Chat about Ireland and things Irish

[Metall 14,575]

I vividly remember travelling from Dublin to Donegal on the bus back in the day... the route went through Northern Ireland!

British soldiers armed with machine guns boarded the bus to check passports of the completely silent passengers staring ahead... searched lour uggage... I later was told this was done on *every trip*.

[Feierabend 1,146]

The British public, including most of its leaders, are highly ignorant about the history of Ireland, or indeed of any of its former colonies.

[knotheadusc 521]

14 hours ago, Feierabend said:

The British public, including most of its leaders, are highly ignorant about the history of Ireland, or indeed of any of its former colonies.

 

My husband and I were pretty shocked by the way the Brits on that cruise were behaving.  We had no skin in the game, except for our own heritages.  But the elderly Brits were very offended by the Irish guide daring to say that he wanted Ireland reunified.  I know a bunch of them complained to the cruise line and I'll bet they don't call in Carlingford again, which would be a real shame.  It was a really cute town, and not near any of the other places we've visited in Ireland.  

[kiplette 8,802]

17 hours ago, Metall said:

British soldiers armed with machine guns boarded the bus to check passports of the completely silent passengers staring ahead... searched lour uggage... I later was told this was done on *every trip*.

 

Well yes, that's what you do if you are trying to stop weapons being taken across a border. 

 

2 hours ago, knotheadusc said:

  But the elderly Brits were very offended by the Irish guide daring to say that he wanted Ireland reunified.

 

That on the other hand is ridiculous. 'Offended' - presumably because they were ignorant, as Feierabend says, of any Irish history at all. 

It's also a bit surprising, in that I always feel as if most Brits have no idea why Northern Ireland is a 'thing' and would barely notice if the next set of politicians brought unity. 

[knotheadusc 521]

I remember one man in particular was arguing with the guide about the British perspective, that Brits had suffered and sacrificed and implying that the Irish were ungrateful for all that the Brits did for them.

 

As I say, as an American, it was strange to observe and understand.  I don’t know that much about Irish history myself.  My husband is older and has studied Irish history and literature, so he was even more impressed.  I just remember a lot of people were upset about the guide’s comments, which I think they considered anti-British.  

[Tap 8,460]

My sister is married to an English guy, something his Mother has never come to terms with.  During the whole Brexit debacle with Northern Ireland, his family have been heard to say "It's just the Irish being difficult again!"

 

As my sister and her family live in the Republic of Ireland, my brother-in-law decided to get an Irish passport, something nobody has had the courage to tell his Mother, and probably never will.

[kiplette 8,802]

2 hours ago, knotheadusc said:

I remember one man in particular was arguing with the guide about the British perspective, that Brits had suffered and sacrificed and implying that the Irish were ungrateful to all that the Brits did for them.

 

Well to be fair, he had a point in that for the last few decades, British soldiers have been sent there to support the local polce in NornIrn who were absolutely in over their heads and had no chance of keeping any semblance of law and order. Many have died in that effort.

 

The part they miss is that historically Ireland was systematically disembowelled by a colonial system that was extremely rapacious. This has resulted in an imported population in the north who have now been there hundreds of years and consider it (reasonably?) to be their home. Unfortunately until the ballot box results alter, this population want to be ruled from the UK and so the mainland sends forces to help the local police. Eventually, presumably, the balance will change and the majority will choose a united Ireland. One would hope. And then everyone can go home for tea and buns. Hopefully without another episode of extreme bloodshed to mark the change.

 

The trouble is, there is always someone who gains from chaos, and those sociopaths need no invitation to get right back to what they are good at.

 

If you enjoy reading, one of my kids read Roddy Doyle's 'A Star called Henry' as a school text -it's a rollicking tale of the situation 100 years ago. At first I was a bit horrified that my kids were being given this appalling propoganda to read, but I think Mr Doyle does a good job. I found it very interesting, and the Klett Verlag version for German schoolchildren gets extra points because for ignorant foreigners (like me) they have included much useful Irish history and many references so you do get good value - more than just the (compelling) story.

 

36 minutes ago, Tap said:

something his Mother has never come to terms with

 

We remain so dis-united - my father was Welsh and his mother never got over him marrying an Englishwoman and not returning to Wales. I do think Brexit might bring a change to the Union, and I wonder whether that would be such a bad thing.

I like the thought of your brother-in-law's secret Irish passport. He'd have been an idiot not to get one  

 

[tor 17,530]

[snowingagain 5,465]