The Irish are "men whom God made mad; all their wars are merry and all their songs are sad." (Chesterton, I think)
The Irish are "always bringing down some great stag." Goethe. I think he said it in relation to Parnell.
"The Irish are a very fair people' they never speak well of one another." (I can't remember who said it.)
TiobradÁrann
Have you got the actual quote? Even the "quote" you attribute to him is not particularly anti-Irish.Originally Posted by madura
Fianna Fail - The Loss of Sovereignty Party.
Because people change, and even if he really hasn't, in politics the appearance of changing is sometimes enough. The British have also changed - no doubt they thought these things in the past but does anyone believe those attitudes still exist?
Which shows the true reason for the situation in the North is racism and not Sectarianianism.
How comes that racist swine is running the North now? How can that be allowed? Why is he not tackled about it by the so-called "Reporters"?
One might also point out the deep-seated racism inherent in the use of the English language as being anti-Irish, in particular the use of the phrase 'a bit Irish', still so prevalent to have been even used on our national broadcaster today.
In fairness, I don't think English people use it much these days, or at least only in a jocular sense with no real malice behind it. Even the Oxford English Dictionary, while showing a long history of this usage, tempers its description accordingly, viz. -
4. Irish in character or nature; having what are considered Irish characteristics. spec. Used of seemingly contradictory statements. (See also Irish hurricane s.v. sense A. 2c.)
In quot. 1589 with allusion to B. 3.
1589 Pappe w. Hatchet Biij, We would show them an Irish tricke, that when they thinke to winne the game with one man [etc.]. 1725 SWIFT Wood the Ironmonger Wks. 1755 IV. I. 66 They laugh'd at such an irish blunder, To take the noise of brass for thunder. 1820 H. BROUGHAM Let. 5 Feb. in H. Maxwell Creevey Papers (1903) I. 297 Your advice has been followed by anticipation (to speak Irish). 1838 GEO. ELIOT Let. 18 Aug. (1954) I. 6 Isaac and I went alone (that seems rather Irish), and staid only a week. 1843 F. A. KEMBLE Let. 25 Aug. in Rec. Later Life (1882) III. 36 We are going out of town,..to-morrow at half-past six in the morning, and it is now past midnight, and I have every mortal and immortal thing to pack, with my own single pair of hands, which is Irish, Lord bless us! 1857 MRS. GASKELL Let. 7 Dec. (1966) 491 The lecture was not (to me) so very interesting, being a sort of recapitulation of what he was going to say (if that's not Irish). 1891 Spectator 3 Jan. 5/1 If we fail in anything, people say, How Irish! 1892 C. H. FRETWELL Anc. Mariner 94, I had what sailors call ‘an Irish rise’, becoming second officer after being for a time commanding officer. 1897 M. KINGSLEY W. Africa 171 There is also no doubt that the Fan mile is a bit Irish, a matter of nine or so of those of ordinary mortals. 1903 H. C. ROWLAND Sea Scamps 4, I was promptly addressed as ‘lieutenant’, which struck me as being rather an Irish promotion, having once previously served as major. 1926 J. S. HUXLEY Essays Pop. Sci. 121 To be Irish, the longer it lives, the sooner it ought to die. 1937 A. UPFIELD Mr. Jelly's Business (1938) iii. 28 He doesn't seem to mind me courting his daughter, but he doesn't give me a chance to do any courting. That's Irish, but it's a fact. 1970 R. HILL Clubbable Woman vi. 192 ‘Marcus wouldn't dare to tell a lie like that unless it was true!’ ‘Irish,’ said Pascoe.
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"The Irish are all furious fools, they have no history of their own worth any notice... Can't someone blow that horrible island up and carry it, a long way off?"
Alfred (Lord) Tennyson
No transcript of the original speech was made available, remember. And it meets my definition of anti-Irish sentiment, viz. the projection of a negative trait onto an entire people.Have you got the actual quote? Even the "quote" you attribute to him is not particularly anti-Irish.
Because people change, and even if he really hasn't, in politics the appearance of changing is sometimes enough. The British have also changed - no doubt they thought these things in the past but does anyone believe those attitudes still exist?
Which shows the true reason for the situation in the North is racism and not Sectarianianism.
How comes that racist swine is running the North now? How can that be allowed? Why is he not tackled about it by the so-called "Reporters"?
It was only 10 years ago that the BBC had to apologise for an Eastenders episode, after furious complaints. They also called in their managers and (I think) told them that the lazy, anti-Irish racism had to stop.
The thing is that, such as the BBC, had always used the Irish as whipping boys, because it seemed not to be regarded as racism.
What Irish people generally don't think of is the great fear the British have of the Irish. England's overwhelming and brutal use of force, repeated again so recently as our own generation, is founded upon a profound fear of the Irish within British politics and culture. The quotes above derive from that and this fear and hatred ultimately derive from the fact that, as Casement said, Britain's empire was founded upon the conquest of Ireland. An Ireland free of British influence will make Britain resume its natural proportions - this is what they are frightened of.
Channel 4 was equally guilty of lazy, anti-Irish stereotyping. Their flagship soap Brookside featured Irish characters as child molesters, wasters, illiterates and rapists. There was ONE positive, or even neutral, Irish character!Because people change, and even if he really hasn't, in politics the appearance of changing is sometimes enough. The British have also changed - no doubt they thought these things in the past but does anyone believe those attitudes still exist?
Which shows the true reason for the situation in the North is racism and not Sectarianianism.
How comes that racist swine is running the North now? How can that be allowed? Why is he not tackled about it by the so-called "Reporters"?
It was only 10 years ago that the BBC had to apologise for an Eastenders episode, after furious complaints. They also called in their managers and (I think) told them that the lazy, anti-Irish racism had to stop.
The thing is that, such as the BBC, had always used the Irish as whipping boys, because it seemed not to be regarded as racism.
Channel 4 was equally guilty of lazy, anti-Irish stereotyping. Their flagship soap Brookside featured Irish characters as child molesters, wasters, illiterates and rapists. There was ONE positive, or even neutral, Irish character!Because people change, and even if he really hasn't, in politics the appearance of changing is sometimes enough. The British have also changed - no doubt they thought these things in the past but does anyone believe those attitudes still exist?
Which shows the true reason for the situation in the North is racism and not Sectarianianism.
How comes that racist swine is running the North now? How can that be allowed? Why is he not tackled about it by the so-called "Reporters"?
It was only 10 years ago that the BBC had to apologise for an Eastenders episode, after furious complaints. They also called in their managers and (I think) told them that the lazy, anti-Irish racism had to stop.
The thing is that, such as the BBC, had always used the Irish as whipping boys, because it seemed not to be regarded as racism.
Yes - and it was that swine Redmond. My regard for Liverpool is now about zero.
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