Brits claim Donegal, Southern Irish told to lump it

riffmongous · 29-11-2017 10:46am #1

https://twitter.com/channel4news/status/935599685611515904

This video is doing the rounds at the moment, aside from the hilarious 53rd Parallel border it's hard to know what to make of it. Is it a shocking indictment of the British school system, or the ignorance of the youth of today? And before you say it, it's their national border too, comparisons to the England/Wales or England/Scotland borders that I've read elsewhere are bull****. Now I'd have my doubts about how many Irish people could correctly draw the interior of the border but at least everyone would know Donegal.

The old bag at the end of the video is also a good example of the ignorance and hostility from the older generations that's been rearing it's ugly head more and more the last weeks

seamus · 29-11-2017 10:56am

I'm not sure it's indicative of anything specific about the UK, but more about the nature of memory. If information is not continuously reinforced, it gets lost from memory.

At one time in primary school I could recall the names and locations of all of the major mountain ranges and rivers in Ireland. Not any more. Maybe 3/4 rivers, maybe 1 or 2 mountain ranges.

Ask me to point out Leitrim, Carlow or Roscommon on a map and I'll probably get it wrong. Ask me to locate any of the islands and I'll definitely get it wrong.

Likewise, ask someone on mainland UK to draw the border of Northern Ireland, and they'll get it wrong. All it's indicative of is the fact that Northern Ireland has very little relevance to the lives of most of the UK, so they recall very little about it.

The Backwards Man · 29-11-2017 10:58am

The Brits might try claiming on us on a map, but at least they don't claim our threads

Insect Overlord · 29-11-2017 10:59am

I remember seeing a similar video a few years back about Americans who couldn't pick out Iraq on a map. They were all convinced to bomb Australia instead. :pac:

The thing is that the video probably only includes the most hilarious/shocking/ridiculous responses. It's all about generating attention. I wouldn't take it too seriously.

Gatling · 29-11-2017 10:59am

But do we honestly need Donegal

donegaLroad · 29-11-2017 11:00am

The Irish border issue means little or nothing to the British public, with regard to Brexit and all that goes with it. How they will be affected financially is their main concern.

Manach · 29-11-2017 11:02am

Gatling wrote: »

But do we honestly need Donegal

Wee Daniel O'Donnel is a national treasure.

corner of hells · 29-11-2017 11:03am

Gatling wrote: »

But do we honestly need Donegal

Cavan and Leitrim too.

OldMrBrennan83 · 29-11-2017 11:04am

This post has been deleted.

riffmongous · 29-11-2017 11:05am

Gatling wrote: »

But do we honestly need Donegal

And with that video, a mighty cheer went up from the people of Southern Ireland, for they had banished that awful Donegal forever.. because it was haunted. Now let's all celebrate with a cool refreshing glass of potatoe juice

gordongekko · 29-11-2017 11:05am

We should throw in leitrim as well

donegaLroad · 29-11-2017 11:07am

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

but you cant do that when houses in Castleblaney are commuting distance to Dublin

Varik · 29-11-2017 11:08am

Stupid to compare knowing this to Americans knowing where Iraq is, it the UK own border.

Manach wrote: »

Gatling wrote: »

But do we honestly need Donegal

Wee Daniel O'Donnel is a national treasure.

Doesn't he live in Wicklow.

c_man · 29-11-2017 11:08am

I live in England. Never mind the border, the confusion over the actual status of things is shocking.

Workmate is planning a mini-break to Belfast with his missus, was telling me how he was dreading the Euro exchange rate... After the Brexit ref, I was asked how Galway voted. A big Labour head kinda-friend was giving out loads the other night about how Leo V was wasting tax payers money by not forming a government with the DUP. And how he should take his seat in Westminster. So much wrong there.

I know, I know, every country has such people. But if you take 10 Irish and 10 Brits, we'll know far, far more about them than the other way round.

wally79 · 29-11-2017 11:08am

The British media do use Northern Ireland and Ulster interchangeably so who can blame them for not knowing

whisky_galore · 29-11-2017 11:08am

They're the general public ffs, not Geography teachers.

riffmongous · 29-11-2017 11:11am

whisky_galore wrote: »

They're the general public ffs, not Geography teachers.

Yeah, what business does the common person have knowing their national border

donegaLroad · 29-11-2017 11:11am

c_man wrote: »

I live in England. Never mind the border, the confusion over the actual status of things is shocking.

Workmate is planning a mini-break to Belfast with his missus, was telling me how he was dreading the Euro exchange rate... After the Brexit ref, I was asked how Galway voted. A big Labour head kinda-friend was giving out loads the other night about how Leo V was wasting tax payers money by not forming a government with the DUP. And how he should take his seat in Westminster. So much wrong there.

I know, I know, every country has such people. But if you take 10 Irish and 10 Brits, we'll know far, far more about them than the other way round.

Some of the Polish people who live here have a much better knowledge of Ireland and Northern Ireland, than a large amount of British people.

riffmongous · 29-11-2017 11:12am

seamus wrote: »

I'm not sure it's indicative of anything specific about the UK, but more about the nature of memory. If information is not continuously reinforced, it gets lost from memory.

At one time in primary school I could recall the names and locations of all of the major mountain ranges and rivers in Ireland. Not any more. Maybe 3/4 rivers, maybe 1 or 2 mountain ranges.

Ask me to point out Leitrim, Carlow or Roscommon on a map and I'll probably get it wrong. Ask me to locate any of the islands and I'll definitely get it wrong.

Likewise, ask someone on mainland UK to draw the border of Northern Ireland, and they'll get it wrong. All it's indicative of is the fact that Northern Ireland has very little relevance to the lives of most of the UK, so they recall very little about it.

But these were young people Seamus, it was the older man who got it correct

riffmongous · 29-11-2017 11:16am

OSI wrote: »

I think it's likely only shocking to the Irish public who don't want to recognise how little significance Ireland plays in the overall history and politics of the UK for them to bother going into great depths on it in their education system.

It's their national border too, don't try turn this back on us

Insect Overlord · 29-11-2017 11:17am

Varik wrote: »

Stupid to compare knowing this to Americans knowing where Iraq is, it the UK own border.

I was actually comparing the cynical style of click-bait video-making. Do keep up.

Canis Lupus · 29-11-2017 11:18am

riffmongous wrote: »

But these were young people Seamus, it was the older man who got it correct

I know a fella, genuinely intelligent normal everyday bloke and wouldn't be able to point out a country on a map. Asked him where Germany was no clue, Russia... China etc. His rationale was why do I need to know, if I want to go there I get on a plane. He never did geography in school and didn't really care.

denismc · 29-11-2017 11:18am

I go up North regularly and when I get back people check to see if I still have both kneecaps.
A lot of people in the South are pretty clueless about Northern Ireland, they think everyone is running around waving flags and throwing petrol bombs which to be fair is only some of the time.:D

Father Hernandez · 29-11-2017 11:20am

Too early to start singing rebel songs?

The Backwards Man · 29-11-2017 11:20am

riffmongous wrote: »

But these were young people Seamus, it was the older man who got it correct

He made a better attempt than most of them, but as a famous Ulsterman once said, 'it's good, but it's not right.'

You'll all be crying next year if the Star Wars tourists' and the golfers' money goes to the Queen

whisky_galore · 29-11-2017 11:21am

denismc wrote: »

I go up North regularly and when I get back people check to see if I still have both kneecaps.
A lot of people in the South are pretty clueless about Northern Ireland, they think everyone is running around waving flags and throwing petrol bombs which to be fair is only some of the time.:D

^^There's a fair few down here afraid of their shyte to venture north of the border yet.

seamus · 29-11-2017 11:21am

riffmongous wrote: »

But these were young people Seamus, it was the older man who got it correct

I would have been the same at 18. Not a clue where anything was.

Older people may have better recall because it's of more relevance - the troubles in the North meaning that the issue was probably in the news on a regular basis; maps printed in papers to show where a bomb went off, etc etc.

However, there's been nothing major to report in Northern Ireland for the guts of 20 years. Certainly nothing that could be considered of major importance to someone in London. Omagh was probably the last major event in NI.

So conceivably anyone under 30 living in the UK can probably count on both hands the number of times anyone spoke about NI since leaving school.

So you forget the details.

The Backwards Man · 29-11-2017 11:24am

It just seems like pure laziness to me, the not caring or wanting to find out where places here, you hear of somewhere on the news or Whicker's World or wherever and you want to find out where it is and a bit more about it.

Each to their own I suppose.

Sonics2k · 29-11-2017 11:25am

riffmongous wrote: »

Yeah, what business does the common person have knowing their national border

I'm fairly sure if you asked a lot of Irish people to draw the boarders between England, Scotland and Wales they'd fail miserably.

riffmongous · 29-11-2017 11:25am

OSI wrote: »

If I asked you to draw a geographically correct image of the aran islands, do you reckon you'd be able to do it without reference? I doubt it.

Are you trying to equate the Aran Islands with an international border??

riffmongous · 29-11-2017 11:26am

Sonics2k wrote: »

I'm fairly sure if you asked a lot of Irish people to draw the boarders between England, Scotland and Wales they'd fail miserably.

Covered that in the OP

ChippingSodbury · 29-11-2017 11:26am

The Backwards Man wrote: »

You'll all be crying next year if the Star Wars tourists' and the golfers' money goes to the Queen

It makes me happy to see apostrophes used correctly!

The Backwards Man · 29-11-2017 11:27am

ChippingSodbury wrote: »

It makes me happy to see apostrophes used correctly!

We speak the Queen's English in these parts.

Mint Sauce · 29-11-2017 11:28am

I did my schooling in England, and I dont recall the border with NI and The RoI being covered, that and the often references of Northern and Southern Ireland. could you blame some for getting it so wrong.

As for the woman in red, would really love to sit her down, to find out what we really lost.

Sonics2k · 29-11-2017 11:30am

riffmongous wrote: »

Covered that in the OP

I'm just saying, I think it's a bit sad that people in here are taking shots at the Brits for not knowing the exact outline of the border. I'm not saying you said this, but it's certainly come up in a few posts.

riffmongous · 29-11-2017 11:30am

Mint Sauce wrote: »

I did my schooling in England, and I dont recall the border with NI and The RoI being covered, that and the often references of Northern and Southern Ireland. could you blame some for getting it so wrong.

As for the woman in red, would really love to sit her down, to find out what we really lost.

Don't be so petty :P

Canis Lupus · 29-11-2017 11:31am

I think a lot of people are happy to be 'judgy' whenever they see these videos and I also reckon the same people aren't so honest with themselves about their own knowledge of geography when they do so.

Sometimes people forget that we're not actually important to anyone outside of our own island. I meet Australians and Kiwis every day who think Ireland is part of the UK 'or something like that'. I work with a French guy who thought the same.

29-11-2017 11:33am

Wait. Are people actually getting annoyed about this? Stupid people not knowing silly things. TBH you could probably make the exact same video in Ireland and find at least half a dozen or more who don't know where the border is either.

ChippingSodbury · 29-11-2017 11:33am

The Backwards Man wrote: »

We speak the Queen's English in these parts.

I'd wonder how many of the good folk on the video speak the Queen's English.........Innit

Actually, we should make a test at the Border: if you can't use apostrophes correctly, you're refused admission.

whisky_galore · 29-11-2017 11:34am

Sonics2k wrote: »

I'm just saying, I think it's a bit sad that people in here are taking shots at the Brits for not knowing the exact outline of the border. I'm not saying you said this, but it's certainly come up in a few posts.

They didn't 'claim' it, the outrage is a tad OTT. They drew a line in the wrong place, hardly a hanging offence.

Not everyone thinks the world revolves around this island either.

denismc · 29-11-2017 11:34am

With international travel and open borders within the E.U, international borders have lost their importance.

You can drive from one end of Europe to the other without stopping which was not possible 50 years ago.
A lot of millenials have grown up in a Europe without borders and so their significance may not mean as much to them.

kylith · 29-11-2017 11:38am

seamus wrote: »

I'm not sure it's indicative of anything specific about the UK, but more about the nature of memory. If information is not continuously reinforced, it gets lost from memory.

At one time in primary school I could recall the names and locations of all of the major mountain ranges and rivers in Ireland. Not any more. Maybe 3/4 rivers, maybe 1 or 2 mountain ranges.

Ask me to point out Leitrim, Carlow or Roscommon on a map and I'll probably get it wrong. Ask me to locate any of the islands and I'll definitely get it wrong.

Likewise, ask someone on mainland UK to draw the border of Northern Ireland, and they'll get it wrong. All it's indicative of is the fact that Northern Ireland has very little relevance to the lives of most of the UK, so they recall very little about it.

I'd be more inclined to buy that if NI wasn't a wee cutout on every UK weather forecast.

donegaLroad · 29-11-2017 11:39am

It's the BBCs fault for excluding the 26 counties on the weather forecast map, and making NI appear like an island the size of Wales.

donegaLroad · 29-11-2017 11:39am

kylith wrote: »

I'd be more inclined to buy that if NI wasn't a wee cutout on every UK weather forecast.

You beat me to it

riffmongous · 29-11-2017 11:40am

Canis Lupus wrote: »

I think a lot of people are happy to be 'judgy' whenever they see these videos and I also reckon the same people aren't so honest with themselves about their own knowledge of geography when they do so.

Sometimes people forget that we're not actually important to anyone outside of our own island. I meet Australians and Kiwis every day who think Ireland is part of the UK 'or something like that'. I work with a French guy who thought the same.

But it's as much their border as our border, that's the thing. I've also met a few european people who didn't realise Ireland existed outside the UK, and while I'm not prepared to give them a pass on it (we're all in the EU together ffs) you can at least say, well it's not their country

Blazer · 29-11-2017 11:40am

denismc wrote: »

With international travel and open borders within the E.U, international borders have lost their importance.

You can drive from one end of Europe to the other without stopping which was not possible 50 years ago.
A lot of millenials have grown up in a Europe without borders and so their significance may not mean as much to them.

The millennials should have got off their hole and voted against Brexit seeing that it’s going to impact them the greatest. Of course the majority of them were too busy out drinking or planning their weekend to bother voting.
Always annoys me when the youth bitch and moan about results yet only something like 22% of 18-24 years old voted in the Brexit referendum or indeed any referendum.
I’m in my early 40s but as soon as I was able to vote I made sure to do so. I used to have to thumb a lift home and back again but I always make sure to vote.
Nowadays it’s too much hassle for them even with cars etc.

Christ I sound like my parents

endacl · 29-11-2017 11:43am

Lads. There's opportunity here.

If they don't know where the border is, its surely up to us to tell them?

"Yep. Everything to the north and east of Rathlin belongs to ye. No argument. All yours. No bother. Sound. G'lucknow"

BrokenArrows · 29-11-2017 11:46am

wally79 wrote: »

The British media do use Northern Ireland and Ulster interchangeably so who can blame them for not knowing

By occasionally looking at a map and its part of the UK.
Its as bad as an Irish person not knowing where the border is.

ooter · 29-11-2017 11:49am

"Mint wrote:

As for the woman in red, would really love to sit her down, to find out what we really lost.

Yeah that's what I was wondering too, what was she on about?

GLaDOS · 29-11-2017 11:50am

Apart from the border right through the middle of the country, most of the attempts weren't atrocious.

seamus · 29-11-2017 11:50am

kylith wrote: »

I'd be more inclined to buy that if NI wasn't a wee cutout on every UK weather forecast.

IMO, the problem is precisely that it's a cutout, rather than an outline. You often see it as a floating island beside the mainland rather than a highlighted section of another landmass.

In that regard it would be easy to assume that Northern Ireland is, much like Scotland, the entire Northern section of the country.

Brits claim Donegal, Southern Irish told to lump it

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