Why did all the Italians come here and set up Chippers?

Augmerson · 15-05-2012 11:17PM #1

F'king serious. Why would Italians come to Ireland? Isn't it always warm and sunny there? Maybe they knew we like fried foods. Cheeseburgers ftw. Ah no seriously. It seemed in the 1950s and onwards lots of Italians people moved to Ireland and ended up setting up takeaways and restaurants.

If you compare immigration in Ireland to other European nations, we haven't really had many peoples come here prior to the 19th and 20th centuries. We had French Huguenot's and European Jews plus all the many people of Scotland, Wales & England.

People from Eastern Europe and Africa came when Ireland was a more prosperous place. What made the Italians want to come back in the 1950s or around that time? Was it because we were a Catholic nation too? Were things worse in Italy?

It'd make you think.

****in' love a Cheeseburger now though.

Pushtrak · 15-05-2012 11:19PM

I'm not sure there are that many coming over here. Link to something backing that up? Supposing they are, guess they just like to rome around.

Gee Bag · 15-05-2012 11:20PM

A good question, and furthermore why the fcuk did they forget everything about Italian cuisine when they got here?

3hn2givr7mx1sc · 15-05-2012 11:20PM

My local Italian chippers is run by Bulgarians.

mikemac1 · 15-05-2012 11:20PM

The Italians may be good but they'll never beat McDonaghs in Galway

facemelter · 15-05-2012 11:20PM

Cause they make a fortune selling crap food that they buy in bulk, for the same prices are gourmet restaurants in Italy.

plasmaguy · 15-05-2012 11:21PM

Because they are good at making food fast??

The Irish, it had to be a big sit down meal and it would take hours for the spuds to boil, etc.

Not good when you are hungry on a night out, hence the reason the Italians came along!

Gee Bag · 15-05-2012 11:21PM

Pushtrak wrote: »

I'm not sure there are that many coming over here. Link to something backing that up? Supposing they are, guess they just like to rome around.

Here ya go!

http://www.itica.ie/

Augmerson · 15-05-2012 11:22PM

Pushtrak wrote: »

I'm not sure there are that many coming over here. Link to something backing that up? Supposing they are, guess they just like to rome around.

Are there not loads of Italian chippers where you live in Limerick?

mikemac1 · 15-05-2012 11:24PM

TG4 did a documentary a few years back called Chippers

I had a look around but I can't see it uploaded anywhere
Would have answered much of your questions OP

Crann na Beatha · 15-05-2012 11:27PM

This post has been deleted.

Augmerson · 15-05-2012 11:27PM

mikemac1 wrote: »

TG4 did a documentary a few years back called Chippers

I had a look around but I can't see it uploaded anywhere
Would have answered much of your questions OP

Thanks for the info, I'll try and find that.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 15-05-2012 11:28PM

one of the best chippers i've been to is run by asians.. probably chinese, but I never asked.
amazeballs burgers and excellent chips
hungry now

Fbjm · 15-05-2012 11:29PM

Pushtrak wrote: »

I'm not sure there are that many coming over here. Link to something backing that up? Supposing they are, guess they just like to rome around.

Sure they're just milan about over here aren't they :pac:

mikemac1 · 15-05-2012 11:30PM

Augmerson wrote: »

Thanks for the info, I'll try and find that.

Some good info here
http://italish.blogspot.com/2011/01/chippers.html

The links for TG4 at the bottom don't work unfortunately

Seems all the main families came from one small area of Italy
Now they are some of the biggest commercial property owners around, they've done well for themselves

Pushtrak · 15-05-2012 11:30PM

Augmerson wrote: »

Are there not loads of Italian chippers where you live in Limerick?

My question wasn't how many chippers are there. It was responding to the point as stated in the OP that tries to indicate there is mass immigration from Italy here. I'm still dubious of that particular claim.

St.Spodo · 15-05-2012 11:30PM

Italians have a long history of emigration, largely down to the slow progression of the economy and the high birthrates. Emigration cooled after the boom in the 60s.

3hn2givr7mx1sc · 15-05-2012 11:32PM

Aquila wrote: »

Which chipper?

Mario's in Mountrath. Possible that they're Romanian either.

golden lane · 15-05-2012 11:32PM

Augmerson wrote: »

F'king serious. Why would Italians come to Ireland? Isn't it always warm and sunny there? Maybe they knew we like fried foods. Cheeseburgers ftw. Ah no seriously. It seemed in the 1950s and onwards lots of Italians people moved to Ireland and ended up setting up takeaways and restaurants.

If you compare immigration in Ireland to other European nations, we haven't really had many peoples come here prior to the 19th and 20th centuries. We had French Huguenot's and European Jews plus all the many people of Scotland, Wales & England.

People from Eastern Europe and Africa came when Ireland was a more prosperous place. What made the Italians want to come back in the 1950s or around that time? Was it because we were a Catholic nation too? Were things worse in Italy?

It'd make you think.

****in' love a Cheeseburger now though.

look at the 1901/1911 census......lots of italians in dublin.........and a pizza hut in glencree.

philstar · 15-05-2012 11:33PM

baz2009 wrote: »

My local Italian chippers is run by Bulgarians.

who pretend to be italians

mikemac1 · 15-05-2012 11:33PM

Pushtrak wrote: »

It was responding to the point as stated in the OP that tries to indicate there is mass immigration from Italy here. I'm still dubious of that particular claim.

It's just a few hundred people and most of that was decades ago, 1950's

aligator_am · 15-05-2012 11:34PM

I'm sure I read an article about this before, it was something along the lines that a single Italian family (no pun intended) started off in Yorkshire selling chips from a wheelbarrow or some crazy stuff, was so popular that they expanded and in then wandered over here.

Little did they know of the Irish people's inherent love of batter, and not of the booze kind

true · 15-05-2012 11:35PM

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

one of the best chippers i've been to is run by asians.. probably chinese, but I never asked.
amazeballs burgers and excellent chips

that reminds me - where are all the f***ng cats gone?

mackeire · 15-05-2012 11:37PM

Maybe the italians realised that they could come over here and sell fried potatos to drunk irish people and make a fortune off of it!

Pushtrak · 15-05-2012 11:38PM

mikemac1 wrote: »

It's just a few hundred people and most of that was decades ago, 1950's

Yeah, that probably about sums up the situation. Was browsing the CSO site for info on the subject, but trying to parse through loads of census data for this.. Eh, my not knowing specifics is something I can live with.

Lionel Messy · 15-05-2012 11:38PM

I don't care how they got here, i'm just glad they are here. Get a bag of chips in the UK and it's nothing like here. Long live the eye-talians!

Kamjana · 15-05-2012 11:39PM

The history of the Irish Italian community goes back to origins when Italians arrived in Ireland in the 1880’s. All members of this community come from the villages in Val Di Comino in Southern Italy. These families bore the names well-known at the local chipper today. The Irish Traditional Italian Chipper Association was formed to celebrate the unique identity of the traditional Italian chippers in Ireland and to mark the contribution we have made to the community.
All ITICA outlets are owned by Irish Italians who are as proud of their heritage as they are committed to preserving the hard earned reputation for serving the best fast food in Ireland.

Theres your answer.

birchtree · 15-05-2012 11:40PM

knowing the resistance of irish people to try out new foods, italians did amazing job! i guess the key was they served chips!

Crann na Beatha · 15-05-2012 11:43PM

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patrickbrophy18 · 15-05-2012 11:44PM

One word? Demand!

P. Borza do an amazing 1/4 Pounder with Cheese Meal!:D

bob50 · 15-05-2012 11:44PM

And the best part of this story..... The Italians wouldn't ever eat the food they serve in the chipper

Why did all the Italians come here and set up Chippers?

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