Irish people with English accents

feargale

Why do we denigrate Irish people who have a touch of American in their speech while we laud Americans who have a touch of Irish in their speech?

Peregrinus

feargale wrote: »

Why do we denigrate Irish people who have a touch of American in their speech while we laud Americans who have a touch of Irish in their speech?

I haven't noticed that we laud Americans who have a touch of Irish in their speech, to be honest. If anything, "the Yank who thinks he's Irish" is a stock figure of ridicule.

feargale

Peregrinus wrote: »

I haven't noticed that we laud Americans who have a touch of Irish in their speech, to be honest. If anything, "the Yank who thinks he's Irish" is a stock figure of ridicule.

Ah no. You could get a Yank of Irish parentage in Boston with a distinctly Irish tinge to their accent. Some would say "sure he's like one of ourselves, bless him."

Zubeneschamali

feargale wrote: »

Ah no. You could get a Yank of Irish parentage in Boston with a distinctly Irish tinge to their accent. Some would say "sure he's like one of ourselves, bless him."

I have never met an Irish person who thinks Irish Americans are like one of us.

Mind you, I've never heard an Irish person under 70 use "bless him" except as sarcasm towards idiots, so you might have heard someone say that.

feargale

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

I have never met an Irish person who thinks Irish Americans are like one of us.

Mind you, I've never heard an Irish person under 70 use "bless him" except as sarcasm towards idiots, so you might have heard someone say that.

Good God. Never?
By Jove!

Brian?

bobbyss wrote: »

Shane Ross:He must have lived in England for a long time?
David Norris: Ditto?
Declan Ganly:Ditto?
There is a horse racing chap who does the racing, a Robert somebody?
Charles Mitchell:ex RTE newsreader had a touch of one I believe.
Martin Manserg;Former senator.
Brian Farrell RTE
Chris de Burgh
Brian O'Connell: Former RTE London correspondent.

Anyone else?

How long do you have to live in England to acquire and retain the accent I wonder?

None of those people have English accents. They're posh Irish people, that's their accent.

George White

I remember a review of High Spirits criticising Peter O'Toole's "English" (his own accent, which doesn't quite belong here, considering his Irish roots and growing up in England) accent for an "Irish" character. The character is a broke Anglo-Irish gentry, a la George in Glenroe.

SharpshooterTom

Brian? wrote: »

None of those people have English accents. They're posh Irish people, that's their accent.

As mentioned before Declan Ganley doesn't have a 'posh' Irish accent he was born and raised in Watford. I was born and raised in England till I was 14 (accent never changed) and I don't think anyone would describe me as 'posh Irish'.

The Crowman

Has B.P. Fallon been mentioned? He sounds very English to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcn9PGgd-uk

Ditto Shane Ross.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNsikZXlP9Y

Car99

Telpis

trashcan

Breaston Plants wrote: »

Yer man that used to do the football show on Today f.m, Michael McMullen, hilarious accent.

Ah yes Moycul McMullen !

shutup

stimpson wrote: »

I thought she was an Aussie when I met her.

Why? Was she loudly cursing at people, starting fights and drinking Bundaberg in the streets?

The Crowman

Lia_lia wrote: »

Most of the hippie crowd down in West Cork have English accents. A parent/both parents would have been English but these people have lived in Ireland their whole lives and have proper English accents. It's a bit weird.

I was born in England and lived there for a few years. Had an English accent till I was about 11 but started putting on an Irish accent till it became my accent. Having an English accent in school in Kerry is bullying material!

I would have known a lot of children of West Cork English hippies growing up and they do generally sound more English than Irish, even if they were born here. Victoria Mary Clarke comes from that background and that is exactlly how a lot of them speak. At times you can detect this weird inflection that sounds almost Cornish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykR1D1e0bEg

Odyssey 2005

Where's McElroy from ?

Yamanoto

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

Where's McElroy from ?

Who?

trashcan

Wibbs wrote: »

I've heard that too P. Apparently quite the number of Americans were shocked he was English. His accent still sounds "off" to me. As does say Liam Neeson's, or our own Colin Farrell's. A few others too. Maybe I hear the slight Irish intonations that Americans would miss? My ear being more attuned to them?

I'd have a pretty good ear for accents, though I can do none but my own, but Hugh's accent really stood out for me. Neeson's is extremely jarring and Farrell's is variable, but rarely consistent across an entire film. One like Gerard Butler(he of 300) American accent is hopelessly off(his Oirish accent was appalling). Sean Connery was always Sean Karl Urban(a New Zealander) is another that jars..

Colin Farrells American accent has always sounded perfectly fine to me. Agree about Liam Neeson though, can't do American to save his life. Brendan Gleason is another who struggles with the American accent, (though he's one of my favourite actors.)

Two English actors who really stood out for me with their American accents were Dominic West and Irish Elba in the Wire. Was really surprised to find out they were both English.

Yamanoto

trashcan wrote: »

Colin Farrells American accent has always sounded perfectly fine to me. Agree about Liam Neeson though, can't do American to save his life. Brendan Gleason is another who struggles with the American accent, (though he's one of my favourite actors.)

Two English actors who really stood out for me with their American accents were Dominic West and Irish Elba in the Wire. Was really surprised to find out they were both English.

Elba's accent was flawless, Dominic West's considerably less so imho.

Gleeson's had to overdub himself in post production on a few films, as he really struggles to do American convincingly.

The Crowman

The Crowman wrote: »

Has B.P. Fallon been mentioned? He sounds very English to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcn9PGgd-uk

Ditto Shane Ross.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNsikZXlP9Y

Beep beep beep, a habitual name dropper. I shared a dressing room with Marc Bolan in '72, etc. He traded in the Roscommon accent long ago.

Brendan Bendar

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

Where's McElroy from ?

Who?

Brendan Bendar

Del.Monte wrote: »

I don't think that anyone could accuse Michael D of having anything remotely like a British accent.

I could.

Lookit.... the ‘r’ is the key..... do you pronounce the fcuker or do you not.

Is it ’fatherr’ or ‘fawdah ‘ That’s usually a good base to start

The little hobbit when he gets into full flow into the heart of the flowery realm is a great proponent of the phrase ‘Andh now this is vehry impohhtant ‘

The r is gone.

Other notables who use this rather ..sorry, rawhdah, cheap way of the ‘English’ attempts

John Kilrane- RTE DubLin corr.
The Little Hobbitt
Ronnie Whelan
Senior members of the Judiciary
Robert Hall
Des Scahill
Irish racehorse trainers who wear brown Trilbies
That gimp who does the color pieces for Newstalk
Paddy O Gorman
University Academics not named Ferriter
A fair percentage of West Cork residents
Terry Wogan
Graeme Norton
Alan Shatter



I could go on.............:eek:

SnazzyPig

David Norris sounds like some old lady who has been living in a cottage in the home counties after having been repatriated from India in 1948.

Franz Von Peppercorn

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

I could.

Lookit.... the ‘r’ is the key..... do you pronounce the fcuker or do you not.

Is it ’fatherr’ or ‘fawdah ‘ That’s usually a good base to start

The little hobbit when he gets into full flow into the heart of the flowery realm is a great proponent of the phrase ‘Andh now this is vehry impohhtant ‘

The r is gone.

Other notables who use this rather ..sorry, rawhdah, cheap way of the ‘English’ attempts

John Kilrane- RTE DubLin corr.
The Little Hobbitt
Ronnie Whelan
Senior members of the Judiciary
Robert Hall
Des Scahill
Irish racehorse trainers who wear brown Trilbies
That gimp who does the color pieces for Newstalk
Paddy O Gorman
University Academics not named Ferriter
A fair percentage of West Cork residents
Terry Wogan
Graeme Norton
Alan Shatter



I could go on.............:eek:

You are just accusing people who don’t have regional Irish accents of having English accents. Terry Wogan was clearly Irish.

The little man actually pronounced his r’s a lot. He rolls them in fact. Far from non-rhocity he was born.

rainbowdrop

The Crowman wrote: »

I would have known a lot of children of West Cork English hippies growing up and they do generally sound more English than Irish, even if they were born here. Victoria Mary Clarke comes from that background and that is exactlly how a lot of them speak. At times you can detect this weird inflection that sounds almost Cornish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykR1D1e0bEg

Ahh, the 'Westies'.....I know a few of them too "I'm from West Cork innit mate bruv"

The Crowman

Deleted User wrote: »

Beep beep beep, a habitual name dropper. I shared a dressing room with Marc Bolan in '72, etc. He traded in the Roscommon accent long ago.

Lol. Victoria Mary Clarke is just as bad, only she has a much smaller pool of clebs to namedrop. That column she had in the Sindo seemed to exist soley to remind on a weekly basis that she was on first name terms with Kate Moss, Pete Doherty and Johnny Depp.

Brendan Bendar

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

You are just accusing people who don’t have regional Irish accents of having English accents. Terry Wogan was clearly Irish.

The little man actually pronounced his r’s a lot. He rolls them in fact. Far from non-rhocity he was born.

I’m not “accusing” anybody of anything bro, I’m merely outlining the use of the letter ‘r’ by various people in various ways.

Now if you are suggesting that Terry Wogan’s use of the letter was similar to the average Limerick born person, I would have to say, not so.

With regards to the Little Hobbitt,as you say far from “ non-rhocity” he was born but still seem to be very ‘immhpohtant’ to him.

You need to drill down a bit, my friend and attack specific ‘errors’ in my post.

I stand over it 100%

SnazzyPig

SnazzyPig wrote: »

David Norris sounds like some old lady who has been living in a cottage in the home counties after having been repatriated from India in 1948.

No he doesn't.

As an English person I can tell you that none of the people mentioned as having English accents actually have English accents.

decky1

had a neighbour when we were growing up she went to England to work and came home to visit a month or so later full cockney she was , have a cousin who went for about 2 year and now lives other side of the world[for around 6 years now] still has the english accent do they think were stupid or something , if they could only hear themselves.

Franz Von Peppercorn

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

With regards to the Little Hobbitt,as you say far from “ non-rhocity” he was born but still seem to be very ‘immhpohtant’ to him.

You need to drill down a bit, my friend and attack specific ‘errors’ in my post.

I stand over it 100%

I did a quick search for a presidential speech. Found this St. Patrick’s day message. Literally the first sentence has him rolling r’s to beat the band. He sends wishes to the Irish community arrround the worrrld.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnzP7e_jbqo

Hedgelayer

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

I did a quick search for a presidential speech. Hit St Patrick’s day. Literally the first sentence has him rolling r’s to beat the band. He sends wishes to the Irish community arrround the worrrld.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnzP7e_jbqo

The thickest Newmarket on Fergus accent ever, no compromise

Franz Von Peppercorn

Hedgelayer wrote: »

The thickest Newmarket on Fergus accent ever, no compromise

It’s compromised to the extent that he is a public speaker and therefore enunciates in a way that normal Irish speech isn’t enunciated (something that is also going out of fashion for many, the trend is for the speaker to talk conversationally into a microphone).

Agricola

What would you call Chris O Dowd's accent?

To me, Roy from the IT Crowd is actually how Chris O' Dowd should sound. It's pure Roscommon bogman.

But when you see him interviewed he has this weird clipped way of speaking. Too long in close quarters with British and American thespians I'd wager.

Good day to you.

Fourier

To my ears David Norris has an Anglo-Irish accent more so than an English accent.

Brendan Bendar

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

I did a quick search for a presidential speech. Found this St. Patrick’s day message. Literally the first sentence has him rolling r’s to beat the band. He sends wishes to the Irish community arrround the worrrld.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnzP7e_jbqo

Would you ever go take a running jump at yourself.
https://youtu.be/Cjo_PoXzRGQ

Franz Von Peppercorn

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

Would you ever go take a running jump at yourself.
https://youtu.be/Cjo_PoXzRGQ

Do you know what a non Rhotic R sounds like? it doesn’t sound like an r. Not only does Higgins pronounce his Rs, he over pronounces them even relative to an normal Irish accent. Can you give us at least a hint as to where you think he’s doing what you think.

Anyway this is about Irish people with English accents, not non-rhoticity.

There are very few good examples, although Adam Clayton is one.

Edgware

decky1 wrote: »

had a neighbour when we were growing up she went to England to work and came home to visit a month or so later full cockney she was , have a cousin who went for about 2 year and now lives other side of the world[for around 6 years now] still has the english accent do they think were stupid or something , if they could only hear themselves.

They should have stayed at home. married their cousin and developed a lovely Laois Carlow accent. If people go abroad accent changes will occur. Take a trip out of your village sometime and you would realise this ( I'm sure the village idiot from the neighbouring village will cover for you)

The Crowman

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Do you know what a non Rhotic R sounds like? it doesn’t sound like an r. Not only does Higgins pronounce his Rs, he over pronounces them even relative to an normal Irish accent. Can you give us at least a hint as to where you think he’s doing what you think.

Anyway this is about Irish people with English accents, not non-rhoticity.

There are very few good examples, although Adam Clayton is one.

Yeah Adam Clayton is another odd one. Granted he was born in England but he's lived in Ireland since he was eight and he's now nearly 60.

mikhail

The Crowman wrote: »

Yeah Adam Clayton is another odd one. Granted he was born in England but he's lived in Ireland since he was eight and he's now nearly 60.

So should he not change his accent because that makes him some sort of traitor, or does that only apply when the original accent is Irish?

topper75

steddyeddy wrote: »

In fairness both Terry and Gay had accents.

Correct - they certainly did. If anybody rambled into my (quite provincial!) local pub talking their way, I'd just assume they were Dubs - and 99% of the time - I'd be right.

Wogan, granted, spent some formative years in Limerick and genuinely loved the place all his life - but he didn't have much of its accent. That was largely established in his teenage years in Dublin and then picked up a non-rhotic hue from his many decades in London.

Gaybo is a middle class Dub - no more, no less.

There is no such thing as a neutral Irish accent despite the national media's efforts to convince us otherwise.

Widdershins

Irish people with English accents are the most lovely blend.

BuboBubo

I work with an English lad whose parents are Irish. I actually go out of my way to talk to him because I could listen to his accent all day . He has no hint of an Irish accent, but his tone is less sharp sounding than a standard English accent.

mariaalice

Why does it irritate people or worse that is a far more interesting question?

Cee-Jay-Cee

I'm far more irritated by Irish teenagers (particularly girls) with the most ****ed up American/Dublin 4 accent and them from the arsehole of Ireland.

I recently had the mispleasure of being in the same company as 4 teenage girls, one from Letterkenny, one from west Dongeal, one from Macroom and one from Baileboro in Cavan. They were friends and have known each other since last September and have become close friends. They all speak the exact same as each other, its a horrible D4 style accent with an American twang. There is absolutely no hint of Donegal, Cork or Cavan in any of their accents. Its absolutely bizarre, how the fcuk do they all speak exactly the same as each other??? They have to be fake accents!

Berserker

mariaalice wrote: »

Why does it irritate people or worse that is a far more interesting question?

Pretty obvious why. It's the same reason why certain Irish people take issue with anything remotely English or British. A cultured English accent is beautiful to listen to.

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

I'm far more irritated by Irish teenagers (particularly girls) with the most ****ed up American/Dublin 4 accent and them from the arsehole of Ireland.

It's a strange one. I think it results from the amount of time they spend online playing games.

seamus

Berserker wrote: »

Pretty obvious why. It's the same reason why certain Irish people take issue with anything remotely English or British.

To be fair, when you look at the list of people in the OP, it's clear that the issue is largely down to commentators and pontificators. Not English accents in general.

That is, there's a cultural memory that causes Irish people to bristle, whenever they hear an English accent (in particular) talking about Irish issues, or being perceived to be at all critical about Ireland.

It's a cultural notion that English people are by default required to STFU about Ireland. They've done enough damage. And thus anyone with an English accent is covered by this, whether they're English or not.

topper75

Widdershins wrote: »

Irish people with English accents are the most lovely blend.

Andy Lee the boxer sounds great. Seems to know his stuff too.

Stacksofwacks

I have a semi English/Irish accent. Spent ages 3-12 in England before the folks moved back here. I am 100 percent Irish and it drives me crazy when people think Im English.

w/s/p/c/

Pal of mine is married to an English girl, he lived over there for a max 3 years before moving home with his wife and starting a family here.

Anytime his mates from there come to visit Dublin (he is a north sider) his accent switches into cockney. Also happens when he has a few beers the mockney accent comes out, the lads get great fun giving him stick when he does it!

Widdershins

Stacksofwacks wrote: »

I have a semi English/Irish accent. Spent ages 3-12 in England before the folks moved back here. I am 100 percent Irish and it drives me crazy when people think Im English.

try to keep it, though

Berserker

topper75 wrote: »

Andy Lee the boxer sounds great. Seems to know his stuff too.

Very knowledge guy, who comes across very well. Always thought that he got a raw deal support wise over here.

Stacksofwacks

Widdershins wrote: »

try to keep it, though

To be honest I hate it cos people always think either Im English or a traveller, but the Irish accent is stronger now