Irish Thoughts on Britain and the British and vice versa

We just know Great Britain doesn't mean UK only. We just were talking about your common history, and about Polish feelings about it. If you are interested in this kind of thread you are sooo welcome :)

I would like also to ask Scottish people or from Wales maybe about their opinion, but everybody is welcome also

sledz

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Male Reply Quote . Feb 28, 07 [13:08] . Post #66

Quoting: Magdushya
I would like to post new thread, what Irish thinks about English now, and vice versa and what Poles feel about it. Who is closer to us

Yeah, Are you guys getting along better?? seems to me you are
You should start a ttread......

So, can we?

I was raised in the Uk & Ire. I was raised Catholic and consider myself an Irishman.

THere is, for me and many of my friends and people i know, a rivalry between the Uk and IRE ONLY on the sporting fields these days.

95% of the Repbulic of Ireland and 85% of the north of Ireland in the Good Friday Agreement voted for peace. this shows the overwhelming amount of people who them and us atitude does not exist anymore.

The english schools are only recently being educated to the horrors of what the Bristish empire did abroad in South Africa, India and Ireland to name aview and they are like the germans after WW2, very apologetic if it comes up at all!

In the groups I hang out with - there is not division anymore between us (bar the oild sporting rivallry - like any other nation (the scots and welsh have it too against england)

The atitiude in ireland is growing that we are europeans now. It is much slower in taking shape in the UK as its not long since the fall of the empire. BUT one more generation will see a big change there..

But there is no animosity between us now for the most part!

I mean, we will never forget the horrerendous past (on BOTH sides) and it is better for that
THere is MORE effort now in getting along :)

As to the Irish Language - It was a casualty - But lets be honest and real Ireland has 2.5million 'irish' and we do speak it very basic. But it is the fact we are 'native' english speakers that has allowed Ireland to be the economic success it has become

I love Irish Tradition and music - but the politician FORCED the language on the youth of this country and nearly killed it for good! You prop love it more than most irish!!! seriously!!!

It will survive as a heritige language but it has a MINOR role in this country and for the most part - we are fine with that. Bono cant speak a word of it either :)

I cannot immagine that Poles can feel the same about polish language even if i.e. German laungage would help us with economic success.Even when was the time Poland wasn't exist on the map of the world divided by Russia, Germany and Austria and after....

well try 700 years of occupation first - that'll chaange that for you :)

I think I will be fighting however

Even Jonathan Swift was pissed of, yeah, this English writer, that you weren't fighting with england enough. He tried to do a revolution, writing anonymous, trying to lift your hearts up. England wanted to know who is writing all this anti-english leaflets, they proposes huge amount of money for Irish ppl to sell this mysterious person, but no one did it:)

:) best of luck to ya

i think it gives us an advantage we are english speakers. We are still Irish, Like the Scots are scots and the Welsh, Welsh.

We have our pride, history, culture and languages still. But we have also have english
You can say ( and we do :) ) we have more culture than the UK ever had hehe

No


:)

we have got "only" 123 years of annexation.....

And you weren't European before... ?

Being part of the EU makes a a hell of a difference. Nationalism becomes rather pointless over time when you have no borders and the laws come from the same place. The EU has done Ireland very very nicely and I think its encouraged both parties to look forward and not back.

The constant obsession with race and nationality that you see on this forum will hopefully dissapear over time.
That is why the EU was formed in the first place, as a buffer against nationalism and war.

>well try 700 years of occupation first - that'll chaange that for you

Thats where its gets a bit fuzzy. England has been under occupation for over 900 years. You still have the French in positions of Nobility today. The obvious problem is when you start talking about 35 generations of living somewhere it becomes more of a matter of religion than race.

Anything in particular or just in general ?

Sorry but this is idealistic/socialistic utopia, If more of "European identification" is imposed on people, It will only backfire in the future with stronger nationalism. The same with deeper integration.


Without reforms done by Irish governments they would look today at best like Portugal.

Greegorz your being a little naive.

Yes we were always 'Geographically' european which is where your coming from.

the 'european' i refer to is the political and social body known as the european union.

idealistic/socialistic utopia? check your specturms. its democratic and the centre right and centre left are the MASSIVE majority.

As to idealistic - the ideal is working! France and Germany aren't exacty going to break into WW3. Britain and Ireland are not going to descend into another black and tans/IRA scenario so diss it all you want - the evidence is there bud.


that is the most flipant and unfounded comment i have heard said in earnest ever.

what a load of beeswax

The irish governments over the years were on the RECIEVING end of HEAVY EU subsidies for since 1973. It is only recently they are starting to pay that bach into the EU and the eastern/central bloc

Portugal has been a contributing member longer than Ireland (as in subsidies recived Versus subsidies paid back %)

Do you really believe that??? As for the British empire, admittedly yes its not so great now but at least we had one! And as for how the British treated people, we didnt become great for being nice!

would you call that great then :) its nothing to be proud of. (and neither is waht the ira did in the north and all other horrid acts)

Annia - i would love if you registered, it would be great :)

do i really believe that - no! i said we in the national sense with a wink and a smile!

We each have our own unique culture

Yeah...


Most of people in "old" Europe don't even support current EU, not to mention deeper integration, in "new" small majority is for, just because we got money from EU.

look at the EU parliment. the EPP is the LARGEST party they are (as far as i can see, centre, centre right parties across the EU!

its much wider than you give it vredit for - i work in a multinational and am in contact with people from all over the world - the EU is not as 'wea' idealistic as your making it out to be.

...


And until late 80's that wasn't making serious improvement.

Believe it or not I am pro Irish, As for the history of England, there have been things that they have done that havent been very nice but what country is without its sins??

Im not sure what you mean by the wink thing? Im sure its not meant in a nice way, but I will overlook it.

Annia

omg, ireland needed BASIC infrastructure first! e didnt even have that! the 70's were spent making these! then we moved the rest. for goodness its an a-z process. it has to start from small beginings.

even the universe


then you;d be wrong, it WAS meant in a nice way

as in to say something with a wink and a smile? as in, all in a bit of fun, a lighter note....

pro irish? what is anti irish? ive never heard that kind of phrase but ok, its nice to know :)

Looks like Estonians are too stupid to understand that, so they can have +13% GDP growth...

I dont know where your getting that from my post. that is not what i said, it is not what i believe. I cannot speak for other countries. I only tell you what i know from Ireland's involvement in the EU.

I'm anti Irish, coming over to England with your theme pubs and special dark beer, getting all Michael Flatley on our collective arses. Then there is the whole fecking priest thing...don't get me started! Just who do you think you are? :) What, don't you think we have enough of our own culture with hankey throwing and cheese rolling and drunken brawling! :) We didn't build an empire by singing about life being one big rollercoaster, no we did not!

I know you got it daffy, but for anyone who doesn't get my jokes (who is that solitary fgure over there?) please don't take offence. I love the Blarney and all things Irish (with the possible exception of Paul Rankin)

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NNOOOOOOOO those legs cannot be natural!!!! :)

(love the irish dancing though - but he scary)

Both please, how your nation feels about English and Irish, your place in Great Britain etc etc

both nations get on, end of storey really. It's old news.

true

1972 wasn't long long time ago.....

its long enough that we have moved on for the most part. the scars are healed and we are moving onward together not against each other - and this is truly better.

Nationalism dies. The EU has been shown to work, it may take twenty years but it is a very long term project. Look at France and Germany - no chance of them ever going to war again after three wars in 70years. Peace in Ireland has largely come about because of the changes the EU allowed - massive subsidies, increase prosperity and a border that became immaterial.

There are a lot of Scots who would like to see an Independant Scotland within the European Union. Many polls forecast that the Scottish Nationalist Party may form a coalition government at the next election in May 2007.