Boycotting formerly Irish/ pretend Irish imported produce?

ODS · 15-07-2009 02:19AM #1

Erin soups is a great brand - a housemate bought some recently in her bid to "buy Irish". Problem is, Erin foods shut down in Thurles with the loss of 95 jobs in 2007. These days "Erin" is made in the UK by Cambells and imported.

Jacob’s biscuits is another great Irish brand. Their original bakery by Kevin Street by Dublin was even used as a HQ during 1916. Trouble is they too closed their Tallaght plant earlier this year with a loss of 220 jobs, though I note at least some related interests continue to employ 95 elsewhere in the country.

As with "Erin", Jacobs was a quintessentially Irish brand that had built up a loyal customer base over the years - a bit like Guinness - I reckon this was partly because it was Irish. Not anymore: Jacob’s biscuits are now primarily UK made.

Point is, given the job loss horrors now going on in this country, shouldn’t we now actively boycott such products? If they're happy to abandon us in our hour of need, why shouldn't we make sure to avoid them?

At least with Lidl or Aldi, their merchandise doesn't pretend to be anything other than imported. By contrast the Jacobs website continues to read "The Jacob Fruitfield Food Group is a progressive, leading Irish food company..."

I think it's high time that such formerly Irish companies that now just primarily import into the country should be given a deliberate wide berth. What say?

K-9 · 15-07-2009 02:22AM

Excellent point, though I am partial to a coconut cream or if lucky a nice Kimberly, if she's hot.

What brand names that we associate with being Irish are actually Irish anymore?

Are Bachelors Irish Bachelors anymore?

Jesus Wept · 15-07-2009 02:22AM

I buy what I like best, that's my policy.

murrayp4 · 15-07-2009 02:25AM

I know it's not strictly Irish, but I will never buy a Dell again since their pull-out

marco murphy · 15-07-2009 02:25AM

Welcome to capatalism.

jumpguy · 15-07-2009 02:27AM

It's difficult to boycott Irish goods, mainly because some of the brand names are much nicer than some of the non-branded or a brand you don't really like products. I'd just stick with buying Irish if you like it. Boycotting these things would be difficult.

K-9 · 15-07-2009 02:28AM

Perestroika wrote: »

Welcome to capatalism.

Welcoming it is a bit late? No?

Insect Overlord · 15-07-2009 02:33AM

Perestroika wrote: »

Welcome to capatalism.

Sounds interesting. Is it anything like Capitalism? :cool:

ODS · 15-07-2009 02:34AM

jumpguy wrote: »

I'd just stick with buying Irish if you like it. Boycotting these things would be difficult.

I don't think it's that difficult to identify and boycott/ discern in terms of customers choice - one chooses between fair trade and non fair trade for example.

This is just a new form of "fair trade" - choosing to try to keep some jobs and money in the country where possible - fair to our fellow inhabitants of this country.

Fighting Irish · 15-07-2009 02:38AM

murrayp4 wrote: »

I know it's not strictly Irish, but I will never buy a Dell again since their pull-out

:rolleyes:

javaboy · 15-07-2009 02:40AM

I think it would be fairer to boycott the companies that were always foreign rather than the ones that stayed for a long time and provided jobs to Irish people for many years. Jacobs and Erin deserve some credit for holding out for so long before bowing to the economies of scale and moving production elsewhere. They are a business after all. They're in it for the money.

jumpguy · 15-07-2009 02:40AM

murrayp4 wrote: »

I know it's not strictly Irish, but I will never buy a Dell again since their pull-out

Fighting Irish wrote: »

:rolleyes:

I think that's fair enough. That's one thing you can easily choose to buy Irish from. Dell had a great Irish market and they shouldn't get to keep that. We should start buying PC's from another Irish manufacture and give them some money.

I know it sounds like I'm contradicting myself but in my previous post I was referring more to food products, as the OP's examples were food brands.

K-9 · 15-07-2009 02:55AM

jumpguy wrote: »

I think that's fair enough. That's one thing you can easily choose to buy Irish from. Dell had a great Irish market and they shouldn't get to keep that. We should start buying PC's from another Irish manufacture and give them some money.

I know it sounds like I'm contradicting myself but in my previous post I was referring more to food products, as the OP's examples were food brands.

I'm sure we'll all boycott Microsoft and Google when they eventually leave.

jumpguy · 15-07-2009 02:59AM

K-9 wrote: »

I'm sure we'll all boycott Microsoft and Google when they eventually leave.

Microsoft and Google operate within the country and employ within the country. :P

javaboy · 15-07-2009 03:00AM

Ok so let's see if I have this straight: The message we want to send out to multinationals is that if you come her for economic reasons and later leave for economic reasons, we will stop buying your product and you will lose sales.

What exactly is this supposed to achieve? I know what I'd do if I was the boss of a big multi. I simply wouldn't move here in the first place. It means that not only does Ireland have to beat Eastern Europe/China/wherever on costs but we have to beat them by enough to cover the potential loss of earnings from when the Irish market throws its toys out of the pram.

K-9 · 15-07-2009 03:05AM

jumpguy wrote: »

Microsoft and Google operate within the country and employ within the country. :P

How is that different from Dell? I'm confused!

Venom · 15-07-2009 10:14AM

Didnt Galtee foods say during the pork incident at the start of the year all there bacon came from outside of Ireland.

Irish product my arse.

ejmaztec · 15-07-2009 10:25AM

Donegal Catch isn't Irish-owned anymore, so I've recently discovered. There are probably quite a few once Irish-owned businesses that have been swallowed up by large multi-nationals over the years.

Twin-go · 15-07-2009 10:42AM

murrayp4 wrote: »

I know it's not strictly Irish, but I will never buy a Dell again since their pull-out

There is still over 3000 people working for Dell in Ireland. So they haven't exactly pulled out of Ireland, just the Manufactoring portion. Also it was never really "made" in Ireland with Dell just Assembly.

Would we not be better place to lobby the government who failed to act to prevent Ireland becoming too expensive for manufactoring. Would you buy Jacobs Cream Crackers if they were €5 for a packet versus €1.50 for imported Cream Crackers. Companies do what they do by moving manufactoring out of Ireland so they can make more profit or in some cases survive. It's market capotilism that forced Jacobs to move and no romantic ideologies of the 1916 Rising could have stopped that.

mickoneill30 · 15-07-2009 10:56AM

I wouldn't boycott non Irish goods but I'd definitely lean towards companies that are employing people in Ireland.

How do you know though? The Guarateed Irish symbol seems to be dead. I know you can read the labels in the shop but while I might do that the odd occasion I'm not going to go through 10 brands of sauces (for example) to find one that's Irish. Is there any handy list of products that result in creating jobs in Ireland.

Dr_Teeth · 15-07-2009 10:59AM

Most of what we make in Ireland is exported. If people in other countries decided to boycott also, we'd be screwed. I buy whatever I like best, though I try to avoid buying things like fruit that have come from the other side of the world, for environmental reasons.

AckwelFoley · 15-07-2009 11:13AM

i propose a boycott of boycotting threads in AH.

all the stars · 15-07-2009 11:17AM

murrayp4 wrote: »

I know it's not strictly Irish, but I will never buy a Dell again since their pull-out

Dont buy Dell domputers coz they are rubbish... I know a girl who used to work there... She wasn't exactly the sharpest spoon in the drawer if ya get me...

AckwelFoley · 15-07-2009 11:19AM

all the stars wrote: »

I know a girl who used to work there... She wasn't exactly the sharpest spoon in the drawer if ya get me...

Why would you want a sharp spoon? if you sister ever offers me dessert in your house, remind me to decline.

all the stars · 15-07-2009 11:23AM

snyper wrote: »

Why would you want a sharp spoon? if you sister ever offers me dessert in your house, remind me to decline.

to pop out yer eyes

muh ha hah ha ahaha

Twin-go · 15-07-2009 11:31AM

all the stars wrote: »

Dont buy Dell domputers coz they are rubbish... I know a girl who used to work there... She wasn't exactly the sharpest spoon in the drawer if ya get me...

Was she Irish? Where she working now? Just incase I go to buy something and then realise she worked there. That would be terrible:rolleyes:.

Pointless post. EVERY company has people of different mental abilities working for them.

And it's "because" not "coz" and "you" not "ya". Sharpen yourself up.:o

BTW, some Dell computers are rubish some are very good. The same with any other computer company. You get what you pay for. They all have the same internal componments, all made in China.

all the stars · 15-07-2009 11:51AM

Twin-go wrote: »

Was she Irish? Where she working now? Just incase I go to buy something and then realise she worked there. That would be terrible:rolleyes:.

she is irish.... no idea where she works - not someone i'd keep contact with.

Twin-go wrote: »

And it's "because" not "coz" and "you" not "ya". Sharpen yourself up.:o

Oh whatever. Pardon me if my slightly lazy phrasing offended your sensibilities. Anywho.... back to life as usual.:)

15-07-2009 12:01PM

I say fúck everyone.

If I see something nice in town, I take note of the name, if it's clothes size as well, come home and buy it cheaper online, fúck Ireland.

Also be Irish buy Irish (The Star) my fooking eye, it was AN horrific event etc....

Let them all fook off :pac:

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 15-07-2009 12:02PM

javaboy wrote: »

I think it would be fairer to boycott the companies that were always foreign rather than the ones that stayed for a long time and provided jobs to Irish people for many years. Jacobs and Erin deserve some credit for holding out for so long before bowing to the economies of scale and moving production elsewhere. They are a business after all. They're in it for the money.

javaboy wrote: »

Ok so let's see if I have this straight: The message we want to send out to multinationals is that if you come her for economic reasons and later leave for economic reasons, we will stop buying your product and you will lose sales.

What exactly is this supposed to achieve? I know what I'd do if I was the boss of a big multi. I simply wouldn't move here in the first place. It means that not only does Ireland have to beat Eastern Europe/China/wherever on costs but we have to beat them by enough to cover the potential loss of earnings from when the Irish market throws its toys out of the pram.

Completely missing the point.

The companies advertise that they are Irish, yet they are not.

javaboy · 15-07-2009 12:10PM

Emmalyn Flat Headroom wrote: »

Completely missing the point.

The companies advertise that they are Irish, yet they are not.

Maybe in the case of Erin or Jacob's but my point about multinationals still stands. I'm not even sure if Erin and Jacob's are advertising that they're Irish or is it just the case that they're happy to let people continue to assume it. I do get the point. I just think it's a little misguided.

ejmaztec · 15-07-2009 12:17PM

snyper wrote: »

Why would you want a sharp spoon? if you sister ever offers me dessert in your house, remind me to decline.

It's a good way to get an ear to ear grin and the nickname "laughing boy".

Boycotting formerly Irish/ pretend Irish imported produce?

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