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Top ten reasons why some Irish Americans have no real clue about Ireland

Loud and too proud many Irish Americans make a very bad impression

By
JAMES FARRELL,
IrishCentral Contributer
Published Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 7:23 AM
Updated Thursday, February 16, 2012, 4:48 PM

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The Simpsons: Loud and too proud many Irish Americans make a very bad impression
The Simpsons: Loud and too proud many Irish Americans make a very bad impression
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My American friends always tell me how they love Ireland. But when I stayed in Chicago in the 1990s they described an Ireland I never knew existed. On a recent visit back, it seems that little has changed.

Maybe a little self-awareness and education about how the Irish really live might help.

1. We don’t live in thatched cottages anymore -- get real. We’re an urbanized society and have the same living standards as the rest of the world.

2. We don’t say faith and begorrah or chase Leprechauns -- Hollywood has infected the brains of too many Irish Americans. We don’t believe in fairies, banshees, or leprechauns, unless it is for gullible Americans.

3. We don’t drink all day and fight all night. Too many showings of ‘The Quiet Man’ have pickled some Irish American brains. We like a drink but we rarely fight.

4. We don’t hate the British any more. Sure we did once, but we’re best friends for years now since the peace process, the Queen’s visit was totally popular.

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5. We generally don’t like American Republicans. We are much more comfortable with Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and their nuanced international world view than cowboys like George Bush and Ronald Reagan -- sorry all you Tea Party Irish.

6. We don’t really think you are Irish, the same way as us. If you are not born here then by our definition you are not Irish.

7. We don’t really like "Danny Boy" and all the sentimental songs. Sure, they are fine for a late night sing song for Americans but we are fed up of them.

8. We often tell jokes about you, usually about the phony Irish accents and Aran sweaters

9. We don’t know the Murphys from Cork or the Sullivans from Kerry, there are thousands of them.

10. We don’t want to hear any more Irish drinking jokes -- they are pathetic and demeaning to us for the most part.

*James Farrell is an Irish writer now living in Dublin

​
See more: Irish American , Irish roots , Top ten , Irish culture , Irish ancestry
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268 Comments

15 - 268 | See all comments

Barry | Mar 11, 2012, 12:56 PM EDT
In response to George's comment about immigrants in Ireland: "Now you're borrowing money abroad in order to pay social benefits for them, give them free health care and schooling for their children." This idea that immigrants in Ireland are all sponging off the state is one that has to stop. Most immigrants here work hard, often at low-paid jobs that Irish people didn't want to do during the boom years of the Celtic Tiger. Immigrants only get free healthcare (or the "Medical Card" as it's known here) if their income is below a certain limit - the same applies to Irish people themselves. And as for schooling: what would you have: a situation where immigrant children are denied an education? Nobody is given anything for free simply because they're foreign but this is something that people both in Ireland and the UK say over and over again just to put immigrants down. Foreigners come to Ireland for the same reasons Irish went abroad: work and a better life in general. Don't know where George lives but if he's an Irish-American, he really shouldn't be so hypocritical to have a go at people coming to Ireland for the same reasons he or his family went to the States.

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eileen murphy | Mar 06, 2012, 06:57 PM EST
Hey Jimmy, Do you know the Murphy's from Kerry??? I found the relatives still alive and well in Kerry.My grandfather never spoke of his brothers or cousins because it was TOO PAINFUL.They never wanted to leave Ireland and would have preferred to stay for ever but to get work they came to America. There were a few stories passed on but very few. So sad to loose your whole family to live and eat. I love doing geneology of my Irish ancestors.I have no other genes in me but Irish.I have not been mixed by any other race.So I do consider myself Irish -American and have my Irish passport. I will be coming to do more geneology of my Grandmother in Cork.I guess it is so ingrained in me because of the happiness it brought my parents to speak of their own parents and the love of Ireland I saw in their eyes. Just about 3 weeks before my mother died she was talking in her sleep and I overheard her say "I am Irish." I am not sure who she was speaking with in her dreams but it made me laugh.By the way we did not know she was going to die in 3 weeks. I think it may have been role call for Heaven!!!!!!!!!

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IrishSpring444 | Mar 06, 2012, 03:39 PM EST
James Farrell should get out more. His understanding of Americans of Irish ancestry is limited to the plastic paddys he's rubbed elbows with, and while I agree there is a segment of Americans of Irish ancestry who don't really get it, at least they're trying, and probably are doing more to prop up tourism to Eire than anyone else. But alas, the heart of Ireland thankfully is much larger than those who call themselves writers and offer poorly researched and inartfully written criticisms, such as Farrell's piece. The Ancient Order of Hibernians, Irish American Magazine, and countless Irish Geneaology and Historical Societies in this country have done a great deal to foster genuine understanding of Irish history and culture. If all the Irish in Ireland displayed Farrell's attitude, Eire would have died a slow death long ago without the tourism that sustained it, but we Americans of Irish ancestry have a special friendship with the Irish people. And it is the warmth of the Irish people that draws us back to the distant homeland of our ancestors ... satisfying the deep need of all peoples to find their place in space and time ... Imagine it. Some of us may have ancestors who even knew Farrell's, I suppose. Keep the comments coming, and aim for his heart. I know it's a small target, but strike a bulls-eye for humanity, and drop his ilk.

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TheBetterCoug | Mar 06, 2012, 11:15 AM EST
We Americans are a mixed bag, for sure. One of our problems is discovering just where our ancestors came from. It can be a chore. Our society is similar to that I'm reading about in Ireland. The current generation has little concern or interest of "where the bus came from." They only want to step on board and journey forward. For many American, their soul longs for a connection to their home(s) of origin. Those of us who discover our Irish connection may remember family stories of the hardship that brought their forebearers to America. Others, like myself, never met their Irish grandfather or other Irish relative. I wanted to find the turf where my grandfather came from and I did. I'll never forget the experience, nor shall my children. I am proud of my Irish "connection," even if the current generation there has disdain for the genes that flow in my blood and the pride I have for being of Irish descent.

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mandokeith | Feb 27, 2012, 09:40 AM EST
Ok James, Certainly there are ignorant people in America regarding Ireland( as many are about other cultures); but there are also people of Irish descent who LOVE Ireland, and make a concerted effort to learn and know of Irish culture. Many of which are actually republicans, conservatives, those who do not believe in giving away the whole farm just to keep the squirrels cozy. We are PROUD of our Irish connection and desire to become more deeply connected to that culture. It is about more than tourism, it is about a people who may not have been born in Ireland but feel and connection and love the beautiful land of their fore bearers.You seem to resent and even ridicule those who feel this way. I would think an Irish loving, history respecting, culturally interested American would be a better fit on your shores than a member of the extended EU who only thinks of Ireland as a new place to make empty out the bin. I came during the Celtic Tiger and I will come during the recession. I wear green, I study Gaelic, call me a plastic paddy if you want; but I am interested in the culture, history and endurance of Ireland, not the dilution and dissolution. Ignorance? Yes there is much, some comes from the US and some comes from the influx of EU cultures (not that you would criticize them). But we all choose our friends, to whatever end; and those friends will ultimately define who we are.

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Gaelphoncán | Feb 25, 2012, 02:02 AM EST
Maybe its a generational thing, I dont know but its a common view [Ciara, I have come to the conclusion it's definitely a generational thing. The sad irony is that the younger generations of IBABs are the most Americanised generations that Ireland has ever produced and they are the most insistent in rejecting the Irish identity of the children of the diaspora (particularly Irish-Americans)]. Its an honour, in my opinion to be Irish and that honour is not simply given because someone has an Irish passport or an Irish granny [What do you mean by 'honour'? My parents encountered anti-Irish prejudice growing up in America and I've friends who grew up in England who are the children of IBABs and who were constantly beaten up and hassled for being Irish (and yet they're slagged off or condescended to for being 'English' when they come to Ireland). Would you deny them the honour of being Irish?]. You say you lived here for 20 years. You are very different to an American who has an Irish relative and who just visits once a year or in a lifetime [True, yet the irony is that the longer I live in Ireland the more I understand how Irish my Irish-American relations in America are. I've got relations in America who have never set foot in Ireland and yet have very typically Irish personalities and mannerisms. Dozens of generations of family culture (and genes) aren't simply erased by one or two generations of living in another place]. There are people on this site who insult, belittle and patronise irish people simply becuase we dont adhere to their picture postcard catholic racist view that they hold [True, and I don't like that but there are also people on this site who insult, belittle, and patronise Irish-Americans. IBABs have bee patronising me since I first arrived in Ireland and they still do. I'm well used to it but not yet totally indifferent to it].

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Gaelphoncán | Feb 25, 2012, 12:29 AM EST
Id love to hear Irish spoken more but it isnt and it will never be a majority language here. [I'd also love to hear it spoken more and I contribute to that desire by actually speaking it daily myself. It may never be a majority language in Ireland but I do what I can to keep it alive and to increase the percentage of people who speak it in Ireland.] It has been associated with poverty for many here for centuries [true, but ironically it's middle-class people who want to send their kids to Gaelscoileanna now. It's a funny aul' world] and it was beaten out of people [true] and then bet into them by Christian Brothers [ironically, as an Irish-American, I haven't got this emotional baggage concerning Irish and freely chose to learn 'teanga mo shinsear' on my own steam] so unfortunately thats the way it is [yes, but I choose to challenge this resigned acceptance]. More people here will be learning foreign languages over the next few years as thats where the jobs lie [Ciara, I can speak 6 languages and applied for hundreds of jobs in multi-nationals and hotels in Ireland in the 2 years preceding my 'emigration' (due to financial pressures). My knowledge of languages has been no help to me whatsoever. I think that my age probably works against me but that's a subject for another thread]. Being Irish is not simply having an Irish passport, its about more than that [I would say 'being Irish is not simply about geography, it's about more than that']. Comedian Des Bishop made an observation a few years ago ''JFK visited Galway for 25 minutes and he was called Irish American, Des Bishop lives in Ireland for 17 years and people still call him American!'' [Fair play to Des; he sees the bigger picture. I loved that show in which he did minimum wage jobs and often challenged the superficial one-dimensional thinking of IBABs he met].

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Gaelphoncán | Feb 25, 2012, 12:24 AM EST
My responses to your comments will be in square brackets (not ideal but I don't know of any better way to do it)

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Gaelphoncán | Feb 25, 2012, 12:15 AM EST
A Chiara, a chara, I appreciate your responses and wish to address some of the issues you've raised but it will probably take me a few posts to do so.

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ciaradexy | Feb 24, 2012, 11:57 AM EST
Id love to hear Irish spoken more but it isnt and it will never be a majority language here. It has been associated with poverty for many here for centuries and it was beaten out of people and then bet into them by Christian Brothers so unfortunately thats the way it is. More people here will be learning foreign languages over the next few years as thats where the jobs lie. Being Irish is not simply having an Irish passport, its about more than that. Comedian Des Bishop made an observation a few years ago ''JFK visited Galway for 25 minutes and he was called Irish American, Des Bishop lives in Ireland for 17 years and people still call him American!'' Maybe its a generational thing, I dont know but its a common view. Its an honour, in my opinion to be Irish and that honour is not simply given because someone has an Irish passport or an Irish granny. You say you lived here for 20 years. You are very different to an American who has an Irish relative and who just visits once a year or in a lifetime. There are people on this site who insult, belittle and patronise irish people simply becuase we dont adhere to their picture postcard catholic racist view that they hold. I can give out about my family but no one else can. Its a very Irish trait and its the same in regards Ireland. I would NEVER go to someone elses country as a visitor and spend the next few years visiting again only to b1tch and moan about the country and the people there. Being Irish is about contributing to Ireland and society. its about integrating with people and becoming part of the fabric of our society. Its not god (or whoever/whatever) given.

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ciaradexy | Feb 24, 2012, 11:57 AM EST
Gaelphoncán-Excellent post and you raise some good points. You cannot compare an American with irish parents or grndparents etc to a person born or even just brought up in Ireland. Just because some of your Irish relatives were around here at the same time as mine, does not mean we have a common bond. People raised together,educated together and brought up together will have much more in common than you and I. The Irish are a mix of Celts, Normans, Anglo saxons and Viking among others. Gaelic people came from many different places and have mixed for thousands of years so we are not a pure blood race as some on this site seem to think.

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joycean | Feb 23, 2012, 11:22 AM EST
Gaelphoncan, I can understand that ciara would like to limit the use of "Irish" to residents, but her opinion is just an opinion, admittedly one that others share. Irish law is on your side, and there are more Irish outside Ireland than in it.

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Gaelphoncán | Feb 23, 2012, 08:37 AM EST
The Chinese in China consider the ethnic Chinese living abroad to be Chinese, the Turkish in Turkey consider the ethnic Turkish living abroad to be Turkish, the Basques in the Basque Country consider ethnic Basques living abroad to be Basque (especially if they speak Basque), but Irish people like Ciaradexy see the ethnic Irish living abroad as total foreigners with no sense of Irishness. Why are we so full of division and self-loathing as a tribe? The ethnic Irish outside Ireland see identity in tribal terms - one is Irish by dint of belonging to the Irish tribe to which one is linked by blood/genetics. People like Ciara (the majority of IBABs?), however, see identity in purely geographical terms. If Martians landed in Ireland and a Martian couple produced a child on Irish soil, that child would automatically be Irish. It seems to me a much more arbitrary way of defining identity than by tribal affiliation. I'm Irish-American, or an American of Irish descent, if you prefer, by dint of having spent my formative years (whatever that means exactly) in the USA but my Irish passport simply labels me as 'Irish'. My home is in Ireland, I vote in Irish elections (or at least I did before I left (emigrated from?) Ireland in August – not to the USA, by the way) and I'm still paying taxes to the Irish government. I'm fluent in the 2 official languages of the ROI (tá an Ghaeilge ar mo thoil agam agus bíonn sí i mo phluc gach aon lá agus mé ag caint le mo bhean agus lena muintir). The language would be an important marker of identity in many countries in the world but not in Ireland. I've lived in Ireland for nearly two decades but I know that IBABS like Ciara (and probably Sirpeter) will never, ever acknowledge my Irishness. Even if I lived in Ireland for 50 years, I'm sure she would still consider me a Plastic Paddy.

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ciaradexy | Feb 22, 2012, 05:21 PM EST
Youre right there SirP! 258!!

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sirpeter | Feb 22, 2012, 04:36 PM EST
256 comments and still going.LOL.We are going to have these types of articles for the next year because it gets such a great reaction.

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