Confused About My Nationality (Irish or English?)

SharpshooterTom · 01-07-2012 06:12PM #1

Is anyone else confused as to what their nationality is?? Ok a little life summary:

I was born in England (Wallingford in Oxfordshire) to Irish parents
I moved to Harrow, London at the age of 1
Moved to Ipswich at the age of 6
Moved Omagh, Northern Ireland at the age 14

I admit I was a proud plastic paddy, I was brought up to support Ireland during the "Jack Charlton" days during 90s. My parents encouraged me to, bought me Ireland tops etc and never really supported England.

A lot of my childhood friends in England also considered me Irish and stated that I couldn't be English. A lot of my friends fathers used to be in the British army/former paratroopers/SAS members and held quite anti Irish views, some serving in Northern Ireland. One father refused to let me into his house because I wore a Republic of Ireland shirt.

I don't think I could ever call myself English/British, because I believe a lot English I grew up with wouldn't allow me too and see me blatantly as nothing else other than Irish. I appreciate a lot of blacks and asians who proudly call themeselves English/British, passing the Tebbit test which I didn't, but I have this paranoia and suspicion a lot of English people would call me Irish again if I went there etc. Theres this underlying feeling that if you're not White Anglo Saxon Protestant (WASP) you can't be English. Now I dont think like but believe secretly a large percentage of the population do in my daft paranoid brain.

I moved to Northern Ireland at age 14 Im nearly 26 now and still speak with an English accent. I got called "English bastard" etc when I came here, ridiculed everytime England did badly in sport (even though I said I didn't support England). Even because of the religious situation here everyone thought I was a protestant (even though my parents are catholics). So I lost my sense of Irishness obviously a bit as I'm a "blow in" lol. I don't really support Ireland as much, but still don't support England either as I don't/cannot see myself as English.

I've learned to come to accept I have no nationailty. I've moved around too much and have kinda been rejected by both countries. I love football, but can't support anyone at euro 2012, only for fun or for players of countries I like. Its like this for every sport.

I hold both British and Irish passports (and a Canadian one too shortly!).

Are there any other messed up 3rd culture kids who have grown up all over the place, parents from different places etc? Theres a good chance I'll be living in Ireland for the rest of my life anyway. Anyone?

FishBowel · 01-07-2012 06:13PM

You're Northern Irish.

drunkmonkey · 01-07-2012 06:13PM

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

I was born in England

You'd be English then.

amdublin · 01-07-2012 06:14PM

You're English

galwayrush · 01-07-2012 06:14PM

What do you want to be OP?

Diego Maradona · 01-07-2012 06:15PM

You're British

SharpshooterTom · 01-07-2012 06:15PM

drunkmonkey wrote: »

You'd be English then.

But I do not, cannot and will never feel it. I have no afinity due to my childhood experiances and upbringing.

If England played in a world cup final, I would probably cheer on the other team.

I don't mind people calling me English, but I hope they accept I will never cheer them on in any sport.

Sonics2k · 01-07-2012 06:16PM

Both.

Just declare one over the other if you want to.

I was born to Irish parents in London. Entire family is Irish and moved back to Ireland when I was 7 or so.
I've always considered myself Irish and use an Irish passport.

mattjack · 01-07-2012 06:17PM

Get yourself an Irish Wolfhound...if it likes you you're Irish, if not you're dogfood.

bwatson · 01-07-2012 06:18PM

You have already asked this question several times on a previous account

You live in a part of the world where you are free to make up your mind and identify yourself however you wish. Why do you need to (continuously) ask people this fairly personal question?

policarp · 01-07-2012 06:19PM

You probably have a british passport. . .

christmas2012 · 01-07-2012 06:20PM

An irish person tempered with a little english maybe..

Pedant · 01-07-2012 06:20PM

You're a rotten Fenian with one of those terrible NI accents.

01-07-2012 06:21PM

Possibly Canadian

im invisible · 01-07-2012 06:22PM

spitfireIRL · 01-07-2012 06:22PM

Sonics2k wrote: »

Both.

Just declare one over the other if you want to.

I was born to Irish parents in London. Entire family is Irish and moved back to Ireland when I was 7 or so.
I've always considered myself Irish and use an Irish passport.

same except i was ten when i moved over to Ireland. Irish through and through in my eyes..

SocSocPol · 01-07-2012 06:25PM

Your English, but entitled to an Irish Passport and citizenship.

Kiera · 01-07-2012 06:30PM

bwatson wrote: »

You have already asked this question several times on a previous account

You live in a part of the world where you are free to make up your mind and identify yourself however you wish. Why do you need to (continuously) ask people this fairly personal question?

Yeah I've read this thread before.

ringadingding · 01-07-2012 06:32PM

I'm half English, half Irish.
To annoy my English Mates I'm proud to be a paddy, to my Irish mates I'm proud to be a Brit.

It's more fun that way. Alot of pisstaking and messing.

Truth be told, I don't care, I'm not a patriotic kinda person.

HowAreWe · 01-07-2012 06:32PM

you're English in Ireland, in England you're Irish.

Enjoy your life as a reject until you become famous.

boom boom boom · 01-07-2012 06:34PM

your english, hard luck pal. now get off our bandwagon choo choo

ScumLord · 01-07-2012 06:34PM

You have to do a jedward on it and combine the two, your "Engrish".

mattjack · 01-07-2012 06:37PM

OP, thats nothing .. I've a Scottish grandparent and an English grandparent.. and mrsMattjack has Jewish ancestry and has mixed race blood ..

The Jewish/Scot mix makes my kids the meanest fcukers alive.

Martyn1989 · 01-07-2012 06:39PM

Op surely just keeps asking because he feels shuned by both Irish and English people and wants peoples opinions on the subject, alot of the shunning has happened around sporting events which wouldn't bother me. By those standards you could claim many normal Irish lads as out and out Mancunians etc.

Unofficially I would consider the OP Irish, born to Irish parents and brought up to be proud of his roots etc. He seems to identify himself as more Irish then English.

I wouldn't overthink it there was some lad from Wexford posting here a week or two ago saying all Dubliners were English and refering to Dublin as the Pale. That kind of thing just shows a lack of inteligence imo.

SharpshooterTom · 01-07-2012 06:47PM

bwatson wrote:

You have already asked this question several times on a previous account

Kiera wrote:

Yeah I've read this thread before.

I keep asking because my uncertainty of it all rises during patriotic feeling. So when Euro 2012 comes around I feel left out.

When I see all those Union Jacks around the golden jubliee I think yuck yuck yuck!

I see protestants in Northern Ireland wave their union jacks for the Queen in stormont I think yuck yuck yuck!

Put it this way I feel a protestant from Northern Ireland is 100 times more British than I am, as they would have grown appreciating British culture etc but thats just me.

Kiera · 01-07-2012 06:49PM

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

bwatson wrote:

You have already asked this question several times on a previous account

Kiera wrote:

Yeah I've read this thread before.

I keep asking because my uncertainty of it all rises during patriotic feeling. So when Euro 2012 comes around I feel left out.

When I see all those Union Jacks around the golden jubliee I think yuck yuck yuck!

I see protestants in Northern Ireland wave their union jacks for the Queen in stormont I think yuck yuck yuck!

Put it this way I feel a protestant from Northern Ireland is 100 times more British than I am, as they would have grown appreciating British culture etc but thats just me.

Well suck it up cause you're English.

SharpshooterTom · 01-07-2012 06:50PM

Kiera wrote: »

Well suck it up cause you're English.

I have no problem with people calling me English, but I don't feel it and thats just that. And no I wont suck it up, if I was a professional footballer I would reject a call up from England.

Kiera · 01-07-2012 06:53PM

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

Kiera wrote: »

Well suck it up cause you're English.

I have no problem with people calling me English, but I don't feel it and thats just that. And no I wont suck it up, if I was a professional footballer I would reject a call up from England.

Well you're not!

Stop asking the same question over and over in the hope someone will give you the reply you want. You're English. End of.

SharpshooterTom · 01-07-2012 06:54PM

Kiera wrote: »

Well you're not!

Stop asking the same question over and over in the hope someone will give you the reply you want. You're English. End of.

In your opinion.

Awww annoyed by my question? Hope it really bothers you. It looks like it does.

complicit · 01-07-2012 06:54PM

You are 100% irish it would seem. You are probably more irish than some of those that would call you english. A lot of boardsies aren't aware that irishness is an ethnicity handed down from parents to children

Sunnyisland · 01-07-2012 06:55PM

I want to be from the moon & live with the moonies.

Confused About My Nationality (Irish or English?)

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