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

13567

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  • #62
    LordSutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,076 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    Tiocfaidh Armani wrote: »
    America is pretty much a new country though compared to us, it's nation made up completely of descendants of immigrants (except a tiny minority) so it's not really the same, is it?

    I think my point in post#57 still stands though, why pick out the Irish ancestor from all others?


  • #63
    kupus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,151 ✭✭✭kupus


    Here is another way to look at it,
    a lot of these guys grow up in areas where there would be a lot of irish american families, they will go to the local catholic school they will mix in the same circle, they will associate themselves as Irish just as the guys like SNOOKI-monster will associate themselves being from Italy.

    you walk around yonkers new york you will see a lot of irish you walk around mission hill boston a lot of irish, around sunset san francisco a lot of irish, chicago southside, etc...


  • #64
    Irish Guitarist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,736 ✭✭✭Irish Guitarist


    One of my favourite Irish people is Jimi Hendrix.
    Jimi Hendrix’s mother Nora Moore was the daughter of a full-blooded Cherokee mother and an Irish father.


  • #65
    Tiocfaidh Armani
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,335 ✭✭✭Tiocfaidh Armani


    LordSutch wrote: »
    I think my point in post#57 still stands though, why pick out the Irish ancestor from all others?

    You're speaking in very broad terms there, they don't all just pick out their Irish ancestors though. When in the company of Irish people they'll advise of their Irish ancestery but that's because they're talking to an IRISH person.

    Think about it and get a grip!


  • #66
    Electric Sheep
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,113 ✭✭✭Electric Sheep


    LordSutch wrote: »
    I think my point in post#57 still stands though, why pick out the Irish ancestor from all others?

    Because they are talking to an Irish person. If they were talking to a guy from Italy, they would mention their Italian ancestor. It's just small talk.


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  • #67
    Tiocfaidh Armani
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,335 ✭✭✭Tiocfaidh Armani


    Electric Sheep wrote: »
    Because they are talking to an Irish person. If they were talking to a guy from Italy, they would mention their Italian ancestor. It's just small talk.

    Someone who talks sense. Finally;)


  • #68
    LordSutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,076 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    Electric Sheep wrote: »
    Because they are talking to an Irish person. If they were talking to a guy from Italy, they would mention their Italian ancestor. It's just small talk.

    My point exactly, its all just 'small talk' as you say.


  • #69
    Galtee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 577 ✭✭✭Galtee


    Electric Sheep wrote: »
    Because they are talking to an Irish person. If they were talking to a guy from Italy, they would mention their Italian ancestor. It's just small talk.

    You're spot on, people do it all the time, every day. You're great for spotting this. ;)
    Tiocfaidh Armani wrote: »
    Someone who talks sense. Finally;)

    Wow, brilliant post. You're great for posting this. Armani are my favourite jeans. ;)


  • #70
    Scanlas The 2nd
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,144 ✭✭✭Scanlas The 2nd


    Gazmantoo wrote: »
    I find it funny too that so many Americans call themselves Irish even though they've never been here...particularly their own president only stopped for a Guiness and is clearly of African decent!!! :D
    I was born in Wales and although I have lived in Ireland for 12 years I'll always call myself Welsh. We Welsh have that anti-English banter too but we don't really mean it and in fact, the one of my female friends that I love and respect the most happens to be English and lives near London.
    Here's another point though. A distant relative of mine recently managed to trace our family line back all the way to William The Conqueror, who of course invaded England in 1066 but hailed from France. So as I am the Great Grandson of William the Conquer 33 times removed, does that actually make me French!?...Sacre bleu, I hope not! :eek:
    Wait there must be a way out of this, I'm sure he must have had an ancestor somewhere who hailed from Bavaria...tha'll do me!, as soon as I can find the link I'll be returning to my homeland of Bavaria to stake a claim as heir to the throne and all it's lavish trappings...:)

    You don't really know that you descendant of William the Conqueror, along the way somewhere numerous women cheated and got pregnant by other men than the one who was supposed to be the Father.


  • #71
    Dotrel
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,980 ✭✭✭Dotrel


    StephenHendry wrote: »
    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.

    Houghton had the choice of guaranteed play for Ireland or the choice of waiting around for Scotland to maybe one day pick him , which was becoming increasingly unlikely with each passing season. Same with Aldridge. They played their best when they were with Ireland but don't for a second think they wouldn't have both chosen their countries of birth first if all things were equal.

    Andy Townsend by comparison is a straight out mercenary who still refers to England as "we". IIRC from his biog when Ireland played England in 1988 Townsend was in a pub somewhere in Spain cheering his native land. His best friend is Tony Cascascarino ffs. They practically invented the plastic paddy routine.


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  • #72
    Irish Guitarist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,736 ✭✭✭Irish Guitarist


    Gazmantoo wrote: »
    I find it funny too that so many Americans call themselves Irish even though they've never been here...particularly their own president only stopped for a Guiness and is clearly of African decent!!! :D
    You do realise his mother is white?

    Speaking of which, being 'African' seems to supersede everything else in America. If you're white you can claim to be any number of nationalities, but if you're black you're stuck being labelled as 'African American'.


  • #73
    old hippy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,441 ✭✭✭old hippy


    Irish Guitarist wrote: »
    You do realise his mother is white?

    Speaking of which, being 'African' seems to supersede everything else in America. If you're white you can claim to be any number of nationalities, but if you're black you're stuck being labelled as 'African American'.

    I was born and raised in Ireland to an Irish father and American mother. My father's ancestors came from Scotland & mother's from Ireland. I have Italian American cousins, an Irish/"African American" cousin. Her mom calls her "bi-racial" which is a term I've not heard before - I'm used to hearing "mixed race" although I still here (from stubborn people) that dreadful term "half caste".

    I know I'm Irish but I do remember being told as a kid that I wasn't really Irish because my mom is American :(


  • #74
    Shivers26
    Closed Accounts Posts: 639 ✭✭✭Shivers26


    I've only been to America once but I found it so sweet the way they get all excited about Ireland and Irish people. They make you feel really welcome.
    Yes they do tend to waffle on about some obscure Irish relative but so what, its no harm. One lady who worked in a museum chatted to us at length about her trip to Ireland and all the places she visited. I hadn't been to half of them, it was a bit embarassing.


  • #75
    ronan45
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,584 ✭✭✭ronan45


    Sitting at a bar in Toronto, get talking to the lounge girl. She tells me that the manager is Irish. I get introduced .... transpires he has never been to europe never mind Ireland and his name is Etienne.....:confused:

    Again in a bar in NYC, got talking to a a total yank. My mams mam was from Doonshaughlan....
    Then went on to say things such as "The great thing about being Irish is everyone loves us" :rolleyes:


  • #76
    Galtee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 577 ✭✭✭Galtee


    ronan45 wrote: »
    Sitting at a bar in Toronto, get talking to the lounge girl. She tells me that the manager is Irish. I get introduced to said Muppet.... transpires he has never been to europe never mind Ireland and his name is Etienne.....:confused:

    Again in a bar in NYC, got talking to a a total yank. My mams mam was from Doonshaughlan....
    Then went on to say things such as "The great thing about being Irish is everyone loves us" :rolleyes:

    Twats

    If this is all you have bothering you going through life you'll be doing well. :rolleyes:


  • #77
    old hippy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,441 ✭✭✭old hippy


    ronan45 wrote: »
    Sitting at a bar in Toronto, get talking to the lounge girl. She tells me that the manager is Irish. I get introduced to said Muppet.... transpires he has never been to europe never mind Ireland and his name is Etienne.....:confused:

    Again in a bar in NYC, got talking to a a total yank. My mams mam was from Doonshaughlan....
    Then went on to say things such as "The great thing about being Irish is everyone loves us" :rolleyes:

    Twats

    You must be real fun to vaccation with


  • #78
    Snakeblood
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,466 ✭✭✭Snakeblood


    old hippy wrote: »
    I was born and raised in Ireland to an Irish father and American mother. My father's ancestors came from Scotland & mother's from Ireland. I have Italian American cousins, an Irish/"African American" cousin. Her mom calls her "bi-racial" which is a term I've not heard before - I'm used to hearing "mixed race" although I still here (from stubborn people) that dreadful term "half caste".

    I know I'm Irish but I do remember being told as a kid that I wasn't really Irish because my mom is American :(

    You're Irish to me, old hippy. :cool:


  • #79
    old hippy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,441 ✭✭✭old hippy


    Snakeblood wrote: »
    You're Irish to me, old hippy. :cool:

    I love you, man :D


  • #80
    castletownman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,277 ✭✭✭✭castletownman


    That Obama lad definitely isn't Irish like! Look at the cut of him


  • #81
    old hippy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,441 ✭✭✭old hippy


    castletownman wrote: »
    That Obama lad definitely isn't Irish like! Look at the cut of him

    Don't get it. Are you saying black or mixed race people can't be Irish?


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  • #82
    sensibleken
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,650 ✭✭✭sensibleken


    Irish Guitarist wrote: »
    You do realise his mother is white?

    Speaking of which, being 'African' seems to supersede everything else in America. If you're white you can claim to be any number of nationalities, but if you're black you're stuck being labelled as 'African American'.

    Most likely due to the fact that the countries in Africa were a product of colonialism that did not exist within their current borders at the time of their ancestors abduction.


  • #83
    castletownman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,277 ✭✭✭✭castletownman


    old hippy wrote: »
    Don't get it. Are you saying black or mixed race people can't be Irish?


    Or maybe I was being sarcastic? Jeez....


  • #84
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Well it sure beats the hell out of spa's over here calling each other Manc scum and Scouse b*stards when two English football teams are playing each other. That whole 'we' and 'us' identity crises makes me cringe.


  • #85
    sh1tstirrer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,489 ✭✭✭sh1tstirrer


    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!
    If you checked back over the centuries I bet you would find that most Irish people are of European decent. Ireland was once covered in trees with wolves and brown bears roaming the land.


  • #86
    Doc Ruby
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,956 ✭✭✭Doc Ruby


    sh1tstirrer wrote: »
    If you checked back over the centuries I bet you would find that most Irish people are of European decent. Ireland was once covered in trees with wolves and brown bears roaming the land.
    Apparently not so much...
    [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Men with Gaelic surnames coming from the west of Ireland are descendants of the oldest inhabitants of Europe. In a recent study, scientists at Trinity College, Dublin, created a new genetic map of the people of Ireland. By comparing this map to European genetic maps they have shown that the Irish are one of the last remnants of the pre-Neolithic hunters and gatherers who were living throughout Europe over 10,000 years ago, before the invention of agriculture. The Irish really ARE different. [/FONT]

    Of course now someone will come along saying we're all inbreeds, which is also wrong, although I can't find the article at the minute. Lowest intrasanguination (?word) levels in Europe as it turns out.


  • #87
    Ellis Dee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,512 ✭✭✭Ellis Dee


    C'mon, shouldn't we be flattered that people all over the world want to be associated with us, part of our bigger family?:D

    Barak Obama is 1/32nd Irish, that's about 3% - and in my book better than 100% of some other nationalities.;);)


  • #88
    old hippy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,441 ✭✭✭old hippy


    castletownman wrote: »
    Or maybe I was being sarcastic? Jeez....

    Fair enough, hard to tell here sometimes!


  • #89
    Gingko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 532 ✭✭✭Gingko


    castletownman wrote: »
    Or maybe I was being sarcastic? Jeez....

    Sarcasm doesn't look good in print? Try putting in a smilie after? :D


  • #90
    Ellis Dee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,512 ✭✭✭Ellis Dee


    sh1tstirrer wrote: »
    If you checked back over the centuries I bet you would find that most Irish people are of European decent. Ireland was once covered in trees with wolves and brown bears roaming the land.

    And some of those brown bears eventually turned white and spread throughout the Arctic region. Recent DNA-based studies have shown pretty conclusively that ALL of the polar bears in the world today are descended from Irish ancestors.:):)

    http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/332192/title/DNA_hints_at_polar_bears%E2%80%99_Irish_ancestry___


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  • #91
    Lustrum
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 760 ✭✭✭Lustrum


    I was actually in a boozer up in the Arctic Circle there recently and the lounge girl told me the manager was Irish, out comes this polar bear waffling on about the old country and how his great-grand-polar bear was from Dooonshaughlin.....what a tosser :D (smiley inserted to indicate rediculously obvious sarcasm)


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