Comments on 'Fenian'

Mitch Connor

Not sure if this is the right place, but i'll give it a shot.

I am a moderator on another (football) site and recently a poster made comments derogatory to irish people regarding the national anthem and the 1916 rising. anyway, in the course of the arguments, he reffered to another post as a 'fenian'. While i have heard of the word an understand its original meaning, i also am aware it has taken on an insulting meaning. could anyone inform of its meaning now, whether its an insulting word to use and how insulting it is (if indeed it is)

I am not meaning to cause offence with this thread nor am i trying to start an argument, if you feel any comment you make might be deemed offencive could you please PM me rather then leaving it as i really would like some input on this as soon as possible.

seamus

Afaik, it was originally a derogatory term using by the British, as a taunt for Irish people. It comes from "Fianna", as in "Fionn McCool and the Fianna". Essentially it was the 19th Century equivalent of calling someone a traitor or a "rebel bastard", as it denoted someone who bore a grudge or malice against the British Crown, and wished to overthrow it.

Afaik, it's still used up the north, though I think the meaning/reason for using it has been warped and misunderstood in recent times. As an Irish Republic citizen, I'd find it about as offensive as being called a "Paddy", i.e. not very.

I'm wide open to correction.

dudara

The Fenians were the precursors of the old IRA, if I remember correctly.

Since then, it's a word used mainly in the North and England to describe someone with republican leanings. It's pretty much fallen out of usage here in the Republic.

BizzyC

Think dudara has it spot on there.
It's not really an offensive term, not in the south anyway, as a lot of people wouldn't know what it is.

Dyr

my mate has a dog called fenian, usually when its used by our northern brethren of the loyalist persuasion there is a silent suffix of "bastard" attached

RobertFoster

Check out Wikipedia for their definition too.

BizzyC

They left out the fenian ram....