# Are you embarassed to be Irish?



## Birroc (15 Apr 2011)

Are you embarassed to be Irish after all that has happened in the recent past (e.g. Boom greed, vulgarity & arrogance, clerical child abuse & cover-up, economic crash, blame-storming, forced emigration, corrupt politicans & gombeenism, drink culture, Health service, Turkey at Eurovision etc etc)?


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## Marion (15 Apr 2011)

No. 

But I am annoyed that we have been left with a legacy that tells us that we were crass and vulgar for the past number of years.

Marion


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## thedaras (16 Apr 2011)

Nope, not at all.

Individuals who made decisions to be overindulgent are probably feeling quite embarrassed .I know a few,who now have their tail between their legs..

If you had asked if I was angry with some of the decisions some Irish people made,and if I was embarrassed by some of the of the people we have/have in power then yes..
I dont think the things you listed define us..or at least I hope not!


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## notagardener (16 Apr 2011)

No, not at all. You can pick holes in most countries, but overall I'm proud to be Irish - We have our very good points too!!


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## micmclo (16 Apr 2011)

No, not embarrassed at all
Name any country and I can throw out negatives and even stereotypes about them



Marion said:


> But I am annoyed that we have been left went a legacy that tells us that we were crass and vulgar for the past number of years.



I'm only a young 'un 
But I'd be pretty certain that even after years of pain, in twenty years there will be a new bubble and people will hop on, the soft landing we get promised never appears and we'll be back to where we are now in 2031.

History repeats itself.


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## Purple (16 Apr 2011)

I agree with other posters; I'm not embarrassed to be Irish. On the world stage we don't invade anyone, we don't fund terrorism or murder, we can be sanctimonious but in general we are not too hypocritical.
We've had our first boom-bust cycle. Most other developed nations have had them as well. It's not something to be proud of but it's not as if we're the only nation that's ever done it.
I do get embarrassed when I hear Irish people pontificate about the faults of other nations, as if everyone existed in the comfortable safe little  bubble we live in (not an economic bubble; one of safety, stability and peace). We do need to grow up and realise that most of the world is a more dangerous place than the bit we live in and, to a great extent, we can live in our bubble because of the actions of those we criticise.


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## Purple (16 Apr 2011)

micmclo said:


> I'd be pretty certain that even after years of pain, in twenty years they will be a new bubble and people will hope on, the soft landing we get promised never appears and we'll be back to where we are now in 2031.
> 
> History repeats itself.



+1 to that. The Dutch and the French had the first economic bubbles and clearly they've had more since.


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## shammy feen (16 Apr 2011)

Turkey at Eurovision????


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## micmclo (16 Apr 2011)

shammy feen said:


> Turkey at Eurovision????



Of course, they're not bad either.
They're no Armenia though 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsH0YWSG_mg


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## horusd (16 Apr 2011)

shammy feen said:


> Turkey at Eurovision????


 
Dustin. 

Mostly not embarassed at all, but I see where you are coming from. Somethings make me cringe, ie Jackie Healy-Rae (who is thinkin of hangin his flatcap in the Aras ). But generally we're a fairly nice bunch of people.  I love the wit and word-play in Ireland, the way we take the mick out of things, and the simple nice courtesys like thanking the bus drivers. 

And boy can we talk, your never stuck for a conversation in Ireland, in a carpark, queue or wherever, people will strike up a conversation and crack a joke, or moan bout the weather. I also love the moodiness of the landscape, and how ancient this place is. Ghosts walk here. I feel proud of our ancestors when I look at Newgrange or other monuments. 

 I totally get the "Field", we seem to have a deep attachment to land and place, and we have a deep attachment and delight in language. All in all, I love the place and love being Irish, and even our foibles often make me smile.


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## micmclo (16 Apr 2011)

Ah you meant Dustin the Turkey and not the country.

I'm going back to bed!


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## horusd (16 Apr 2011)

micmclo said:


> Ah you meant Dustin the Turkey and not the country.
> 
> I'm going back to bed!


 
Lol, know the feeling. What do ye think about guys when you think of Ireland in good terms? I always think of the *sight* of the landscape, a winter or summer moon, mist, the rich  *damp earthy smell* of the place, the sea, the *sound* of the Curlew and the Boran, and sometimes the lovely silence of empty, stark and bleak vistas.


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## Tintagel (16 Apr 2011)

Sometimes I'm not proud to be me for some of the things I have done in the past...and yes, I will probably do other things again in the future that I won't be proud of.


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## ali (16 Apr 2011)

horusd said:


> Lol, know the feeling. What do ye think about guys when you think of Ireland in good terms? I always think of the *sight* of the landscape, a winter or summer moon, mist, the rich *damp earthy smell* of the place, the sea, the *sound* of the Curlew and the Boran, and sometimes the lovely silence of empty, stark and bleak vistas.


 
Very atmospheric description. I'm very proud to be Irish and though I love to travel, there genuinely isn't anywhere else I'd like to live permanently. The feeling that people 'get you', you know; the irishness of you; the shared experience that doesn't need to be articulated or explained. A common understanding. 

I used to travel for work in the UK regularly and I was always surprised by how humourless they can be and how they can take you so literaly without recognising the exaggeration and the mocking that is such a feature of Irish conversations. I always felt I had to explain things. Not a criticism of them as such; they just have a different way.

By the same token, I wish there were more of us who could speak and use Irish. I used to be quite fluent after 4 summers in the Gaeltacht and in college I read a good bit of Irish language literature. It seemed to me to capture a lot of the Irish character in general and way of speaking , though we have adapted English pretty well in our own way.

A.


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## so-crates (16 Apr 2011)

No - I save feeling embarrassed for when I do something stupid


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## Time (16 Apr 2011)

I am embarrassed to be Irish.


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## guzzler (18 Apr 2011)

Not embarassed at all- annoyed at the political and media classes. Politically it is just about scoring points. Media wise it is all about negativity. I live in the remote north-west, the community is great working their butts off to enhance the local facilities, bigger community centre, more pitches at the GAA pitch, loads of locals helping out at community games, drama and the like. This is a community of a pub, a shop and church, no housing estate. What really annoys me is the fact that we are educating our kids to move away. 
I will give you a stat, during the boom we won a co title, 15 of the 25 lads had third level degrees and masters, none lived at home, 10 years on 2 do but both actually have to travel to Dublin (150 miles away) for work 3-4 days a week. It is very discouraging in that sense. I know some of those lads want to live in different parts of the world but the majority would give their right arm to be around the area, but there was nothing then in the boom and there is less now. What ever happened to the strategic spatial strategy (Sligo in this case!) ....that annoys me, embarassed never and like a previous poster I would love more Gaelige around (and I was useless at it in school). Críochnaithe anois!


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## Complainer (18 Apr 2011)

I'm embarrassed to be an AAM member.


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## Sunny (18 Apr 2011)

Complainer said:


> I'm embarrassed to be an AAM member.


 
Well, that's very easy to fix!

Why on earth would anyone be embarrassed to be Irish? It's like saying I am embarassed to be white or embarassed to be a man.


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## shnaek (18 Apr 2011)

I used to learn the phrase "I am Irish" in the language of European countries when I travelled abroad. I think I'll be dropping it now, as it's not an advantage any more. Perhaps even a disadvantage in some countries. I am not embarrassed, but I couldn't say I'm proud either.


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## Betsy Og (18 Apr 2011)

Why should we be ashamed?, does anyone ask the Greeks if they're ashamed?, or the French when they go on national strikes?

We should be angry, not ashamed, we're the ones who've been let down by incompetant regulators and politicians, and downright corrupt bankers (some of them).

What we are doing is stoically getting on with it and paying our debts (and those of others... but dont get me started!!), but we'll rise out of this. As another poster said I still see the things that make me proud to be Irish, and they have nothing to do with expensive German cars or foreign properties. If you hitched yourself to that wagon then yeah, its quite a fall.

Tiocfaidh ar la aris - 'cept it'll be like wiv fiscal stability and a normal debt to GDP ratio innit


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## Lauren (18 Apr 2011)

For the most part I am not embarrassed to be Irish, even the turkey didn't bother me that much but occasionally when I watch TV3, I can't believe some of the presenters come from the same planet as me never mind the same country.


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## Ancutza (18 Apr 2011)

> Very atmospheric description. I'm very proud to be Irish and though I  love to travel, there genuinely isn't anywhere else I'd like to live  permanently. The feeling that people 'get you', you know; the irishness  of you; the shared experience that doesn't need to be articulated or  explained. A common understanding.



Believe me.  Out here in Romania people also 'get' me.  Probably more often than they'd like but this idea that you can't subsume into the local culture is something uniquely irish/english.  You'll find that once you understand the language and 'get' the nuances it doesn't really matter where you live.  People are people and humour is pretty much universal.

I'm very proud to be irish, buy the kids irish rugger-shirts, teach them to say 'Jaysus!' like they mean it etc. but they are what they are.  Half windscreen-washing little gits.  I'm killed telling them recently to be happy they live in Romania.  Here they'll work for me.  In Ireland they'd work for the IMF.


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## MrMan (19 Apr 2011)

Ancutza said:


> Here they'll work for me.  In Ireland they'd work for the IMF.



I didn't know they were recruiting.


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## Time (19 Apr 2011)

Didn't you get the memo? The IMF owns you and your children and their children.


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## terrontress (19 Apr 2011)

I think embarrassment is very close to pride. None of us chose to be Irish but many of us have felt great pride in our origin and it saddens us to see the place go down the tubes.

The opposite of pride is indifference and the people who don't feel embarrassed at Ireland of the past 15 years probably felt no pride when it appeared that things were going well.


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## Complainer (19 Apr 2011)

terrontress said:


> The opposite of pride is indifference and the people who don't feel embarrassed at Ireland of the past 15 years probably felt no pride when it appeared that things were going well.


Maybe they realised that appearances were deceptive?


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## terrontress (19 Apr 2011)

Complainer said:


> Maybe they realised that appearances were deceptive?


 
There were those who did and they were able to make a fortune by correctly timing the boom and the bust.

So they are probably delighted to be Irish!


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## Complainer (19 Apr 2011)

terrontress said:


> There were those who did and they were able to make a fortune by correctly timing the boom and the bust.


There are a lot people who just got lucky with their timing that are now claiming to have been Buffet-like genius investors.


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## MrMan (19 Apr 2011)

Time said:


> Didn't you get the memo? The IMF owns you and your children and their children.



jeez i feel so embarrassed to be Irish now, oh no wait no i'm actually fine.


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## Firefly (19 Apr 2011)

Complainer said:


> There are a lot people who just got lucky with their timing that are now claiming to have been Buffet-like genius investors.



Know a few people who got lucky with their timing and more who saw the writing on the wall and sold. Don't know any claiming to be "Buffet-like genius investors", but I know an aweful lot of begrudgers.


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## bren1916 (19 Apr 2011)

I'm not embarassed to be Irish - I am however, embarassed that some other people are Irish..

I live in a very modest 3 bed-terrace with wife,2 kids and another on the way.We could really do with an extension but have decided to wait a whie - (my mother raised 10 of us in a similar sized property)

The news gets me down every night these days but your health and family is your wealth..


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## Leper (20 Apr 2011)

I'm proud to be Irish and I'll be prouder when all the crooked people who got us into this great financial mess are jailed.  I'll be prouder still when the underlings of the crooked people are jailed.


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## Firefly (20 Apr 2011)

Leper said:


> I'm proud to be Irish and I'll be prouder when all the crooked people who got us into this great financial mess are jailed.  I'll be prouder still when the underlings of the crooked people are jailed.



The new "Tiocfaidh ár lá" ??


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## cork (20 Apr 2011)

I'm proud to be Irish.

But the housing frenzy and the arrogance of some during the Celtic Tiger era was an embarrassment.


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## Lex Foutish (20 Apr 2011)

Leper said:


> I'm proud to be Irish and I'll be prouder when all the crooked people who got us into this great financial mess are jailed. *I'll be prouder still when the underlings of the crooked people are jailed*.


 
According to yesterday's report, Leper, we'll all be going to jail so!


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## shnaek (20 Apr 2011)

For those who are proud to be Irish - I feel like being positive today - so tell us the Irish things that make you proud!

One thing has to be the GAA. For an amateur organisation it really is one of the best in the world.


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## Howitzer (20 Apr 2011)

bren1916 said:


> i'm not embarassed to be irish - i am however, embarassed that some other people are irish..


+1.


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## One (20 Apr 2011)

I'm not embarassed to be Irish.


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## liaconn (20 Apr 2011)

If we'd voted FF in again I'd be embarassed to be Irish. But we didn't, we got rid of them so I don't feel embarassed. Some people made right eejits of themselves during the boom, spending like there was no tomorrow, showing off, and behaving with no class. But you get nouveau riche tacky people everywhere, not just in Ireland.


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## Ancutza (29 Apr 2011)

Very, very proud to be irish and highly, highly embarrassed (as an irish person) to be associated with any irish people who have the remotest interest in watching some horse-faced german clown marrying the daughter of a confetti-cannon-seller from a county in a neighbouring country where they specialise in raising guess what?......................horses!!


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## Bronte (29 Apr 2011)

I'm embarrased at the Irish traveller on the TV yesterday in her wedding dress that she couldn't walk in.  But still giggling today at how funny it all was.  The English must think we are the pits.


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## Noilheart (2 May 2011)

I do not feel proud to be Irish at present.  I think our country could have been made into a mini paradise, given the good land and climate, and our love of music etc. Sadly, when we won our freedom from Britain we  opted to be oppressed by the Catholic Church and Fianna Fail instead.


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## Noilheart (2 May 2011)

Ancutza I think you should not make horrible racist  remarks about our nearest neighbours, we are in a very weak position at present and they have helped us financially.


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## RMCF (2 May 2011)

There's no other nationality I'd rather be, bankrupt or not


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## thedaras (2 May 2011)

Ancutza said:


> Very, very proud to be irish and highly, highly embarrassed (as an irish person) to be associated with any irish people who have the remotest interest in watching some horse-faced german clown marrying the daughter of a confetti-cannon-seller from a county in a neighbouring country where they specialise in raising guess what?......................horses!!



This kind of thing makes me feel embarrassed to be associated with how some Irish people are..Thankfully they are in the minority..

And amazing how so many ,at the same time,have a major love of British football teams.!
I have seen grown Irish men cry because Man U have lost a game...


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## Lex Foutish (3 May 2011)

thedaras said:


> This kind of thing makes me feel embarrassed to be associated with how some Irish people are..Thankfully they are in the minority..
> 
> And amazing how so many ,at the same time,have a major love of British football teams.!
> *I have seen grown Irish men cry because Man U have lost a game*...


 
Hi Thedaras. I know a few people who've thrown parties because Man Utd lost a game. And I was at a few of them! They were all great!


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## horusd (3 May 2011)

Noilheart said:


> Ancutza I think you should not make horrible racist remarks about our nearest neighbours, we are in a very weak position at present and they have helped us financially.


 

I think Ancutza is takin the mick Noilheart.Slagging can be a sign of endearment, I'm sure the Brits call us worse & hopefully affectionatly. Despite all the history between us, I always think of the Brits as family. And I sense that they view us as we view them, with a fair amount of interest and affection.


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## MrMan (3 May 2011)

Noilheart said:


> Ancutza I think you should not make horrible racist  remarks about our nearest neighbours, we are in a very weak position at present and they have helped us financially.




I agree, we should save our racist remarks for when we are in a better position economically and direct them at those that haven't helped us.


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## thedaras (3 May 2011)

Noilheart said:


> Ancutza I think you should not make horrible racist  remarks about our nearest neighbours, we are in a very weak position at present and they have helped us financially.


I agree with you..


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## TarfHead (3 May 2011)

MrMan said:


> I agree, we should save our racist remarks for when we are in a better position economically and direct them at those that haven't helped us.


 
That remark was out of order, regardless of economics or politics. '_People in glass houses_', and all of that.


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## Yorrick (3 May 2011)

Not at the moment but if I see Fr Horan and his kilt runn ing in the Olympics again I would be ashamed of a country that would produce a loo la like him !!!!


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## Ancutza (3 May 2011)

To put a bit of perspective on my remarks for all of you...

I completed my primary degree in the UK and worked for many years there afterwards.  I count at least 20 individuals holding UK passports as close friends.  I was best man at the wedding of 2 of those individuals and my brother-in-law is english.  Indeed I introduced him to my sister vile, loathsome rascist that I am. 

No.  I really like the english as a people but I detest their royal family as indeed do several of my english republican mates.

I find this starey-eyed fascination on behalf of some irish with what the UK royals are up to vaguely repugnant.  Kind of a 'Stockholm-syndrome' type thing.  Many dispicable deeds were done on the island of Ireland at the behest of the english royal family.  Deeds for which they should have been held to account for.  They continue to abuse their own taxpayers.  

Who gives two figs about their wedding?  Not me.


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## Time (3 May 2011)

Build a bridge and get over it.


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## MrMan (3 May 2011)

TarfHead said:


> That remark was out of order, regardless of economics or politics. '_People in glass houses_', and all of that.



It was a joke (my post was anyway)


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## thedaras (3 May 2011)

Ancutza said:


> I find this starey-eyed fascination on behalf of some irish with what the UK royals are up to vaguely repugnant.  Kind of a 'Stockholm-syndrome' type thing.  Many dispicable deeds were done on the island of Ireland at the behest of the english royal family.  Deeds for which they should have been held to account for.  They continue to abuse their own taxpayers.
> 
> Who gives two figs about their wedding?  Not me.



Amazing how so many Irish give two figs about English football players!

Amazing how so many wear their football jerseys .
Build a bridge..


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## Mpsox (3 May 2011)

Ancutza said:


> Many dispicable deeds were done on the island of Ireland at the behest of the english royal family. Deeds for which they should have been held to account for. They continue to abuse their own taxpayers.
> 
> Who gives two figs about their wedding? Not me.


 
So your logic is that we should hold the current Queen to account to for the famine?. By that logic, we should be holding David Cameron to account for the Cromwell and Enda Kenny should be apologising in turn to the British for kidnapping St Patrick. Given that the current queen has German ancestors as well, does that mean Angela Merkel also owes us an apology, as do the Norwegians for the Vikings and Sarkosy for the Norman descendents coming ashore in Wexford?

Or maybe we should be the ones apologising to the Queen since our "countrymen" blew up one of her relations in Sligo? (Mountbatton in case no one remembers).

In terms of the wedding itself, good luck to them is all I can say. There are things I don't like about the Royals, (the anti catholic bias for starters) but it doesn't mean I'd turn Rangers off if they were on the telly either. It was a very good show and spectacle, great music and passed off peacefully.

Should add, I spent 10 years in London when my own country couldn't give me a job and I will always be grateful for the almost entirely positive experience and welcome I add over there.


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## BillK (3 May 2011)

Ancutza said:


> To put a bit of perspective on my remarks for all of you...
> 
> I completed my primary degree in the UK and worked for many years there afterwards. I count at least 20 individuals holding UK passports as close friends. I was best man at the wedding of 2 of those individuals and my brother-in-law is english. Indeed I introduced him to my sister vile, loathsome rascist that I am.
> 
> ...


 

The royal family has *NO* input into rates of taxation.


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## Yorrick (4 May 2011)

"Who gives two figs about their wedding? "

A lot of people it would seem. But of course here in Ireland some people would be happier compelling people to read Peig and making sure that we return to one channel land with RTE and Daithi Locha.
Many despicable deeds were done in the UK by our so called republicans so the British have no monopoly on violence. I would encourage those who are getting their knickers in a twist because Irish people follow English soccer teams, watch English TV realise that their is a big world out there to go and get a life before they rot in their own narrowmindness


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## bullbars (5 May 2011)

Yorrick said:


> "Who gives two figs about their wedding? "
> 
> A lot of people it would seem. But of course here in Ireland some people would be happier compelling people to read Peig and making sure that we return to one channel land with RTE and Daithi Locha.
> Many despicable deeds were done in the UK by our so called republicans so the British have no monopoly on violence. I would encourage those who are getting their knickers in a twist because Irish people follow English soccer teams, watch English TV realise that their is a big world out there to go and get a life before they rot in their own narrowmindness


 
Not everyone wanted to watch the wedding. Get over it. Instead you refer to anyone with no interest in it as backward and narowminded? I think you should heed your own advice, have a look out in the big (real) world and get a life.


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## shnaek (6 May 2011)

A lot of people have said they are proud to be Irish, but nobody has answered the question: Why? What are the things that make you proud to be Irish? I need to be cheered up here!


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## terrontress (6 May 2011)

Maybe it is more of a comfort than a pride. But I love the trad music and the mythical tales. I love the landscape and the rich vibrant green of the grass that I have never seen elsewhere.

I am not sure if I am proud of that or whether it is just something I love. I just happened to be born, I didn't ask to be and I certainly have had no part in what I listed above.


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## Complainer (6 May 2011)

BillK said:


> The royal family has *NO* input into rates of taxation.


True, but it gets quite a few outputs from the rates of taxation.


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## Mpsox (6 May 2011)

shnaek said:


> A lot of people have said they are proud to be Irish, but nobody has answered the question: Why? What are the things that make you proud to be Irish? I need to be cheered up here!


 

Taytos
Tanora
Sandwiches in the Long Valley
In fact great Irish food around the country, go to your local butcher, baker or market this weekend
The championship over the summer or a good local match, "pride of the parish"
The smell of furze bush after a shower of rain
Total strangers saluting me when I drive past them out in the country
The turn out at a funeral. 
The extended Irish family, having loads of cousins that you actually know and the Irish mammy
Olivia O'Leary and Joe O'Connors podcasts in the evening
Gift grub
Proper rugby and football analysis on RTE in comparison with the Beeb or sky
The efforts people make in their local community
Our accents 
Local papers
The scenery
A pint of plain
The fact that you can meet an Irish person overseas and within 1 minute you'll have found some connection to them


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## Firefly (6 May 2011)

Mpsox said:


> Sandwiches in the Long Valley




Had one today...exceptional (even for them).


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## horusd (6 May 2011)

Great lis mpsox.

Add these too:

King Crisps.

Irish Bread. All types.

Our butter.

Black sense of humour.

Chattiness.

Not too much standing on ceremony.

Writer's Yeats, Beckett, Wilde , Joyce, Swift
 etc,


Wot's the long valley and wot's Tonora ?


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## Mpsox (9 May 2011)

horusd said:


> Wot's the long valley and wot's Tonora ?


 
Sophisticated food in de Real Capital (boy)


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## BillK (9 May 2011)

Complainer said:


> True, but it gets quite a few outputs from the rates of taxation.


 
I'm sure it has been posted before, but here it is again.

The Civil List is the payment made to the Queen by the government of the day. 
It is funded from the properties owned by the Queen. 
The Government makes a huge profit on this deal.

This system is due to change shortly in that the Queen will get a bigger percentage, BUT the Government will still be making a big profit.


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## Complainer (9 May 2011)

BillK said:


> It is funded from the properties owned by the Queen.
> The Government makes a huge profit on this deal.


But how did she get to own the properties?


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