The Southern "Irish"

[The Real Laoislad]

When are freestaters going to release that northerners normally dont mean anything by the term "freestater".

I think it's strange when people can't distinguish between what one or a few people, who happen to be from the north of the country, do and what all "northerners" do?
Who are northerners anyway pints 

[pintsofguinness]

But what's wrong with you?

I've just told you, I was sold out. 

Who would you say had the easier life since 1922, people born south of the border or North of the border?

How many people have you know that have been blew up or shot? 
Have you ever been refused a job because of how your name sounded?
Have you ever been stopped going to a football/hurling game by the brits intent on making your life as difficult as possible?
Have you sat behind locked metal doors in a bar or your gaa club keeping an eye on a security camera in case this is the night?

I'll not bore you by going on but you've the nerve to ask how we werent alright?
I know you'll come back now and talk about things changing in the north and they have to an extent, after 70 or 80 years.

Do or did you care about what happened in the North Hardy?

[Main Street]

Pints, you forgot to include the recent GAA plot to kill Northern football via the new rules.

[Lar Naparka]

What sort of history are youse guys teaching down there in the free state?

Nothing more pig ignorant than a northerner who spits out
'are yew a free ssshtater?'  

When are freestaters going to release that northerners normally dont mean anything by the term "freestater".

most of the time  the term "freestater" is followed by a lovely endearing term like"b**tard".
its amazing isnt it,how we could take offence from that 

You're dead right; the term is usually taken down here to be an insult. It's not too bad coming from a Unionist source but from one of 'our' side it's generally not regarded as a compliment.
Back in earlier days it meant the same as 'Blueshirt' and Republicans would use it to rubbish the pro-treaty crowd. [After all, they settled for a free state.]
Nowadays, the bitterness between the opposing sides has died down a lot but, with older people especially, the name is meant to convey one meaning and one meaning only.

[Main Street]

Hardy is a blueshirt, isn't he?

[Hardy]

Pints - where did that question come from? And I never asked how you WEREN'T alright? And I have a nerve? Do you think it's OK to insult people down here at random and accuse us, en masse, of anything that comes into your head, gratuitously mis-name the republic and then whinge that we don't care about you when we have the cheek to ask you to stop?

I might consider answering your loaded question (if I make up my mind it's a real question) when you answer mine. What's wrong with you NOW?

[Hardy]

Main street - stop stirring. (What's a blueshirt, these days, BTW?).

[pintsofguinness]

Pints - here did that question come from? And I never asked how you WEREN'T alright? And I have a nerve? Do you think it's OK to insult people down here at random and accuse us, en masse, of anything that comes into your head, gratuitously mis-name the republic and then whinge that we don't care about you when we have the cheek to ask you to stop?

I might consider answering your loaded question (if I make up my mind it's a real question) when you answer mine. What's wrong with you NOW?

You asked what's wrong and I told you what's wrong. What's the problem? What's wrong NOW? Well most of my generation and older carry around the memories of the past and the North is still far from a ideal society.  Why concentrate on now? Because it'll be easier for your argument?
Who have I insulted? What have I accused anyone of?

[Hardy]

So you're not alright because you have bad memories and the North is still far from a ideal society. OK thanks for answering. The republic is also far from an ideal society, so I'm not THAT alright, Jack.

I re-read your original post. Since you said "a lot of them" have an I'm alright Jack attitude, I accept it's capable of a more benign interpretation than I gave it, so I'll accept you didn't mean an insult to the people in general. I presume you'll confirm that.

[pintsofguinness]

So you're not alright because you have bad memories and the North is still far from a ideal society. OK thanks for answering. The republic is also far from an ideal society, so I'm not THAT alright, Jack.

I re-read your original post. Since you said "a lot of them" have an I'm alright Jack attitude, I accept it's capable of a more benign interpretation than I gave it, so I'll accept you didn't mean an insult to the people in general. I presume you'll confirm that.

Me? insult anyone? never!
By "I'm alright jack" I dont just mean towards the north hardy, would you not think that a lot of people today would have the attitude in general? It's like a greedy, selfish thing, I've a feeling the next few years might change that though.

I am bitter though about people in the south, all the trouble in the north and you've done f**k all to help us.  Virtually every taoiseach would get down and lick the hole of whatever prime minister there was.  Watch big Ian being welcomed with a round of appaluse tonight and Kenny lick his hole.  Would you disagree?

[Gabriel_Hurl]

pints  - you're f**king bitter about everything 

[Chrisowc]

But what's wrong with you?

I've just told you, I was sold out. 

Who would you say had the easier life since 1922, people born south of the border or North of the border?

How many people have you know that have been blew up or shot? 
Have you ever been refused a job because of how your name sounded?
Have you ever been stopped going to a football/hurling game by the brits intent on making your life as difficult as possible?
Have you sat behind locked metal doors in a bar or your gaa club keeping an eye on a security camera in case this is the night?

I'll not bore you by going on but you've the nerve to ask how we werent alright?
I know you'll come back now and talk about things changing in the north and they have to an extent, after 70 or 80 years.

Do or did you care about what happened in the North Hardy?

Someone call nurse!

[Chrisowc]

Made a phone call earlier to a supplier from Dublin.  The Dublin lass on the far end of the phone asked my name and I gave it - her reply thats a very Irish name for somebody from Northern Ireland.  I asked her did she study her history in school, but I still dont think she caught on - nor would for the next 10 years.  I found the episode amusing but in a way sad.  My question is: is the day coming when we will have more in common with the English than the Irish? (and Im only talking about the Southerners!!!!!!).         

When she asked your name she probably thought you'd say Adams 

[thejuice]

I have to agree that Irish people have started to adopt a lot thats common with British culture, Its in the way people speak, dress, what news they watch, what music they listen to. Now I know we have a shared history with Britain, you only have to look at the Georgian buildings in Dublin to remind you and thats fair enough, its history. But there are aspects of modern British culture that are now very much a part of Irish society. Traits that you dont see in Norway, France or Germany. The traditional Irish pubs are dissappearing, well the buildings might still be there but the redeeming features have been exchanged for flat screen TVs in every corner and booming music. Local brews have dissappeared and its all the piss of Carlsberg, Bud and Hieniken and all that shit. Now these arent nessessarily British influences but what I want to know where is the Irishness going?

Despite myself located in Britain (temporarily) I have held on to Irish culture dearly while Im here. I try keep my Gaelige up to a decent level, play Irish music, join the local GAA clubs. But when I go home when I meet my old friends and brother and sister, it seems like I'm so much 'more Irish' than they are. Or perhaps more immersed in Irish culture, and that doesnt nessessarily mean I'm more Irish than them. It bothers me because once we lose our culture or bury our history or destroy our beautiful landscape which we have been guilty of during this so called boom years, I feel we've lost a piece of our idenity, sold it for a bit of corporate moolla.

Thanks Im done now. Of to the pub

[Tony Baloney]

I have to agree that Irish people have started to adopt a lot thats common with British culture, Its in the way people speak, dress, what news they watch, what music they listen to. Now I know we have a shared history with Britain, you only have to look at the Georgian buildings in Dublin to remind you and thats fair enough, its history. But there are aspects of modern British culture that are now very much a part of Irish society. Traits that you dont see in Norway, France or Germany. The traditional Irish pubs are dissappearing, well the buildings might still be there but the redeeming features have been exchanged for flat screen TVs in every corner and booming music. Local brews have dissappeared and its all the piss of Carlsberg, Bud and Hieniken and all that shit. Now these arent nessessarily British influences but what I want to know where is the Irishness going?

Despite myself located in Britain (temporarily) I have held on to Irish culture dearly while Im here. I try keep my Gaelige up to a decent level, play Irish music, join the local GAA clubs. But when I go home when I meet my old friends and brother and sister, it seems like I'm so much 'more Irish' than they are. Or perhaps more immersed in Irish culture, and that doesnt nessessarily mean I'm more Irish than them. It bothers me because once we lose our culture or bury our history or destroy our beautiful landscape which we have been guilty of during this so called boom years, I feel we've lost a piece of our idenity, sold it for a bit of corporate moolla.

Thanks Im done now. Of to the pub

The Celtic tiger showed the world that Ireland and Irishness was for sale. I thought that was the deal everyone in the 26 signed up to 15 or 20 years ago in exchange for inward investment, jobs, the latest Merc and a flat in Bulgaria!