What makes someone Irish?

SeanW

poundapunnet wrote: »

who gets to decide what parts of someone's heritage they're obliged to celebrate? Sectarianism, Brit hating and banging on about the Famine is something I see no value in

Neither do a lot of other Irish people - most of us have moved on from the Famine, and have a positive attitude towards the UK. An exception must be noted for Northern Ireland, where sectarianism was an to a lesser extent continues to be an issue.

it is certainly a part of the heritage of my country but I want no part of it.

Perfectly fine.

The GAA is as interesting to me as any other sport (ie it's not),

Not every Irish person is into sports but those of us that are, will most likely be into GAA, soccer or rugby (though the latter mostly D4 heads).

I'm only medium fond of trad-music

But I'm guessing that you have a few rebel songs in your music collection. Many of us do, including myself, even if our connections to '16, the fight with the Black and Tans is extremely limited or nonexistant.

and vehemently dislike the Catholic Church and the IRA. Am I allowed be Irish?

Again, many Irish people share that sentiment. Myself included.

Xavi6

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

So your a citizen of one of the best countries in the world at the moment, I'd be doing cartwheels around the place if I was you.

No doubt, it's the best birthday present I ever got.

Still doesn't change the fact that I consider myself Irish first and foremost and so does everybody else. The place of my birth didn't shape the person I am today; Ireland, and specifically Dublin, did.

"D'ya know wha' I mean bud?"

suicide_circus

Going to the shops to get a few messages.

Itwasntme.

who the fug wrote: »

Simples

We get the joke foreigners don't

Lies . I get the jokes while some Irish people don't. See exhibit A below.

castletownman wrote: »

A framed picture of Pope John Paul II/JFK in the "good" sitting room.

A box of biscuits stored away to be used only on special occasions

:pac::pac:

Carlos Roca wrote: »

Exhibit A:

Many of the responses in this thread.

Sorry Carlito, you were my sacrificial lamb .

dissed doc wrote: »

Not at all. A person from Norway born to Norwegian parents in China doesn't make them Chinese, does it. If you are Irish and born to Irish parents in Nigeria, you are not Nigerian, are you? THat would be clearly ridiculous. So why is it the case in Ireland that some people are offended by what is common practice all over most of the rest of Europe, Asia and Africa?

Two Russians have a child while working in Japan. The child is Japanese?

But two Sudanese have a child while working in Ireland. The child is Irish?

If those children want to call themselves Chinese, Nigerian, Japanese and Irish, then why not? Two of my friends here in Kigali have two sons who were born here. The husband is Brazilian and the wife Norwegian. They are brown skinned, little blond things who speak English with a Rwandan accent. They identify as Brazillian, Norwegian and Rwandan and if that's what want? Why not?

I know an Irish man who lived here in Kigali and speaks better Kinyarwanda than I could ever dream of speaking. He is more 'Rwandan' in his mannerisms than I am. He has a Rwandan girlfriend with whom he will probably end up having children. He is in my view, Irish or Irish Rwandan if he so chooses and his children, whether they are born here on in Ireland should be whatever they want to be Irish or Rwandan.

One of my professors at uni was a Danish guy who has lived here most of his life. He's a single parent with the whitest, blond-est son who couldn't be more Rwandan if he tried . They moved here when he was a toddler and honestly, apart from his skin colour, everything else about him is Rwandan. I don't think anyone who knows him thinks of him as anything but Rwandan.

Highly relevant side note: I thought this thread hilarious . There are some absolute gems in it that cracked me up and made my morning.

biko

I'd say someone who "feels Irish" - that identifies with Irishness (whatever that is) and secondly someone who is "perceived by others" as Irish.

I've friends here that are born and raised somewhere else but have spent more than 10 or 15 years here, they still don't consider themselves Irish even though they have the accent, mannerisms and everything.
Maybe their kids will be Irish or their grandkids, I don't know.


According to my first statement Boston Irish are real Irish as they identify themselves as Irish and the people around them do too.

mutley18

Hereditary alcoholism and a strong affection towards potatoes.

I was born and raised in Ireland and have an Irish Mammy and a foreign Dad. While I feel proud to be Irish, I sometimes feel very foreign whenever people start talking about GAA for example. I don't look Irish so I feel people don't see me as being Irish sometimes.

My children weren't born in Ireland and have yet to step foot on the island but their only nationality is Irish so I think they might find it even more difficult to identify with Ireland than I did.

biko

I find looking at "You know you've been in Ireland for too long" lists helpful to pin down certain aspects on Irishness. Idiosyncrasies that happen mostly here.

Like http://www.irishslang.co.za/signs.htm
Big pinch of salt of course.

Same goes for other cultures
http://www.eupedia.com/germany/you_have_been_in_germany_too_long.shtml
http://www.expat.or.id/info/toolonginindonesia.html

Kiwi in IE

Deleted User wrote: »

I was born and raised in Ireland and have an Irish Mammy and a foreign Dad. While I feel proud to be Irish, I sometimes feel very foreign whenever people start talking about GAA for example. I don't look Irish so I feel people don't see me as being Irish sometimes.

My children weren't born in Ireland and have yet to step foot on the island but their only nationality is Irish so I think they might find it even more difficult to identify with Ireland than I did.

I wouldn't worry about what nationality other people think that you are or are not. It's none of their business. If you have Irish citizenship and want to identify as Irish, then you are. Who cares if you like the GAA or not. Sporting preference has naught to do with nationality.

I am delighted that both my family of origin and my immediate family are of multiple Nationalities. My son has British, Irish and New Zealand citizenship, which means that he is entitled to live in NZ, Australia or anywhere in Europe, as are my husband and I. With the exception of the US and Canada, we have the right to live in every country in the world that we'd ever potentially want to live in without ever having to worry about visas, time limits etc. That is definately better and far more beneficial than being able to say that you are a 'purebred' of a particular country.

SharpshooterTom

Kiwi in IE wrote: »

With the exception of the US and Canada, we have the right to live in every country in the world that we'd ever potentially want to live in without ever having to worry about visas, time limits etc. That is definately better and far more beneficial than being able to say that you are a 'purebred' of a particular country.

Yep, I have Irish, British and Canadian citizenship, and although I don't have a genuine nationality per say, I'm quite proud that I hold a number of citizenships, hell I would increase it if I could.

clairefontaine

Itwasntme. wrote: »

Lies . I get the jokes while some Irish people don't. See exhibit A below.



:pac::pac:



Sorry Carlito, you were my sacrificial lamb .




If those children want to call themselves Chinese, Nigerian, Japanese and Irish, then why not? Two of my friends here in Kigali have two sons who were born here. The husband is Brazilian and the wife Norwegian. They are brown skinned, little blond things who speak English with a Rwandan accent. They identify as Brazillian, Norwegian and Rwandan and if that's what want? Why not?

I know an Irish man who lived here in Kigali and speaks better Kinyarwanda than I could ever dream of speaking. He is more 'Rwandan' in his mannerisms than I am. He has a Rwandan girlfriend with whom he will probably end up having children. He is in my view, Irish or Irish Rwandan if he so chooses and his children, whether they are born here on in Ireland should be whatever they want to be Irish or Rwandan.

One of my professors at uni was a Danish guy who has lived here most of his life. He's a single parent with the whitest, blond-est son who couldn't be more Rwandan if he tried . They moved here when he was a toddler and honestly, apart from his skin colour, everything else about him is Rwandan. I don't think anyone who knows him thinks of him as anything but Rwandan.

Highly relevant side note: I thought this thread hilarious . There are some absolute gems in it that cracked me up and made my morning.

Because that is how Irish people are. Lol

My parents are Irish right. Irish people see me as American, ok that's fine, I am American and always will be, its what formed me, its built into my bones, my childhood, my education. Nothing can change that. But when we were over there, my little one , who spent most of his life there, was genetically Irish and culturally and legally Irish was always perceived and treated as "different" because his mother was an outsider. He was seen as foreign too. Because in Ireland, outside of dublin, relationships are developed over decades within various family clans. So for example, Sara won't go into the local shop because once upon a time her great great aunt had a fight with their footpath cousin once removed back in1932. And if you are not woven into that fabric, then you are a stranger.

Kiwi in IE

clairefontaine wrote: »

Because in Ireland, outside of dublin, relationships are developed over decades within various family clans. So for example, Sara won't go into the local shop because once upon a time her great great aunt had a fight with their footpath cousin once removed back in1932. And if you are not woven into that fabric, then you are a stranger.

If the only two option were to behave like the above, or be a stranger, then I would be thrilled to be a stranger!

That would be equivalent to me being hostile toward someone whose grandfather mine fought against during WW2, for no other reason than our respective grandfathers were opponents. Incredibly small minded and ignorant.

clairefontaine

Kiwi in IE wrote: »

If the only two option were to behave like the above, or be a stranger, then I would be thrilled to be a stranger!

That would be equivalent to me being hostile toward someone whose grandfather mine fought against during WW2, for no other reason than our respective grandfathers were opponents. Incredibly small minded and ignorant.

Oh there is a big plus side to it alright.

Asbury Park

Saying "ah, it'll be grand" when it's far from grand, when the roof of the house is caving in or the car you've driven for 150,000 miles just won't make that simple trip to the shops anymore without cutting out. Is it optimism, is it a hidden fatalism? Who knows, but every Irish person has that tendency, that certainty that everything will be all right in the end.

clairefontaine

I find false humility to be very Irish.

An Irish person fluent in French for example would say, "yeah I can speak a few words of it."

Any other person would just say "I'm fluent."

Femme_Fatale

mutley18 wrote: »

Hereditary alcoholism and a strong affection towards potatoes.

Even an alcoholic drink derived from potatoes!

TireeTerror

The inability to pronounce words with a "th" next to each other.

dissed doc

clairefontaine wrote: »

I find false humility to be very Irish.

An Irish person fluent in French for example would say, "yeah I can speak a few words of it."

Any other person would just say "I'm fluent."

I found the opposite. Junior Cert French and Irish words gathering in the dusty party of the primary school brain = Fluent.

Itwasntme.

Asbury Park wrote: »

Saying "ah, it'll be grand" when it's far from grand, when the roof of the house is caving in or the car you've driven for 150,000 miles just won't make that simple trip to the shops anymore without cutting out. Is it optimism, is it a hidden fatalism? Who knows, but every Irish person has that tendency, that certainty that everything will be all right in the end.

When you're dead, you don't give a hoot so I guess everything is all right in the end after all .

old hippy

clairefontaine wrote: »

But when we were over there, my little one , who spent most of his life there, was genetically Irish and culturally and legally Irish was always perceived and treated as "different" because his mother was an outsider. He was seen as foreign too. .

Mom?