if you think comparing ireland to papua new guinea in terms of the global influence of the diaspora is valid , there isnt much more i can say

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

How relevant are the disapora really? The guy in the video OP linked claims to be Irish-American.

dxhound2005

Mad_maxx wrote: »

if you think comparing ireland to papua new guinea in terms of the global influence of the diaspora is valid , there isnt much more i can say

But it does bear comparison politically. With half of the territory (which is the second largest island in the word) being part of Indonesia.

Mad_maxx

Mad_maxx wrote: »

if you think comparing ireland to papua new guinea in terms of the global influence of the diaspora is valid , there isnt much more i can say

Papua New Guinea is about twice as populated and about seven times as large. It's much easier for the layman to notice on a map that it is its own country than Ireland. The global influence of Ireland doesn't tell you that it's currently its own country, just that it exists and has been historically significant.

Mad_maxx

Deleted User wrote: »

Papua New Guinea is about twice as populated and about seven times as large. It's much easier for the layman to notice on a map that it is its own country than Ireland. The global influence of Ireland doesn't tell you that it's currently its own country, just that it exists and has been historically significant.

Papua New Guinea is better known abroad than Ireland is


got it :rolleyes:

Mad_maxx

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Papua New Guinea is better known abroad than Ireland is


got it :rolleyes:

That's not what I said at all, but you can believe that if it makes you feel better.

Strumms

there was this muppet I used to work with, he was American, based over in Wyoming ... but on the monthly conference call he would often refer to Ireland and Dublin as being in the UK... “ Strumms, can you and the rest of the UK guys send....”. There were about 120 people globally on this call but one day I felt he ought to be given what his mother and father and school system failed to deliver, an education.....“ Eddie, sorry to have to jump in with a geography lesson here for you but Ireland is NOT part of the UK...and hasn’t been since I think 1922 so...”.

He wasn’t pleased... a guy with a brilliant technical brain but all the social ability and common sense of a constipated gibbon.

easygoing39

My mates has lived in France since 1991.He tell's me that 99% of french people don't know that the Rep of Ireland exists,they think England rule us,in fact some don't see any difference between us and the brits,to them we're all English.And there's no mention on French tv/media about how Brexit has caused any problems/tensions to us here in Ireland with borders etc.Ireland as a country just isn't on their radar.

Mad_maxx

Deleted User wrote: »

That's not what I said at all, but you can believe that if it makes you feel better.

you argued against my point about ireland being massively influential abroad relative to its size and used Papua New Guinnea as a comparison

dxhound2005

New Britain and New Ireland are part of PNG. Big connection there.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

How relevant are the disapora really? The guy in the video OP linked claims to be Irish-American.

Not really that much anymore.

Some guy mentioned the troubles earlier and said Ireland was well known then - I think the second part of this is true. The first part may be why some people think that Ireland as a whole is part of the U.K.

Not knowing where Ireland is is one thing. Knowing where it is, that it is beside the U.K., that it is in the British isles but not knowing it is independent is another. Just a small bit of extra knowledge. I understand that Northern Ireland complicated things a bit.

Debunking The comparison of a sovereign nation to Isle of Man I’ll leave as an exercise for the reader.

Mad_maxx

Mad_maxx wrote: »

you argued against my point about ireland being massively influential abroad relative to its size and used Papua New Guinnea as a comparison

I argued that it was irrelevant, and you instead incorrectly said that I had implied that Ireland's global influence is less than Papua new Guinea's, which I never did.

England has been more massively influential abroad than Ireland. If you asked the average person is England a country or is the UK a country, do you think there will be a significant number who get it wrong? And do you think that number is significantly higher or lower than the number who think that the Republic of Ireland is its own country? And of those who got it right, do you think the majority would say their answer confidently or with some degree of doubt?

Strumms

easygoing39 wrote: »

My mates has lived in France since 1991.He tell's me that 99% of french people don't know that the Rep of Ireland exists,they think England rule us,in fact some don't see any difference between us and the brits,to them we're all English.And there's no mention on French tv/media about how Brexit has caused any problems/tensions to us here in Ireland with borders etc.Ireland as a country just isn't on their radar.

He’s having you on...I’ve lived in France, all be it living and working with educated people and they all would have been aware that just like France, Ireland was a Republic..

easygoing39

Strumms wrote: »

He’s having you on...I’ve lived in France, all be it living and working with educated people and they all would have been aware that just like France, Ireland was a Republic..

My mate live's in Crest,having been to the place I believe him!!

meeeeh

Deleted User wrote: »

Not really that much anymore.

Some guy mentioned the troubles earlier and said Ireland was well known then - I think the second part of this is true. The first part may be why some people think that Ireland as a whole is part of the U.K.

Not knowing where Ireland is is one thing. Knowing where it is, that it is beside the U.K., that it is in the British isles but not knowing it is independent is another. Just a small bit of extra knowledge. I understand that Northern Ireland complicated things a bit.

Debunking The comparison of a sovereign nation to Isle of Man I’ll leave as an exercise for the reader.

If I tell people in Ireland where I'm from very often they either think it's some part of old USSR or confuse it with Slovakia (because Slovenia is just the same). So Irish have an advantage, people at least know Ireland exists.

Those of us from small countries overestimate how much world knows about us. You can either get insulted by it or you can have some fun with it but whatever you do you won't change things one bit.

Btw decades ago I was talking to someone who was studying at some American University. One of the students American asked the lecturer if Europe is part of Italy. Unless things dramatically improved in last 20 years there must be someone who thinks Ireland is part of Italy. it might be preferable to being part of UK.

cgcsb

English and Anglo-Americans say these things as a wind-up because the older generation of Irish are still sensitive/insecure. This is perfectly understandable given that they are only one generation away from British occupation. Also even younger generations can recall the pre Good Friday Agreement Northern Ireland which was both a military occupation and a savage, primitive and brutal anti-Irish regime.

It's anti-Irish sentiment essentially, wrapped up in 1970s life-of-brian style brit 'humour'.

Sky News is notorious for it often claiming that Dublin is not only the UK but literally in England and that Irish athletes/celebs are not only British but 'English'. It gets them a few clicks and a giggle for early school leavers who follow them.

Rest of the world is different. In China I was just a 'Westerner' or a 'European' if they were being specific (differentiate us from North Americans, Canada doesn't exist). In the rest of Europe Ireland is just Ireland, some people may not understand fully the 'Northern Ireland' situation but our independence is well known to all who can read write.

cgcsb

easygoing39 wrote: »

My mates has lived in France since 1991.He tell's me that 99% of french people don't know that the Rep of Ireland exists,they think England rule us,in fact some don't see any difference between us and the brits,to them we're all English.And there's no mention on French tv/media about how Brexit has caused any problems/tensions to us here in Ireland with borders etc.Ireland as a country just isn't on their radar.

That's stereotypical French willful ignorance. Hardly surprising, althoguh I doubt the 99% figure. The same people probably still call Brits, and even American's 'Anglo saxons'.

jmlad2020

Even a large portion of english people believe this as they aren't taught Irish history or the role their country played in the Genocidal conquer of half the planet.

They are only taught "we defeated the Germans - aren't we great?"

I've even come across Germans who believe Ireland is in the U.K.

Poor education