Feeling Patriotic?

connundrum · 04-01-2006 10:52AM #1

Just talking to the missus the other day about this..
You know when you go away on Holliers, to anywhere basically - Florida, Thailand, Aussieland, Tralee, Santa Ponza (I'm lookin at you Jecinta

) do you bring loads of Ireland jerseys, county jerseys and flags for the apartment block??

I don't think its knackery, cos I do pack a lot of the aforementioned items.. but it does beg the question of why the hell do you go away to be more Irish than you are at home? I remember trawling through Bulgaria searching for an Irish bar, and God knows had I found one then I would have sang my heart out to every ballad with any association to the Emerald Isle.

Seems a bit mental really - spend all the time in Ireland trying to make ourselves all cosmopolitan and European, then we go on holidays and become more Irish than Daniel O'Donnell. I don't have a problem with it but I just find it fascinating..

Oriel · 04-01-2006 10:58AM

I think that's sad.

SexeeAussie · 04-01-2006 11:18AM

Yep, and they ALL come out on St Pat's day...........

Anyone who has no Irish blood, but may have met an Irish person or maybe if they just KNOW where Ireland is will don green, drink Guinness and jump around saying "To be sure, to be sure!"

:-)

04-01-2006 11:25AM

sinecurea wrote:

I think that's sad.

If it were up to you we would all be Eamon Dunphy on holidays.

Squirrel · 04-01-2006 11:30AM

I used to bring Irish jerseys, because they were something I wore, like Liverpool jerseys or anything, now I don't because I rarely wear jerseys. The people who bring Irish flags with Celtic crests on them just annoy me.

I did get patriotic on my last holiday, on the campsite football pitch, I was playing on a team with a few english lads, big campsite tournament thing, so I insisted on wearing my dad's Ireland jersey. They tried to get me to wear an English Jersey, and told me I wish I was English, only time I've ever kissed the crest on a jersey after scoring was in that tournament

Kiera · 04-01-2006 11:35AM

Its for 18 yr old leaving cert students on their first holiday away from the folks. No self-respecting adult would carry on like that.

LegacyUser · 04-01-2006 11:36AM

It’s a strange one all right.
When in Dublin, mingling with work colleagues, etc, we can often be 'oh so cosmopolitan', eating at the finest Italian/Chinese/Indian restaurants, sipping on the finest wines, and experimenting with various cultural tastes, in terms of Music, clothing etc.
However, once we depart the Emerald Isle, something comes over us, and we become incredibly patriotic.
We find ourselves seeking out Irish bars, roaming foreign streets, whilst wearing our county jersey, in search for a pint of Guinness, or a traditional Irish ballad band. Or Queuing to gain access to any restaurant that might serve 'Cabbage, Bacon and Potatoes'!:D

Quite funny really!

joejoem · 04-01-2006 11:41AM

Avoid them like the plauge. Its sucha common thing to see, your on a nice beach in Miami and you see a group of sunburnt ugly people walking down the beach in soccor shorts and gaa jerseys, you can almost see the booze on there skin from the night before. Red arms, faces and legs......

Or when your standing at the bar and you ask for your drink, one would turn to you and say "oh your from Ireland" (they are usually from Mayo, Galway, Cork or leitrim) and start a conersation. Two minutes into it you are wondering how the **** you will get out of this conversation about how locked they have gotten every night, your sweating from the heat off there sunburnt faces, the girls hair stuck to her forhead with sweat, booze and seawater. Her neanderthol male friends are all staring at you, you can see the one cog in there head turning, thinking "Feanshy fuchin Jaicín, woudnt leasht two fuchin sheckinds in Ballinaaaaaaaaa".

Eventually, you politley excuse yourself, explaining "Anyway, I better head back to the table with the drinks, the lads are waiting" The girls face turns sour instantly, like you shat in her kitbag/handbag. A bead of angry sweat rolls down her face taking pieces of dirt and slapped on foundation that makes her look like a cheetah as she shouts and spits "Oh you tink your so fúckin big cos your from Dublin" Everywhere the bar goes quiet, you cant hear a sound exceot the noise of sunburnt skin craking and the single cogs in each of there head turning faster as they think of how they will bite you or stamp on you.

There is no escape, just back away and say "No, Ill be back in a minute, sure we will have a sing song and a few pints of bulmers". The next step is to warn your friends and look for a back door. Just my experince of people who wear football jerseys abroud...

ps - I mean no offence to anyone from the counties mentioned, Ive met a whole load of great people from those counties, but there are allot of fúckin retards from there too, just like Dublin and everywhere else

xzanti · 04-01-2006 11:43AM

I wouldnt specifically pack them but I certainly wouldnt be ashamed to don my Dublin or Ireland jersey on hols... Why not, my dad is a divil for it though.. every holiday snap I see him in hes top to toe in green :rolleyes:

Parents eh

*cringe*

connundrum · 04-01-2006 11:43AM

Kiera wrote:

No self-respecting adult would carry on like that.

Ah now come on Ted :eek: I would consider myself to be an adult (there or there abouts

) and like I said earlier I still would bring all the jerseys etc. Dunno if I'd bring a flag on the next holiday but I'd consider it! Its nothing to do with lack of self respect, I think its a want to identify with other paddys when out foreign. Its a culture thing.. I think. No point in being snobby about it now Kiera

finlma · 04-01-2006 11:45AM

Anyone that brings an Irish flag on holiday unless they are going to a sporting event is pathetic. Its the type of carry-on adopted by uneducated, foolish people who make you embarrassed to be Irish. These people will be most likely seen in Irish bars on holiday reading a copy of the Irish Star.

joejoem · 04-01-2006 11:47AM

Thats such an irish thing, travel as far as you can, get off the plane and ask, can you point me to the nearest Irish pub.....

WhiteWashMan · 04-01-2006 11:49AM

why do people go on holiday to a foreign place, just to go to irish bars, and meet up with irish people?

why do people think i want to go to an irish pub and drink guinness when im in germany, or holland or the US?

i have no idea.

i much prefer to immerse myself in the culture of the country im in.
if i want to go to an irish bar, i'll go to ireland.

as for people wearing their jerseys on holidays, well, ive grown out of it myself, but i can see why people do it. if they want to show everyone that they are irish, or english, or brazilian or something, then go for your life.

however, if someone finds out im irish, it does not mean i want to talk to you, disuss ireland with you, talk about what school you went to, find out if we go to the same places, or any of that other 'god, isnt it a small world' crap that people of the same nationality come out with.

wow, you happen to be in the same location as me at the same time. what are the chances of that.i dont go up to every person in london and ask them if they think its amazing that we are on the same street at the same time...

Kiera · 04-01-2006 11:50AM

I’m not being snobby about it! I’m just giving my opinion on the subject. I think it’s for kids. I feel the same when I see a fat English bloke with loads of Bulldog tattoo’s and an England jersey. I just don’t think it looks good. It’s like they are trying to make a point. What is that point?? To me it says “I’m a Irish/English gob****e and I want everyone to know it.”

But why do you want everyone to know it, Connundrum?

alleepally · 04-01-2006 11:57AM

I'm Irish and don't try to be "all cosmopolitan and European" when I'm at home so I don't do anything different when I'm on holiday. Quite why anyone would consciously want to be "all cosmopolitan and European" is an alien concept to me.

If I happen to meet someone Irish on holiday I'll have a chat with them in the same way I might chat with someone in a queue or on the street when at home. I see plenty of people wearing county jerseys or Irish jerseys or whatever at home so if they wear them on holiday what harm.

ciaran76 · 04-01-2006 11:57AM

When I travel I have only ever gone to an Irish bar because it was across the road from where I was living at the time (Australia) to watch the World Cup. Other then that whenever I go away on holidays I avoid all "Irish Bars".

I have never brought a flag with me on holidays either ? Why should I ? I know where I am from

connundrum · 04-01-2006 12:09PM

finlma wrote:

Anyone that brings an Irish flag on holiday unless they are going to a sporting event is pathetic. Its the type of carry-on adopted by uneducated, foolish people who make you embarrassed to be Irish. These people will be most likely seen in Irish bars on holiday reading a copy of the Irish Star.

Ahem.. I would consider myself to be fairly well educated, very well travelled and fairly up on most things that are of worldly relevance, my great job allows me to do most things I want. I buy the Sunday Business Post and the Times gets delivered to my desk every day. If I happen to pick up the Daily Star whilst on holidays then its my own choice and I feel I'm well entitled to, and if I feel like wearing a jersey then again - its my choice. Look your nose down on someone else please.
I started this thread meaning for it to be taken in a light hearted kinda way, but people seem to have a deep seeded want to make themselves seem great, superior and all the rest of it.

Get over yourselves.

joejoem · 04-01-2006 12:11PM

connundrum wrote:

I buy the Sunday Business Post

snigger

Kiera · 04-01-2006 12:14PM

connundrum wrote:

I started this thread meaning for it to be taken in a light hearted kinda way, but people seem to have a deep seeded want to make themselves seem great, superior and all the rest of it.

Get over yourselves.

Now who's getting all touchy? If you dont want people's opinions about something, dont start a thread about it!

connundrum · 04-01-2006 12:16PM

joejoem wrote:

snigger

*It's for work purposes I swear

But anyways, it was just meant to represent the fact that you don't have to be a dumbass to want to read the star and/or like being Irish whilst abroad.

WhiteWashMan · 04-01-2006 12:18PM

connundrum wrote:

Ahem.. I would consider myself to be fairly well educated, very well travelled and fairly up on most things that are of worldly relevance, my great job allows me to do most things I want. I buy the Sunday Business Post and the Times gets delivered to my desk every day. If I happen to pick up the Daily Star whilst on holidays then its my own choice and I feel I'm well entitled to, and if I feel like wearing a jersey then again - its my choice. Look your nose down on someone else please.
I started this thread meaning for it to be taken in a light hearted kinda way, but people seem to have a deep seeded want to make themselves seem great, superior and all the rest of it.

Get over yourselves.

and yet, if its an english person with the bulldog tattoes, and the england jersey singing god save the queen, its amazing how suddenly so many irish people will suddenly look down on those people with disdain.

its a shame that we cant all see ourselves in other people, no?

connundrum · 04-01-2006 12:37PM

WhiteWashMan wrote:

its a shame that we cant all see ourselves in other people, no?

If an English bloke is walking down the street in Spain with a Union Uack draped around him singing 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot', whilst I'm walking towards him with a tri colour singing the Fields of Athenry - I'm not going to stop and ask him what he's doing singing that awful tune in these parts. How hypocritical would I be then??

I do know people who do that though so I can see where the point is coming from.

I'm presuming that no one here has gone to a gig with a flag then, or taken part in a verse of Olay Olay Olay Olay.. guess not

Kiera · 04-01-2006 12:43PM

or taken part in a verse of Olay Olay Olay Olay.. guess not
Only at an Ireland game. Why would i burst into song just walking down the street

joejoem · 04-01-2006 12:44PM

At a football match where Ireland are playing yes, on a beach in malaga, no.

Sleepy · 04-01-2006 12:56PM

Can't stand "Irish bars" but it'd be fairly normal to see me wearing a Galway hurling jersey when I'm abroad (just as it'd be fairly normal to see me wearing one on a sunny day in Ireland).

The only time I'd voluntarily venture into an Irish bar abroad is if I happen to be away on All-Ireland day.

connundrum · 04-01-2006 12:57PM

Well then thats the difference I guess, when I'm away I like to meet other Irish people, I like to go to Irish pubs and I like to belt out a few tunes along the way. But I like to do most if not all of that here too. Doesn't make me any less of a sophisticae though

LegacyUser · 04-01-2006 12:59PM

Ok, I think we are all getting a bit too serious here, the thread was started with a lighthearted theme, and if I am correct, (and I am), the OP was poking a bit of fun at himself.

Who wants to go abroad to drink in an Irish bar? Well I do, and have done.
I went to Ayia Napa when I was 18, I wont lay any claim to being in any way cultured.

I was, (and possibly still am), a product of convenience meals, tacky romantic comedies, sitcoms and Brit pop. In other words, your typical clueless teen.
So what did I look for when I went abroad? Other Irish people, Irish bars, Irish food and cheap drink.
But I wasn't alone, oh no, I came into contact with about a thousand like-minded folk, and to be completely honest, I had the time of my life.

Now I have become slightly more refined over the years, probably due to a 5 year college education, but on my last holiday, to Bulgaria, after several days of 'immersing myself in the culture', I craved for the company of English speaking folk, of a similar age to myself, and I will admit to searching for an Irish bar, or anything resembling an Irish/English/Scottish bar.

I don’t feel it makes me any less of a person to want the company of Irish folks when abroad, and I certainly do not believe that anyone here has the right to cast judgment on some ones character based on their choice of holiday location, or activity.
(Don't mean to get all hot headed, just think that no one should be chastised for have enjoyed the Irish bar scene

)

Tha Gopher · 04-01-2006 01:02PM

Its because we are proud of where we are from. Foreigners love the Irish, so why not highlight it?:)

*packs my Ireland jersey, Celtic jersey, Dublin and Boston Celtics basketball jersey for next summer*

connundrum · 04-01-2006 01:05PM

Tha Gopher wrote:

*packs my Ireland jersey, Celtic jersey, Dublin and Boston Celtics basketball jersey for next summer*

*doubles up by packin the Dublin And Offaly jersey, Celtic (home and away), Ireland rugby and football, and the international rules jersey..

"Ah, now we're all set lads!"

*throws in the 'Paddys on Tour' Tri Colour from USA '94.. just in case

Tha Gopher · 04-01-2006 01:12PM

Ah christ conundrum, I forgot to get the "Dub Crew Tour of Europe 2006" shirts with the destinations on the back printed:D

I deserve to be stripped of my citizenship for that woeful error

Better pick up one of those "Dublin" hoodies they sell in the diddly dee American tourist shops in town.

Dont think Ill go as far as my cousin though, he likes sporting his "IRA The Undefeated Army" shirt abroad

dundalk cailin · 04-01-2006 01:22PM

when i was 18, went to playa del ingles..didnt need anything to show i was irish, the place was full of irish..the only thing to do was state what town your from...you feel right at home there!
dont go in for the whole packing jerseys, flags etc..but i do like to frequent local irish bars if possible!

Feeling Patriotic?

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