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How do you define someone who is Irish? (multiple choice poll)

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Comments

  • #302
    Junkyard Tom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,115 ✭✭✭✭Junkyard Tom


    me_right_one wrote: »
    Whats the big deal if someone is half French and half Irish?

    It might be a big deal to the person you've arbitrarily described as half something.

    If a person said 'I'm Irish' and someone knew they had a parent who wasn't Irish and said 'no, you're half Irish' I'd consider that person a thundering asshole who doesn't know when to shut up.


  • #303
    NoFreeGaffs
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 198 ✭✭NoFreeGaffs


    Junkyard Tom wrote: »
    It might be a big deal to the person you've arbitrarily described as half something.

    If a person said 'I'm Irish' and someone knew they had a parent who wasn't Irish and said 'no, you're half Irish' I'd consider that person a thundering asshole who doesn't know when to shut up.

    If someone born and raised in France to a French parent claimed to be as Irish as a native then they'd be the thundering asshole.


  • #304
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    me_right_one wrote: »
    Why are people so scared about all this? Whats the big deal if someone is half French and half Irish? Its only a description, its not a measure of "purity" as someone put it. Ironically, it seems to be those who are defending the O'Halpíns who are being the most racist here.

    And they can't even see it ........


  • #305
    A Little Pony
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,875 ✭✭✭A Little Pony


    Junkyard Tom wrote: »
    A Little Pony wrote: »
    White and Catholic.

    So Wolfe Tone isn't Irish because he was a Protestant?

    Get up the garden with your sectarian bullshit.
    Yes. Wolfe Tone just fought for the wrong side, he should have joined his brethren in Ulster.


  • #306
    A Little Pony
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,875 ✭✭✭A Little Pony


    IvyTheTerrible wrote: »
    My kids were born in France but are Irish citizens too. I don't consider them half anything. They are French, and they are Irish. Simple as that.
    I am more Irish than them and I'm a Loyalist!


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  • #307
    Junkyard Tom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,115 ✭✭✭✭Junkyard Tom


    A Little Pony wrote: »
    Wolfe Tone just fought for the wrong side, he should have joined his brethren in Ulster.

    Must be weird to view the world through sectarian eyes like you.


  • #308
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 1,690 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    A Little Pony wrote: »
    Yes. Wolfe Tone just fought for the wrong side, he should have joined his brethren in Ulster.

    That's a pretty horrible thing to say, in fairness.


  • #309
    Avatar MIA
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,748 ✭✭✭Avatar MIA


    Deleted User wrote: »
    That's a pretty horrible thing to say, in fairness.

    What would you expect from a pig, but a grunt?


  • #310
    IvyTheTerrible
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭IvyTheTerrible


    A Little Pony wrote: »
    I am more Irish than them and I'm a Loyalist!
    You don't know anything about how I'm bringing them up, what cultural heritage they have or anything. There's no more or less about it.


  • #311
    Rubberlegs
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,073 ✭✭✭Rubberlegs


    The same as some others here , I was born in London to one English, one Irish parent. We moved here when I was 8. I have an Irish passport, 3 kids born and reared here. I have much more of an affinity with Ireland, I feel Irish even though half of my family are English. No disrespect to England but any time I have gone back I don't feel any sense of belonging there at all. I do get confused though when required to fill in my nationality on a form, never quite sure what to put so usually just put Irish.


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  • #312
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 6,691 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    73Cat wrote: »
    The same as some others here , I was born in London to one English, one Irish parent. We moved here when I was 8. I have an Irish passport, 3 kids born and reared here. I have much more of an affinity with Ireland, I feel Irish even though half of my family are English. No disrespect to England but any time I have gone back I don't feel any sense of belonging there at all. I do get confused though when required to fill in my nationality on a form, never quite sure what to put so usually just put Irish.

    My background is pretty much the same as yours and I wouldn't think twice about putting Irish down as my nationality!


  • #313
    SharpshooterTom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,017 ✭✭✭SharpshooterTom


    73Cat wrote: »
    The same as some others here , I was born in London to one English, one Irish parent. We moved here when I was 8. I have an Irish passport, 3 kids born and reared here. I have much more of an affinity with Ireland, I feel Irish even though half of my family are English. No disrespect to England but any time I have gone back I don't feel any sense of belonging there at all. I do get confused though when required to fill in my nationality on a form, never quite sure what to put so usually just put Irish.
    Lia_lia wrote: »
    My background is pretty much the same as yours and I wouldn't think twice about putting Irish down as my nationality!

    Do the pair of you have Irish accents? As that there in lies the difference between you and me if that's the case. No one is going to know your born in England unless you told them, your regional identity will be seen Irish in any case if you have the accent, unlike me who is perpetually asked if I am still on holiday here!


  • #314
    Rubberlegs
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,073 ✭✭✭Rubberlegs


    ThomasFlynn wrote: »
    Do the pair of you have Irish accents? As that there in lies the difference between you and me if that's the case. No one is going to know your born in England unless you told them, your regional identity will be seen Irish in any case if you have the accent, unlike me who is perpetually asked if I am still on holiday here!

    I'd have an Irish accent, though probably not as strong as the local accent. When some people have learned I originally lived in England, they have said they thought they heard a bit of an English twang:).


  • #315
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 6,691 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    73Cat wrote: »
    I'd have an Irish accent, though probably not as strong as the local accent. When some people have learned I originally lived in England, they have said they thought they heard a bit of an English twang:).

    Yes, this. Same with me. I get told I don't have a Kerry accent because people can actually understand what I'm saying. It's clearly an Irish accent though. I had an English accent when I moved here but that luckily went away..:pac:


  • #316
    The flying mouse
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,915 ✭✭✭The flying mouse


    Question

    What about the folks who were born here but left Ireland in there 20,s, Who are now in there 50, So have been actually been more away from Ireland than there, Are they still Irish or do they loose it ?


  • #317
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    The flying mouse wrote: »
    Question

    What about the folks who were born here but left Ireland in there 20,s, Who are now in there 50, So have been actually been more away from Ireland than there, Are they still Irish or do they loose it ?

    They're Irish in my opinion, as they were born and raised here ......... that's assuming they're parents are Irish of course.


  • #318
    rainbow kirby
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,928 ✭✭✭✭rainbow kirby


    My son was born in London to 2 Irish parents. He's Irish, no ifs or buts about it. He just happens to have been born elsewhere.


  • #319
    LordSutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,069 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    MadDog76 wrote: »
    They're Irish in my opinion, as they were born and raised here ......... that's assuming they're parents are Irish of course.

    That also seems to apply to 2nd, 3rd, and sometimes even 4th generation Irish Americans who still call themselves Irish, even though they have never set foot in Ireland.

    But are they really Irish?

    Then what about children born raised in Ireland to Polish parents? are they Irish children or are they really Polish (seeing as both parents are Polish).


  • #320
    Hannibal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,819 ✭✭✭Hannibal


    rainbow kirby wrote: »
    My son was born in London to 2 Irish parents. He's Irish, no ifs or buts about it. He just happens to have been born elsewhere.
    it's a similar situation to eastern Europeans that live near me, their kids were born here but I'd regard their kids as Poles/Latvians etc. I think it's the culture that they are brought up in, the eastern Europeans I know are basically just living here rather than immersing themselves into Irish society.

    It's similar to friends of mine living in Australia/Canada, the impression I get is that although they're gone ten years and have no intention of coming back, they still regard Ireland as home.

    I read Sean MacStiofain's book and his mother told him from an early age that I'm Irish therefore you're Irish.


  • #321
    A Little Pony
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,875 ✭✭✭A Little Pony


    LordSutch wrote: »
    MadDog76 wrote: »
    They're Irish in my opinion, as they were born and raised here ......... that's assuming they're parents are Irish of course.

    That also seems to apply to 2nd, 3rd, and sometimes even 4th generation Irish Americans who still call themselves Irish, even though they have never set foot in Ireland.

    But are they really Irish?

    Then what about children born raised in Ireland to Polish parents? are they Irish children or are they really Polish (seeing as both parents are Polish).
    We all know who the real Irish people are.


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  • #322
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    LordSutch wrote: »
    That also seems to apply to 2nd, 3rd, and sometimes even 4th generation Irish Americans who still call themselves Irish, even though they have never set foot in Ireland.

    But are they really Irish?

    Then what about children born raised in Ireland to Polish parents? are they Irish children or are they really Polish (seeing as both parents are Polish).

    Irish Americans are Americans with Irish roots ........... but the US is unique in that nobody (most anyway) in America is actually from America historically so, being still a "new" country, they cling on to their roots for some form of cultural identity, ie. they're "Irish, Italian, Polish" or whatever but have very little in common with Irish, Italian or Polish people.

    Children born to Polish parents here in Ireland are still Polish in their own Parents opinion (usually) and I'd tend to agree with them .......... although when those children become adults (assuming they grow up here) they'll certainly "feel" more Irish than Polish.


  • #323
    SharpshooterTom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,017 ✭✭✭SharpshooterTom


    rainbow kirby wrote: »
    My son was born in London to 2 Irish parents. He's Irish, no ifs or buts about it. He just happens to have been born elsewhere.

    If he grows up and spends his childhood there and develops an English accent, it would be difficult for him to be accepted back in Ireland as being Irish. Not that I agree with that necessarily but that's how my own personal experiences are being in that situation. If he comes back at an age early enough so his accent can change then that's a different story obviously.


  • #324
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    ThomasFlynn wrote: »
    If he grows up and spends his childhood there and develops an English accent, it would be difficult for him to be accepted back in Ireland as being Irish. Not that I agree with that necessarily but that's how my own personal experiences are being in that situation. If he comes back at an age early enough so his accent can change then that's a different story obviously.

    I have an Uncle who emigrated to England, with his Irish wife, decades ago and had his children over there ............ we still refer to them as the "English cousins" when they visit because there's not an ounce of Irishness in them regarding sense of humour, points of view etc. .......... they're as English as pork scratchings!!
    My Uncle is as Irish as ever though .........


  • #325
    LordSutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,069 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    MadDog76 wrote: »
    Children born to Polish parents here in Ireland are still Polish in their own Parents opinion (usually) and I'd tend to agree with them .......... although when those children become adults (assuming they grow up here) they'll certainly "feel" more Irish than Polish.

    But then how does that play out with the "Irish" kids in post No 318?


  • #326
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    LordSutch wrote: »
    But then how does that play out with the "Irish" kids in post No 318?

    Proves my point, his/her son was born (and being raised?) in England but he/she still sees him as Irish ......... even though, as an adult, he'll "feel" English.


  • #327
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 1,690 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    MadDog76 wrote: »
    Proves my point, his/her son was born (and being raised?) in England but he/she still sees him as Irish ......... even though, as an adult, he'll "feel" English.

    He might. He might not. (He probably wont, but it's by no means certain.)

    It depends on which culture was predominant in his home and social circle.


  • #328
    MadDog76
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭MadDog76


    Deleted User wrote: »
    He might. He might not. (He probably wont, but it's by no means certain.)

    It depends on which culture was predominant in his home and social circle.

    He might not ........ maybe ......... but he probably will.


  • #329
    Irish Guitarist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,736 ✭✭✭Irish Guitarist


    My surname doesn't sound remotely Irish. Neither did my mothers maiden name. All four of my grandparents were born here but I'm sure if you went back a few generations before that there would be some immigrants.

    Worrying about that kind of thing seems more like something an American would do. I remember reading a forum thread (not Boards but some American site) in which someone who seemed to have never left America thought he was Irish but that most people who actually live in Ireland aren't Irish because they don't have red hair and freckles or some such nonsense.

    Two of my sisters and their (Irish) husbands briefly lived in London and had children when they were there but moved back home. Both those children are in their late twenties now and I doubt they would remember a single thing about living in England as neither of them were even a year old when my sisters came home.


  • #330
    Junkyard Tom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,115 ✭✭✭✭Junkyard Tom


    MadDog76 wrote: »
    Proves my point

    You haven't made one cogent point in the entire thread. A load of waffling about the purity of Irishness and people being half this and that.


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  • #331
    HellSquirrel
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,078 ✭✭✭HellSquirrel


    A Little Pony wrote: »
    We all know who the real Irish people are.

    Well, you seem to have a rather different idea to nearly everyone else, so ..I wouldn't rely on it.


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