The Most Embarassed Moment You have Ever Felt to be Irish

Luxie

When Brian Cowen's 'hoarseness' made the newspapers outside of Ireland.

Not exactly 'world headlines' but appeared to feature in major publications all over the place nonetheless.

Stereotype, much?

Some of the responses on this thread make me cringe. Is it not a free choice to like or dislike gaa, wear what you want etc. Who cares if you dont like sometime fine, does not mean that its a bad thing. Some very ignorant people on this board.

kfallon

Deleted User wrote: »

Some of the responses on this thread make me cringe. Is it not a free choice to like or dislike gaa, wear what you want etc. Who cares if you dont like sometime fine, does not mean that its a bad thing. Some very ignorant people on this board.

Your username makes me cringe....unless it's a sarcastic name :pac:

Pauleta

fryup wrote: »

Muck Savages who go crazy over a poxsy GAA game

And the GAA media moles tried to portray it as some blow in's who got into such a rage of passion after their 1st GAA match :pac:

kfallon

kfallon wrote: »

Your username makes me cringe....unless it's a sarcastic name :pac:

Better than having a criminal as a username .

kfallon

Deleted User wrote: »

Better than having a criminal as a username .

How is K Fallon a criminal? I'm interested in hearing this!

And Kilbane has committed so many crimes against football over the years, wouldn't kick snow off a rope!

mossyc123

Pauleta wrote: »

And the GAA media moles tried to portray it as some blow in's who got into such a rage of passion after their 1st GAA match :pac:

Yeah, because we really need Marty Morrissey to convince us that the sporting passion and atmosphere created by a big GAA match is something to get excited about... :pac:

Without Marty and the lads hyping it up we'd all be just down the pub watching Sky Sports in a pathetic attempt to attach ourselves to our neighbours sporting culture.

John_Rambo

Sugarfree wrote: »

I remember being at a meeting in London with a sister company and we had a conference call to a Dublin company. That was the most embarrassed I ever felt. Everyone in the meeting room sniggering to themselves when the Dubs started talking, they had to repeat themselves over and over again because of their accents. I even had to translate for them at one stage.

Londoners not understanding the English language spoken with a Dublin accent? Why would you make up a story like this?

Sugarfree wrote: »

Well the Dublin accent is not well received outside Ireland.

What? As a Dubliner, I can assure you the accent is very very well received all over the world.

Sugarfree

John_Rambo wrote: »

Londoners not understanding the English language spoken with a Dublin accent? Why would you make up a story like this?



What? As a Dubliner, I can assure you the accent is very very well received all over the world.

I can assure that it is not. A big knacker accent would not be received well anywhere.

LondonIrish90

John_Rambo wrote: »

Londoners not understanding the English language spoken with a Dublin accent? Why would you make up a story like this?

Most Londoners don't understand English spoken with an accent that doesn't originate from the South East of England. To think they might understand an Irish accent of any sort is wishful thinking. Although, I do think a lot of it is not wanting to understand it in order to prove some sort of point. Probably that London is the centre of the world.

John_Rambo

Sugarfree wrote: »

I can assure that it is not. A big knacker accent would not be received well anywhere.

As a Dubliner I would have more experiences than you of how my accent is received abroad and I will correct you again. It is indeed well received all over the world, I deal with Londoners, Italians, Americans, Spanish and all sorts of other people on the phone every day on the phone and they understand me perfectly.

I think your story is a porky.

You may be correct about the traveler accent, but I have rarely met travelers abroad.

Deedsie

Deleted User wrote: »

Some of the responses on this thread make me cringe. Is it not a free choice to like or dislike gaa, wear what you want etc. Who cares if you dont like sometime fine, does not mean that its a bad thing. Some very ignorant people on this board.

Ah come on, read back through the thread. There were plenty of inflammatory comments made to provoke a response from Gaelic Games supporters. I didnt see anyone post any negative comments about Irish people in soccer jerseys until comments were made about GAA jerseys/bog men washing turf out of their ears, an unsexy sport etc

I don't care what anyone likes or doesn't like, but if you or anyone else posts comments like that, I have the right to disagree. I never posted any negative comments about any sport. I just defended peoples right to wear and support whatever they want.

bigneacy

inb4 IMF....

Caoimhín wrote: »

The day the country had to go to the IMF (rest of the world), cap in hand, looking for "the few bob". Sure didnt we go and spend it all on de houses....

Avianna Microscopic Farming wrote: »

When that bastard Cowen & his cohorts sold us out and the IMF/ECB gave us a Turkish Handshake.

tayto lover wrote: »

Sending a "turkey" out to the Eurovision and then sending a 2nd turkey out to be bullied by the E.C.B. into taking a Bail-out.

veryangryman wrote: »

Day the IMF came in, i must admit i wasnt too proud to fly the flag

oh...

mattjack

Sugarfree wrote: »

I can assure that it is not. A big knacker accent would not be received well anywhere.

whoever employs you got a real bonus...a knacker accent ? Dub accent embarrasing ? ..hope you,re not employed in PR ....

Sugarfree

John_Rambo wrote: »

As a Dubliner I would have more experiences than you of how my accent is received abroad and I will correct you again. It is indeed well received all over the world, I deal with Londoners, Italians, Americans, Spanish and all sorts of other people on the phone every day on the phone and they understand me perfectly.

I think your story is a porky.

You may be correct about the traveler accent, but I have rarely met travelers abroad.

Listen, what ever they say to you in person its 100% different behind your back. I dont know your situation though, you may speak in a more neutral tone, slower etc not like the Dubs I heard.

John_Rambo

Sugarfree wrote: »

Listen, what ever they say to you in person its 100% different behind your back.

Maybe in your world, not in mine. Anyway, still 100% sure you made up that story. And, it's a crap one, make up a better one next time.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

fryup wrote: »

Muck Savages who go crazy over a poxsy GAA game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1khn0OxDLA

don't mind hurling so much, but gaelic football is like something a bunch of bored school kids invented during a lunch break.......in short its muck

Thats probably the stupidest post I have ever seen on boards. Imagine for a second what would have happened if Man United were robbed of a Champions League title through cheating by the other team and incompetence from the referee. There would have been a riot. And not a few people trying to hit the ref or some bottles being thrown... I mean a riot in which people would actually have been killed. What happened in Croker that day was exceptionally violent by GAA standards but in the greater scheme of things it was nothing.

pauro 76

The crowd singing Ole Ole at the RDS when Ireland won the Eurovision in the mid 90s. Cringed badly at that.

and the whole bail out fiasco...

veryangryman

pauro 76 wrote: »

The crowd singing Ole Ole at the RDS when Ireland won the Eurovision in the mid 90s. Cringed badly at that.

Why?

I was only around 12 myself but i enjoyed it (were talking Rock n Roll Kids here, right?)

AH'ers is so full of negativity sometimes. Go out and have a tangle Twister dude - theres lovely weather out there.

Ouchette

LondonIrish90 wrote: »

Most Londoners don't understand English spoken with an accent that doesn't originate from the South East of England. To think they might understand an Irish accent of any sort is wishful thinking. Although, I do think a lot of it is not wanting to understand it in order to prove some sort of point. Probably that London is the centre of the world.

ROFL. If that were true it'd be impossible to get anything done in London. Even in the least multicultural areas you wouldn't be able to order a takeaway or see a doctor or dentist, or for that matter chat to people at school or college without understanding Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Chinese/Turkish/Eastern European etc accents.

Knacker accents sound much the same anywhere, so can't be that.

FWIW, I'm a Londoner (sort of) who lived in Dublin for years and I only remember struggling to understand someone twice. Once was a Cork guy who none of the other Irish guys at work could understand either and the other was a dentally-challenged Northside security guard.

pauro 76

veryangryman wrote: »

Why?

I was only around 12 myself but i enjoyed it (were talking Rock n Roll Kids here, right?)

AH'ers is so full of negativity sometimes. Go out and have a tangle Twister dude - theres lovely weather out there.

I just found it a bit embarassing that a borrowed football chant was being sung in front of an entire continent at an event that had nothing to do with football.

paddy0090

This is a pretty long list. There hasn't been much to make anyone proud in the last while, has there and still we persist in believing we're a great little nation.

I'm sure there are things that make us you proud, they're just not cool ....not embarrassing, just not cool!

It's not that bad if you look around

KildareLion

Every time I try and look in the mirror...... but when I get this beam out of my eye I'll be on the high horse like a shot

DoesNotCompute

Jacky Healy Ray holding the govt hostage during the FF leadership challenge.

In fact, FF in general are pretty f**king embarrasing once they open their gobs.

dpe

Sugarfree wrote: »

Yes but their is a world of difference between a Galway accent and a Dublin accent.

And nothing wrong with either. I'm surprised you'd get anyone in London sniggering at an Irish accent; I've never seen it (I HAVE seen people in my office right here in Dublin looking askance at people with thick Sheriff Street accents though, the Irish can be snobby enough on their own). As a foreigner I have to admit I have Irish accents I prefer, but maybe surprisingly I prefer a good Dub accent to many country accents.

Laois_Man wrote: »

How many times have you ever heard an American, or a Brit or whatever go on about being embarrassed to be American or British or whatever when someone or a group of people from their country does or says something stupid?

I've never been embarrassed to be Irish. But self concious stuff like this thread with all it's inferiority complex tones is about as near as I get!

Actually, while I've not heard an American do it (in public), Brits do it all the time. Football hooligans, binge drinkers, chavs, fat cat bankers, you name it, the British are always engaging in bouts of self-flaggelation, its a national characteristic.

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

Oh Jesus, is that just an Irish thing? I just thought it was a bunch-of-eejits thing.

I've seen the clapping on planes thing in other countries; latin America especially. Maybe its a catholic thing?

MungoMan wrote: »

I was watching a game of football in a pub in Dublin with some England friends.
England were playing.

There was a massive cheer when the other team scored.

My English friends were very surprised, they always support Ireland when England are not involved, they couldnt understand why the people in the pub where cheering when England conceded a goal.

I was very embarrassed to be honest, and I wasnt able to give an explanation.

I've given up getting annoyed by this now. The Scots are worse than the Irish for it, but feck the lot of you frankly

suicide_circus wrote: »

Wearing jerseys of any kind when youre not either at the match or at least watching it in a pub is pretty naff tbh

^This.

kearneybobs

Every time Cowen went on to TV or was seen out and about with other world leaders. Thank god that's over!

optogirl

talla10 wrote: »

I hope your joking he is a symbol of how stupid some irish people are!!!No other country in the world would ever have an idiot like that in national parliament. And i include America in that!!:D

Ming talks a lot more sense than a lot of politicians at home and abroad - give me Ming over Palin, Bush, Blair, Berlesconi, Lowry, Aherne, Healy Rae et al

optogirl

talla10 wrote: »

He engages in petty crime, has criminal convictions, participated in 'Love Ulster' 'demonstrations', he is a drug addict (i know its 'only' weed but technically he can be defined as a drug addict as he is addicted to a controlled drug as listed in Misuse of Drugs Act 1977/84) He is just a loudmouth who is never happy unless he is giving out.

And his nickname is Ming.

Cnut.

Thanks for signing off

optogirl

Sugarfree wrote: »

I can assure that it is not. A big knacker accent would not be received well anywhere.

The petty bog warrior versus jackeen bullshi* that makes bigots of us all. Cop on.

Kevin Duffy

LondonIrish90 wrote: »

Most Londoners don't understand English spoken with an accent that doesn't originate from the South East of England. To think they might understand an Irish accent of any sort is wishful thinking. Although, I do think a lot of it is not wanting to understand it in order to prove some sort of point. Probably that London is the centre of the world.

You've spoken to "most Londoners"? At a rough estimate of "most" that's maybe 5 million people! Well done! :rolleyes:

7 years working in Lahndan pubs with a Dublin accent - occasional mild, very mild, slagging, mostly quite on the money, no problem understanding each other, from the mundane orders to some interesting conversations, to dealing with conflicts. Your post is complete nonsense and as much an insult to Londoners as Irish accents.

alejandro1977

http://www.independent.ie/multimedia/archive/00192/sarko_192923t.jpg

I really cringed when Cowen kissed Sarkozy goodbye. French men do occasionally kiss on the cheek - but not like that

God...

Sugarfree wrote: »

Listen, what ever they say to you in person its 100% different behind your back. I dont know your situation though, you may speak in a more neutral tone, slower etc not like the Dubs I heard.

I have lived in New Zealand, Canada and America over the last 7 years with what most would consider a deep Dublin accent (I don't but so I'm told :pac:)

I may the odd time at the start of moving places had to talk a little slower to some people but you adjust I find. People usually laugh due to
A) There laughing through nervousness of looking stupid not understanding the person talking to them.
There an ignorant cnut.

I'm embarrassed for you with your posts.

LondonIrish90

Kevin Duffy wrote: »

You've spoken to "most Londoners"? At a rough estimate of "most" that's maybe 5 million people! Well done! :rolleyes:

7 years working in Lahndan pubs with a Dublin accent - occasional mild, very mild, slagging, mostly quite on the money, no problem understanding each other, from the mundane orders to some interesting conversations, to dealing with conflicts. Your post is complete nonsense and as much an insult to Londoners as Irish accents.

I think its quite clear that I believe anyone from London not understanding an accent is due to them not wanting to, therefore belligerence as much as anything else in a situation where accents and dialects not being understood are involved.

Ive lived here for 21 years too, born here in fact. 8.8 million would be a better rough estimate.

If you are in any way insulted, you need to get a grip on life. I didn't insult anyone, nor did I make any attempt to. Get off your high horse. It isn't nonsense as it was a reply to another poster who commented on accents being hard to understand.

Dionysus

Arnold Layne wrote: »

Reeling In The Years.

It makes me cringe to see how backward Ireland was & how we were controlled by the Catholic Church even in the early 1990's.

Rest assured that every generation looks back on previous generations as being "backward"; and a future generation judging your generation will be no different.

Like practically everything else in this thread, every society in every country has the same tendency: it's not because the Irish are uniquely "backward".

Reeling in the Years is still one of the best programmes on television. Last week they covered 1970 and interviewed kids from Belfast living in a refugee camp in Gormanston in Meath. Very poignant.

Big Nasty

Arnold Layne wrote: »

Reeling In The Years.

It makes me cringe to see how backward Ireland was & how we were controlled by the Catholic Church even in the early 1990's.

Best programme on Irish telly though!;)

Kevin Duffy

LondonIrish90 wrote: »

I think its quite clear that I believe anyone from London not understanding an accent is due to them not wanting to

What you actually said was "Most Londoners don't understand English spoken with an accent that doesn't originate from the South East of England. To think they might understand an Irish accent of any sort is wishful thinking."

If you are in any way insulted, you need to get a grip on life. I didn't insult anyone, nor did I make any attempt to. Get off your high horse. It isn't nonsense as it was a reply to another poster who commented on accents being hard to understand.

I wasn't insulted by your post, I said it was nonsense and insulting to Londoners as much as the Irish accents. I didn't take it personally, thanks for your concern. I stand over what I said too, as I spent 7 happy years with nobody displaying the sort of ignorance you're saying Londoners do. When I go back now, they're still not showing it.

LondonIrish90

Kevin Duffy wrote: »

What you actually said was "Most Londoners don't understand English spoken with an accent that doesn't originate from the South East of England. To think they might understand an Irish accent of any sort is wishful thinking."



I wasn't insulted by your post, I said it was nonsense and insulting to Londoners as much as the Irish accents. I didn't take it personally, thanks for your concern. I stand over what I said too, as I spent 7 happy years with nobody displaying the sort of ignorance you're saying Londoners do. When I go back now, they're still not showing it.

So, your point about being as insulting to Londoners as it is to Dubliners was completely irrelevant, as in fact it isn't insulting to people from either city. Why would you have posted that then?

I would say I'm glad you enjoyed your time here and that you are well recieved when returning, but I find myself in a similar situation to you - being completely apathetic. Cheers for the response though.

Dionysus

I've never felt ashamed to be Irish, although I've obviously felt, and feel, angry at the decisions made for our society in our name by elected politicians. Shame has no place in my worldview, except perhaps in a personal mistake and that by its nature has to be ephemeral.

Having said that, reading Mary Holland in The Irish Times after John Bruton's "welcome" for Prince Charles of Wales in 1995 was the closest an Irish Taoiseach has come to inspiring shame (Mary Holland, 'Princely Welcome Masks an Uncertain Ease', The Irish Times, 8 June 1995): "Any Irish leader who is described as 'embarrassingly effusive' by the London Times and inspires a leader in the Guardian urging him to get a grip on his 'extravagantly nonsensical attitudes' to the royal guest ...."

I only hope the current leader of Fine Gael and Taoiseach doesn't engage in the same shameful behaviour in our name during the British royal visit next month.

sdanseo

Kaka10 wrote: »

Lets try to steer clear of the whole paedophile priests and IMF bail out malarky. Have you ever cringed at something a fellow countryman did abroad ?

My one :
I was in Austria in a skiing resort and the only pub was an English pub called the Londoner. There were an Irish family from Roscommon who used to come in for the Apres Ski every evening. Anyway, one evening the whole family start singing 'RA songs and started singing the fields of Athen Ri, screaming in their own contributions such as "hey baby let the free birds fly" (I am not joking about that one) and more worringly screaming at the top of their lungs "I R A". Everyone in the pub just looked at them bemused and ignored them.

Whats your one?

You're one of those serious types who can't see humour in anything, aren't you?

fryup

Wompa1 wrote: »

Also when we claimed Muhammed Ali as Irish was pretty up there!!

and the same is going to happen with Obama next month "ah sure he's one of us" good god:rolleyes:

!MAVERICK!

Irelands awful performance in the RWC 2007.

Aidric

Liveline.

shanec1928

people walking around Ireland in epl jerseys.. no wonder we got the name west Britain

talla10

Sugarfree wrote: »

Listen, what ever they say to you in person its 100% different behind your back. I dont know your situation though, you may speak in a more neutral tone, slower etc not like the Dubs I heard.

Nothing at all wrong with the dublin accent. Don't get me wrong everyone hates the scum bag dublin accent that is horrible to hear...but sure only the scum bags talk like that!!

coolbeans

sdonn wrote: »

You're one of those serious types who can't see humour in anything, aren't you?

Singing IRA is not funny or cool, it's ignorant and bigoted and grown adults really should know better. If anyone did that in my presence I would tell them to stop. Supporting a bunch of terrorists is not funny.

ratmouse

• The so called "Irish Models". Most of whom have never even set foot on a catwalk. Pathetic compared to real fashion models the world over.

• Richie Kavanagh

giftgrub

We were in a hotel in Italy a few years ago...part of a wedding.

Big sing song one night, no trouble or anything but there were complaints from other guests.

Anyways the next day we were in the lift with some elderly English guests, (not part of the wedding) when they looked at us and asked were we "the Irish"?

Kevin Duffy

LondonIrish90 wrote: »

So, your point about being as insulting to Londoners as it is to Dubliners was completely irrelevant, as in fact it isn't insulting to people from either city. Why would you have posted that then?

I would say I'm glad you enjoyed your time here and that you are well recieved when returning, but I find myself in a similar situation to you - being completely apathetic. Cheers for the response though.

Yeh, it was insulting of you to suggest that "Most Londoners don't understand English spoken with an accent that doesn't originate from the South East of England" and to relate that specifically to Irish accents, as you did, was insulting to both of them. You're suggesting that there's a widespread inability or unwillingness on one side and an incomprehensibility on the other. Again, I'm saying that's nonsense.
I never said I was apathetic, I said I wasn't insulted by your post. I'd say whatever about trouble with accents, you are displaying an inability to read or understand the English language.
If you are apathetic, why post in the first place and why keep responding? I'll guess that it's a feigned apathy 'cos you posted something spurious and have to back away from it by pretending not to care.

fontanalis

fryup wrote: »

Muck Savages who go crazy over a poxsy GAA game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1khn0OxDLA

don't mind hurling so much, but gaelic football is like something a bunch of bored school kids invented during a lunch break.......in short its muck

What about muck savages going crazy over an english game?

ColeTrain

coolbeans wrote: »

Singing IRA is not funny or cool, it's ignorant and bigoted and grown adults really should know better. If anyone did that in my presence I would tell them to stop. Supporting a bunch of terrorists is not funny.

How is it bigoted?
If someone wants to add on IRA to the fields then that's their choice not yours.