Immigration - have we overlooked the Island next door in the debate?

darkman2 · 23-07-2007 04:29PM #1

Hi,

400,000 British expats now live in the Republic according to an article I read in the newspaper last week. This makes them the largest 'ethnic' group in Ireland by far. It often amuses me how people here go on about Africans and Eastern Europeans and all the rest swamping the country but is the real invasion from the UK?? Think about it - Tescos/M&S everywhere, British clothes shops, British restaurants, British food, British television, British high streets..............Some other things of note:

The Brits seem to have taken a liking to the west of the country - obviously Dublin is just to British for them!

Donegal and Cork most popular not only with expats but for holiday homes too.

It is an intriguing fact that alot of British people dont even realise they are leaving the UK to go to Ireland, a different country, before they actually get information on it according to a British expat website.

So the largest minority group unsupprisingly are the British and they are continuing to come over in droves. I wonder why this is rarely mentioned? The whole debate seems to center around Eastern Europe and Africa yet the biggest influx is from Britain and they have changed our society far more in recent years then any Africans or Eastern Europeans. Buying up our country basically. Though thats not a bad thing but we seem to be a choosy people about who we pick to criticise for coming here.:rolleyes:

aidan_walsh · 23-07-2007 04:31PM

Obviously they just don't stand out as much in a crowd...

Saruman · 23-07-2007 04:33PM

Yes but you do not notice the British as our culture is more or less the same and our history is intertwined. They speak english almost as good as we do

etc and they know their rights and will demand proper payment.

Where as Poles etc do not speak english well at all, know nothing of their rights and will work for whatever money is offered, usually minimum wage (sometimes not even!).

Same goes for Americans. There are a LOT of them here too. Not as many as English or Polish but there is quite a few and no one bats an eyelid.

smackbunnybaby · 23-07-2007 04:33PM

i mean like, what have the british ever done for us?

joe_chicken · 23-07-2007 04:36PM

You've also got to take into account the people who went to England to work when young and have returned since...

I'm sure they are a large proportion of those 400,000

Zebra3 · 23-07-2007 04:38PM

darkman2 wrote:

Hi,

400,000 British expats now live in the Republic according to an article I read in the newspaper last week. This makes them the largest 'ethnic' group in Ireland by far. It often amuses me how people here go on about Africans and Eastern Europeans and all the rest swamping the country but is the real invasion from the UK?? Think about it - Tescos/M&S everywhere, British clothes shops, British restaurants, British food, British television, British high streets..............Some other things of note:

The Brits seem to have taken a liking to the west of the country - obviously Dublin is just to British for them!

Donegal and Cork most popular not only with expats but for holiday homes too.

It is an intriguing fact that alot of British people dont even realise they are leaving the UK to go to Ireland, a different country, before they actually get information on it according to a British expat website.

So the largest minority group unsupprisingly are the British and they are continuing to come over in droves. I wonder why this is rarely mentioned? The whole debate seems to center around Eastern Europe and Africa yet the biggest influx is from Britain and they have changed our society far more in recent years then any Africans or Eastern Europeans. Buying up our country basically. Though thats not a bad thing but we seem to be a choosy people about who we pick to criticise for coming here.:rolleyes:

Not sure how they count the figures, but would a lot of them "Brits" be Irish or partly Irish? My mates girlfriend is English, but her mother is Irish. Her mother still lives in England ,but she's here 10+ years and is gonna stay for good. What catergory does she fit in to?

A lot of English people I've worked with (especially those with young kids) confide in me after a while that they left England cos it's being overrun with "**** and Pakis"-their words, not mine! They see Ireland as some sort of white haven.

AlmightyCushion · 23-07-2007 04:38PM

Thet're white and speak English plus quiet a few of them may have been here for years (I know quiet a few) and so may have lost their English accent so you'd hardly know some of them were English until they told you, plus we seem to relate more with the English because of large amount of English channels we get and English companies here. Even still I didn't think there was as many as half a million Brits here.

bill_ashmount · 23-07-2007 04:43PM

Zebra3 wrote:

A lot of English people I've worked with (especially those with young kids) confide in me after a while that they left England cos it's being overrun with "**** and Pakis"-their words, not mine! They see Ireland as some sort of white haven.

This is a common trend in many western countries but it's rarely discussed. It's called "White Flight".

darkman2 · 23-07-2007 04:45PM

AlmightyCushion wrote:

Even still I didn't think there was as many as half a million Brits here.

That is interesting. Maybe they stick to themselves more or something. Certainly is a supprising figure. There is definatley a misconception that if English people open their mouths in a pub here for example that they are singled out for treatment due to the whole history thing. Thats amongst themselves but the reality as many of them will tell you living here is that they really do like it here and get on very well with people and they fiind the place very friendly. Id have expected to hear far more British accents though considering its half a million all most.

connundrum · 23-07-2007 04:46PM

aidan_walsh wrote:

Obviously they just don't stand out as much in a crowd...

They problably shop in the same Irish shops as we do... M&S, Tesco, Burtons, Miss Selfridge, Topman, Topshop. How cunning

Ishmael · 23-07-2007 04:46PM

Obviously there is less bitching about the English / British people coming into Ireland.

The bitching usually originates from differences (or the ignorance of the differences) between people of different nations and Ireland and Britain are very similar in most aspects of life.

Cake Fiend · 23-07-2007 04:49PM

I'd say it's down to the ease of integration into Irish society. Plus the fact that there is no negative image attached to Brits (bar that upheld by the celtic jersey-wearing unwashed). Nigerians get a bad rep world-wide, people are often unfond of Poles due to the sheer numbers and fact that they don't always integrate as well as other nationalties, and Roma gypsies have bad press that runs the gamut from nuisance begging to bare-faced theft.

You don't normally hear talk about people who don't rock the boat. When's the last time you heard anyone complaining about the Chinese? There are tons of them here, but they don't cause any problems, so there's noone complaining. Same with the Brits/Americans/Canadians/Aussies/Kiwis. Not to mention the huge hypocrite factor of the Irish complaining about British immigrants.

Saruman wrote:

They speak english almost as good as we do

Jaysus, I hope that was an intentional joke...

Kintarō Hattori · 23-07-2007 04:49PM

Saruman wrote:

Yes but you do not notice the British as our culture is more or less the same and our history is intertwined. They speak english almost as good as we do etc and they know their rights and will demand proper payment.

Where as Poles etc do not speak english well at all, know nothing of their rights and will work for whatever money is offered, usually minimum wage (sometimes not even!).
Same goes for Americans. There are a LOT of them here too. Not as many as English or Polish but there is quite a few and no one bats an eyelid.

Righttthhh.....

humbert · 23-07-2007 05:05PM

Saruman wrote:

Same goes for Americans. There are a LOT of them here too. Not as many as English or Polish but there is quite a few and no one bats an eyelid.

Well I for one think it's high time Americans where forced to learn English.

Mossy Monk · 23-07-2007 05:09PM

humbert wrote:

Well I for one think it's high time Americans where forced to learn English.

Heh. I think it's high time you did too.

Terry · 23-07-2007 05:11PM

Aren't Irish people the lasgest ethnic minority over there?

Seems fair to me.

meglome · 23-07-2007 05:29PM

The British come here legally; they generally work and earn an honest living. They haven't always been particularly nice to the Irish but that was then and this is now. I can't see the problem.

Kintarō Hattori · 23-07-2007 05:32PM

Terry wrote:

Aren't Irish people the lasgest ethnic minority over there?

Seems fair to me.

Good point Terry.

Steyr · 23-07-2007 05:38PM

smackbunnybaby wrote:

i mean like, what have the british ever done for us?

Am more or less everything....

MooseJam · 23-07-2007 05:48PM

Terry wrote:

Aren't Irish people the lasgest ethnic minority over there?

Seems fair to me.

No, we aren't a minority, we are the majority
edit lol just saw you said there not here

CantGetNoSleep · 23-07-2007 05:53PM

I've never been approached by an english person sticking a rose in my face trying to get me to buy it while im on a night out, or had money stolen from me in the street by a british person

maybe things like these are reasons why we dont give out about them

MooseJam · 23-07-2007 05:59PM

Can't say I've any problem with the Brits, they are very welcome

WindSock · 23-07-2007 06:02PM

There isn't a language barrier to deal with. Plus when we were colonised, we got engulfed in their culture, so they aren't really seen as being 'different' from us.

Fratton Fred · 23-07-2007 06:12PM

anybody want to buy a rose/copy of the Big Issue/lucky heather? you'll find me lurking by the nearest ATM waiting to steal your cash:D

I think the big difference with us Brits, is that the Irish are used to hearing our accents, from television etc or because so many Irish people spent a big chunk of their lives living/working/studying in Britain so we don't stand out as much, besides, we all sound the same pissed!! I've only ever got grief when I have been wearing my England jersey and that is by Liverpool fans complaining that its got Rooney on the back:D

I love it here, I'm even practicing my Irish.

Ah ya areet bud....talk to ya

Supercell · 23-07-2007 06:21PM

Tbh if the Brits adopted the euro there would be bugger all difference between living here or in Engerland bar the fact that that the political parties haven't sold their souls to the builders.

Fratton Fred · 23-07-2007 06:29PM

Longfield wrote:

Tbh if the Brits adopted the euro there would be bugger all difference between living here or in Engerland bar the fact that that the political parties haven't sold their souls to the builders.

not their souls, just knighthoods

mountainyman · 23-07-2007 06:33PM

CantGetNoSleep wrote:

I've never been approached by an english person sticking a rose in my face trying to get me to buy it while im on a night out, or had money stolen from me in the street by a british person

maybe things like these are reasons why we dont give out about them

I was accosted by a man with a Liverpool accent who told me a long story about needing to get the boat home to see his dying granny.
An hour later he was at it again.

I was shoute at by a bunch of jugglers with English accents who became annoyed when I said 'I don't give money to f cking jugglers'

Oh it happens. Go to west cork no assimilation there, they blow in and they blow out.

MM

mike65 · 23-07-2007 06:39PM

400,000 British expats now live in the Republic according to an article I read in the newspaper last week.

That was'nt the Evening Herald was it? Its about as accurate as they get I guess. clicky linky

Mike.

Zebra3 · 23-07-2007 07:40PM

Fratton Fred wrote:

not their souls, just knighthoods

kelle · 23-07-2007 08:14PM

smackbunnybaby wrote:

i mean like, what have the british ever done for us?

Only for Britain I wouldn't have the qualifications I have, and my good job. I could not get a place on that particular course in Ireland. My tuition expenses were all paid for by the British government, and I only had to fork out £9 per week for accommodation (mind you, that was 1989-1993).
It annoys me to hear anybody slag off the British...

Tha Gopher · 23-07-2007 08:19PM

Mossy Monk wrote:

Heh. I think it's high time you did too.

pld

tbh most are people of Irish descent. Which is thankful, imagine if a large percentage of our populaion down the generations turned out to have English surnames :eek:

Immigration - have we overlooked the Island next door in the debate?

Comments