Question What Does it Mean to be Irish?

[Kean]

I was wondering if you guys could help me out a little bit with this. I have to write a paper about the nature of being Irish, about what it means to you, what makes you Irish (if you are Irish) or what you perceive it to be (if you're not).

Be honest, I won't be offened😉

Thanks peeps🙂

 

[JenniferAlice]

OK, I'm not Irish, but back in the day the Irish went through famine and alot of people died, right? That's why Irish people like potatoes? If I had that history, I'd be a heavy drinker too, like the Irish, they like a wee dram don't they?

 

[Blondie Bear]

My family has quite a bit of Irish, but I've never been to Ireland, and we've got so much other stuff that I don't really think of myself primarily as Irish; I think of myself primarily as American. However, I've always been drawn to Celtic and Gaelic culture. I love the music, the symbolism, the accent, the sound of the language . . . pretty much everything but the food, which I've never really tried.

Most of my awareness of Ireland is probably rooted more in the past and/or in rural life, and not so much in modern or city life. I've read Joyce's The Dubliners, but that's the closest I've come to that sort of thing. I'm sure that if I went to Ireland, it would be completely different from what I've pictured unless I go way out in the countryside somewhere.

I'm not sure if that helps you, but there it is. 😉

 

[T.I.P]

Irish stuff? Whats the craic, naggins(got one hhaha) chippers, and whats the story? I love Ireland, everyone is right into their counties, whenever i ask someone where their from i get 'Meath' or 'Kerry' or somethin instead of the actual town, theres serious county pride here, especially when Hurling or somethings on, people that dont usually care are suddenly the biggest fans in Galway, and you get all the flags flying. Also loooooooooooooove how they actually care about their national holiday and celebrate it properly. It seems like most people ive met here are seriously patriotic and proud of their country. I also get the feelin its kinda like a mini america!

 

[Kean]

Irish stuff? Whats the craic, naggins(got one hhaha) chippers, and whats the story? I love Ireland, everyone is right into their counties, whenever i ask someone where their from i get 'Meath' or 'Kerry' or somethin instead of the actual town, theres serious county pride here, especially when Hurling or somethings on, people that dont usually care are suddenly the biggest fans in Galway, and you get all the flags flying. Also loooooooooooooove how they actually care about their national holiday and celebrate it properly. It seems like most people ive met here are seriously patriotic and proud of their country. I also get the feelin its kinda like a mini america!

Do you think that there is more pride in the county than the country?

Also, what you said about Ireland being a mini America (I agree) do you feel that the authentic Irish custumes are being lost or maybe pushed aside i.e The sports, language, music?

 

[T.I.P]

Do you think that there is more pride in the county than the country?

Also, what you said about Ireland being a mini America (I agree) do you feel that the authentic Irish custumes are being lost or maybe pushed aside i.e The sports, language, music?

County v country? Hmmm, well id say country, i see the county thing more just like a bit of fun almost, y'know, when theres a game on, like ''my countys better than yours'', But when it comes to the country, there is serious national pride, the full place unites and its just like a celebration of being Irish, its great.

But the mini america thing, its the same i think in uk as well, its getting harder to know exactly what 'Irish culture' is(kinda like England) everyone i know watches American stuff, listens to American music etc, its all becoming blurry. But to me, from what i read, Limerick totally sounds like an American ghetto, murder, ran by drug gangs, cop cars being shot up, 14 year olds with AK47!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mini compton hahahaahha

 

[Kean]

County v country? Hmmm, well id say country, i see the county thing more just like a bit of fun almost, y'know, when theres a game on, like ''my countys better than yours'', But when it comes to the country, there is serious national pride, the full place unites and its just like a celebration of being Irish, its great.

But the mini america thing, its the same i think in uk as well, its getting harder to know exactly what 'Irish culture' is(kinda like England) everyone i know watches American stuff, listens to American music etc, its all becoming blurry. But to me, from what i read, Limerick totally sounds like an American ghetto, murder, ran by drug gangs, cop cars being shot up, 14 year olds with AK47!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mini compton hahahaahha

That is a fairly accurate way to describe parts of Limerick. There are 5 major 'ghetto' areas that you just do not go to if you hope to come out of there in one piece. Considering how small the city is that is a fairly significant area.

Do you think being Irish is associated with being violent?

 

[T.I.P]

That is a fairly accurate way to describe parts of Limerick. There are 5 major 'ghetto' areas that you just do not go to if you hope to come out of there in one piece. Considering how small the city is that is a fairly significant area.

Do you think being Irish is associated with being violent?

Well i kinda do, but only coz i live here. Like, i imagine people who have never lived here or know much about it maybe see it as a *wee friendly country* all green fields and plesant folks, and it is, i mean, the Irish form my experience are genuinly friendly and are very good at talking, but like most other places it has alot of crime and i find the 'knacker' familys very interesting(read books about it) and ive kinda noticed quite alot of 'casual racism' coming up in conversation, which kinda suprised me with the amount of ti!

 

[Kean]

Well i kinda do, but only coz i live here. Like, i imagine people who have never lived here or know much about it maybe see it as a *wee friendly country* all green fields and plesant folks, and it is, i mean, the Irish form my experience are genuinly friendly and are very good at talking, but like most other places it has alot of crime and i find the 'knacker' familys very interesting(read books about it) and ive kinda noticed quite alot of 'casual racism' coming up in conversation, which kinda suprised me with the amount of ti!

I know what you mean. I saw Tommy Tiernan back in March and one of the questions he posed to the audience about Ireland and the Irish was 'Are we racist or just having the craic?'. He couldn't answer.

When you say knackers do you mean urban scumbags or actual travellers?

 

[T.I.P]

I know what you mean. I saw Tommy Tiernan back in March and one of the questions he posed to the audience about Ireland and the Irish was 'Are we racist or just having the craic?'. He couldn't answer.

When you say knackers do you mean urban scumbags or actual travellers?

Yeah i saw that Tommy Tiernan one(he's funny as hell too, really funny) Saying that though, to be fair the racist comments i hear are made by the same small amount of people, like most of my mates anyway dont really use it(or they know i just dont like it?)

But OOPS, (shame face) i meant travellers: erm : im just too used to hearing ''knacker this and knacker that'' hahaahaha. But yeah, i find reading/hearing about the travellers interesting. And i stay with someone who stayed in Limerick for 6 years, and im always hearing about Limerick gangs and crime, i love it.

 

[Kean]

Yeah i saw that Tommy Tiernan one(he's funny as hell too, really funny) Saying that though, to be fair the racist comments i hear are made by the same small amount of people, like most of my mates anyway dont really use it(or they know i just dont like it?)

But OOPS, (shame face) i meant travellers: erm : im just too used to hearing ''knacker this and knacker that'' hahaahaha. But yeah, i find reading/hearing about the travellers interesting. And i stay with someone who stayed in Limerick for 6 years, and im always hearing about Limerick gangs and crime, i love it.

Maybe I am somewhat desensitised by it since I am from Limerick or because I know that the gang war doesn't represent the entire city that it doesn't shock me as much. I feel like it is very much something we have to over come and move on from. I ahve friends from all 5 ghettos that have nothing to do with gang warfare and would never associate being from Limerick with being violent but I see where from the outside would view it that way.

 

[Faith]

I've never been to Ireland yet but considering my heritage I really should. My mother's family (the O'Hara's) are from Sligo. I always found the Irish to be quite like the Scots really. Both throw the best parties you will ever attend, strangers become friends quite quickly. I do love it when the Irish come over for the rugby but that might be because i'm a sucker for a man with an irish accent.

A deep sense of pride, faith and loyalty. The majority have strong religious and family values, I say the majority because like everywhere else family units break apart and don't have the same sense of values as they used to.

To the outside I guess the Irish again like the Scots are known for liking a good drink 😉

 

[atticus]

I think being Irish these days, is about fitting into social groups, and not so much about individual thinking. I think from an early age, we are fed a lot of rules on being irish. But most of these rules are conflicting. I think it kind of scrambles you're brain a little, and you can't make sense of who you are and what your beliefs are, so you just settle, and try to fit in, whatever way you can.
This is true of me anyway, maybe not everyone.
I grew up, in a very religious house. Kind of old fashioned, because that is how they were brought up. My parents were miserable, but stayed together because it was seen as wrong to separate, or get divorced. I grew up as someone, who does not really believe in marriage, and due to some personal losses, lost most of my religious beliefs. Yet, i feel guilty about this, and think i might be judged because of it. Brain scrambled.
I have a huge dislike of racist and bigoted people, but again being from a religious upbringing was surrounded by people making bigoted comments, because the bible said being gay was wrong. But i felt that judging anyone on how they were born, was not right. Yet i spend most of my day's complaining about Ireland's scumbags, who are a result of where they came from and how they were brought up. It's hard to justify hating someone, when they are just trying to fit in, to what they feel is the norm. Brain scrambled.
Being Irish, is confusing. We're a country that survived death by traveling over seas to work, yet when someone from another country comes here, defenses come up, and it becomes about foreigners, taking our jobs. How come we're allowed work elsewhere, but treat people who do the same here as scum. Brain scrambled. I don't look at them as scum, but man, i hear a lot of racism these days.
Being Irish bothers me, i'm not really sure who i am, i just fit into groups who like the same things as i do. That's about all i can do, my mind is to conflicted to figure out who i really am.
Don't know if this helps Keanoite, and i know it's damn long, but that's my personal response to being Irish.

 

[luckystar]

A lot of been irish and proud to be irish seems to go back to our history were the irish left our country in droves to work abraod which seemed to give us a hard head and be proud of what we came from since most of us im sure in our famalies came from pretty poor upbringings and large famalies my parents came from both and did pretty well despite it so it comes from all that, because really we have nothing much to be proud of im not putting my own heritage down or anything i just mean for example its like we havent excelled in sports, music, movies, etc the most thing im proud about is our food and our culture but sadly even that is fading out now, i love the gaelic language and i feel were truly loosing out heritage with that fading out now and the problems were having in the country with refugees and so on, for whatever reason people see us as mentioned before party people and heavy drinkers etc and for some charming also because were percieved as been jokers and having a strong sense of humor which can be true, its just a shame were loosing our heritage lately....i rambled to much there :iamwithst

 

[palabravampiress]

Well, I'm not Irish, so I can only give you an outside perspective on things. My great-grandma was half Irish and half Scottish, but she hid her Irish side. I had a Blackfoot Great-Grandfather. The rest of my great-grandparents were from England. I don't really connect with any of that heritage, though, and I consider myself American through and through. All "being Irish" means to me is that someone is from one of the two Irelands. I also associate the Irish with serious Protestant/Catholic strife. Really, that's about it. "Being Irish" doesn't mean anything to me except that they're from across the pond somewhere.