nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

Were you ever discriminated against for being Irish?

MarkY91

We all know about the "no Irish need apply" signs in USA back in the 1900s and Irish people being treated badly in England being labelled a terrorist and paddy etc. But how abojg in the present, have you ever been discriminated against for being Irish?

I can't really think of anything aside from a few jokes at my expense anywhere I've went in the world. The typical potato, alcoholic jokes sure but it's just banter. I find our drinking reputation quite amusing tbh.

I would be interested reading stories about this topic.

Find more posts tagged with

Quick Links

Comments

arybvtcw0eolkf

Nitrogan wrote: »

Yes, I remember 'no Irish' signs at BCM in Magaluf in the mid '90s and a generally hostile attitude to Irish people, maybe similar to what muslims get now. That was a dicey time being Irish among pissed up aggressive Brits.

I don't remember any of that, and I've been there a ton of times in the 90's. In fact I only met decent Brits out there.

I used to travel over to England a lot during the 80's and 90's and it was a regular occurance to get stopped and questioned under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. But they were never nasty about it, and tbh with the IRA campaign of terror on the British mainland I understood where it was coming from.

Bredabe

As a youngster in the '70's it was hairy enough being in England, I met different attitudes in other parts of the UK.

I work a few months a year in London, other than ppl being nervous of me with all my bags on the tube from the airport/with my traditional Muslim colleagues. The biggest hassle I had pre brexit was to persuade other staff and clients that 'Irish citizens didn't mean Irish traveller exclusively'.

RasTa

Deleted User wrote: »

TBH I've had far more examples of people seeking to discriminate against me because they thought me to be American or British, but after explaining that I'm Irish, they'd welcome me with open hours and bend over backwards to apologise. (Australia is a good example of this)

Yeah this happened in Holland, Maastricht of all places for carnival about 6 or 7 of us. I'll never forget the welcome we got once they found out we weren't English.

dxhound2005

It's becoming clear from the thread that anti Irish discrimination is largely a thing of the past. The targets for hate and discrimination nowadays appear to be the Americans and the English. The Spanish, The Dutch and The Aussies love telling The Irish how much they hate The English.

The J Stands for Jay

dxhound2005 wrote: »

It's becoming clear from the thread that anti Irish discrimination is largely a thing of the past. The targets for hate and discrimination nowadays appear to be the Americans and the English. The Spanish, The Dutch and The Aussies love telling The Irish how much they hate The English.

My uncle tells stories of hitch hiking near Calais in the Kate 1970s/early 80s. You would only get picked up if you held out your Irish passport. No stopping for blue passports...

Franz Von Peppercorn

mikemac2 wrote: »

Not discriminated but when working in England the Brits are fond of “that a bit Irish”

Accounts wrong? Folder missing from the cabinet? Brand new coffee machine in the canteen banjaxed?

“That’s a bit Irish” they say

Wasn’t aimed at me but wtf?

Yeh, hate that.

Mrs OBumble

Sounds like none of you skowflakes know what discrimination means even, far less having experienced it.

Not getting a job /rental-property / access to a training course / healthcare / finance - that's discrimination.

Being repeatedly stopped and searched, asked to sign form etc - that's racial profiling.

Having your accent laughed at and told ethnic jokes as a once-off, that's just rude. If the same people keep doing it with the aim of making you feel bad, that's bullying. (And hell - most of you do it to people from Kerry all the time anyways.)

Bredabe

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Sounds like none of you skowflakes know what discrimination means even, far less having experienced it.

Not getting a job /rental-property / access to a training course / healthcare / finance - that's discrimination.

Being repeatedly stopped and searched, asked to sign form etc - that's racial profiling.

Having your accent laughed at and told ethnic jokes as a once-off, that's just rude. If the same people keep doing it with the aim of making you feel bad, that's bullying. (And hell - most of you do it to people from Kerry all the time anyways.)

Actually, have had all of those both in the UK and Ireland(both sides of the border) I just don't give it any headspace in case it manifests itself in my attitudes.

Witchie

RasTa wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

TBH I've had far more examples of people seeking to discriminate against me because they thought me to be American or British, but after explaining that I'm Irish, they'd welcome me with open hours and bend over backwards to apologise. (Australia is a good example of this)

Yeah this happened in Holland, Maastricht of all places for carnival about 6 or 7 of us. I'll never forget the welcome we got once they found out we weren't English.

Had similar as a kid in The Hague. We got chased by a BMX gang calling us all sorts of names and threatening to beat us up until we told them we were Irish and then they wanted to be our friends.

Have had a bit of it here in Malaysia. I worked for a predominately Muslim company and constantly had to put up with the owner telling me I wouldn't understand because I wasn't Muslim. Then she stepped over the mark for me by telling me I was wrong on something (a Chinese new year post that I had checked with my Chinese colleagues and they said it was perfect). Instead of saying that she didn't like the design or would prefer something else, she said it was offensive. When I explained it wasn't she dismissed my opinion with a "caucasian perspective" comment in the whatsapp group message. That was me done.

Otherwise has been mostly positive with most people happy when they hear I am Irish and lets just say am batein Indian men away from me with a stick....well I let some of them woo me but....

ger vallely

My Netherlands experiences were very different from previous posters. I lived in America, a little southern Dutch town, near the German border. This was in ‘95. We were the scum of Europe as far as the natives were concerned. I worked one full week in a leek farm. Physical and hot work. Went to get my pay on the Friday and was laughed at, told to Feck off basically. I said I would go to the police and the farmer laughed harder, told me the chief was his cousin, turned out to be true. This all happened when they found out I was Irish. That was just one example.

Your Face

Yes - a place I worked for a few years. This was in Ireland
Plenty of jabs at me for being Irish.
Some of the insults were probably researched - historical stuff, I'm sure you can imagine.

I wasn't confident reporting it as, well - you know why.

Franz Von Peppercorn

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Sounds like none of you skowflakes know what discrimination means even, far less having experienced it.

Not getting a job /rental-property / access to a training course / healthcare / finance - that's discrimination.

Being repeatedly stopped and searched, asked to sign form etc - that's racial profiling.

Having your accent laughed at and told ethnic jokes as a once-off, that's just rude. If the same people keep doing it with the aim of making you feel bad, that's bullying. (And hell - most of you do it to people from Kerry all the time anyways.)

You never come across well.

Collie D

Your Face wrote: »

Yes - a place I worked for a few years. This was in Ireland
Plenty of jabs at me for being Irish.
Some of the insults were probably researched - historical stuff, I'm sure you can imagine.

I wasn't confident reporting it as, well - you know why.

You definitely need to explain this

kuntboy

Was discriminated against by a bogger BMX gang for being from Dublin. They were all carrying large chips on their shoulders and whining incessantly and making smug comments and subtle put downs because all boggers have low IQs and are deformed.

Twenty Grand

Had some black lads giving out to me in the US because I was white.

I told them I'm Irish and apparently that made everything ok.

Collie D

Judging by last few posts BMX is the preferred mode of transport for the discrimating types.

Good lesson.

Franz Von Peppercorn

kuntboy wrote: »

Was discriminated against by a bogger BMX gang for being from Dublin. They were all carrying large chips on their shoulders and whining incessantly and making smug comments and subtle put downs because all boggers have low IQs and are deformed.

Did you say that deformed thing first though?

Also what is a bmx gang and how did they discriminate against you?

Franz Von Peppercorn

Witchie wrote: »

Had similar as a kid in The Hague. We got chased by a BMX gang calling us all sorts of names and threatening to beat us up until we told them we were Irish and then they wanted to be our friends.

Have had a bit of it here in Malaysia. I worked for a predominately Muslim company and constantly had to put up with the owner telling me I wouldn't understand because I wasn't Muslim. Then she stepped over the mark for me by telling me I was wrong on something (a Chinese new year post that I had checked with my Chinese colleagues and they said it was perfect). Instead of saying that she didn't like the design or would prefer something else, she said it was offensive. When I explained it wasn't she dismissed my opinion with a "caucasian perspective" comment in the whatsapp group message. That was me done.

Otherwise has been mostly positive with most people happy when they hear I am Irish and lets just say am batein Indian men away from me with a stick....well I let some of them woo me but....

The use of causcasian indicates a US influence there.

Alf Veedersane

kuntboy wrote: »

Was discriminated against by a bogger BMX gang for being from Dublin. They were all carrying large chips on their shoulders and whining incessantly and making smug comments and subtle put downs because all boggers have low IQs and are deformed.

I'd love to know the chippers that gives you a large chips so heavy you need to carry it on your shoulder!

Your Face

Collie D wrote: »

You definitely need to explain this

If you have a question - just ask?

Collie D

Your Face wrote: »

If you have a question - just ask?

Where and how were you discriminated against for being Irish in Ireland?

Why didn't you report it?

Alf Veedersane

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Also what is a bmx gang and how did they discriminate against you?

Think 'Sons of Anarchy' but less horsepower.

Sons of Narky, perhaps.

dxhound2005

Your Face wrote: »

If you have a question - just ask?

Why did you use a question mark there?

Cleopatra_

I haven't really ever had someone discriminate against me for being Irish. Though my pharmacist and doctor at my CF clinic in England made a potato joke they thought I couldn't hear and I thought that was unprofessional.

Though my wife's mother has this idiot of a boyfriend who has a ridiculous theory about Irish people that he felt the need to share. He's German so they came over to visit and he read a leaflet about the famine on the plane. Then he claimed to know why Ireland's economic crisis was so bad (this was during the recession). He said it was because only the stupid people stayed behind during the famine, apparently according to him the smart ones left and so the stupid ones continued to breed and the people of modern Ireland are all stupid as a result. So naturally we don't know how to handle our finances. Absolute gobsh1te.

locum-motion

Scottish manager in a job I worked in London, when I rang back a few weeks after leaving for a reference: "I don't think it's a very good idea for you to ask me for a reference, as I'm not too enamoured with the Irish at the moment."

I immediately rang her boss and complained. He apologised. Never heard if anything was actually done about it, though.

Your Face

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Why did you use a question mark there?

Where???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Alf Veedersane

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Why did you use a question mark there?

He's Ron Burgundy?

Your Face

Collie D wrote: »

Where and how were you discriminated against for being Irish in Ireland?

Why didn't you report it?

That's better.

In Ireland by non-Irish people.

Didn't report it because I knew how these people operated.

Franz Von Peppercorn

Your Face wrote: »

That's better.

In Ireland by non-Irish people.

Didn't report it because I knew how these people operated.

You said that.

These people? Who? Cut the cretinous crap and explain who discrimated against you, how they did it and how you were even working in a minority owned company.

Your Face

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

You said that.

These people? Who? Cut the cretinous crap and explain who discrimated against you, how they did it and how you were even working in a minority owned company.

What's your problem?