"Éirinn go Brách"

grazz

Am I the only one who feels like punching Americans whenever I hear this phrase? In the US this phrase seems to be associated with Ireland and yet ive never heard anybody in this country use it.

someuser905

i've never heard anyone say it anywhere

woodoo

Top o the morning to ya OP

Dia Dhuit!

Sindri

There ye go.

hidinginthebush

Yeah its pretty annoying alright. But the phrase will always hold a special place for me after hearing what Peter O'Connor did in the 1906 Olympics, during the awarding ceremony raising a flag with a gold harp on green with "Erin go bragh" written on it in place of the union Jack, which was there.

From wiki:

At the flag-raising ceremony, in protest at the flying of the Union Flag for his second place, O'Connor scaled a flagpole in the middle of the field and waved the Irish flag, while the pole was guarded by Irish and American athletes and supporters.

Fuck yeah :cool:

Kivaro

grazz wrote: »

Am I the only one who feels like punching Americans whenever I hear this phrase? In the US this phrase seems to be associated with Ireland and yet ive never heard anybody in this country use it.

I think that you have anger issues.

Seanchai

Éire go Brách (Éirinn is the tuiseal tabharthach/dative case)

The King of Moo

grazz go bragh.

starbelgrade

grazz wrote: »

Am I the only one who feels like punching Americans whenever I hear this phrase?

Hi Begby. How's tricks?

DEFTLEFTHAND

Its amazing the way we keep such close quarters with the forefront terrorist nation in the world today. I thought we're supposed to be neutral? I suppose that goes out the window when there is a few I.T jobs on offer.

John Doe1

OP have you actually been to the usa?

Spread

grazz wrote: »

Am I the only one who feels like punching Americans whenever I hear this phrase? In the US this phrase seems to be associated with Ireland and yet ive never heard anybody in this country use it.

You've had a pretty monastic existence to add to your deafness. And why get so uptight?

wonderfulname

Seanchai wrote: »

Éire go Brách (Éirinn is the tuiseal tabharthach/dative case)

Sure that's now grammatically correct but it's no longer the phrase in question - the Americans actually do say Éirinn go Brách.

The King of Moo

Maybe if we all start shouting "USA!! USA!!" really obnoxiously then they'll stop.

Duckworth_Luas

I actually feel sorry for a lot of Americans who visit Ireland. They get fed a load of horse $hit about the country by Fáilte Ireland etc. Then they come to Ireland to get ripped off at every single available opportunity. They also have to put up with the hostile attitude of ignorant locals.

Imagine wanting to punch an American because they know what was once the omnipresent national slogan of Ireland! Ignorant locals indeed!

pragmatic1

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

I actually feel sorry for a lot of Americans who visit Ireland. They get fed a load of horse $hit about the country by Fáilte Ireland etc. Then they come to Ireland to get ripped off at every single available opportunity. They also have to put up with the hostile attitude of ignorant locals.

Imagine wanting to punch an American because they know what was once the omnipresent national slogan of Ireland! Ignorant locals indeed!

Well said.

TheZohanS

grazz wrote: »

Am I the only one who feels like punching Americans whenever I hear this phrase? In the US this phrase seems to be associated with Ireland and yet ive never heard anybody in this country use it.

Meh...head over to the Kildare forum...that's how you make a thread when you're hammered.

4zn76tysfajdxp

TheZohan wrote: »

Meh...head over to the Kildare forum...that's how you make a thread when you're hammered.

I've never looked at Kildare that way before.

nlgbbbblth

grazz wrote: »

Am I the only one who feels like punching Americans whenever I hear this phrase? In the US this phrase seems to be associated with Ireland and yet ive never heard anybody in this country use it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7hFfwC4FB0

TheZohanS

Maximus Bald Housewife wrote: »

I've never looked at Kildare that way before.

A closed mind is a wasted mind Maximus Bald Housewife...it's all about breaking down prejudices.

fedor.2.

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Its amazing the way we keep such close quarters with the forefront terrorist nation in the world today. I thought we're supposed to be neutral? I suppose that goes out the window when there is a few I.T jobs on offer.

Give it a rest will ya

Immaculate Pasta

I could be wrong but the phrase Erin Go Bragh with the Celtic Harp is the Irish American flag?

I don't know why you're so riled up about it OP. Irishness is a broad term and does not extend solely to Ireland itself. There's unique Irishness in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, USA, Australia. Large diaspora networks will then form a hybrid identity.

I have many Irish American cousins who live around Boston and they're some of the most patriotic Irish people I've ever met. I have cousins who go back to Connemara (where our family's from) in the Summer to learn Irish, play Gaelic football/hurling back in South Boston. They're extremely proud of it and truly embrace the culture. I never ponder the thought that they aren't Irish because they are.

Eve_Dublin

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

I actually feel sorry for a lot of Americans who visit Ireland. They get fed a load of horse $hit about the country by Fáilte Ireland etc. Then they come to Ireland to get ripped off at every single available opportunity. They also have to put up with the hostile attitude of ignorant locals.!

Isn't that pretty much tourism the world over though regardless of where you go and where you come from? I get your point though.

Raic

Seanchai wrote: »

Éire go Brách (Éirinn is the tuiseal tabharthach/dative case)

While that's technically true, Éirinn has become commonly used in the nominative (it has been this way for a long time). In the speech of native speakers it is quite rare to find Éire, to be honest. Éire is just something you see on official government documents and it's a relic in many ways. There are many cases where the dative form of a word has displaced the nominative.

Nodin

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

I actually feel sorry for a lot of Americans who visit Ireland. They get fed a load of horse $hit about the country by Fáilte Ireland etc. Then they come to Ireland to get ripped off at every single available opportunity. They also have to put up with the hostile attitude of ignorant locals.

Imagine wanting to punch an American because they know what was once the omnipresent national slogan of Ireland! Ignorant locals indeed!

Postive affirmations of Irishness tend to get savaged round here for some reason. In fact the amount of it suprised me when I first joined.

The King of Moo

I can understand people getting a little annoyed when Irish Americans describe themselves as Irish. But is it really such a big problem that they have a positive view of their ancestral home, even if it's a bit romanticised?

Johnny Foreigner

The phrase is used by Republicans in Northern Ireland.
They will also use the phrase Tiocfaidh ár lá
Often Sectarian Celtic supporters will use these Gaelic sayings.
Personally I don't have a problem with Irish-Americans using these phrases.
What you have to remember is that many of them are children of the Irish diaspora, and feel displaced with a sense of belonging to Ireland.
They are just trying to express their belonging in the few words of Gaelic they have.
No offence is implied, and therefore none taken.

grazz

Immaculate Pasta wrote: »

I could be wrong but the phrase Erin Go Bragh with the Celtic Harp is the Irish American flag?

I don't know why you're so riled up about it OP. Irishness is a broad term and does not extend solely to Ireland itself. There's unique Irishness in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, USA, Australia. Large diaspora networks will then form a hybrid identity.

I have many Irish American cousins who live around Boston and they're some of the most patriotic Irish people I've ever met. I have cousins who go back to Connemara (where our family's from) in the Summer to learn Irish, play Gaelic football/hurling back in South Boston. They're extremely proud of it and truly embrace the culture. I never ponder the thought that they aren't Irish because they are.

No they are American, not Irish. These people propagate a version of Irishness (green mash, green guinness, top o the morning), a sort of parody of Ireland that even anti-Irish papers like the Daily Mail couldnt make up when they are sprouting crap about Ireland and the Irish. They are not brought up here and did grow up in the Irish environment, which explains some of these Americans cringeworthy representation of our country.

If I play baseball, watch American tv (I do mostly) and like America in other ways (I do), it doesnt make me American, just somebody who likes America and American stuff.

Nodin

grazz wrote: »

No they are American, not Irish. These people propagate a version of Irishness (green mash, green guinness, top o the morning), a sort of parody of Ireland that even anti-Irish papers like the Daily Mail couldnt make up when they are sprouting crap about Ireland and the Irish. They are not brought up here and did grow up in the Irish environment, which explains some of these Americans cringeworthy representation of our country.

If I play baseball, watch American tv (I do mostly) and like America in other ways (I do), it doesnt make me American, just somebody who likes America and American stuff.

Good to see you've avoided stereotypes and generalisations.

The King of Moo

grazz wrote: »

No they are American, not Irish. These people propagate a version of Irishness (green mash, green guinness, top o the morning), a sort of parody of Ireland that even anti-Irish papers like the Daily Mail couldnt make up when they are sprouting crap about Ireland and the Irish. They are not brought up here and did grow up in the Irish environment, which explains some of these Americans cringeworthy representation of our country.

If I play baseball, watch American tv (I do mostly) and like America in other ways (I do), it doesnt make me American, just somebody who likes America and American stuff.

You can't really blame them for having an unrealistic view of Ireland (though many Irish-Americans are better informed than you'd think). How many Americans are exposed to the realities of modern life in Ireland?

The United States is still less than 250 years old, and much of its current population is descended from people who arrived there long after 1776.
Having a solely American identity is fine for some, but not for all, so who can blame Americans for wanting to feel some attachment to the home of their ancestors, and the history that goes along with it?

Sure, sometimes their view of Irish culture might be a little stereotypical, but it comes from genuine affection. It doesn't seem that different from Irish people on holiday in Spain drinking in Irish bars and wearing their Italia 90 jerseys.

EDIT: I also don't get why people insist on people only identifying with a single nationality. There are plenty of people on these islands who consider themselves part of one national culture and part of another. Why make them choose? Why not let people identify themselves as Irish-American when their family only recently came to the U.S?

Krusader

Seanchai wrote: »

Éire go Brách (Éirinn is the tuiseal tabharthach/dative case)

In Galway they use Éirinn as the nomintive case, hence its use in this phrase

RonMexico

Seanchai wrote: »

Éire go Brách (Éirinn is the tuiseal tabharthach/dative case)

wonderfulname wrote: »

Sure that's now grammatically correct but it's no longer the phrase in question - the Americans actually do say Éirinn go Brách.

Raic wrote: »

While that's technically true, Éirinn has become commonly used in the nominative (it has been this way for a long time). In the speech of native speakers it is quite rare to find Éire, to be honest. Éire is just something you see on official government documents and it's a relic in many ways. There are many cases where the dative form of a word has displaced the nominative.

Crosáidí wrote: »

In Galway they use Éirinn as the nomintive case, hence its use in this phrase

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIAdHEwiAy8

xflyer

When the rebels rose up in 1798 they carried green flags with the harp symbol and the slogan 'Erin go Bragh' or even 'Erin go Bra' with them. So it's a very longstanding misspelt slogan.

For anyone to object to Americans or anyone else using the term really is a bit much. It's an Irish slogan invented in Ireland not America.

In all seriousness anyone who objects to people having a positive view of Ireland should take a good look at themselves. Exactly what is your problem? Are you embarrassed to be Irish? If so why don't you eff off out of the country. There is more than one version of being Irish and you've no business dictating to people how they should feel about it.

So I say Erin go Bragh and damm the begrudgers!

Ted_YNWA

soft day be ghorra

Napper Hawkins

I couldn't care less really, wanna call yourself Irish/British/American?
That's your ****, fair enough.

I think what riles people up are the Americans who claim Irishness yet have never spent longer than a holiday here, if at all.

I wonder how many of these people would be so proud of their Irishness if they actually had to live here like the rest of us?

I reckon some tunes would change. Fiddly diddly cutesy leprechaun Ireland ends as soon as you leave Carrolls gift shop (but don't tell the tourists that

an bhfuil cead agam dul go dti an leithreas?

Naomi00

It makes me cringe.

It's normally spelt completely wrong, and I've never heard that phrase actually spoken in Irish in context.

luckyfrank

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JwjceS5HLg

Wibbs

The King of Moo wrote: »

I can understand people getting a little annoyed when Irish Americans describe themselves as Irish. But is it really such a big problem that they have a positive view of their ancestral home, even if it's a bit romanticised?

+1000, though I'm not even sure about the annoyance TBH.

The King of Moo

Wibbs wrote: »

+1000, though I'm not even sure about the annoyance TBH.

It doesn't bother me personally, but I can see how some people would prefer they said "Irish-American" instead of "Irish."

Once when I was in New York I said to an American that I was Irish when he asked me where I was from, and he said "Oh, me too!" I just found it a bit funny that we were using slightly different definitions of "Irish," and that he hadn't originally realised I was Irish

But generally I don't mind at all, as it's clear that when they call themselves "Irish," especially among other Americans, they mean "Irish-American," with the "American" part taken for granted.

Doylers

He was in Waterford

Big Nasty

Love a bit of brach meself, especially with a good schelp of butter.

luckyfrank

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Love a bit of brach meself, especially with a good schelp of butter.

fastrac

Wait for it in 3 weeks time when they will be wishing us Happy St Pattys Day.

gufnork

What's it mean anyway? Ireland something something... Presumably!

xflyer

I think what riles people up are the Americans who claim Irishness yet have never spent longer than a holiday here, if at all.

Why? Why should it annoy you? Part of being American is to identify with their ancestry. In the past this was often important because it often dictated how they were treated and what jobs they could get.

I really cannot understand why any Irish person would object to that. We all know why so many people identify as Irish, quite simply because so many of emigrated and continue to emigrate.

This is Irish begrudgery at it's worst. Seemingly only the purest form of Irishness is allowed. Which is a laugh because we're a mongrel race. There can't be many of us who doesn't have English, Scots, Welsh or God knows what other blood in us.

Eve_Dublin

How petty. It's not as if were all fluent in Irish here that we can look down our noses at Americans who probably speak more Irish with that one phrase alone that a huge proportion of the population here.



My brother is married to an Australian and has just had a kid recently (red head!) and they live in the States. He has a little Dublin jersey but he also has a little Ozzie Rules jersey as well. He'll grow up with both of those backgrounds because his parents are first generation Australian and Irish.


My sister is married to a guy from Cyprus and they've two kids...living in New Jersey. Again, my niece attends Irish dancing classes but also attends Greek lessons and my nephew likes Gaelic football but also supports both the Irish and Cypriot national football teams and also plays American football! Fantastic! How lucky for them to have such an interesting, diverse mix of backgrounds and they're welcome in both countries when they visit...not sure if they'll encounter the same kind of strange begrudgery when they visit Cyprus in the future though.

The idea that anyone would knock or insult my nephews and niece for claiming their Irish heritage annoys me as they'll have the influence of those cultures in their upbringing. Why do you give a ****e?? Off ye pop with your negative vibes maaaan.