Happy St. George's Day.

(ironically) This is exactly the superiority I mean highlighted in your post. You really think the craic is better in Ireland than anywhere else?. Just nonsense. I travel all over Europe with OWC football team. Everywhere I go I enjoy the local craic and embrace it, and I also enjoy the craic we bring to them. Ireland is not the centre of the universe. The craic is great everywhere and nobody does it better than anyone else, everyone just does it a bit different.

to be really honest. I have not a note in my head and i have zero interest in most music, hence I have less craic at Irish events that most as there is the incredible focus on didlydee music, imho.

Hard to know if I phrased it poorly or you're just not picking it up as intended.

"Not inherently superior. Shur culture is just culture. It's about how you use use it. But irish culture is certainly practiced more thoroughly, regularly, casually and inclusively".

So when I said it's not inherently superior because culture is just culture and it depends on how you use it. That seems fairly hard to misinterpret. But I'll clarify it for you. I mean that cultures aren't superior or inferior to each other. They can be practiced and passed on to a greater or lesser extent. And in my opinion, Irish culture is practiced as I described. Its also inclusive, demonstrated by the millions of people who feel they can take part in things like St Patrick's day around the world. I think that's good use of the culture.

We also use the culture to have the craic. Which I also thinknit good use of the culture. I don't think we patented craic. I know everyone has cultures which they practice to a greater or lesser degree. That should go without saying but you needed it to be said explicitly.

So to directly answer the question in your post; no. I don't (and didn’t) say the craic is better in Ireland than anywhere else. I do think we practice the culture, inclusively, pretty well.

I'm trying to anticipate how you could misinterpret this. Do you see thedifference between how you interpreted it and how I meant it?

I am not sure this (But irish culture is certainly practiced more thoroughly, regularly, casually and inclusively) could be interpreted any other way than, that you think irish culture is practiced MORE thoroughly, regularly, casually and inclusively than other cultures? Help me of you mean something different

you seem to not get the arrogance and lack of perception in that statement - or maybe you care to explain ‘more than who?’

Its back to you defining everyone’s culture through Irish goggles.

Let’s examine your nonsense. Association football including the EPL is a huge piece of British culture. More people attend British football matches EVERY WEEK than attend the St Patrick’s parades totals all across Ireland. 4.7billion of the world’s population watch British football regularly. Doesn’t seem like a culture no one is interested in

that’s all before we even add cricket, the royalty, etc. then you have the diversity of localised British cultures like Hogmanay celebrations in Scotland, real ale festivals in England, marching bands in OWC, male choirs in Wales.

I just find the arrogance of this thread ‘we are Irish, and nobody does it like us’, actually represents an attitude that could be defined as an aspect of oirish culture.

now as for inclusivity - you cannot be serious that you think Irish culture is MORE inclusive than the rest. Do you realise there are 1 million people )at least) on this tiny island who feel so excluded by aspects of your culture that they stay away. Don’t force me to post pics and videos of eg the burning of other nations flags at st Patrick’s events, large crowds chanting support to terrorists at many of your cultural events, etc,etc. there may actually not be another culture in the world that is as openly exclusive towards neighbours as some aspects of Irish culture on this island.

so really some posters on here need to get real. Large aspects of Irish culture are wonderful, and seem great fun and something you can rightly be proud of, but less of the silly arrogance around either ‘we are the best’ or ‘we are the most inclusive’

It's not surprising that this has become confusing. Who gets to define the parameters of a nations culture, [in this case, England], and whether it is being observed, ["practiced"], sufficiently? How is this being evaluated, and by what standards? For some culture would be a broad church, umbrella word. Is it being claimed that people aren't "practicing" their culture conciously - as if there was some obligation to do so. And if it's done unconciously - well, I don't know where that line of thinking leads me! [To even more confusion I suspect].

If, for the sake of argument, it's considered that the English are not practicing elements of their culture, [which , at the same time, they appear to be unaware of], - so what? They'll just do something else.

If also segments of the English population don't know their history - well, I suspect that will lead us down another road!

There. Is it confusing, or futile as a poster has stated?

Yep.

i think you’ll find I said quite the opposite. Much Irish culture is great and many attending cultural events are great. My point is that some on here are painting it as somehow better and more inclusive than British culture which is patently not true.

here is an Irish cultural event that just popped up there before I read your post. Inclusive indeed! https://twitter.com/r4fcmuk7k8ihukz/status/1652579238422237185?s=46&t=acUo01EJjcKHWFvSZWTu1A

As I said, I wouldn't align myself with any of the headbangers up North. Neither side seem to enjoy thier own culture as much as when they're having a pop at the other side. Maybe that just is part of your culture up there. None of my business anyway. They're you're people, not mine.

Ah sure it's always the Orish that are the problem. The NI culture seems to involve a lot of winding up the other side. I don't associate myself with that. That's a Nordie problem, not mine.

I was over with 2 of the lads this evening who regularly go to their home team soccer games. One in national league 2 and the other in the championship. I asked if they consider going on the foot all as an expression of English culture. Both said no but asked when I meant. So I said about St George's day and how I saw an argument that English people have thier own ways of expressing their culture such as going to football, real ale festivals, cricket and fish and chips. Neither agreed and one said he thought I was a weak argument.

It's only a sample set of 2 so doesn't prove anything. But it's not evidence in favour of your argument. I was careful how I phrased the question so it wasn't biased. That's it. I've another few mates who regularly go to their home team games. I'll ask them when o see them next.

Well done. This is a more pleasant debate now.

I wonder what those guys think culture is?

how would you define culture?

here’s a definition I found which I would feel is close to the mark Useem, J., & Useem, R. (1963). Human Organizations, 22(3). 

"Culture has been defined in a number of ways, but most simply, as the learned and shared behavior of a community of interacting human beings" (p. 169).

That's how it works in your part of the island. If that's your experience Orish culture, then it's not surprising that you're so hostile towards it.

I'm unimpressed by both sides in NI. That's why I wouldn't associate myself with either side. They really seem to see winding up the other side as part of their culture. Unpleasant practice.

These things can change over time too. I presume rugby was just for one side in Ireland. That's changed in ROI but persisted in NI for a lot longer. That's changing too, even in NI. Ulster was captained by a bloke named Alan O'Connor last week. He's from Dublin though so maybe I'm exaggerating their capacity for change up theire.