Are the upper echelons of Irish Society Royalists at Heart?

[Mentalman]

While I'd agree the Anglo influence is not surprising as we share their language, it's obvious for historical reason we now share a lot in common. Their relative influence on us and vice versa can be debated ad infinitum. More specifically around this visit is the issue of monarchism though. I mean I'm all for respecting our neighbours system of government, what with no constitution and a heriditary ruler, but that doesn't mean I'm joining the queue to be their next subject. I mean, was it just me, or was there no way you could go through school in Ireland in the 70s & 80s, learn our history and that of the world and not be left with a least an aversion, if not a revulsion,  to all thing relating to monarchies, royalty and aristocracy. After the past few weeks I'm beginning to feel alone in my views. "Sure you'd have to watch the wedding to see the dress". WTF? No I wouldn't. If they were in the back garden I'd close the curtains, if not load up the single barrel to put them out as the tresspassers they are! That last remark is in jest but you know what I mean. It's come to something when we're afraid to be proud to be Republican, and not only in the sense of being Irish Republican. I just don't get it!

[Radda bout yeee]

Great thread high or low. I agree with the majority of posters here.

My only point is - I think it was disgusting the coverage that i saw, particularly from BBC and UTV! (I tried to watch as little as possible)
My reason is that it was the most one sided broadcasting I have ever seen. There was no other side to the 'how great it is to have her here and how well its going' BS!

I'm totally indifferent to the visit but I think its wrong to force this type of opinion down peoples throats particularly when alot of people would be susceptible to it!

[Nally Stand]

Great thread high or low. I agree with the majority of posters here.

My only point is - I think it was disgusting the coverage that i saw, particularly from BBC and UTV! (I tried to watch as little as possible)
My reason is that it was the most one sided broadcasting I have ever seen. There was no other side to the 'how great it is to have her here and how well its going' BS!

I'm totally indifferent to the visit but I think its wrong to force this type of opinion down peoples throats particularly when alot of people would be susceptible to it!

I know I've mentioned it on the other thread but your point above was demonstrated so clearly on Vincent Brown the other night, where Aengus Ó'Snodaigh was the only person on the panel opposed to the visit and throughout the entirety of the extended special episode, he was the ONLY panel member who had their opinion challenged at all.

[Bingo]

Nothing wrong with an Indian takeway. Would ye have us all eating bacon and cabbage everynight before the dance at the crossroads.

I'm not buying into BC1 knocking the Indian takeaway, I'm a better person for discovering the joys of an Indian takeaway. Its my biggest pleasure at the weekend to scoff the Indian down watching X-factor on the box before lying up for the night to watch Match of the Day while enjoying a few cans of Carling.

[Radda bout yeee]

Nothing wrong with an Indian takeway. Would ye have us all eating bacon and cabbage everynight before the dance at the crossroads.

I'm not buying into BC1 knocking the Indian takeaway, I'm a better person for discovering the joys of an Indian takeaway. Its my biggest pleasure at the weekend to scoff the Indian down watching X-factor on the box before lying up for the night to watch Match of the Day while enjoying a few cans of Carling.

LMFAO! WUM!

[Nally Stand]

Nothing wrong with an Indian takeway. Would ye have us all eating bacon and cabbage everynight before the dance at the crossroads.

I'm not buying into BC1 knocking the Indian takeaway, I'm a better person for discovering the joys of an Indian takeaway. Its my biggest pleasure at the weekend to scoff the Indian down watching X-factor on the box before lying up for the night to watch Match of the Day while enjoying a few cans of Carling.

LMFAO! WUM!

...and shouting a jolly loud "TALLY-HO!!" when one of those delightful chaps scores a goal. Hurrrraaaghhh!

[haveaharp]

Nothing wrong with an Indian takeway. Would ye have us all eating bacon and cabbage everynight before the dance at the crossroads.

while enjoying a few cans of Carling.

Damned Canadians

[muppet]

Once she is gone I think there will be a collective sigh of relief all round and for varying reasons.

However I do think there will be a bit of a backlash against the over the top adoration. Has celebrity culture taken over so much that our national behaviour is determined by how famous a person is? I was for the visit, in that I believe it was worth tolerating as we will look back on it as an important step along the road. All sides have taken some difficult steps and there are other steps that will need to be taken some of which won't be palatable to the 'other side'. The Pope in Belfast?

I find myself agreeing with the line taken by the SF leadership. It was probably too much to expect them to meet her at this point in time, but their public utterances were responsible and measured I thought. If the Pope (any ideas for a better comparison?) arrived in Belfast and Robinson behaved similarly I don't to many would complain.

The protests were overplayed in the media I thought. There wasn't really that many protestors and it isn't fair to identify young opportunist thugs with any group when it is obvious most of them were only out to scrap with the cops.

Finally, people who spoke out against the visit are entitled to do so. However those who disagree with them are also allowed to speak out in return. A small number of the former are somehow trying to portray themselves as victims of this speaking out against speaking out.

[Bingo]

In my view its all big brother/big neighbour mentality. Of course we are going to be influenced by English/british threads/fashion/culture etc etc, but its only the same way they are look to the west and take influence from the USA. In the modern age, its impossible to avoid - so much instant access to the media that people can choose as they wish and the popular threads are often the most media driven, so it'll not be possible to avoid them.

Many on this thread say we are losing our Irishness but how often have we seen been "Irish" or "Typical Irish effort" laughed and ridiculed on these boards. I've done it and say everyone has. What we class as Irish way of doing things is seen as backwards and we often seek out to do things other ways and keep pace with the modern world. It can also be the case that if the Brits do something British or the Yanks do something american, the comments from this island are "Typical gobshite yanks/brits". So we slate other other nations for retaining their culture ie British Royalty or Yanks fatness, yet we are sad that we are losing ours? 

On the whole its modern world order and maybe Jim Corr is right, thats what the secret socities want and soon we'll all be the one and impossible to differeniate nations.

Anyone confused? 

[seafoid]

Lads it is symptomatic of the Pop Idol, Corrie watching Sun reading, Chelsea supporting(insert team), Indian takeaway eating attitude that has been evident in this country for years.  Lets have it out in the open, we lost our sense of Irishness, as a nation, a long, long time ago.  People spout off about the West Brit/Blueshit when someone disagrees with a republican viewpoint.  The reality is that unfortunately the notion of True Republicanism is long dead and lying in the Garden of Remembrance.  We all look East for a lot of our entertainment/news/jobs and we have become, understandibly so, very reliant on Britain.  This has gnawed away at our identity gradually and will continue to do so.   The one thing we have is the GAA and no one can really touch it or compare to it and perhaps it is the last bastion of "irishness", even more so than our own language. The concern though is even it seems to be losing its way as well with the gagging by the President against anyone else speaking about the QUeen's visit.  Freedom of speech so long as it doesn't offend I reckon in the last 15 years there are more native Polish speaking people in Ireland than there is Irish speaking. We have allowed our essence to de chipped away and in many ways the forelock tugging by the "great and good" of the last week has put a final nail in that coffin.

FFS .

Look at the way people talk, the food we eat, the accents, the mentality . It's what makes us Irish. There is far more to it than the GAA.  For anyone who wants it there is the Irish language .

Name a country in Western Europe that isn't fixated on slebs.  Consumerism does that to a country.  It won't last forever. 

http://fatalplanet.blogspot.com/2011/02/on-problem-of-democracy-in-consumptive.html

[AQMP]

In my view its all big brother/big neighbour mentality. Of course we are going to be influenced by English/british threads/fashion/culture etc etc, but its only the same way they are look to the west and take influence from the USA. In the modern age, its impossible to avoid - so much instant access to the media that people can choose as they wish and the popular threads are often the most media driven, so it'll not be possible to avoid them.

Many on this thread say we are losing our Irishness but how often have we seen been "Irish" or "Typical Irish effort" laughed and ridiculed on these boards. I've done it and say everyone has. What we class as Irish way of doing things is seen as backwards and we often seek out to do things other ways and keep pace with the modern world. It can also be the case that if the Brits do something British or the Yanks do something american, the comments from this island are "Typical gobshite yanks/brits". So we slate other other nations for retaining their culture ie British Royalty or Yanks fatness, yet we are sad that we are losing ours? 

On the whole its modern world order and maybe Jim Corr is right, thats what the secret socities want and soon we'll all be the one and impossible to differeniate nations.

Anyone confused? 

Yeah...Jim Corr

[mylestheslasher]

I haven't watched TV over the last few days nor tuned into the last word or morning ireland on my transit to and from work because it sickens me to listen to gobshite after gobshite go on about "dragging the irish into the 21st century" and how "mature" we now are. Did all these wankers in the media have a big meeting and decide - "this is how we will sell it to the great unwashed". The media in this country should be ashamed, barely a mention of the Dublin/Monaghan bombs and wall to wall coverage of the british queen. I truly believe they have lost touch with the people on this one as I don't know too many people (bar a couple of women who are just into the whole celebrity thing) who gave two shites what Lizzie got up to. Where was the critical analysis of a country spending 32m on security when we consider the furore over TD expenses and the like. Where was the balance to this debate? I have to say the Vincent Brownes and Matt Coopers of this world shocked me in their attitudes to this

[Bingo]

I haven't watched TV over the last few days nor tuned into the last word or morning ireland on my transit to and from work because it sickens me to listen to gobshite after gobshite go on about "dragging the irish into the 21st century" and how "mature" we now are. Did all these w**kers in the media have a big meeting and decide - "this is how we will sell it to the great unwashed". The media in this country should be ashamed, barely a mention of the Dublin/Monaghan bombs and wall to wall coverage of the british queen. I truly believe they have lost touch with the people on this one as I don't know too many people (bar a couple of women who are just into the whole celebrity thing) who gave two shites what Lizzie got up to. Where was the critical analysis of a country spending 32m on security when we consider the furore over TD expenses and the like. Where was the balance to this debate? I have to say the Vincent Brownes and Matt Coopers of this world shocked me in their attitudes to this

For someone who opened by saying they haven't watched tv the last few days or listened to the radio you sure have alot to say alot about what the media have said the last few days.

[Ulick]

Drivetime and The Last Word are absolutely sickening this evening. Have these people no sense of dignity fawning over thon oul one as if she is the second coming or something. And as for those Cork ones proclaiming they were always the "most Royal and the most loyal of all the dominions" have they no f**king shame? A little tickle on the belly from the English and they morph into the fecking Irish RM.

[Kerry Mike]

And as for those Cork ones proclaiming they were always the "most Royal and the most loyal of all the dominions" have they no f**king shame?

This is typical Cork people for you, they have to have the one up on the Dubs, they are the Real Capital after all and we have all to bow down to their greatness, (except of course on a football field where they have lived off our scraps for years  )

Langers All.

PS....jaysus KM its only May, calm it down ta f**k a bitteen..