Am I Irish?

whydoibother? · 01-12-2011 01:13AM

Is anybody 100% Irish? Does perfectly match the stereotypes of their nationality? There are things I love about Ireland - the lack of pretentiousness, the fairly flat class structure, the national sense of humour, but at the same time there are things that Irish people do that make me want to slap them - talking bullsh$t occasionally and looking after their friends.

Sisko · 01-12-2011 01:37AM

Where were you born and raised? What accent do you have?

From your post it sounds as if I met you on the street I would deem you British.

entropi · 01-12-2011 01:38AM

steveod wrote: »

If not, can you explain why RTÉ the national television broadcaster insists on playing the Angelus at six o'clock if Catholicism is not in some way connected to Irishness?

And nobody in AH has decided to jump on this why?

OP, it's because RTE are dinosaurs...they're living in the past man! The angelus is usually switched off on my tv for that minute, then back to the news.

See...it's MADNESS in our house...banter central!!

oranbhoy67 · 01-12-2011 01:38AM

I was born & brought up in Scotland of Irish parents & was never allowed to forget i was Irish.. both from my parents -especially my mother- & from the natives who always found a way to let me know i was a "fenian" , "tarrier" or taig". badges which i soon learned to wear with pride. So i wont ask am i Irish cos i know i am, although im also proud of being a Glaswegian

,

Ive lived here now for 5 years & i find im more patriotic to Ireland than a lot more people of my age & younger that were born & bred here.. especially on boards.ie where you see that the new online generation seem to think of patriotism as a bad idea.... imo!

mbiking123 · 01-12-2011 01:45AM

A person living in Ireland who contributes to the country should be considered an Irish person if thats what they want

We ourselves are a mix of Celtic - Viking - Norman

The Normans came through England and Wales and mixed with former Roman and Saxon etc.

So we are a mixed bag, and with the arrival of immigrants in the last 10-20 years this has increased

And the red hair comes from the Vikings, so just cause you have ginger hair does not mean your 100% Irish (if that was possible).

So yes your Irish

pragmatic1 · 01-12-2011 01:59AM

Its like with Jews. They can be American Jews, British Jews, German Jews, etc. But they're still jews. Your loyalty lies more with your ethnicity than your nationality.

KeithAFC · 01-12-2011 02:27AM

whitesands wrote: »

No it's not, you don't believe all that religion shyte do you?!?

Yes it is. It is steeped in Irish culture and the majority of Irish people still follow the Catholic faith.

Lash_Alert · 01-12-2011 02:39AM

Im actually shocked people are so mixed over this. The op is born and raised in England, hence they are English. The rest doesnt matter, so stop muddying things up.

Born in Ireland = Irish
Born in England = English.

Done.

oranbhoy67 · 01-12-2011 02:57AM

Lash_Alert wrote: »

Im actually shocked people are so mixed over this. The op is born and raised in England, hence they are English. The rest doesnt matter, so stop muddying things up.

Born in Ireland = Irish
Born in England = English.

Done.

So Phill Lynott was English as was Paul McGrath?? Cliff Richard is Indian, as is Joanna Lumley??? - theres tons more celebrity comparisons but thats all i can think off & im sure you get my drift!

LH Pathe · 01-12-2011 03:03AM

irisheyes69

purplepanda · 01-12-2011 03:12AM

Lash_Alert wrote: »

Im actually shocked people are so mixed over this. The op is born and raised in England, hence they are English. The rest doesnt matter, so stop muddying things up.

Born in Ireland = Irish
Born in England = English.

Done.

I have 2 sets of 3 cousins who didn't move to Ireland until the oldest was 14, both sets have a younger brother born in Ireland, so are they still English, even though one has a Irish degree & is a schoolteacher in the Gaelteacht west of Dingle Bay, all have Irish accents although with a very slight Brummie twinge left!!!!

Meanwhile my English stepmother has always said you have to be of English extraction going back generations to be "English" A common enough viewpoint of her age group which nowadays would be very un PC.

I also know an English lad born in Galway of English parents, who often speaks Gaelic to a Scots Highland girl. He insists he is English because that is his family background & heritage. Going to school in Ireland didn't seem to make him Irish!!

Pretty_Pistol · 01-12-2011 03:31AM

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

So Phill Lynott was English as was Paul McGrath?? Cliff Richard is Indian, as is Joanna Lumley??? - theres tons more celebrity comparisons but thats all i can think off & im sure you get my drift!

I think it really depends on the person. The Edge and Adam Clayton were both born in England. Even before I knew where Adam was born he never seemed like he was Irish to me for some reason.

LH Pathe · 01-12-2011 03:48AM

My Irish born aunt is more English than adam and the edge

why? because are ultimately shaped by who / what / we can recall being in the vicinity of. now who remembers being in the vicinity of the vaginal duct, as a baba. Come out a little gee-zer did you, nope..

Lash_Alert · 01-12-2011 03:50AM

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

Lash_Alert wrote: »

Im actually shocked people are so mixed over this. The op is born and raised in England, hence they are English. The rest doesnt matter, so stop muddying things up.

Born in Ireland = Irish
Born in England = English.

Done.

So Phill Lynott was English as was Paul McGrath?? Cliff Richard is Indian, as is Joanna Lumley??? - theres tons more celebrity comparisons but thats all i can think off & im sure you get my drift!

Phil lynott? Yes he's English, butyou knew that as you told me he wad born in England. Don't know others situations

purplepanda wrote: »

Lash_Alert wrote: »

Im actually shocked people are so mixed over this. The op is born and raised in England, hence they are English. The rest doesnt matter, so stop muddying things up.

Born in Ireland = Irish
Born in England = English.

Done.

I have 2 sets of 3 cousins who didn't move to Ireland until the oldest was 14, both sets have a younger brother born in Ireland, so are they still English, even though one has a Irish degree & is a schoolteacher in the Gaelteacht west of Dingle Bay, all have Irish accents although with a very slight Brummie twinge left!!!!

Meanwhile my English stepmother has always said you have to be of English extraction going back generations to be "English" A common enough viewpoint of her age group which nowadays would be very un PC.

I also know an English lad born in Galway of English parents, who often speaks Gaelic to a Scots Highland girl. He insists he is English because that is his family background & heritage. Going to school in Ireland didn't seem to make him Irish!!

Contrary to your understanding of how ones nationality is defined, college degree and occupation don't actually determine ones nationality. Also the guy born in Galway is Irish, him saying or believing something else just says he's think.nothing more.

LH Pathe wrote: »

My Irish born aunt is more English than adam and the edge

why? because are ultimately shaped by who / what / we can recall being in the vicinity of. now who remembers being in the vicinity of the vaginal duct, as a baba. Come out a little gee-zer did you, nope..

No she's not.she's more Irish than them, because she was actually born in Ireland. People are certainly shaped by many things, but nationality sadly is out of ones hands

challengemaster · 01-12-2011 03:56AM

If I was raised by wolves does that make me a wolf? :pac:

Lash_Alert · 01-12-2011 04:05AM

challengemaster wrote: »

If I was raised by wolves does that make me a wolf? :pac:

No. it makes u an orphan. But if you were born in Ireland, but moved to China when your 15, no matter how good you become at making Chinese food, it doesn't make you Chinese. It just means you an Irish person living in china.

oranbhoy67 · 01-12-2011 04:17AM

Lash_Alert wrote: »

No. it makes u an orphan. But if you were born in Ireland, but moved to China when your 15, no matter how good you become at making Chinese food, it doesn't make you Chinese. It just means you an Irish person living in china.

What if you had chinese parents though?

You are over simplyfing it, and as with many things ones race and nationality cannot be over simplified no matter how much youd like to put labels on other people,, Phil Lynott most certainly wasnt English nor is Paul McGrath.. in cases like theirs, and mines, and many others you can pick which nationality you declare yourself to be, or have dual nationality if you so wish.. as is the case with the OP.

sandmanporto · 01-12-2011 04:19AM

steveod wrote: »

I was born in the UK to an Irish Father and an English Mother, who happened to be half German.

I grew up a Catholic and went to catholic school and all of my friends, without exception, are of Irish decent, many of whom refer to Ireland as "home" in spite on never living there.

Unconciously, my indentity was heavily influenced by the Irish culture, and eventually I married a "real" Irish person from Cork and I now live in Ireland albeit for 5 years, which only represents an eighth of my entire life.

I never read Peig at school but I now speak the Irish language better than most Irish people. I have an Irish passport, but I do not know the words to the National Anthem (yet). I have an Irish name, but I do not look Irish.

I don't feel Irish, but I don't feel English. But I've never felt anything other than the way that I feel, so I don't really have any reference points.

Am I Irish? Or to put it another way...an Eirinneach me?

no you are wanting attention.

LH Pathe · 01-12-2011 04:19AM

To cut a long story short op

are you Irish?

no you aren't.

.. crazy german tourists. windmill studio is zat vay >

randylonghorn · 01-12-2011 04:24AM

challengemaster wrote: »

If I was raised by wolves does that make me a wolf? :pac:

It would explain certain things about you, tbh! :cool:

sandmanporto · 01-12-2011 04:26AM

LH Pathe wrote: »

To cut a long story short op

are you Irish?

no you aren't.

.. crazy german tourists. windmill studio is zat vay >

dont insult germans after all they are powerful enough to own ireland right now. oh yeah being irish isn't great. have respect for the poster

Pretty_Pistol · 01-12-2011 04:28AM

LH Pathe wrote: »

My Irish born aunt is more English than adam and the edge

why? because are ultimately shaped by who / what / we can recall being in the vicinity of. now who remembers being in the vicinity of the vaginal duct, as a baba. Come out a little gee-zer did you, nope..

Considering Adam did spend a few years of his life in England and had what seems like very English parents that shaping of a person you're speaking of is very likely why he doesn't seem Irish.

Glassheart · 01-12-2011 04:43AM

KeithAFC wrote: »

Yes it is. It is steeped in Irish culture and the majority of Irish people still follow the Catholic faith.

No.
Your 'culture' is steeped in religion.We have literature,music,dance & art that is unique to Ireland and has no requirement to be hinged to Catholicism.You've got an annual march in honour of a Dutch dwarf and a spot of sectarian flag burning.
Loyalists often make the mistake of thinking that we are their direct opposite.

KeithAFC · 01-12-2011 05:37AM

Glassheart wrote: »

No.
Your 'culture' is steeped in religion.We have literature,music,dance & art that is unique to Ireland and has no requirement to be hinged to Catholicism.You've got an annual march in honour of a Dutch dwarf and a spot of sectarian flag burning.
Loyalists often make the mistake of thinking that we are their direct opposite.

Ignoring the nonsense in that post, to deny that Catholicism isn't part of Irish culture is just nonsense. There is many symbols within in Irish culture which has Catholicism tones to it.

LH Pathe · 01-12-2011 05:45AM

Keith, Keith, the nordie spide, his irishness he tries to hide, tries to act all proud but he dyin inside in Keith, Keith! You can confide.

Here's to Keith.. and his culture.

G S R · 01-12-2011 05:57AM

steveod wrote: »

I was born in the UK to an Irish Father and an English Mother, who happened to be half German.

I grew up a Catholic and went to catholic school and all of my friends, without exception, are of Irish decent, many of whom refer to Ireland as "home" in spite on never living there.

Unconciously, my indentity was heavily influenced by the Irish culture, and eventually I married a "real" Irish person from Cork and I now live in Ireland albeit for 5 years, which only represents an eighth of my entire life.

I never read Peig at school but I now speak the Irish language better than most Irish people. I have an Irish passport, but I do not know the words to the National Anthem (yet). I have an Irish name, but I do not look Irish.

I don't feel Irish, but I don't feel English. But I've never felt anything other than the way that I feel, so I don't really have any reference points.

Am I Irish? Or to put it another way...an Eirinneach me?

Is there any chance that you could be good enough to play soccer for Ireland? Are you a better player than Paul McShane?

If so, we'll claim you anyway. If Tony Cascarino can play for Ireland without a bit of Irish in him, I'm sure you'll suffice

The Scientician · 01-12-2011 06:45AM

If you feel Irish, and want to be Irish, then have at it, you're Irish.

born2bwild · 01-12-2011 06:51AM

I'm not Catholic. I don't play or watch GAA. I don't speak Irish. My political beliefs are on the extreme left.

I have an Irish passport but I suppose what I am is a working class/lower middle class (depending on how you understand these things) Dub.

Junco Partner · 01-12-2011 07:01AM

OP, you should read "McCarthy's Bar" by Pete McCarthy. Might help you with your identity crisis. Half-Irish English author with similar circumstance's to you travels through Ireland trying to find where he belongs. Good read.

born2bwild · 01-12-2011 07:02AM

Ciaran0 wrote: »

The whole idea of nationality is just a concept really and to be honest it's a bit silly. Does it really matter where you come from? I'm Irish and I love being from Ireland but on a baser level does being Irish actually mean anything? National identity and pride only cause disagreement and strife. Where you come from shouldn't define you. Define yourself.

WW1, WW2, Sarejevo, Darfur, Omagh, Enniskillen, the West Bank.....etc etc etc.

Far more than a bit silly.

Your comment "Where you come from shouldn't define you. Define yourself" should close this thread.

Am I Irish?

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