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Brits claim Donegal, Southern Irish told to lump it

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  • 29-11-2017 11:46am
    #1
    riffmongous
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,632 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    https://twitter.com/channel4news/status/935599685611515904

    This video is doing the rounds at the moment, aside from the hilarious 53rd Parallel border it's hard to know what to make of it. Is it a shocking indictment of the British school system, or the ignorance of the youth of today? And before you say it, it's their national border too, comparisons to the England/Wales or England/Scotland borders that I've read elsewhere are bull****. Now I'd have my doubts about how many Irish people could correctly draw the interior of the border but at least everyone would know Donegal.

    The old bag at the end of the video is also a good example of the ignorance and hostility from the older generations that's been rearing it's ugly head more and more the last weeks


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    #2
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    I'm not sure it's indicative of anything specific about the UK, but more about the nature of memory. If information is not continuously reinforced, it gets lost from memory.

    At one time in primary school I could recall the names and locations of all of the major mountain ranges and rivers in Ireland. Not any more. Maybe 3/4 rivers, maybe 1 or 2 mountain ranges.

    Ask me to point out Leitrim, Carlow or Roscommon on a map and I'll probably get it wrong. Ask me to locate any of the islands and I'll definitely get it wrong.

    Likewise, ask someone on mainland UK to draw the border of Northern Ireland, and they'll get it wrong. All it's indicative of is the fact that Northern Ireland has very little relevance to the lives of most of the UK, so they recall very little about it.


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    #3
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    The Brits might try claiming on us on a map, but at least they don't claim our threads :p


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    #4
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,859 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    I remember seeing a similar video a few years back about Americans who couldn't pick out Iraq on a map. They were all convinced to bomb Australia instead. :pac:

    The thing is that the video probably only includes the most hilarious/shocking/ridiculous responses. It's all about generating attention. I wouldn't take it too seriously.


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    #5
    Gatling
    Registered Users Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


    But do we honestly need Donegal
    360_F_102352090_ie3kLjDIvgrT1sxVDknWCUh8PxgMYzM7.jpg




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    #6
    donegaLroad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭donegaLroad


    The Irish border issue means little or nothing to the British public, with regard to Brexit and all that goes with it. How they will be affected financially is their main concern.


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    #7
    Manach
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,676 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manach


    Gatling wrote: »
    But do we honestly need Donegal

    Wee Daniel O'Donnel is a national treasure.


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    #8
    corner of hells
    Registered Users Posts: 8,363 ✭✭✭corner of hells


    Gatling wrote: »
    But do we honestly need Donegal



    Cavan and Leitrim too.


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    #9
    OldMrBrennan83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


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    #10
    riffmongous
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,632 Mod ✭✭✭✭riffmongous


    Gatling wrote: »
    But do we honestly need Donegal

    And with that video, a mighty cheer went up from the people of Southern Ireland, for they had banished that awful Donegal forever.. because it was haunted. Now let's all celebrate with a cool refreshing glass of potatoe juice


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    #11
    gordongekko
    Registered Users Posts: 5,301 ✭✭✭gordongekko


    We should throw in leitrim as well


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    #12
    donegaLroad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭donegaLroad


    Patww79 wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    but you cant do that when houses in Castleblaney are commuting distance to Dublin


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    #13
    Varik
    Registered Users Posts: 12,503 ✭✭✭✭Varik


    Stupid to compare knowing this to Americans knowing where Iraq is, it the UK own border.
    Manach wrote: »
    Gatling wrote: »
    But do we honestly need Donegal

    Wee Daniel O'Donnel is a national treasure.

    Doesn't he live in Wicklow.


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    #14
    c_man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,436 ✭✭✭c_man


    I live in England. Never mind the border, the confusion over the actual status of things is shocking.

    Workmate is planning a mini-break to Belfast with his missus, was telling me how he was dreading the Euro exchange rate... After the Brexit ref, I was asked how Galway voted. A big Labour head kinda-friend was giving out loads the other night about how Leo V was wasting tax payers money by not forming a government with the DUP. And how he should take his seat in Westminster. So much wrong there.

    I know, I know, every country has such people. But if you take 10 Irish and 10 Brits, we'll know far, far more about them than the other way round.


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    #15
    wally79
    Registered Users Posts: 2,933 ✭✭✭wally79


    The British media do use Northern Ireland and Ulster interchangeably so who can blame them for not knowing


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    #16
    whisky_galore
    Registered Users Posts: 15,854 ✭✭✭✭whisky_galore


    They're the general public ffs, not Geography teachers.


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    #17
    riffmongous
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,632 Mod ✭✭✭✭riffmongous


    whisky_galore wrote: »
    They're the general public ffs, not Geography teachers.

    Yeah, what business does the common person have knowing their national border


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    #18
    donegaLroad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭donegaLroad


    c_man wrote: »
    I live in England. Never mind the border, the confusion over the actual status of things is shocking.

    Workmate is planning a mini-break to Belfast with his missus, was telling me how he was dreading the Euro exchange rate... After the Brexit ref, I was asked how Galway voted. A big Labour head kinda-friend was giving out loads the other night about how Leo V was wasting tax payers money by not forming a government with the DUP. And how he should take his seat in Westminster. So much wrong there.

    I know, I know, every country has such people. But if you take 10 Irish and 10 Brits, we'll know far, far more about them than the other way round.

    Some of the Polish people who live here have a much better knowledge of Ireland and Northern Ireland, than a large amount of British people.


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    #19
    riffmongous
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,632 Mod ✭✭✭✭riffmongous


    seamus wrote: »
    I'm not sure it's indicative of anything specific about the UK, but more about the nature of memory. If information is not continuously reinforced, it gets lost from memory.

    At one time in primary school I could recall the names and locations of all of the major mountain ranges and rivers in Ireland. Not any more. Maybe 3/4 rivers, maybe 1 or 2 mountain ranges.

    Ask me to point out Leitrim, Carlow or Roscommon on a map and I'll probably get it wrong. Ask me to locate any of the islands and I'll definitely get it wrong.

    Likewise, ask someone on mainland UK to draw the border of Northern Ireland, and they'll get it wrong. All it's indicative of is the fact that Northern Ireland has very little relevance to the lives of most of the UK, so they recall very little about it.

    But these were young people Seamus, it was the older man who got it correct


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    #20
    riffmongous
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,632 Mod ✭✭✭✭riffmongous


    OSI wrote: »
    I think it's likely only shocking to the Irish public who don't want to recognise how little significance Ireland plays in the overall history and politics of the UK for them to bother going into great depths on it in their education system.

    It's their national border too, don't try turn this back on us


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    #21
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,859 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    Varik wrote: »
    Stupid to compare knowing this to Americans knowing where Iraq is, it the UK own border.

    I was actually comparing the cynical style of click-bait video-making. Do keep up. ;)


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    #22
    Canis Lupus
    Registered Users Posts: 9,893 ✭✭✭Canis Lupus


    riffmongous wrote: »
    But these were young people Seamus, it was the older man who got it correct

    I know a fella, genuinely intelligent normal everyday bloke and wouldn't be able to point out a country on a map. Asked him where Germany was no clue, Russia... China etc. His rationale was why do I need to know, if I want to go there I get on a plane. He never did geography in school and didn't really care.


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    #23
    denismc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,418 ✭✭✭denismc


    I go up North regularly and when I get back people check to see if I still have both kneecaps.
    A lot of people in the South are pretty clueless about Northern Ireland, they think everyone is running around waving flags and throwing petrol bombs which to be fair is only some of the time.:D


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    #24
    Father Hernandez
    Registered Users Posts: 11,210 ✭✭✭✭Father Hernandez


    Too early to start singing rebel songs?


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    #25
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    riffmongous wrote: »
    But these were young people Seamus, it was the older man who got it correct

    He made a better attempt than most of them, but as a famous Ulsterman once said, 'it's good, but it's not right.'

    You'll all be crying next year if the Star Wars tourists' and the golfers' money goes to the Queen


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    #26
    whisky_galore
    Registered Users Posts: 15,854 ✭✭✭✭whisky_galore


    denismc wrote: »
    I go up North regularly and when I get back people check to see if I still have both kneecaps.
    A lot of people in the South are pretty clueless about Northern Ireland, they think everyone is running around waving flags and throwing petrol bombs which to be fair is only some of the time.:D

    ^^There's a fair few down here afraid of their shyte to venture north of the border yet.


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    #27
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    riffmongous wrote: »
    But these were young people Seamus, it was the older man who got it correct
    I would have been the same at 18. Not a clue where anything was.

    Older people may have better recall because it's of more relevance - the troubles in the North meaning that the issue was probably in the news on a regular basis; maps printed in papers to show where a bomb went off, etc etc.

    However, there's been nothing major to report in Northern Ireland for the guts of 20 years. Certainly nothing that could be considered of major importance to someone in London. Omagh was probably the last major event in NI.

    So conceivably anyone under 30 living in the UK can probably count on both hands the number of times anyone spoke about NI since leaving school.

    So you forget the details.


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    #28
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    It just seems like pure laziness to me, the not caring or wanting to find out where places here, you hear of somewhere on the news or Whicker's World or wherever and you want to find out where it is and a bit more about it.

    Each to their own I suppose.


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    #29
    Sonics2k
    Registered Users Posts: 8,239 ✭✭✭Sonics2k


    riffmongous wrote: »
    Yeah, what business does the common person have knowing their national border

    I'm fairly sure if you asked a lot of Irish people to draw the boarders between England, Scotland and Wales they'd fail miserably.


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    #30
    riffmongous
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,632 Mod ✭✭✭✭riffmongous


    OSI wrote: »
    If I asked you to draw a geographically correct image of the aran islands, do you reckon you'd be able to do it without reference? I doubt it.

    Are you trying to equate the Aran Islands with an international border??


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    #31
    riffmongous
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,632 Mod ✭✭✭✭riffmongous


    Sonics2k wrote: »
    I'm fairly sure if you asked a lot of Irish people to draw the boarders between England, Scotland and Wales they'd fail miserably.

    Covered that in the OP


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