Hi David
Like many of the 2nd generation Irish in Britain, I have fond memories of the summer holidays in Ireland in the 1970s, when our parents used to take us on their compulsory holidays back to the West. No Costa del Sol for us, instead we had our two weeks in rain-drenched Kerry. While our English friends were getting sunburnt while munching on paella, my brothers and sisters and I were in our wellingtons, chasing our uncle’s cows down the field at milking time.
And do you know — we loved it. We’d count down the days every May and June until we were back in Ireland. Our chance to be away from the tower blocks of Kilburn and get back to the green fields, where we had lots of relations and everyone was Irish.
I recall being amused too, the first time I went to Dublin. It seemed a complete novelty — a city full of Irish people. Coming from London, where there are about half a million Irish-born people, I was more accustomed to Irish people always being a minority, little scattered islands in a sea of English people.
Of course, so much has changed since then — in both the UK and Ireland. Our parents’ generation have become old and many have fallen on hard times. The Irish have mostly moved out of areas like Kilburn and Cricklewood and been replaced by other ethnic communities. Kerry has changed too and many newcomers have arrived in seek of work. Before he passed on, my uncle sold his house to a young Polish family. I felt sad that our link with the past had been broken but I guess we all have to leave childhood behind us sometime.
So when I read about your ideas about energising the Irish Diaspora for the economic benefit of Ireland, I couldn’t help but think that while it is an exciting an idea, it is one that is doomed to failure simply because of some very important obstacles I have noticed during my time in the Republic.
Firstly is the idea of extending Irish citizenship to the 50 million members of the Irish Diaspora on the premise that many will return to Ireland and contribute to the economy. You seem to forget — there are over 2 million Irish citizens on the island of Britain who have always had the right to return. Most are only 2nd generation Irish, as opposed to being 4th or 5th generation that are found in the U.S. Why did they not all return en masse to the land of their parents during the days of the Celtic Tiger?
It is simple – despite having a strong connection to Ireland, most prefer to stay in England or Scotland because the attitude towards the Irish Diaspora in Ireland is very hostile. It is fair to say this hostility is endemic. Only the very determined could live in a country where you are persistently remonstrated in your everyday life for having the arrogance to claim an Irish identity just because you have Irish parents.
Don’t underestimate the seriousness of the effects of the hostility towards the Diaspora because it is the cultural cancer of Ireland. Once Irish-Americans realise how scorned they are as ‘plastic paddies’ in Ireland and it is not some light-hearted ribbing but real, irate anger, they too will lose interest in reconnecting with their roots. And believe me, I’ve already met Irish-Americans who have been to Ireland and discovered this for themselves. Nobody will want to go if word gets out that they might get the same level of welcome as Tom Berenger’s character did in the film ‘The Field.’
The Irish are shooting themselves in the foot. Hardly anyone of I know of Irish descent bothers going back to Ireland because they know they will just routinely get a hard time about being a ‘plastic paddy’ or a ‘tan.’ Think of all those tourist revenues lost simply because of bad manners. If we meet Irish people, especially if they’re under 40 in the UK, we generally give them a wide berth. Why? Because we know through harsh experience that the instant we let slip that we are of Irish descent, it will unleash a Roy Keane-style torrent of scorn.
This is especially sad because so many young Irish now are heading once again to Britain, because Britain is the only English-speaking country that lets the Irish in without any visa restrictions. As much as they like to imagine they will have to head for America because there’s no work in Ireland, the reality is that since the U.S closed its doors in the 1920s, the vast majority Irish have traditionally emigrated to the UK (a fact that is swept under the carpet in the whole ‘Irish’ narrative). And thanks to this ‘plastic paddy’ bashing culture among today’s Irish, there are no established networks waiting to help those newcomers coming to our shores. If the young Irish-born fall on hard times or feel culturally isolated, we cannot help them because they refuse to see any ethnic kinship between us and generally don’t want to be tainted by our plastic paddyness.
The Irish Diaspora in Britain are an part essential of the Ireland narrative. We produced James Connolly, Jim Larkin, Shane McGowan (to name but few) and half the Irish football team when they were actually winning things. The Irish Americans produced JFK, Michael Flatley, James Cagney and many more. We need you and you need us. The synergy of the global Diaspora has produced great things but any attempts of harnessing it to change the flagging fortunes of the Irish economy then the culture of Ireland must change. We must remember that Article 2 of the Irish constitution says “the Irish nation cherishes its special affinity with people of Irish ancestry living abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage.” I believe if this part of the constitution was enforced and the Roy Keane Diaspora-hating mentality eradicated then Ireland could enjoy a period of cultural and economic prosperity never before seen.
T. Keogh
The Popes Children bale out. The Popes children are victims of the economic crisis; most bought their homes because they were encouraged to do so by the system, by greedy bankers and because if they did not buy this week, gazumnping etc, ensured house prices were rising each week. As part of on overall solution to our economic crisis, I am prepared to see my income tax raised to bale out all those young people, (first time buyers only). A first time buyer who bought a house this millennium should have 25% cut off the top of their mortgages, the… Read more »
My mother immigrated from Ireland to the USA in the 1950s while her two brothers moved to England, giving me a dozen English first-cousins. The good-will and affection for Ireland we all learned growing up in two distinct Diaspora communities is a natural and understandable outcome of having an Irish parent. Why is that difficult for many people in Ireland to accept? The Diaspora’s embrace of its Irishness is not an American, British or Argentinean characteristic per se — it is a distinctively Irish characteristic that has to do with the pains of immigration and the memory of a family’s… Read more »
I left Ireland for the US at the age of 25, 10 years ago. There is tremendous goodwill in the US towards Ireland and unfortunately I have to agree with this post that many in Ireland poo poo the “plastic paddies”. We should be flattered that 50 million people worldwide consider themselves Irish, and we should embrace that with open arms. How could you not be filled with pride to see a country the size of the US come to a stop on March 17th each year, mid-week work days included. The New York Stock Exchange volume of trade hits… Read more »
What has happened in ireland, is the country has been taken over by a corrupt political, union and business alliance. Lack of honesty of a significant proportion of irish people, plus there lack of innovation and acceptance of gombeenism, cronyism, obstruction of justice etc is at the heart of the matter. Cute hoorism! This is a small country, we don’t need gombeen politicians lecturing others in the U.N or anywhere else, or flying to america on our behalf. There are hardworking expert expats in UK and States that could such tasks on our behalf as well as a plethora of… Read more »
Could we give emigrants the vote? Slightlywild, that’s very sensible. An East German once told me that people who can’t submit to a society leave it. How true. I’ve been reading foreign press and the shredding of the Irish reputation. That includes the chimp noises allegedly made towards Brian Lenihan during an investor call. That’s the kind of psyching up that accompanies a killing. The highest position an Irish person can achieve is to live like an English lord and pay no duty to their country. That objective hasn’t changed, even if we are bankrupted because of it. And patriotism… Read more »
“Hardly anyone of I know of Irish descent bothers going back to Ireland because they know they will just routinely get a hard time”
It’s regretable to hear this. Irish people are known to generally like debating and often offer strong points of view in order to get a discussion going. Just be prepared to offer your own strong opinions right back at them.
However of course it can be tiring to have the same debate over and over.
Canadians on the other hand are known for their tolerance and avoidance of debate on issues people might take offence with.
I’m a pretty untypical Irish American. Although I’ve got the American accent, thanks to my childhood in Donegal, I have a pretty Irish attitude. Forget the begrudgers. Who care what anyone is to be frank. Einstein said that nationalism was the measles of mankind. It’s not just the plastic paddies that Irish people ostracize. In a recent article in the New York Times, Matt Gross complained about tight Irish social groups leaving him feeling lonely in the pub. None of the tricks he used to get social in other countries worked here! Say goodbye to the tourist industry as well… Read more »
Good interview n
Doesn’t agree with bailouts,usa is already neck high in the #### we/ECB better not follow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lVDS9hwKs0
Hi David, Just before I came across T Keogh’s excellent analysis of how the Diaspora have been alienated by the attitude of the Irish born I read this offensive little passage in The Independent; Martina Devlin: St Patrick’s envoys may just deliver crock of gold Thursday March 17 2011 We keep hearing about the damage done to Ireland’s global brand and how we must market ourselves as a competitive place to do business. I have no quibble with that, but if we are to make a success of it, we also need to change our mindsets. This means we must… Read more »
Mr. Keogh has hit the nail on the head. I am a Canadian of Irish descent. The only time I have been in Ireland was when a flight I was taking to Italy had to stop at Shannon due to engine trouble, so in reality I have never actually been to Ireland. I have thought of going but I have read so many negative comments by Irish people on the internet, particularly Youtube, that I doubt I will ever bother to go. And now after the collapse of the Celtic Tiger these people who only yesterday were calling us in… Read more »
What! Who feels angry jealous and irate about returning Irish people? What part of County Dystopia do you live it? I don’t recognise this at all. Anyway, if a returner did unluckily encounter such an attitude, the proper response would be a pitying contempt.