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How accurate is AH as a reflection of Irish society?

HughWotMVIII

I lived in Dublin for three years when I was in college and I have been planning on coming back for a bit more schooling but now I am not so sure. I was super excited too because I had such a wonderful time before but now, with the rise of anti-immigration sentiment all over Europe, I wonder if I wouldn't be better off staying closer to home.

I am a little apprehensive for a number of reasons, one of which is the worry that the anti-immigrant/multiculturalism sentiment expressed in recent AH threads is an accurate reflection of Irish society at large. The one thread I am talking about had a poll where a statistically relevant number of people voted - 63% I think it was - against multiculturalism.

As a foreigner, it's a little disheartening to read some of the stuff said on here. I've been on boards and AH for a while - I closed my old account and re-regged - so I know not to take everything quite so seriously but even then, it's hard not to wonder if it is actually how people IRL feel but can only say under the guise of anonymity.

So tell me AH, how accurate would you say AH is as a reflection of Irish society?

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Barry Badrinath

HughWotMVIII wrote: »

AH, how accurate would you say AH is as a reflection of Irish society?

I'd be confident in saying that there is no comparison.

In my experience, in relation to racism or anti "fodiners", AH and boards in general has a higher percentage of mickyheads than the people I meet in real life.

I have seen more people being given out to for saying something racist than I have winessed racism. Ireland is a multicultural society and has been for some time.

Saying that, although AH can resemble a rancid toilet in an abandoned drug den, most of the bile that is spouted is for a reaction, rather than a legitimate view or feeling.

We can be a nation of complainers and bullsh1tters. We can easily complain about the weather, immigration policy, the biddy down the road and the fact that you hate your family all in one sentence. Most of the time its empty complaints for the sake of conversation with no weight to it.

I wouldn't make a life choice on the back of what I read on AH.

HughWotMVIII

Fleawuss wrote: »

H3llR4iser wrote: »

OP, the simple fact this very thread ended up with a discussion about Zanzibar, should tell you

Anyhow, I myself am a foreigner, Italian to be specific; Been living in Ireland for over 7 years now, 6 of which in Cork, now I'm in Dublin.

I can't say I have ever experienced any real issues, and for those familiar with Cork and its insular nature (to some Corkonians a guy from Limerick is already a foreigner ), it should tell a lot. Most of the times, I do get quite the opposite - people showing quite a bit of interest about my background, Italy and the likes.

It has to be said I already had a good level of English the day I set foot in Ireland and a fairly "global" vision - compared to most Italians, for example, I would get jokes in English and be aware of cultural references to American/British or generally English-speaking TV shows, novels, movies and such.

Dublin is effectively a cosmopolitan environment, if you don't make the mistake that many foreigners (especially Italian and Spanish) commit of locking themselves into communities, you'll be absolutely fine.

In the end, if the opinions expressed in AH were a mirror of society Ireland would effectively be the Fourth Reich in Celtic sauce, while in reality I've never felt like a foreigner here

Italians and Irish are first cousins.

While my experience of Ireland is similar to yours, I also know several people whose immigrant experiences have been less than savoury, all of them black. It's uncomfortable to admit but being a more "obvious" foreigner makes one a target from those who would target foreigners. That said, one of the things my UK born Bengali friend said when she came to visit me in Dublin a couple of years ago was that she didn't feel brown in Dublin and yet she felt brown in the UK where she had lived all of her life.

My memories of Ireland are almost all good; memories of kind, open and generally friendly people. I hope the poll is right. It would be a shame otherwise.

Green Fella

This website is a PC liberal echo chamber, and if you disagree you are banned by the Admins and moderators, they also only choose Mods/Admins now that are the same. Its why this website is dying and is so hated everywhere. The special snowflakes on here don't represent the population at large thankfully, although the brainwashing is doing good work for them in the Irish media, twitter and Marxist/Liberal education system.

ToddyDoody

Not very - the dail, for instance, is much more childish.

Speedwell

Fleawuss wrote: »

Italians and Irish are first cousins.

In my family they are because I (entitled to Italian citizenship by ancestry) married an Irish man.

H3llR4iser

Fleawuss wrote: »

Italians and Irish are first cousins.

I see where you are coming from, you have way more than a valid point, but the problem is that many people chose not to understand it.

Two Tone

Green Fella wrote: »

This website is a PC liberal echo chamber, and if you disagree you are banned by the Admins and moderators, they also only choose Mods/Admins now that are the same. Its why this website is dying and is so hated everywhere. The special snowflakes on here don't represent the population at large thankfully, although the brainwashing is doing good work for them in the Irish media, twitter and Marxist/Liberal education system.

If you disagree with PC liberal stuff you are banned? Ah come on now. Plenty of people express views at odds with PC liberal ones all the time and don't get banned. You're not banned for one - and for someone who dislikes the place so much you still have an account here and 20 posts a day, which is quite bizarre.

This reminds me of a post to the recent negative thread about travellers in Denmark, stating people are not allowed say negative things about travellers here... amidst numerous negative posts about travellers.