Why are Protestant Britain obsessed with the Papal visit to Ireland?

An Claidheamh

As the Pope, visited Britain a few years back to visit the minority religion there - which was met by intolerance and a nasty campaign by the Guardian - why are the Brits obsessed when he visits here?

Their media appears to be in overdrive patronising cliché mode about "Catholic Ireland", implying that Britain a state religious kingdom, whose government is made up of Protestant anti-Catholic DUPers and who have a fervent past and current history of religious bigotry, presently against Muslims - is somehow a paragon of secularism?

I don't recall the BBC, etc giving any coverage to the reason for protests against their queen's visit some years ago.

They ignored that - about British terrorism, collusion, anti-Irish laws, anti-Catholic discrimination, the concept of royalty.

I also recall, the Irish media and populace respecting the fact that the Queen of England is the Head of a Protestant Church with different practices.

(Incidentally, her visit cost approx 36 million, compared to 5 million for the Pope, and she had the roads cordoned off and all the homeless shipped with the Irish media failing to question anything, less they be accused of being in the IRA).

Have they not forgiven us for choosing our own religion or none?

Their Brexit media haven't shut up about us being a "small insignificant country",
so why do they care about a visit to a foreign country of a foreign religion?

In fact, most of the commenters on their website don't seem to know where Ireland is, or are just simply jingoistic sectarian bigots.

I suspect that their behaviour over the visit is indicative of the typical xenophobic Johnny foreigner, intolerance, ignorance and feigned superiority that brought on Brexit.

They will never learn.

Before any right on bots claims, I'm not working for the Vatican to infiltrate the virgin territory of Boards.ie - just a former history, politics and media student and observer.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

That doesn't square with the coverage I saw on BBC and ITV. Perhaps you're taking from it what you want to find in it.

Discodog

Kaiser Happy Creator wrote: »

That doesn't square with the coverage I saw on BBC and ITV. Perhaps you're taking from it what you want to find in it.

I agree. In fact the UK coverage is far more balanced than RTE

super_furry

Yeah haven't seen anything remotely like what you've mentioned.

Under His Eye

Plenty of Catholics in the UK too don't ya know.

An Claidheamh

Under His Eye wrote: »

Plenty of Catholics in the UK too don't ya know.

There aren't, and the coverage was less when the Pope was actually there for longer.

An Claidheamh

Kaiser Happy Creator wrote: »

That doesn't square with the coverage I saw on BBC and ITV. Perhaps you're taking from it what you want to find in it.

I mostly followed print media.


I suspect they just need a story to avoid Brexit talk for a while.

Pinch Flat

The brisitsh media is obsessed with ireland in general. I think they see us as a child who left home and never came back. Kind of a sentimental thing....

TheQuietFella

Aren't they all just diluted Catholics anyway!

TheShockmaster

I don't think "the brits" are obsessed with anything related to Ireland to be honest. I think we have much more of an interest in them than they do of us.

looksee

Pinch Flat wrote: »

The brisitsh media is obsessed with ireland in general. I think they see us as a child who left home and never came back. Kind of a sentimental thing....

Yes, never a day goes by without a headline :rolleyes:

PhilDawn

Pinch Flat wrote: »

The brisitsh media is obsessed with ireland in general. I think they see us as a child who left home and never came back. Kind of a sentimental thing....

Lol 🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣

Avatar MIA

The BBC employ a lot of Irish, some in high profile roles. We also watch a lot of UK TV.

They are simply catering to their audience.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

An Claidheamh wrote: »

There aren't, and the coverage was less when the Pope was actually there for longer.

There's more than here - approx. 5 million in England, Scotland, and Wales.

Try_harder

Its August its easy filler

jaxxx

TheShockmaster wrote: »

I don't think "the brits" are obsessed with anything related to Ireland to be honest. I think we have much more of an interest in them than they do of us.

Except for labelling our celebrities as British. Sure even Sky News yesterday made a whopper of an error saying that the Pope was in England!

Will I Am Not

https://twitter.com/jaycee001/status/1033291197694074880?s=21

Sure they think he’s in England.

Gimme A Pound

An Claidheamh wrote: »

There aren't,.

Yes there are, and millions of people of Irish ancestry.

dxhound2005

BBC Radio Ulster had three Protestant clergymen from three different denominations discussing the visit. You couldn't make it up.

Purgative

Pinch Flat wrote: »

The brisitsh media is obsessed with ireland in general. I think they see us as a child who left home and never came back. Kind of a sentimental thing....

Sort of runt of the litter?

TheShockmaster

TheShockmaster wrote: »

I don't think "the brits" are obsessed with anything related to Ireland to be honest. I think we have much more of an interest in them than they do of us.

As someone who isn't from this part of the world, but has lived in the UK for almost a decade, and in Ireland for almost the same, I'd say you're bang on.

Hector Bellend

Its newsworthy

Yamanoto

An Claidheamh wrote: »

I don't recall the BBC, etc giving any coverage to the reason for protests against their queen's visit some years ago.

Probably because the peripheral lunatic fringes of republicanism are cranks and clowns, who are parodies of themselves at this stage. Most normal folks in Ireland rightly recognised that the welcome extended to Lizzie Windsor was a move in the right direction.

RobbingBandit

Argy Bargy Hand of God and all that

Harry Palmr

Try_harder wrote: »

Its August its easy filler

Is a huge part of this, it's either God or Brexit right now and in a day or two it'll just be Brexit again. Plus The UK media is interested in the contrast between 1979 and 2018 - the old 'Orish' v the new LGBTQ friendly Irish.

Danzy

There is still a strong sectarian streak running through Britain.

dxhound2005

Danzy wrote: »

There is still a strong sectarian streak running through Britain.

Going back to the Reformation. And anti Semitism which is also practised by the more recent Muslim intake, and Islamophobia which is very popular. They could do with a visit from the Pope to sort things out.

Danzy

dxhound2005 wrote: »

BBC Radio Ulster had three Protestant clergymen from three different denominations discussing the visit. You couldn't make it up.

in fairness, they could have ten Protestant Clergymen from ten different denominations just from the Lisburn road.

An Claidheamh

TheShockmaster wrote: »

I don't think "the brits" are obsessed with anything related to Ireland to be honest. I think we have much more of an interest in them than they do of us.

Did our media give massive coverage to the Pope's visit to Britain a few years ago?

No.

Allinall

dxhound2005 wrote: »

BBC Radio Ulster had three Protestant clergymen from three different denominations discussing the visit. You couldn't make it up.

RTE had a Catholic Wexfordman reporting on the bridge collapse in Italy last week.
You couldn’t make it up.

An Claidheamh

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Is a huge part of this, it's either God or Brexit right now and in a day or two it'll just be Brexit again. Plus The UK media is interested in the contrast between 1979 and 2018 - the old 'Orish' v the new LGBTQ friendly Irish.

Bit patronising no, are they going to come back every year with that narrative?

Shame the Brits can't shine a light on the homophobia emanating from Protestant clerics in the North.

Bradlin

It's a great way for them to highlight corruption in Ireland. The BBC would never miss that opportunity. And they're right.

JupiterKid

Bitter, sad armchair republican stuck back in 1978 alert! :rolleyes:

Gimme A Pound

Danzy wrote: »

There is still a strong sectarian streak running through Britain.

England is one of the most multicultural societies in the world, with pretty staunch anti hate laws. I just don't get what people mean on this thread. Scotland sectarian yes, but England - I really disagree that it is apart from the usual individual cases which you'd find anywhere.

Odhinn

JupiterKid wrote: »

Bitter, sad armchair republican stuck back in 1978 alert! :rolleyes:

I'm not sad, just going through a period of ennui.

Taytoland

The OP just made the whole premise of the post up just so he can have a bash at those Protestant Brits. Should have just been honest and said you hate Britain and be done with it.

malinheader

I have to watch BBC as I cancelled my sky and sky Ireland still refuse to show Irish channels on free view as they do English channels. Illegal I would say as I still fork out for tv licence. Anyhow I found BBC and itv coverage good.

riffmongous

Allinall wrote: »

RTE had a Catholic Wexfordman reporting on the bridge collapse in Italy last week.
You couldn’t make it up.

Yes because ireland is full of Italian bridge engineers

indioblack

An Claidheamh wrote: »

.... a former history, politics and media student and observer.

Yes, I expect you are.

indioblack

dxhound2005 wrote: »

They could do with a visit from the Pope to sort things out.

Yeah. Like the one you had in '79.
How did that work out?

dxhound2005

indioblack wrote: »

Yeah. Like the one you had in '79.
How did that work out?

Grand. They made him a saint.

Gimme A Pound

An Claidheamh wrote: »

Bit patronising no, are they going to come back every year with that narrative?

Shame the Brits can't shine a light on the homophobia emanating from Protestant clerics in the North.

I don't think they'd have any issue with it. How does coverage of one mean a reluctance to cover the other?

It's a very big event which is receiving coverage elsewhere also. You're reading bizarre things into it.

Franz Von Peppercorn

TheShockmaster wrote: »

I don't think "the brits" are obsessed with anything related to Ireland to be honest. I think we have much more of an interest in them than they do of us.

They are obsessed with keeping the cliches alive though. Part of a post colonial attitude.

indioblack

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Grand. They made him a saint.

Typical Irish retort. Like it.
Swift, short, sharp.
With enough of a put down to make me laugh.

Church on Tuesday

An Claidheamh wrote: »

There aren't, and the coverage was less when the Pope was actually there for longer.

There's about four million Catholics in the UK.

Coverage would be less because it's not the dominant religion there.

Mutant z

Its just news like any other hardly what you call obsessed and BTW Britain is by and large irreligious to the extent many are now opting out of getting their own children christened and churches are practically deserted. Protestantism is largely a thing of the past in the UK its mostly secular nowadays.

Kermit.de.frog

I don't really agree with the OP however for whatever reason to my recollection there has been more coverage on the UK news networks of this visit than the one to the UK.

I guess that has to do with the underlying narrative - "abuse and how it has effected a predominantly catholic country". But then these issues are not unique to Ireland - happened all around the world.

So I can't understand why there has been so much coverage.

The Republic is a market for Sky News for example - that is an important point though.

whisky_galore

TheShockmaster wrote: »

I don't think "the brits" are obsessed with anything related to Ireland to be honest. I think we have much more of an interest in them than they do of us.

Nail on head.

Every second post on Boards is a whingefest of what the 'Brits' did to us or what do the 'Brits' think of X, Y or Z. Any Irish failing is of course blamed on the 'Brits', even thought they're gone with nearly a century .....'post colonial' mindset bullsh1t. People hating 'Brits' as if they fought the Tans when the nearest they got to violence was playing Call of Duty and were in nappies when bombs were going off.

Really, it'd sicken your sh1t at times.

Avatar MIA

whisky_galore wrote: »

Nail on head.

Every second post on Boards is a whingefest of what the 'Brits' did to us or what do the 'Brits' think of X, Y or Z. Any Irish failing is of course blamed on the 'Brits', even thought they're gone with nearly a century .....'post colonial' mindset bullsh1t. People hating 'Brits' as if they fought the Tans when the nearest they got to violence was playing Call of Duty and were in nappies when bombs were going off.

Really, it'd sicken your sh1t at times.

Checks spelling of Whiskey in name. You would say that! :pac:

whisky_galore

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Checks spelling of Whiskey in name. You would say that! :pac:

Whatever.

Maybe you should have your username as Gaelige?

Avatar MIA

whisky_galore wrote: »

Whatever.

Maybe you should have your username as Gaelige?

Grumpy. Stereotype *tick*