Irish: are any of you it?

[Hero in a half shell]

I've lived all my life in Northern Ireland, and have no plans to move, my family goes back to the plantation times.

No American calls himself Irish. They claim to be of Irish descent, and thus Irish-American. But I've never met an American who claimed to be "Irish", period.

You'll notice, "1/8 Irish" or "1/2 Irish" or "Both Sides of my family have Irish blood". Does that mean they are saying "Yeah, I'm Irish." No, it doesn't. They aren't claiming nationality. They are claiming ethnicity. Stop being so uptight.





OT: No. I'm German-American. Just had to vent.

While most American's would make the distinction between being Irish and being of Irish Heritage, unfortunately the ones that make the journey over the big pool to the Emerald Isle are usually the really obnoxious ones (Not always the case, and I've met some great American tourists here, but for every 10 decent American tourists there is one loud mouthing how he's totally Irish like us, and isn't it so awesome everything here is also Irish and how he's come home, and other rubbish.) It gets really annoying when they start weighing in on their take on the delicate and complicated political situation here, and somehow manage to offend everyone, Nationalists and Unionists.

Of course we love getting American tourists, sure, come over and join the party, but please try and respect our culture, and realise we are not as shallow as the racist stereotypes and pop culture references.

 

[Flamezdudes]

I'd say i'm over half Irish.

My grandparents on my mothers side are both from Ireland and moved here in their twenties for work where they then met. So I have a shit ton of cousins over in Ireland and other relatives. Then on my Dads side, my grandma's parents were Irish too, so that extends to yet more relatives.

So yeah, mostly Irish, plus I pretty much consider myself Irish since due to my family i've grown up in the culture a lot even though i've lived in England all my life.

 

[Hipsy_Gypsy]

Well... I'm Northern Irish so I've probably got full Irish, Scottish and a bit of English thrown in there too. I'm not one of the stereotypical psychos that you'd more than often enough find in Northern Ireland though, yeesh.


x

 

[Luke3184]

1/4 and I can do the accent and all

 

[DannyJBeckett]

I am precisely 1/8th Northern-Irish, which may go some way to explaining my reddish hair and why I don't tan (I burn like toast).

 

[basedg0d_a0s]

i have a bit of irish in me but i'm not born and raised in ireland by any means. i've heard that it is pretty cool to take a vacation and visit there though. i'll probably end up doing that when i get older.

 

[Dogstile]

Father is Irish, me mam is a mix of Scottish and Italian.

So yeah, sure. If you want. We don't live in Ireland but my Fathers family was very Irish. We don't talk anymore though because I don't consider that wifebeater my father (Which is another Irish stereotype I believe, how fun)

So, kinda. Wouldn't consider myself truly Irish though, I don't live there.

 

[similar.squirrel]

Are you asking for bare genealogy, or are you asking for people who are actually from Ireland?

The latter, despite being swamped by the former.

 

[The-Epicly-Named-Man]

It's not dead yet (10 years of all Irish education here), but it's definitely stagnating. Very little about the language has changed since the introduction of standardised spelling and the Roman alphabet except the inclusion of English words with slightly different endings, which is very worrying. Really there's only two solutions if we want to keep the language alive; turn every school into a Gaelscoil, or drastically improve the methods with which it's being taught. Really, when people can go through 14 years of Irish without picking up even the basics and learn French in 6 years, you know somethings really wrong.

Do they do what the Welsh do, and basically have everything written in both languages? That might help, although Welsh is still a dying language. It really doesn't help that English is such a lingua franca...

No, although that would make more sense. In the current system, in Gaelscoils it's all learned entirely through Irish (which isn't as much of a disadvantage as that may sound), while in the common primary school students learn how to say "Can I go to the toilet" and how to spell a few arbitrary nouns.

 

[Verlander]

If it makes you happy, yes

Actually most of the people here meet your "requirements".

Yes, all of the "I'm a third" or "My grandfather was 100%" makes them all Irish.

Most of the people here aren't, and the folk from new world countries seem to have some sort of inherited patriotism for a place they have never been to. I laid out fair criteria, it could be said that you're only Irish if you're born and raised there. People need to be satisfied with who they are, and if we're lucky, ignore this ridiculous "pride" in a political measurement.

I'm pretty sure these people are claiming ethnicity by being of Irish decent. Their not claiming nationality and if they have an interest in the culture of their ancestors whats the problem with that? Also, If your saying that Irish Americans have lost rights to Irish culture because of their ancestors acclamation to another dominate culture you might want to ask yourself why out of the native Irish only something like 15% of them speak their own language.

I'd imagine 300 years of British rule largely put an end to native Irish speakers, and unlike the Welsh, reclaiming the language isn't a common Irish goal.

I have no problem with learning about other cultures, but they might as well learn about all northern Germanic cultures, and then African ones, because by the same concept they originally came from those places as well. Yet, I don't see the "Irish" Americans doing much of that, I see them fucking about on St Patrick's Day, claiming patriotism for a country as far removed from their own culture as any European country.

...they do learn about all the northern Germanic cultures, and the African ones. That's why at my college we have what's called "cultural studies" which include African studies, German studies, etc. Its also why my city has international days in the park where learning centers are set up to teach people about different cultures, why conventions are held for Americans of all ethnicity where they can reconnect to the people or culture they descend from, and its why you have Americans that study Celtic music or the music of whatever people they descend from. I could go on with many other examples if you'd like

Do they stand up and proudly exclaim that they are african-northern european-germanic-celtic-irish americans? Or dot hey go around exclaiming that they are Irish, when they are in fact American. It's a different culture, and they are not Irish. I got taught about Japanese history, but that don't make me one of them.

I don't know how else to explain this to you, their not claiming nationality their claiming ethnicity. Their ethnicity is non-negotiable, if they descend from alien, Chinese fruit bat, Scottish kangaroo and they happen to live in the states then they are without question, without compromise, absolutely, inherently an American/alien/Chinese fruit bat/Scottish kangaroo. This fact cannot be refuted, and in a hundred thousand years if Ireland sinks into the ocean and all that ever was or could have been related to that culture disapFUCKINGpears the descendants of those who once resided in Ireland will remain Irish, and not the devil himself could change that. Again their !nationality! is American their !ethnicity! is Irish, so they ARE Irish.

So that makes you African?

 

[OneOfTheMichael's]

I'm about quarter irish, scottish, ukraine and Czechoslovakian which makes me 100% european...except for the fact I live in Canada.
Canada, in fact, had a lot of people come over from Ireland during the great potato famine so thats were my ancestors came.
I want to go to, or maybe live in Ireland one day and a few of my friends have been there saying it was a gorgeous place with good people.
I actually consider myself more Irish than Ukraine because I'm always felt more of a pull to the Irish community.

 

[ciancon]

Yup, by blood i'm 1/3, but i've been living here for more than half my life so i'd say i'm more irish than english anyway.

 

[chaosyoshimage]

I'm over half Irish and have the porcelain skin to prove it. I have a decently Irish name to go with it as well.

 

[Boba Frag]

it could be said that you're only Irish if you're born and raised there.

I wouldn't say that. I was born in the Czech Republic, but my parents are Irish, I'm an Irish citizen, I've lived here since I was 1 and I speak Irish. Probably nit-picking here, but saying you have to be born here is a little harsh (I agree with the fact you'd have to be raised here though).

That's actually a very fair and interesting point. It's a tricky elusive thing to nail down, but I would argue that my two GAA playing school mates who were both born in the Carribbean (parents used to work there) are Irish as they were raised here.

I guess it's fair if you identify yourself as Irish, have Irish heritage and are part of the culture.
You're not nit picking at all, only highlighting that place of birth means little enough, it's how you're raised and by whom.

 

[Boba Frag]

100% Irish, born and raised in Corcaigh and proud. (burp)

G'wan Miracle of Sound!

It seems we Cork men are a ferociously proud lot when it comes to our city. As we should be.
(parp)

 

[MiracleOfSound]

100% Irish, born and raised in Corcaigh and proud. (burp)

G'wan Miracle of Sound!

It seems we Cork men are a ferociously proud lot when it comes to our city. As we should be.
(parp)

We certainly are! The rebel county and all that wonderful nonsense

...

...

[spurt]

 

[feeback06]

that's where my Mother's side hails from.

 

[Boba Frag]

100% Irish, born and raised in Corcaigh and proud. (burp)

G'wan Miracle of Sound!

It seems we Cork men are a ferociously proud lot when it comes to our city. As we should be.
(parp)

We certainly are! The rebel county and all that wonderful nonsense

...

...

[spurt]

It may seem mad and frightening to non Cork people, but hey! It's home!

(fnaaaaaarpppp)

 

[Verlander]

Spoiler: Previous Convo

If it makes you happy, yes

Actually most of the people here meet your "requirements".

Yes, all of the "I'm a third" or "My grandfather was 100%" makes them all Irish.

Most of the people here aren't, and the folk from new world countries seem to have some sort of inherited patriotism for a place they have never been to. I laid out fair criteria, it could be said that you're only Irish if you're born and raised there. People need to be satisfied with who they are, and if we're lucky, ignore this ridiculous "pride" in a political measurement.

I'm pretty sure these people are claiming ethnicity by being of Irish decent. Their not claiming nationality and if they have an interest in the culture of their ancestors whats the problem with that? Also, If your saying that Irish Americans have lost rights to Irish culture because of their ancestors acclamation to another dominate culture you might want to ask yourself why out of the native Irish only something like 15% of them speak their own language.

I'd imagine 300 years of British rule largely put an end to native Irish speakers, and unlike the Welsh, reclaiming the language isn't a common Irish goal.

I have no problem with learning about other cultures, but they might as well learn about all northern Germanic cultures, and then African ones, because by the same concept they originally came from those places as well. Yet, I don't see the "Irish" Americans doing much of that, I see them fucking about on St Patrick's Day, claiming patriotism for a country as far removed from their own culture as any European country.

...they do learn about all the northern Germanic cultures, and the African ones. That's why at my college we have what's called "cultural studies" which include African studies, German studies, etc. Its also why my city has international days in the park where learning centers are set up to teach people about different cultures, why conventions are held for Americans of all ethnicity where they can reconnect to the people or culture they descend from, and its why you have Americans that study Celtic music or the music of whatever people they descend from. I could go on with many other examples if you'd like

Do they stand up and proudly exclaim that they are african-northern european-germanic-celtic-irish americans? Or dot hey go around exclaiming that they are Irish, when they are in fact American. It's a different culture, and they are not Irish. I got taught about Japanese history, but that don't make me one of them.

I don't know how else to explain this to you, their not claiming nationality their claiming ethnicity. Their ethnicity is non-negotiable, if they descend from alien, Chinese fruit bat, Scottish kangaroo and they happen to live in the states then they are without question, without compromise, absolutely, inherently an American/alien/Chinese fruit bat/Scottish kangaroo. This fact cannot be refuted, and in a hundred thousand years if Ireland sinks into the ocean and all that ever was or could have been related to that culture disapFUCKINGpears the descendants of those who once resided in Ireland will remain Irish, and not the devil himself could change that. Again their !nationality! is American their !ethnicity! is Irish, so they ARE Irish.

So that makes you African?

We have gathered here on this fine day, and have witnessed your greatness, the sheer might of your unyielding ineptitude, and your, dare I say courage to preserve your nonsensicality in the face of overwhelming logic. Therefore by the powers vested in me by this here internet I deem the unteachable. May you now go out into the world, and continue to dream the wild dreams you dared to dream when you were young, to unknow the knowable, to read without understanding, and to type while sleeping.

Oooh, a sarcastic answer, the final retort of those without argument. You claim someone was a right to the heritage of their ancestors? Well they all came from Africa originally. If the natural history of mankind is a subject of which you lack knowledge, I recommend learning it, it will serve you well.

Patriotism is for the small minded anyway, but patriotism for a country of which of you no living connection is beyond stupid. Non-Irish people have no claim to Irish history and culture, just like Non-Japanese have no right to Japanese history and culture. Appreciate it if you will, but it is not "yours" and you are not one of them.