Anyone ever nasty to you for being Irish

General General

Yes.

He looked pretty silly afterwards with that Union Jack sticking up his ass.

Wompa1

When I worked in a shop years ago a British lady came in. She asked for a pastic bag, I asked for 15 cents as it was at the time. She kicked up a fuss and starting saying it was ridiculous and in England they don't charge for bags.

I just this is not England...anymore

Bobby Baccala

Was on holidays in santa ponsa when i was about 6 and some english young lads stole my swimming ring thingy and when i asked for it back they called me an irish wanker and refused to give it back, so i went over to my da and told him and he said "son, punch them in the fúcking mouth" so i went over and dropped one of them on his arse with a punch, the other one ran away and i retrieved my swimming ring.

Since then I've never allowed a man or woman to hold prejudice against me for being Irish. But I'm far from prejudiced myself, one of my best mates is english, another one of them is Nigerian, i honestly dont understand why people choose to be prejudiced? Why the fúck cant people just stop being so insecure and accept people for whatever nationality/colour/race they are?

Washington Irving

Nope. Someone was nasty to me because they thought I was English, they were very apologetic when they discovered I was Irish

djflawless

Few of us were in italy awhile back.went into an irish pub and soon found it to be full of english folk.after the help of of mr al cohol we started singin a few hymns.nothing racist or fenian like.just the stuff for jivin'.long way to tipp..galway girl and the sorts.we then were basically booed out of the pub while being called fenians,secretarians,priest lovers,leprechauns, and my personal favourite.POTATO

Oranage2

Was playing some online poker around the time we got the bail out and a German wrote 'knock the Irish guy out before he can't pay'.

paddyandy

Never in London among londoners but i've had very bad treatment here in ireland from my own ;People who call themselves nationalists .....you know the kind .Tavern Patriots who never speak irish because they CAN'T and don't now the words of the soldiers song .Scumbags in Masquerade .I always remember them at Election Time .

Son0vagun

Was called a "Irish fagg0t" by a work colleague. He is from lithuania. I shrugged it off, but it was witnessed by some managers! He got his comeuppance! Racist and homophobic!

Also onetime while playing poker in Facebook a lady from England started calling me a "four eyed potatoe farmer". I retaliated by calling her a "ugly kunt"! She reported that and I got a life time ban!

JustAThought

Have to say; I was living in london during the ira tube bombing " campaign" back in the dark ages & I never had a problem in work for being Irish which I always was grateful for. not sure it would have been the same here.
Notwithstanding that: I was on a skitrip & graded into a ski class with a lode of UK professionals ; all girls; almost all were total anti-Irish b|^<hes. They said they were all from a hockey team but turned out they were female contingent from the PSNI. They were the most unpleasant , prejudiced, nasty gang of " wimmin" I have ever had the misfortune to have to spend time with. By the end of the holiday I think I had done Ireland proud by my tolerance & refusal to descend to their level : a few of them even apologised when they met me in the village ; away from the group .

Move on a few years & I find myself at a wedding; I've had to go solo & at am a table of ( strangers to me) college friends ; multinational; Swedes, Belgians, Germans,four Brits ; a NZ,And an Auzzie. I could not believe my ears at at the general sneering at Irish that they just settled down into & continued all night ; despite the face two at the table were beautiful Irish girls & they were there as guests to their Irish friend . None of it was " Craic", it was all sneering about potato people, peasant food ( beef or salmon & veg & potatos); & how the Irish were uneducated & thick. This from a dowdy bunch of boreswho despite their interesting backgrounds & world experiences had little else to offer or contribute for 3+ hours.

Q the morning after & I'm suddenly in high demand & being searched for & fawned over by the most spiteful one ; who sat besideme all night with her racist ranting about potato people & how we are all uneducated & stupid. .." o you; will you look at my leg I think I've sprained it; arnt you a doctor ; you have to you know..."

Un-believable.

IrishAm

Oranage2 wrote: »

Was playing some online poker around the time we got the bail out and a German wrote 'knock the Irish guy out before he can't pay'.

Now that's funny. The astute fellow must be up to speed on Irish current affairs.

Larbre34

A few people have mentioned it but Ive had a good 6 or 8 incidents either with a group or on my own where natives in foreign countries have mistaken me/us for english initially and then totally about-faced their attitude when they realised i/we were Irish. Many times in France!

I had reason to end up at a wedding in Lowestoft, Norfolk long ago and some lad started an anti-irish rant in front of me whereupon I was able to use the line "Yeah we Irish get a lot of grief abroad alright - until people find out we're not one of you lot..." Fairly shut him up. Incidentally, Lowestoft is the biggest toilet in creation and English people with no Irish connection do not know how to throw a decent wedding! Bridesmaid went to bed at 10.30 at that one - PM! :rolleyes:

Apart from that, some of the biggest anti-Irish sentiment Ive ever seen is from elderly warhorses that fought in WW2. I suppose its just Alf Garnetts generation but ive been in the company, separately, of 2 english and 1 australian veteran who were the most racist, prejudiced and downright bitter about the Irish for some reason. Not sure if it was the neutrality or the maybe the RA that brought it on but it was jaw dropping in its extremity. I was consoled that they were coffin dodgers with war wounds that gave them pain every single day. Probably shuffled off long since

old hippy

paddyandy wrote: »

Never in London among londoners but i've had very bad treatment here in ireland from my own ;People who call themselves nationalists .....you know the kind .Tavern Patriots who never speak irish because they CAN'T and don't now the words of the soldiers song .Scumbags in Masquerade .I always remember them at Election Time .

I've never heard this song you mention but please don't take offense, I just don't do the whole patriotism lark

DEFTLEFTHAND

I don't know about this notion of the racism suddenly halting when the person realises you're Irish not English is universal. I've told my story in this thread before about a savage beatdown I and couple of comrades endured in Milan Italy, the intensity of the attack raised noticeably once they had ascertained that we were actually Irish.

ICANN

I work in a school in central London and get 'potatoes' shouted at me every so often by some wánker students. The same thing has happened on the nightbus- people who I haven't spoken to or even looked at just shouting 'potatoes' at me, happened three times.

One of those times I was with my English friend and he asked me if I found it funny and I said not at all as I don't understand the humour of it. If I see an Italian person I don't feel compelled to shout 'pasta' at them. He said he thought it was fairly funny.

ColeTrain

ICANN wrote: »

I work in a school in central London and get 'potatoes' shouted at me every so often by some wánker students. The same thing has happened on the nightbus- people who I haven't spoken to or even looked at just shouting 'potatoes' at me, happened three times.

One of those times I was with my English friend and he asked me if I found it funny and I said not at all as I don't understand the humour of it. If I see an Italian person I don't feel compelled to shout 'pasta' at them. He said he thought it was fairly funny.

Maybe your head just looks like a potato?

NinjaK

ICANN wrote: »

I work in a school in central London and get 'potatoes' shouted at me every so often by some wánker students. The same thing has happened on the nightbus- people who I haven't spoken to or even looked at just shouting 'potatoes' at me, happened three times.

One of those times I was with my English friend and he asked me if I found it funny and I said not at all as I don't understand the humour of it. If I see an Italian person I don't feel compelled to shout 'pasta' at them. He said he thought it was fairly funny.

Its like a German shouting 'gas chamber' at a Jew. Of course that would be completely unacceptable, but when it comes to the Irish nobody cares, including a large part of our population who have no respect for themselves.

later12

ICANN wrote: »

The same thing has happened on the nightbus- people who I haven't spoken to or even looked at just shouting 'potatoes' at me, happened three times.

I don't understand. If they just saw you on a nightbus, and you you didn't say anything, how could they know you were Irish

Seems like a pretty odd, unusual slur to have happened on 3 different occasions.

ICANN

later12 wrote: »

I don't understand. If they just saw you on a nightbus, and you you didn't say anything, how could they know you were Irish

Seems like a pretty odd, unusual slur to have happened on 3 different occasions.

They knew I was Irish because they heard me talking to my friends. And no it's not unusual- it happens a lot.

NinjaK

NinjaK wrote: »

Its like a German shouting 'gas chamber' at a Jew. Of course that would be completely unacceptable, but when it comes to the Irish nobody cares, including a large part of our population who have no respect for themselves.

Come on. It isn't like that. English people think it's funny to talk about how much the Irish like potatoes and eat them all the time and say 'potatoes' in an Irish accent. It's not a reference to the potato famine and nobody I know takes it that way except dry shytes who go out of their way to get offended by absolutely everything.

Fratton Fred

NinjaK wrote: »

Its like a German shouting 'gas chamber' at a Jew. Of course that would be completely unacceptable, but when it comes to the Irish nobody cares, including a large part of our population who have no respect for themselves.

I'd say it was slightly less offensive than shouting gas chamber to a Jew, more like shouting frogs legs to a Frenchman, or sausage muncher to a German.

later12

ICANN wrote: »

And no it's not unusual- it happens a lot.

Yes, three times apparently.

I lived in London for years, never heard the slur "potatoes", and you say you were called this on three separate occasions? Hmm.

johngalway

Liam Round Rig wrote: »

Come on. It isn't like that. English people think it's funny to talk about how much the Irish like potatoes and eat them all the time and say 'potatoes' in an Irish accent. It's not a reference to the potato famine and nobody I know takes it that way except dry shytes who go out of their way to get offended by absolutely everything.

Just like the way I like how the "Empire" followed the British back to Britain and half it's former colonial population is now on benefits and housed by them in Britain, all at British taxpayers expense

latenia

Liam Round Rig wrote: »

Come on. It isn't like that. English people think it's funny to talk about how much the Irish like potatoes and eat them all the time and say 'potatoes' in an Irish accent. It's not a reference to the potato famine and nobody I know takes it that way except dry shytes who go out of their way to get offended by absolutely everything.

It's racist because it's a hackneyed cliché and demonstrably untrue. Is it ok to shout "hey big dick!" at black men? The fact is British people eat more potatoes than we do; we're not even the top-10 countries:

http://www.potato2008.org/en/world/index.html

woodoo

Liam Round Rig wrote: »

Come on. It isn't like that. English people think it's funny to talk about how much the Irish like potatoes and eat them all the time and say 'potatoes' in an Irish accent. It's not a reference to the potato famine and nobody I know takes it that way except dry shytes who go out of their way to get offended by absolutely everything.

Of course it is to do with the famine.

woodoo

Fratton Fred wrote: »

I'd say it was slightly less offensive than shouting gas chamber to a Jew, more like shouting frogs legs to a Frenchman, or sausage muncher to a German.

A million people didn't die and a million emigrate due to sausages or frogs legs.

ICANN

later12 wrote: »

Yes, three times apparently.

I lived in London for years, never heard the slur "potatoes", and you say you were called this on three separate occasions? Hmm.

Well believe it or not there are 12 million people in the Greater London region so not all of them are going to have the same experiences. Do I really have to prove my own experiences to you? No I don't.

Sunnyisland

Well I am 100% Irish but have very sallow skin,Back in 76/77 Spain were playing Ireland in the then landstown Road,Spain won 1/0,After the match I jumped on the number 7/8 ? bus going back into town and when I went upstairs I was attacked and beaten by a group of Irish people who thought I was spanish,when my friends intervene shouting leave him alone he is Irish the lads thought it was very funny and said sorry.So I was mugged by Irish for being spanish even though I was Irish :-)

SharpshooterTom

I always wonder if varies from different parts of the UK.

For example, english accent or no english accent, mentioning I have Irish parents will automatically trigger "Irish bastard" to significant chunk of East Anglia. Not sure whether this is the case in London, and I reckon having Irish parents doesn't necessarily mean you are an Irish so and so in parts of the north west as being of Irish/partial descent is quite common there. So I guess it varies depending on the location.

cashback

later12 wrote: »

Yes, three times apparently.

I lived in London for years, never heard the slur "potatoes", and you say you were called this on three separate occasions? Hmm.

It's a relatively recent phenomenon and can be mostly attributed to this idiot which I posted earlier in the thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIga5_rVOW4

I know so many people here who think this is hilarious when they say it to me. It's not really, but I try to mask my annoyance.

later12

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

I always wonder if varies from different parts of the UK.

For example, english accent or no english accent, mentioning I have Irish parents will automatically trigger "Irish bastard" to significant chunk of East Anglia. Not sure whether this is the case in London, and I reckon having Irish parents doesn't necessarily mean you are an Irish so and so in parts of the north west as being of Irish/partial descent is quite common there. So I guess it varies depending on the location.

Indeed. And from Welsh Taffs, to Scottish Jocks, to Sassenachs; from West End pretty boys to East end chavs, from plastic cockneys to Norfolk dumplings, Geordies and Scousers, pie eaters and Mickey Mouses, we forget how tribal the UK actually is within itself. I have lived with Scots, English guys and Londoners and heard (and probably made) at least as many jokes about their regions than they did of mine.

Sometimes, poking fun about this kind of thing can just guys' way of getting along. Some people manage to do it with humour, others take it too far sometimes, but it's worth bearing in mind that the Irish are not being targeted specifically. In human history, whenever a people were grouped together, they were immediately characterised with certain traits that in the cold light of day, most people do not take seriously. We're no different to anybody else in these terms.

ICANN

cashback wrote: »

It's a relatively recent phenomenon and can be mostly attributed to this idiot which I posted earlier in the thread.

I know so many people here who think this is hilarious when they say it to me. It's not really, but I try to mask my annoyance.

I always wondered where it came from because I had absolutely no idea!!!

woodoo

cashback wrote: »

It's a relatively recent phenomenon and can be mostly attributed to this idiot which I posted earlier in the thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIga5_rVOW4

I know so many people here who think this is hilarious when they say it to me. It's not really, but I try to mask my annoyance.

Next time Kieth Lemon is in Ireland someone should punch him to let him know he has guaranteed another generation of english people will take the piss out of Irish people about potatoes.

hondasam

ICANN wrote: »

I always wondered where it came from because I had absolutely no idea!!!

This is where it came from and it's not one bit funny. We are supposed to have a sense of humour and take any old crap that's thrown at us as humour.
I have a sense of humour but only if they person dishing it out can take it as well and the English are not great at seeing the funny imo.

Paddy Cow

Used to work in an office and we had an American client who had very little respect for the Irish. She would give out about our accent and how hard it was to understand us, refer to us as "you people" and just generally be a cnut. Her attitude was awful but it was more funny than offensive as she was only letting herself down.

Did the backpacking thing in Australia and I stayed in a small town for awhile because I had a brother there. There wasn't more than 3 or 4 Irish people in the whole town so I was a novelty for them. Most were sound but there were a few gob****es who took it too far asking if I had connections in the IRA :rolleyes: and taking the p!ss out of the fact I didn't pronounce my "th's" properly.

bwatson

johngalway wrote: »

Just like the way I like how the "Empire" followed the British back to Britain and half it's former colonial population is now on benefits and housed by them in Britain, all at British taxpayers expense

Trying to use an group of people as a stick to taunt "the Brits" with? Seems a little classless to me. Not to mention completely ignorant. The Asian population of Britain makes up less than 6% of the population but contributes more than 6% to the British economy for example. Just shows how clueless and how rude you are.

old hippy

woodoo wrote: »

Next time Kieth Lemon is in Ireland someone should punch him to let him know he has guaranteed another generation of english people will take the piss out of Irish people about potatoes.

And let everyone else know how we can only solve problems with our fists

ruthloss

Not to my face, but remarks were made in 'stage whispers' about 'bleeding IRA' and 'Terrorist' in my presence, this was in London.

There is a certain middle class in England who absolutely detest the Irish Nation, they take every opportunity to make snide comments about us, when you pull them up on it, they soon back off. Bastwards!!

Enkidu

I never had anything nasty said to me actually.

I did get a funny exchange in Canada once when buying a Pepsi:

Me: Just this please!
Woman behind me in queue: Oh an English accent, I believe in democracy, not the "queen".
Me : (In head:????) Oh, I'm from Ireland actually
Woman: Is that part of France or something, I'm not to fond of the French.
Me: Eh, no it's an island in Northern Europe.
Woman: Oh, you're German, I love Germany.
Me: ?????

As I learned in Canada, a lot of people don't even know what Ireland is, let alone have prejudices towards it.

indioblack

later12 wrote: »

Indeed. And from Welsh Taffs, to Scottish Jocks, to Sassenachs; from West End pretty boys to East end chavs, from plastic cockneys to Norfolk dumplings, Geordies and Scousers, pie eaters and Mickey Mouses, we forget how tribal the UK actually is within itself. I have lived with Scots, English guys and Londoners and heard (and probably made) at least as many jokes about their regions than they did of mine.

Sometimes, poking fun about this kind of thing can just guys' way of getting along. Some people manage to do it with humour, others take it too far sometimes, but it's worth bearing in mind that the Irish are not being targeted specifically. In human history, whenever a people were grouped together, they were immediately characterised with certain traits that in the cold light of day, most people do not take seriously. We're no different to anybody else in these terms.

You left out us carrot-crunchers down here in the south-west!
My old Ma came over from Cork during the war. As a lad growing up here she had a bit of stick fron one neighbour, (from Yorkshire!).
It occasionally happened to me, but since I was born here with a thick Wiltshire accent I gave as good as I got, (inherited my mothers temper!).
I've found that if there is an attitude towards the Irish, it's beneath the surface - and therefore hard to detect and quantify.
Mostly, as has been pointed out, people are generally the same everywhere. I've had my fair share of comments about England when I've visited my Irish relatives.

Palo Alto

I originally started studying over at Oxford Uni and was shocked how many people as soon as they heard I was from up North asked me what religion I was without knowing anything else about me. Really got my goat up.

Only on Xbox Live!!!!!!

later12

Palo Alto wrote: »

I originally started studying over at Oxford Uni and was shocked how many people as soon as they heard I was from up North asked me what religion I was without knowing anything else about me. Really got my goat up.

I do that with the Northeners as well though.

Well, I don't ask them "what's your religion", because it wasn't a religious conflict. I usually ask them something like who they's be supporting in the football, the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland; or which team they'd be supporting at the Olympics, to give a topical example.

I guess it's because having grown up in the Republic, I find the idea of that sort of everyday, subliminal undercurrent of division between neighbors a little intriguing. It's not like anything we have here in the South, not even between Protestants and Catholics.

imme

kfallon wrote: »

Also a bunch of us were called 'Paddy ****' by a guy no taller than 4 foot at a race meeting in England before. He said it as he walked past and said it in such a low tone he didn't think we'd hear but I did. Found it hilarious!

was he a jockey:D

cameramonkey

Palo Alto wrote: »

I originally started studying over at Oxford Uni and was shocked how many people as soon as they heard I was from up North asked me what religion I was without knowing anything else about me. Really got my goat up.

what religion are you?

steelcityblues

I have gotten a few anti-white comments, which I consider much worse.

woodoo

steelcityblues wrote: »

I have gotten a few anti-white comments, which I consider much worse.

Shut up cracker

Augmerson

woodoo wrote: »

Shut up cracker

That's just taking the Ritz.

somegirl2009

Well its known for English to take the piss out of Irish and call us paddy etc but he shouldn't have said you should **** back to where u came from!

but on the other side how many English come over here to this country are treated very nastily by people just because they are english................

Nulty

keithclancy wrote: »

So,

Was at a wedding on the weekend in England, was never at a wedding in England before, live over in Holland so driving there wasn't to bad.

Was a good craic, mostly the same as an Irish wedding.

Late into the night we were in the bar and I was chatting to a guy, all very normal conversation. He seemed well educated, was a history teacher in a school apparently.

After a while myself and the missus said we were going to bed and headed off, while we were walking away the guy said 'Goodnight ya dumb paddy'

I sort of shrugged it off and went upstairs, after a while it was bugging the hell out of me so I went back downstairs.

Walked back over and told the guy in a very friendly way

"Hey look, you shouldn't say that sort of thing to people, its a bit racist"

Guy was all very apologetic, said sorry and then I walked off, I walked around the corner and then heard him saying "These f*cking Irish micks should piss off back to where they came from"

I just thought 'for f&ck sake' and went to bed.

Over here in Holland i've only ever experienced racism because people here can't really tell the difference between England and Ireland, hence you get the whole 'English wánker' thing shouted at you sometimes.

Anyone else ever had a similar experience ?

Has anyone mentioned the irony in this statement yet?

zcorpian88

Started a job in Dunnes Stores 4 years ago, ended up on hygiene for a few weeks, 3 foreign lads walk into the shop (guessing Polish), saw me just sweeping up some washing powder that got spilled on the floor. They were talking quietly but I heard every word one of them pointed at me thinking I wasn't looking at them and one says to the other two in broken English and I quote "Can't believe that Irish spud got a job here and I cannot" the other two laughed and picked up some washing tablets and went off. Stood there thinking "Did I hear that right?"

Glad I don't work in there anymore!