People saying they are Irish - when they clearly aren't!

Korvanica · 10-11-2011 11:21AM #1

This is one of my pet peeves

So many people (mainly Americans) that I have met say this because their great great great grandmother was half Irish!

You are NOT Irish, yes you have Irish ancestors but that does not make you Irish!

Fair enough some people are proud of their ancestory but a lot of them take it way to far...

I was in the US in the summer and i swear every 3rd person said they were some part Irish... one lad who has never been to Ireland says so, his great grandmother was Half Irish. All he did was talk about Ireland and hating the English for the 800 years (seriously? noone cares about that anymore) , and everything he ever posts on Facebook is about Ireland etc... (His most recent post was in irish and badly translated from English with an online translator - thats what spurred this post)

My ancestors (waaay back) come from France, but I don't go around telling everyone im Part French or French-Irish!

RobbieTheRobber · 10-11-2011 11:26AM

John aldridge, andy townsend, ray houghton are they Irish?

Snakeblood · 10-11-2011 11:26AM

Korvanica wrote: »

This is one of my pet peeves

So many people (mainly Americans) that I have met say this because their great great great grandmother was half Irish!

You are NOT Irish, yes you have Irish ancestors but that does not make you Irish!

Fair enough some people are proud of their ancestory but a lot of them take it way to far...

I was in the US in the summer and i swear every 3rd person said they were some part Irish... one lad who has never been to Ireland says so, his great grandmother was Half Irish. All he did was talk about Ireland and hating the English for the 800 years (seriously? noone cares about that anymore) , and everything he ever posts on Facebook is about Ireland etc... (His most recent post was in irish and badly translated from English with an online translator - thats what spurred this post)

My ancestors (waaay back) come from France, but I don't go around telling everyone im Part French or French-Irish!

Whatever you say, frenchie.

bryaner · 10-11-2011 11:28AM

I'm not so sure the Americans are as fond as they used to be in pulling the Irish card, last time I was over there there seemed to be a fair bit of not fcuking more paddys..

MrStuffins · 10-11-2011 11:29AM

The reason Americans do it is because they are entirely an immigrant nation! (Unless they are Native American of course).

It amazes me how such a young country and one full of people from all over the world is so overly patriotic and feels they are the superior nationality in the world.

Chuck Stone · 10-11-2011 11:29AM

I have an ancestor who was a fish.

I'm Oceanian originally.

Ben Hadad · 10-11-2011 11:31AM

The OP's attitude pisses me off. Who the **** are you to tell them which country they themselves feel they are from.

If they say they are Irish, **** that's good enough for me. I don't need to see their birth cert nor do I expect them to speak with an Irish accent. Have you no pride in your own nationality that you are not proud that someone with eight different nationalities in their blood chooses Ireland over all the rest?

**** post with a **** dripping attitude.

DjFlin · 10-11-2011 11:35AM

I've noticed that the Irish are generally very two faced about this.

If some American does something good, we all start going on about how he's Irish because his great grandmother was.
If some random American says they're Irish, we get up in arms about how they're not.

CucaFace · 10-11-2011 11:35AM

Well it's better than having them ashamed of their Irish ancestry.

I personally don't get why some people have a problem with people like this. Are they really doing any harm? If anything it is good for this country and I'm sure it brings a lot of money here every year through tourism.

In a way it is a compliment that they are proud of where they originally came from and this would have been passed on down through their family's by those who had no choice but to leave this country way back, so also you could say they are respecting the wishes of those who left this country a long time ago.

Ro: maaan! · 10-11-2011 11:39AM

Cultural background is a big deal in America. People define themselves by where their family came from. Irish and Italian just happen to be the most well known. They are not wrong for referring to themselves this way. You are wrong for interpreting it to mean they think they are actually from the country. Although what the OP described was a bit much.

MrStuffins · 10-11-2011 11:39AM

Ben Hadad wrote: »

The OP's attitude pisses me off. Who the **** are you to tell them which country they themselves feel they are from.

If they say they are Irish, **** that's good enough for me. I don't need to see their birth cert nor do I expect them to speak with an Irish accent. Have you no pride in your own nationality that you are not proud that someone with eight different nationalities in their blood chooses Ireland over all the rest?

**** post with a **** dripping attitude.

Dude, i'm not sure you understand nationality.

You don't get to pick and choose.

My great great granny was black. That doesn't give me the right to say i'm Denzel Washington!

Chuck Stone · 10-11-2011 11:39AM

Relax Ben.

Lady Chuckles · 10-11-2011 11:42AM

MrStuffins wrote: »

Dude, i'm not sure you understand nationality.

You don't get to pick and choose.

My great great granny was black. That doesn't give me the right to say i'm Denzel Washington!

Awwwww... Are you sure?

I decided a while back to be Irish and I'm kinda happy with that. :pac:

Killer Pigeon · 10-11-2011 11:44AM

Korvanica wrote: »

This is one of my pet peeves

So many people (mainly Americans) that I have met say this because their great great great grandmother was half Irish!

You are NOT Irish, yes you have Irish ancestors but that does not make you Irish!

Fair enough some people are proud of their ancestory but a lot of them take it way to far...

I was in the US in the summer and i swear every 3rd person said they were some part Irish... one lad who has never been to Ireland says so, his great grandmother was Half Irish. All he did was talk about Ireland and hating the English for the 800 years (seriously? noone cares about that anymore) , and everything he ever posts on Facebook is about Ireland etc... (His most recent post was in irish and badly translated from English with an online translator - thats what spurred this post)

My ancestors (waaay back) come from France, but I don't go around telling everyone im Part French or French-Irish!

Shhhhhh!!

If you keep saying that, those of the Irish Diaspora won't want to invest here anymore!

MrStuffins · 10-11-2011 11:45AM

Lady Chuckles wrote: »

Awwwww... Are you sure?
I decided a while back to be Irish and I'm kinda happy with that. :pac:

You missed a trick! Everyone knows the coolest nationality is being from Vativan City!

saa · 10-11-2011 11:45AM

Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Lady Chuckles · 10-11-2011 11:48AM

MrStuffins wrote: »

You missed a trick! Everyone knows the coolest nationality is being from Vativan City!

Oh bollix!! Can't do anything right... :rolleyes:

MrStuffins · 10-11-2011 11:48AM

saa wrote: »

Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Try telling that to Stephen Hawking.

Last time I tried to flatter him he didn't take it so well!

Oranage2 · 10-11-2011 11:49AM

Korvanica wrote: »

This is one of my pet peeves

So many people (mainly Americans) that I have met say this because their great great great grandmother was half Irish!

You are NOT Irish, yes you have Irish ancestors but that does not make you Irish!

Fair enough some people are proud of their ancestory but a lot of them take it way to far...

I was in the US in the summer and i swear every 3rd person said they were some part Irish... one lad who has never been to Ireland says so, his great grandmother was Half Irish. All he did was talk about Ireland and hating the English for the 800 years (seriously? noone cares about that anymore) , and everything he ever posts on Facebook is about Ireland etc... (His most recent post was in irish and badly translated from English with an online translator - thats what spurred this post)

My ancestors (waaay back) come from France, but I don't go around telling everyone im Part French or French-Irish!

Poorly translated sentence in Irish using a translator - Sounds like he's Irish to me.

And whats wrong talking about history - I know when I go to the USA I always bring up slavery - They love it.

kkdela6 · 10-11-2011 11:50AM

Having people going out of their way to claim irish ancestory suggests to me that people are very fond of ireland, and that certainly doesn't piss me off, if anything it makes me feel very proud of my country. i dont see what your problem is

KeithAFC · 10-11-2011 11:51AM

It is mostly on the Yankee side. Like New york and Chicago.

MrStuffins · 10-11-2011 11:52AM

kkdela6 wrote: »

Having people going out of their way to claim irish ancestory suggests to me that people are very fond of ireland, and that certainly doesn't piss me off, if anything it makes me feel very proud of my country. i dont see what your problem is

Proud of your country? Why?? Yo know the chances are that they think Ireland is like THIS don't you?? :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xjusNCw04Y

10-11-2011 11:52AM

So what if people say they are part Irish? I think it's great that there are so many people who want to be part of Ireland. I'd take it as a compliment.

Son Of A Vidic · 10-11-2011 11:59AM

OP, why is something which is complimentary and flattering to all us Irish, taken in such a negative context by you?

Allyall · 10-11-2011 11:59AM

Korvanica wrote: »

This is one of my pet peeves

So many people (mainly Americans) that I have met say this because their great great great grandmother was half Irish!

You are NOT Irish, yes you have Irish ancestors but that does not make you Irish!

Fair enough some people are proud of their ancestory but a lot of them take it way to far...

I was in the US in the summer and i swear every 3rd person said they were some part Irish... one lad who has never been to Ireland says so, his great grandmother was Half Irish. All he did was talk about Ireland and hating the English for the 800 years (seriously? noone cares about that anymore) , and everything he ever posts on Facebook is about Ireland etc... (His most recent post was in irish and badly translated from English with an online translator - thats what spurred this post)

My ancestors (waaay back) come from France, but I don't go around telling everyone im Part French or French-Irish!

I feel proud when i hear it..

Makes me smile a little.

Most of them say it, because their Ancestors instilled those values into them, to never forget their roots, and the fact that there are still so many saying it, and with a bit of pride, makes me feel all the better.

A lot of Irish begrudgingly left these shores to go to USA. A lot of Irish never forgot where they came from, and told their Children, and their Childrens children..

Still so many around the world that still speak Gaeilge, passed down by generations, and we as a country can barely do it.. :eek::o

Tiocfaidh Armani · 10-11-2011 12:03PM

Can I just inform people when Americans say they're Irish, they're not saying they're Irish. It's their heritage they're talking about not their nationality. Some ignorant people out there.

Tiocfaidh Armani · 10-11-2011 12:05PM

Allyall wrote: »

I feel proud when i hear it..

Makes me smile a little.

Most of them say it, because their Ancestors instilled those values into them, to never forget their roots, and the fact that there are still so many saying it, and with a bit of pride, makes me feel all the better.

A lot of Irish begrudgingly left these shores to go to USA. A lot of Irish never forgot where they came from, and told their Children, and their Childrens children..
Still so many around the world that still speak Gaeilge, passed down by generations, and we as a country can barely do it.. :eek::o

Well said, we're such an ignorant nation. The Americans are so proud of their country but they never forget where their people came from in a world with so many distractions I think that's commendable myself.

Statistician · 10-11-2011 12:05PM

What makes someone Irish?

1. Where they were born?
2. What passport they hold?
3. Where their parents are from?
4. What accent they have?
5. How long they have lived in Ireland?

StephenHendry · 10-11-2011 12:06PM

ray houghtons dad is from donegal , so he could he had the choice to play for either scotland or us. i would class him as irish, andy townsend and john aldridge had parents,grand parents who were irish. barack obama , we regard him as irish in that his ancestors were traced back to moneygall

MrStuffins · 10-11-2011 12:06PM

Tiocfaidh Armani wrote: »

I just inform people when Americans say they're Irish, they're not saying they're Irish.

You might be able to see why this is confusing though, no?

Tiocfaidh Armani · 10-11-2011 12:08PM

MrStuffins wrote: »

You might be able to see why this is confusing though, no?

No not really with anybody with half a brain and who has been to America.

People saying they are Irish - when they clearly aren't!

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