looking at Ireland from the outside

augustus gloop

I have been off work the past few ways with the storms so my brain has been wandering a little, as maybe Kiera will testify to:rolleyes:
anyway, I started to wonder how the aftermath of the celtic tiger has been received by other nationalities, and how in fact are Irish people considered by the world in this day and age?
Does the cliche of the God fearing stupid Paddy with a pint of guinness in one hand and rosary beads in the other still apply, of are we considered somewhat more than that now.
Im living in Australia these days and when we visit the GFs parents the roll out the whole 9 yards of $hite about drink blah blah and being a dope, albeit in jest(i think)

anyway AH, from your exps how are we seen internationally?

Chuck Stone

augustus gloop wrote: »

.Im living in Australia these days and when we visit the GFs parents the roll out the whole 9 yards of $hite about drink blah blah and being a dope, albeit in jest(i think)

Stand up for yourself a bit and grow a pair of balls.

I would bounce it straight back by saying 'shure you're a nation of criminals and convicts and land thieving Native people killers'

.... 'HA-HA-HA only kidding'

Balmed Out

Lots of countries have no idea who or where we are, plenty more think were part of the UK.

The arab world generaly like us, the former parts of the British empire generally like us.

Most of the world really just dont know enough to dislike us. They realise your not English or American and that seems to be a plus.

Azureus

Balmed Out wrote: »

They realise your not English or American and that seems to be a plus.

Only when you point it out to them specifically a lot of the time though. Im always asked am I English when Im abroad.

I think a lot of the world dont really know us or lump us in with the British. A lot of Americans I have met still think we are British. Even had an arguement with an American guy while I was travelling who insisted Ireland was under British rule, and he know because he studied it in school. The fact that I LIVED in the republic of Ireland didnt seem to be enough to convince him that I knew better

I think we have an arrogant view of what other nationalities think of us a lot of the time 'oh everywhere LOVES the Irish'. They dont particularly care tbh.

jimthemental

I've noticed a lot of agro towards Irish here in Australia too but once they get to know you they seem to have a bit more respect.

fishy fishy

we have this stupid notion that "everybody loves us, cause we're irish". What a load of tripe. They couldn't give a rat's ass about us being Irish. And whatever they thought of us before you cannot blame them for thinking we're a pack of idiots now, especially when the picture of the big fat clown/cowen with a bottle up to his face hit the pages of papers worldwide, along with his drunken rant on the radio.

remember that russian guy - boris yeltson was it - couldn't get off the plane he was so drunk???? he's only trotting after the irish idiot.

si_guru

Okay so I am British and live in Ireland... in fact I am English.

Anyway I was stopped for a survey in Heathrow recently.. question #1 was "Where do you live?", so I said "Ireland"..

Lady comes back "Northern Ireland or Southern Ireland".. I am always quick to look puzzled and then say.. "no, the Republic of Ireland"...

..her response... "I don't know where that is, so I will put UK".

Rabies

People here think it must be very depressing to be Irish right now and understand why so many people are leaving and don't blame them either.

Still have the stereotype of a boozy nation, but in fairness it is true.

Any foreigners I've talked to really want to go to Ireland and check out the historic sites and famous watering holes.

I was thinking about it tonight, I prefer my new adopted country over Ireland.
Ireland is still home, and always will be.
But the sh!te that is coming out in the media about it and the depressing tone on Boards is making not want to go back as regular.

jester77

People here generally can't believe some of the salaries available in Ireland. Saw a report a while back where they were comparing nurses and train drivers. Massive difference in salaries plus taxes are very low compared to Germany.

fishy fishy

jester77 wrote: »

People here generally can't believe some of the salaries available in Ireland. Saw a report a while back where they were comparing nurses and train drivers. Massive difference in salaries plus taxes are very low compared to Germany.

try living here for a while - then you will realise what it's all about.

ICANN

si_guru wrote: »

Lady comes back "Northern Ireland or Southern Ireland".. I am always quick to look puzzled and then say.. "no, the Republic of Ireland"...

I live in the UK and I HATE when people ask me am I from Northern or Southern Ireland. A lot of people I work with honestly think that half of the country is the republic and the other half is part of the UK instead of just 6 counties.

They also rarely have heard of Cork is which offends me greatly. :eek:


Also- I get 'potatoes' shouted at me a lot by stranger on the nightbus after a night out. o.O

simonmln

Last summer, I had an argument about an ''if the Rep of Ireland was on the same body of land as England'' with an American. He wouldnt believe that it wasnt until he took out a map. Even though Im irish.

jester77

fishy fishy wrote: »

try living here for a while - then you will realise what it's all about.

They broke down the costs. They had a German nurse living in Dublin with her husband & 2 kids and a German nurse in Munich with the same situation. After costs of living were taken into account the nurse in Dublin was lot better off, by a long way.

si_guru

jester77 wrote: »

They broke down the costs. They had a German nurse living in Dublin with her husband & 2 kids and a German nurse in Munich with the same situation. After costs of living were taken into account the nurse in Dublin was lot better off, by a long way.

Ahh Munich... where property is massively expensive.

Nip in to Lidl.. note the prices in Munich - then come here!

si_guru

ICANN wrote: »

They also rarely have heard of Cork..

So they show the Sam on the BBC??

jonnyfingers

si_guru wrote: »

Okay so I am British and live in Ireland... in fact I am English.

Anyway I was stopped for a survey in Heathrow recently.. question #1 was "Where do you live?", so I said "Ireland"..

Lady comes back "Northern Ireland or Southern Ireland".. I am always quick to look puzzled and then say.. "no, the Republic of Ireland"...

..her response... "I don't know where that is, so I will put UK".

Yeah I moved over the UK this year and get asked the "Northern Ireland or Southern Ireland?" question a lot. Many have never heard of the Republic of Ireland. And why should they? It's never mentioned on English news or TV. The weather shows Northern Ireland and doesn't bother with the republic.

As for how the Irish are viewed, I do get the piss taken out of me whenever travelers are in the news, how they must be my cousins and all that. I get the odd person who mentions all the money the UK are loaning Ireland to bail them out, but they're usually idiots who don't understand a thing. Generally people over here like the Irish. Yes we're stereotyped a bit as liking a drinking, but the English are the same so they like that too!

fishy fishy

jester77 wrote: »

They broke down the costs. They had a German nurse living in Dublin with her husband & 2 kids and a German nurse in Munich with the same situation. After costs of living were taken into account the nurse in Dublin was lot better off, by a long way.

no, don't believe that - some shenanigans going on there. Irish nurses are overworked, and underpaid and can barely meet their mortgage payments. Why do you think everyone is imigrating - newly qualified nurses have to leave the country straight away to get jobs. I thought people were moving to Australia but maybe it's Munich they should be moving to.

Funny my brother and sis in law spent a week in Munich only last month - they could not believe the difference in prices.

again, maybe come here and live here for a while. That'll teach you.

jum4

augustus gloop wrote: »

, I started to wonder how the aftermath of the celtic tiger has been received by other nationalities, and how in fact are Irish people considered,?

unnoticed I would say!

nor was the "celtic tiger" tbh.

Carter P Fly

I travel a lot with work and the irish attitude that X and Y are underpaid and overworked in ireland and that the cost of living in ireland is so high are living in the same fantasy world as people who think the iriah are the best educated and most lovable people on the planet.

Its just **** we say to make ourselves feel better but its not based on any sort of reality.

ICANN

jester77 wrote: »

They broke down the costs. They had a German nurse living in Dublin with her husband & 2 kids and a German nurse in Munich with the same situation. After costs of living were taken into account the nurse in Dublin was lot better off, by a long way.

That's great for a nurse who can get a job in Ireland. I have four friends who got their nursing degrees last year. Every single one of their class is working in the UK right now.

Fratton Fred

My wife had some cousins over from England a while back and they were asking me what things were like at the moment.

I explained about 14% unemployment and all that, but other than that the country is coping ok.

They had all been unemployed at least once in the last two years, so showed a lot of empathy, until they found out how much the unemployed get paid here. Their immediate reaction was no wonder the country is skint.

Doc Ruby

Chuck Stone wrote: »

I would bounce it straight back by saying 'shure you're a nation of criminals and convicts and land thieving Native people killers'

Or go at it roundabout and say you were turned down for Australian citizenship since you didn't have a criminal record...

Aussies tend to be a horribly racist lot though, which is probably a pretty racist thing to say.

fishy fishy wrote: »

we have this stupid notion that "everybody loves us, cause we're irish". What a load of tripe. They couldn't give a rat's ass about us being Irish.

Ah no thats not true. I'm in France at the moment and where they are aware of Ireland at all as being more than just part of the Anglosphere they seem pretty enthusiastic! I've found that reflected wherever I go, whereas some English compatriots were treated rather poorly when their nationality emerged. Depends where you are I suppose.

augustus gloop

jum4 wrote: »

unnoticed I would say!

nor was the "celtic tiger" tbh.

deffo not unnoticed, anywhere i have travelled in the past 5 year has been very aware firstly of the celtic boom, and now of the recession at home

Dionysus

jonnyfingers wrote: »

The weather shows Northern Ireland and doesn't bother with the republic.

Let's leave it at that; I wouldn't want them to get some of their old ideas. Out of sight out of mind and all that.

Yakult

Ireland, it ain't what it used to be and that makes me a sad, drunk, unemployed panda.

Senna

ICANN wrote: »

I live in the UK and I HATE when people ask me am I from Northern or Southern Ireland.

Used to get that a lot when i lived in London, if i was in the mood i would answer:

"I live in the south, but its further north that the north, but its in the south" (Donegal)
After a look of bewilderment strikes their faces, i never got any follow up questions after that answer.:D

LH Pathe

Fro te otside, looking down it still looks like that junior getting shafted by britain. It even got inside our head a bit

im invisible

Theres no such country as the republic of Ireland...

Sirsok

I'm in Australia at the moment , starting on a new job and have been reminded two or three times on every phone call about work that I will be breathalysed everytime I work....is it cause I'm Irish....I dunno ha

samsemtex

fishy fishy wrote: »

we have this stupid notion that "everybody loves us, cause we're irish". What a load of tripe. They couldn't give a rat's ass about us being Irish.

Rubbish, I live in Canada and people get very excited when they meet Irish people here. I have loads of friends of NZ which is a very comparable country and they dont get greeted with half the enthusiasm I do. I get bombarded with questions and told how they all want to vist. Ive been in a good few countries and that has always been the case. We are a popular nation and there is nothing wrong with that. That said I think its useful for making connections and introductions but after that I dont think people care or will let us away with things just because we are Irish.

Columbia

Probably nobody cares about how the Irish are thought of here in the Republic of Georgia, but we are very well liked. "Ireland - very good people! England - nothing!" is something you hear a bit, and sometimes people say "Georgia, Ireland, Scotland - brothers!". These are people who don't know the flag or the capital of their neighbouring country Armenia, so I don't know where they're getting their information from.

wolf moon

Rabies wrote: »

I was thinking about it tonight, I prefer my new adopted country over Ireland.

That's funny, Ireland is my adopted country and I prefer it over my home country.

giles lynchwood

On my travels in central america last year any american or canadian i met, on hearing i was irish always had the same reply.Oh your the gang broke the euro,followed by a laugh.Gone are the days of them claiming to be part irish.
Thank you Mr Ahern.

Liam Byrne

fishy fishy wrote: »

no, don't believe that - some shenanigans going on there. Irish nurses are overworked, and underpaid and can barely meet their mortgage payments. Why do you think everyone is imigrating- newly qualified nurses have to leave the country straight away to get jobs.

emigrating. Starting it with an "i" actually means the complete opposite.

krudler

si_guru wrote: »

Okay so I am British and live in Ireland... in fact I am English.

Anyway I was stopped for a survey in Heathrow recently.. question #1 was "Where do you live?", so I said "Ireland"..

Lady comes back "Northern Ireland or Southern Ireland".. I am always quick to look puzzled and then say.. "no, the Republic of Ireland"...

..her response... "I don't know where that is, so I will put UK".

thats like saying you're from Manchester United.

KeithAFC

Senna wrote: »

Used to get that a lot when i lived in London, if i was in the mood i would answer:

"I live in the south, but its further north that the north, but its in the south" (Donegal)
After a look of bewilderment strikes their faces, i never got any follow up questions after that answer.:D

Should have just said Ulster.

pickarooney

Over here there is a general confusion/disinterest as to where or what Ireland is exactly with most assuming it's part of the UK or Britain although recognising the unique Irish identity, the tendency to binge drink, be good fun, live in a beautiful part of Britain and be pretty good at rugby.

Doc Ruby

giles lynchwood wrote: »

Gone are the days of them claiming to be part irish.

I wouldn't worry about it, there's 90 million more quite happy to claim the privelege.

krudler wrote: »

thats like saying you're from Manchester United.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland

Man there are some strange birds on this thread.

Liam Byrne

pickarooney wrote: »

Over here there is a general confusion/disinterest as to where or what Ireland is exactly with most assuming it's part of the UK or Britain although recognising the unique Irish identity, the tendency to binge drink, be good fun, live in a beautiful part of Britain and be pretty good at rugby.

But we don't live in a beautiful part of Britain! Or ANY part of it.

Canada has the same issue with the USA, and New Zealand with Oz, with people mistaking them for their bigger neighbour too, so I wouldn't take it too personally.

It's gas that facts have never been as freely available (Internet, etc) and still some people make these basic mistakes.

Although I did hear an Irish person recently say "sure they're all the same" in relation to Poland, Czech Republic and Lithuania, so we have our own ignorant (as in uninformed and don't care) people here.

si_guru

krudler wrote: »

thats like saying you're from Manchester United.

I take your point - but I always feel like saying "Souther Ireland - there is no such country"...

It's like my old mate Johnny Gooday - a Forest fan... and never, ever say "notts forest" to him... no such team.

And I think you meant Manchester City. hahahaha, Anyway I from Derby County.