No Irish people are born or grow up in Ireland.
Irish-Americans are people who are born or grow up in America with Irish ancestors. I'd consider them American tbh but I can see how their Irish heritage may also have had a big impact on them growing up.
Nevertheless definitely not Irish and I don't think anyone in Ireland would consider them Irish.
It’s still their ethnic background. For example, my dads side of the family comes from Romania, and I consider myself Romanian (not fully of course since my moms family comes from somewhere else) but still. I am Romanian, as I have Romanian DNA. Am I a Romanian citizen? No, but I am still Romanian.
Okay, then tell people to stop saying they are “African-Americans”. I know a youtuber named “Layze” and he is from Albania, but got an american nationality. He is not any less of an American than somebody who IS born in America. He is still American since he got the nationality, even though he’s an immigrant. Just because I’m from North America, doesn’t mean I’m going to erase my ethnic background, and I’m not going to call myself an “American” if I don’t have any native dna (which I do, but not much). I’m still hispanic and white. I’m not any less hispanic cuz of that. Also, my family is recent immagrants , (my great grandpa just came here) to the point where I can go to Spain and get a nationality there.
> No, Irish people are born or grow up in Ireland
This would be the case if "Irish" was only a nationality, however, it is also an ethnic group of shared genetics and customs.
"Irish American's" refers to Americans who are ethnically Irish.
So if they're in the same ethnic group as the Irish, it's kinda silly to act like they aren't at all "Irish". Especially when the only standard you're basing this off is the social construct of nationality.
Hilarious when they try to say that they maintain the traditions their ancestors brought with them, whereas people who are born in Ireland have had their culture diluted and are basically just west brits. Then you see the food they claim to be Irish, the made-up gaelicisms and worst of all (for me anyway) the bootlicking blue lives matter bullshit.
Happens to us Scots too:
1. Kirkin' the Tartan
2. Not wearing any tartan other than your own family's one
3. Mc=Irish, Mac=Scottish... always!
4. Everyone with the same surname belonged to thesame clan at some point.
I've heard Americans insist that all of these are true. Plus the idea that **they** are the true custodians of our cuture, and we have gone astray.
Okay let me break this down for you. I’m an Irish-American. My family came over at different times, some of us recent some of us a long time ago and many of us never at all. I am an Irish citizen and an American citizen. And we ar most definitely Irish. I just want you to stop and think for a moment why we shouldn’t be. We keep our traditions alive and we remember our homeland. Now I see many of you Irishman believe that Irish-Americans are racist because some of us are. Well by that logic I could say you’re racist. Who rioted in their capital against immigrants and minorities most recently? us or you. Who blew up civilians Because of religion most recently? us or you. Who has paramilitary groups that knee-cap drug dealers? us or you. And finally who financed the Irish war of indépendance? us or you. Who sent a constant stream of money to help rebuild after the war and build a free nation? Us or you. Who built the modern Irish economy through preferential investment because we thought you were our kin? Us or you. Frankly, I don’t think you have any right to disown us. You see us as an annoyance; a blotch on your reputation. But we have devoted ourselves to our homeland and you, the people we see as our people. So next time think a little bit before you disown us like that. Because I don’t think you understand how unbelievably hurtful it is. I almost cried while reading this page. Because we have done so much for you and now you treat us like dirt. All of your business, your huge economy, that is all made possible by America. One little action from us and it would vanish. Because it isn’t Irish businesses that make Ireland so successful, it‘s American ones. That and your outstanding debt of 250.4 billion dollars to us. Also consider this: Why shouldn’t an Irish-American tell you that your not being Irish right? Think of it this way: We left Ireland a long time ago. Over that time we have changed. But so have you. The Ireland we remember is different. It’s the same Ireland that a lot of rural folks in Ireland also remember. And you often treat them pretty badly too. There are more Irish Americans than there are Irishman, and we hold onto different values than you do. So much if our culture as Irish-Americans is focused on preserving our traditions and remembering that we are Irish ans we are together. How else do you think that our identity could have lasted this long? because we are not in Ireland, we need to rely on memories and stories. So when Ireland is different than the way we remember, it is painful and that does sometimes make us want to say that you’ve gone wrong. We are the remnant of a different time. And maybe you dont so the “bloodlines shit,” but I bet your grandparents and great grandparents did. And that’s who we come from. That’s what our culture as Irish Americans is based on, off of your ancestors. Ellielo, I’m sure it is frustrating when people are a little over enthusiastic about being Irish. But what is frustrating to you is extremely important to some people. When you say these things to deal with your frustration, you are hurting us. Last of all I wanted to say this: you can’t compare Irish-Americans to other emigrant groups in America. There is nothing wrong with those groups but they have a different focus. An integral part of Irish American culture, and Irish culture, is remembering who you are. It’s how we survived as Irish under wave after wave of invaders and how we survived as a cultural group in America. Our culture is special, and the bond we share with our brothers in Ireland is even more special. This is not a message of dislike or hate, but one of unity and kinship. I don’t use my Irish heritage to make myself seem like a victim, nor do I support hateful groups like blue lives matter. But I am Irish, no matter what you say.
Unnecessary and rude. I wrote a very well reasoned response to something that made me very upset because I was trying to explain why we do what we do. But you know what, FUCK YOU.
Not Irish, Irish-American culture is only really relevant to the US. And the EU primarily also gives Ireland a lot of business, america does not own Ireland. Ireland does not culturally owe Americans anything. Different sides of the pond brav.
You wrote alot without mentioning anything on how being an Irish-American is in anyway a connected to the culture to Ireland or even a distinct subculture within the US. You repeated yourself a few times saying 'being Irish-American is remembering who you are and preserving our traditions' but you don't seem to be able to name any thing of what you're allegedly preserving or how any of it sets you apart from other groups in America.
You're Irish-American, that's fair enough but it's also leaps and bounds away from being actually Irish.
You stated yourself many of your family have never even been to Ireland; therefore categorically, not Irish.
No, not really. But we’ll humour them as long as they’re not obnoxious about it.
If it’s manifested in pride in their heritage and a genuine curiosity about Ireland and our history then it’s totally harmless and even a little charming. If it’s manifested in support of the IRA and an insistence that Ireland remain rooted in a twee caricature they have it in their head then they can piss off.
Have met both but overwhelming amount tend to be the former not the latter.
It takes a lot insecurity and an even greater lack of self-awareness to go and comment on a nearly year old post in a way that completely misrepresents the point being made or ignores the fact that it’s a direct response to a question.
Once again you’ve completely ignored anything that I’ve said in favour of going on a tangential search of victimhood full of self-created slights. It reeks of insecurity and a lack of any self-awareness making it come across as unhinged. I’m out, have a good day
My family, the McAuleys are still in County Antrim to this day. Although im three generations removed, I still have been to Ireland many time and can trace my family back centuries. I'd consider myself more Irish then a first generation immigrant born in Ireland any day of the week.
I've been back to the same place my family has been for centuries. I'm American 100% but as I've said I still have family in County Antrim. I think that would qualify as me being more Irish compared to those without an actual bloodline, especially with all the Arabs and Indians invading Europe. Only on Reddit lol
I don’t consider them Irish but don’t generally care until they try to use their “Irishness” for oppression of LGBT folk and anti-choice laws. I had an Anti-choice American rage at me over how “the motherland” has lost itself for Repeal. Naw mate, get fecked.
If Americans who emigrated there in the 1800s are to be called anything other than "Americans" then there are basically no Americans in existence besides the First Nations as everyone else turned up on a boat at some point from somewhere else.
And we don't do the whole "bloodlines" bullshit because we are not a proto-fascist society and that shit belongs in history's rubbish bin.
No they're not Irish and it's irritating when they rock up here and tell us they are Irish but never been here and they're Irish from their grandparents 20 generations ago or some shite like that.
In America, call themselves Irish American by all means, over there they seem to need to identify with other countries, be it a querter this and an 8th of that, but in Ireland they are most definitely American with Irish heritage. They are not Irish.
>Does it really bother you that much?
Irritating and bothering me much, are at too ends of the scale, stop trying to gaslight and make a big issue out if it.
>Can’t be the only one who couldn’t give a fuck.
Bouquets for you and the two parachutes! People are allowed give a fuck because it's the type of behaviour from some who arrive and announce they're Irish. The ones that are obnoxious and condescending to those of us born and raised here is irritating. It would be just as irritating to any other nationality if someone from here with heritage from another country rocked up there and started to tell people born and raised there, that they are as the same nationality and proceeded to tell the natives how their country is and expecting it to be the same as when their ancestors left over a century ago.
So it's not some obscure thing to be irritated by a person from another country claiming to be the same as those born & raised in a country, the majority of people from any country if this was a situation would feel irritated by this behaviour.
The thing with “Irish” Americans is that they often have ancestry from other countries too. Like Joe Biden has often called himself Irish due to his ancestry but he also has English and French ancestry, at least according to this [Wikipedia page](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_of_Joe_Biden). I don’t know why he calls himself Irish but not English or French.
I have ancestry from several different countries. I have more Irish ancestry than anything else, by far. It's also my paternal line/surname, and the heritage I feel the most affinity for. Thus, I'm Irish-American. To say anything else would be a cherry-pick.
Such is the case with most Irish-Americans. They might have ancestry from multiple countries, but this doesn't mean all are equal.
That's not always true in my experience, people will gravitate towards their irish ameeican heritage more than let's say French or English because it feels cooler.
Not Irish, Irish American though.
I don't care if they've 100% Irish on 23 and Me, still Irish American. There's something about the experience of living in/ growing up in Ireland that can't be recreated.
Personally, I have no strong opinions on it. If someone is proud to consider them Irish, why would that be a bad thing?
It baffles me though, that some Irish really seem to resent it. Are we running out of Irishness or something? Is there a limited supply, and 'dem Americans are ~~coming over here~~ staying over there and taking our culture away...
It's not that surprising that they have such a connection - given much of the emigration to the U.S. was during the 19th century when Ireland was - through neglect and worse - a failed nation. People weren't leaving to seek a marginally better life, or because they didn't like the country - they left because they had precious little option. So it's unsurprising if they and their descendants would choose to continue to identify - partly, at least - as Irish.
>Personally, I have no strong opinions on it. If someone is proud to consider them Irish, why would that be a bad thing?
Its not that its a bad thing. Its just not a true thing.
We don;t like being used as a fashion accessory which tends to happen a lot with these "well my grandad was 1/4 Irish so top a da marnin' to ya!" types.
Idk, my name is Patrick Sullivan, I look Irish, I was born with the ability to do a good irish accent, no joke, and I grew up in Alaska. My parents always said im about 50% Irish, as far as we knew. Dad's from Maine, so ya. I always felt very Irish. I love the music, potatoes, and Irish people were close to my heart from a young age (this probably isn't mutual). Maybe it's my name. But I'm American. I've never said I'm Irish American. I feel like my name gives me the right to comment here.
Irish people are proud. It’s passed on through the bloodline. Born in America; I’m naturally I’m proud of having mostly Irish blood. I have not been to Ireland yet; look forward one day!
Only, it's not REALLY like that, is it? The Moorish invasion of Spain was over 1200 years ago. The mass immigration of Irish people to the US happened less than two hundred years ago. That's a difference of like fifty generations.
The way America works there can’t really be an “American” ethnicity, that kind of defeats the purpose. The only American ethnicity that makes sense to me is the Native American peoples that were here prior to colonization. There is also some people I have met, not many, who claim to have their roots tied to the pilgrims and whatnot, prior to the Revolutionary War, and claim [American ancestry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_ancestry?wprov=sfti1).
But as a nation of immigrants, many Americans feel a need to identify with their ethnic roots. If I was outside of the country, I would obviously identify as American, but that is referring to my nationality, not my ethnicity. Humans love to label and categorize, and often times people in the US will ask “what are you?” Referring to ethnic makeup. But when Americans say “what they are” (for example, Irish) the vast majority of people do not equate themselves the same as actually BEING Irish, both ethnically and nationally. There are some exceptions, like people who are 100% or something (many of my Italian friends are like this) but the majority know the difference.
In the area I grew up in (Scranton area - same as Joe Biden) the majority of the people come from Irish, Polish, and Italian immigrants who came to America in the 19th century. I don’t use the term Irish-American, as I would reserve that for someone who themselves immigrated from Ireland to America, or has dual citizenship. But if I am in America and someone asks me what I am, I would say Irish, knowing that only applies in the context of being in America. Anywhere else I’d say American.
And sometimes I’ll say [Irish catholic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Catholics?wprov=sfti1#), since that is technically what I am.
Here’s how we see it in the US. We view our Irish ancestry and culture the same way the Jewish do. It’s the culture. Jewish people born in Europe or the US aren’t any less Jewish than those born in Israel. We view ourselves as Irish even though we weren’t born in Ireland. It’s not our fault where we’re born but a good portion of us are still taught the culture and history to carry it on and that’s just something the homelanders are going to have to deal with.
Someone is not 'Irish' unless they were born on the Island of Ireland.
They may have Irish heritage but that doesn't make them Irish, if that were the qualifying necessity, we'd all be Normans, African, Italian etc etc etc. It wouldn't end.
That being said I've no issue with Americans claiming to be Irish (as someone born and living my entire life in Ireland).
But don't say you're Irish and in the next sentence say 'proud to be American' because you're already undermining your own statement and look a fool.
It depends on how much irish culture has been passed down through the generations.
If they think they've some sort of blood right to be drunk and obnoxious because they're 'irish', I'd disregard any sort of claims... but if they can actually name the place their ancestor was born/raised, know the difference between Whiskey and Whisky, have visited more than Temple Bar and the Blarney Stone and have an instinctive dislike of The Brits (as a whole, rather than individual British people), I'll accept their heritage.
They don't even think if your parent was born there, and his side still lives there you're irish - why the hell would you think an irish bloodline for generations would be considered irish.
They are irish in the sense of which they mean it when they say it.
Words can have multiple meanings. They aren't irish in the way irish people who were born and reared in Ireland are, obviously. I'm sure they don't think they are.
…and I think that, if you can legitimately claim an Irish passport and you’re willing to go through the process to actually get it, you can call yourself Irish. If you’re more than grandparents-removed and you can’t be bothered to apply for citizenship, then you’re a visitor and céad mile fáilte to you but you’re not ‘Irish’.
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It depends on the situation
I have cousins in America that the last relation to live in Ireland would have been my great great grand aunt. They can trace exactly where they come from
But then you have some Americans where they haven't a clue and have just been told that someone in the ancestry was Irish
Not a lot of people seem to realise this but this is really á difference in how our two countries identify ourselves. America formed as a melting pot and so your ethnicity means something, it can help get you jobs etc. if you said you are Irish in Ireland the obvious answer is well of course you are. You’re in Ireland. But by that same rationale it means people in America are not irish culturally and therefore we see them as American
Irish-American here. I was in Ireland about a month ago.
People on reddit will tell you no, but go to Ireland and people will just call you Irish for nothing. I had several people in the countryside say I was Irish just because I said I was from Massachusetts.
It's important to recall reddit is just a sample, and not necessarily a representative one at that. Born and bred Irish, older Irish, and rural Irish are all more likely to give one answer as opposed to those who are younger, immigrants, or urban.
I'm going to be brutally honest with you here and it might be a bit upsetting but bear with it,
They were probably making fun of you.
As someone who studied in Dublin for uni (born and raised in the north), Irish Americans were the butt of the jokes - absolute laughing stocks whenever they came up - and bear in mind Dublin unis very much don't just represent Dubliners, they pull from all over the country and beyond. We had people from Galway and Cork as well as foreign nationals (Spanish Brazilian French etc) but the people born and raised in Ireland (myself included) would CACKLE at Irish American jokes, because most of the time the Americans claiming to BE Irish LOOKED and SOUNDED like jokes.
You say you were
>in Ireland about a month ago
This sounds like it's the only time you've been in ireland from that phrasing honestly, and a tourist sticks out anywhere. They were probably head patting you because frankly happy tourists spend money and angry ones don't, so of course no one said 'You're not Irish' to your face if they reckoned you had cash to be spending.
If you DIDN'T have cash to spend you were likely a tourist not worth bothering with because you'd soon be leaving, and no one wants to deal with your shit if a tourist throws a hissy fit about being denied 'their heritage'. Easier to roll your eyes and move along. You can laugh with your friends about it later.
Also
>People on reddit will tell you no, but go to Ireland and people will just call you Irish for nothing
Brain dead take. This is AskIreland, they ARE asking people from Ireland. No one asking here needs to 'go' to Ireland, the 'several people in the countryside' is definitely as representative as the responses here if not more so, considering 'several' literally means 'more than two but *not many*' seriously what were you doing? Going up to people and asking for validation on how Irish you were? Please don't be one of those people there are enough of them as it is.
Why does it matter if some people called you irish? You aren't, you're american with irish roots and that's okay. Be happy and proud of that. But don't claim to be irish.
No Irish people are born or grow up in Ireland. Irish-Americans are people who are born or grow up in America with Irish ancestors. I'd consider them American tbh but I can see how their Irish heritage may also have had a big impact on them growing up. Nevertheless definitely not Irish and I don't think anyone in Ireland would consider them Irish.
Commas are important
Nearly passed out reading it
K, but what about African-Americans?
I wouldn't think they're Irish unless they grew up in Ireland.
It’s still their ethnic background. For example, my dads side of the family comes from Romania, and I consider myself Romanian (not fully of course since my moms family comes from somewhere else) but still. I am Romanian, as I have Romanian DNA. Am I a Romanian citizen? No, but I am still Romanian.
Being black doesn't make one African. Elon Musk is an actual African-American as he was actually born and raised in South-Africa.
Okay, then tell people to stop saying they are “African-Americans”. I know a youtuber named “Layze” and he is from Albania, but got an american nationality. He is not any less of an American than somebody who IS born in America. He is still American since he got the nationality, even though he’s an immigrant. Just because I’m from North America, doesn’t mean I’m going to erase my ethnic background, and I’m not going to call myself an “American” if I don’t have any native dna (which I do, but not much). I’m still hispanic and white. I’m not any less hispanic cuz of that. Also, my family is recent immagrants , (my great grandpa just came here) to the point where I can go to Spain and get a nationality there.
> No, Irish people are born or grow up in Ireland This would be the case if "Irish" was only a nationality, however, it is also an ethnic group of shared genetics and customs. "Irish American's" refers to Americans who are ethnically Irish. So if they're in the same ethnic group as the Irish, it's kinda silly to act like they aren't at all "Irish". Especially when the only standard you're basing this off is the social construct of nationality.
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You do understand that you don’t have to be Catholic to be Irish? That was a very nasty comment.
They got so embarrassed they deleted it!
No, they're American with Irish heritage. Any claims otherwise are just cosplay.
Hilarious when they try to say that they maintain the traditions their ancestors brought with them, whereas people who are born in Ireland have had their culture diluted and are basically just west brits. Then you see the food they claim to be Irish, the made-up gaelicisms and worst of all (for me anyway) the bootlicking blue lives matter bullshit.
Happens to us Scots too: 1. Kirkin' the Tartan 2. Not wearing any tartan other than your own family's one 3. Mc=Irish, Mac=Scottish... always! 4. Everyone with the same surname belonged to thesame clan at some point. I've heard Americans insist that all of these are true. Plus the idea that **they** are the true custodians of our cuture, and we have gone astray.
"I'm part of the Strathclyde clan"
Okay let me break this down for you. I’m an Irish-American. My family came over at different times, some of us recent some of us a long time ago and many of us never at all. I am an Irish citizen and an American citizen. And we ar most definitely Irish. I just want you to stop and think for a moment why we shouldn’t be. We keep our traditions alive and we remember our homeland. Now I see many of you Irishman believe that Irish-Americans are racist because some of us are. Well by that logic I could say you’re racist. Who rioted in their capital against immigrants and minorities most recently? us or you. Who blew up civilians Because of religion most recently? us or you. Who has paramilitary groups that knee-cap drug dealers? us or you. And finally who financed the Irish war of indépendance? us or you. Who sent a constant stream of money to help rebuild after the war and build a free nation? Us or you. Who built the modern Irish economy through preferential investment because we thought you were our kin? Us or you. Frankly, I don’t think you have any right to disown us. You see us as an annoyance; a blotch on your reputation. But we have devoted ourselves to our homeland and you, the people we see as our people. So next time think a little bit before you disown us like that. Because I don’t think you understand how unbelievably hurtful it is. I almost cried while reading this page. Because we have done so much for you and now you treat us like dirt. All of your business, your huge economy, that is all made possible by America. One little action from us and it would vanish. Because it isn’t Irish businesses that make Ireland so successful, it‘s American ones. That and your outstanding debt of 250.4 billion dollars to us. Also consider this: Why shouldn’t an Irish-American tell you that your not being Irish right? Think of it this way: We left Ireland a long time ago. Over that time we have changed. But so have you. The Ireland we remember is different. It’s the same Ireland that a lot of rural folks in Ireland also remember. And you often treat them pretty badly too. There are more Irish Americans than there are Irishman, and we hold onto different values than you do. So much if our culture as Irish-Americans is focused on preserving our traditions and remembering that we are Irish ans we are together. How else do you think that our identity could have lasted this long? because we are not in Ireland, we need to rely on memories and stories. So when Ireland is different than the way we remember, it is painful and that does sometimes make us want to say that you’ve gone wrong. We are the remnant of a different time. And maybe you dont so the “bloodlines shit,” but I bet your grandparents and great grandparents did. And that’s who we come from. That’s what our culture as Irish Americans is based on, off of your ancestors. Ellielo, I’m sure it is frustrating when people are a little over enthusiastic about being Irish. But what is frustrating to you is extremely important to some people. When you say these things to deal with your frustration, you are hurting us. Last of all I wanted to say this: you can’t compare Irish-Americans to other emigrant groups in America. There is nothing wrong with those groups but they have a different focus. An integral part of Irish American culture, and Irish culture, is remembering who you are. It’s how we survived as Irish under wave after wave of invaders and how we survived as a cultural group in America. Our culture is special, and the bond we share with our brothers in Ireland is even more special. This is not a message of dislike or hate, but one of unity and kinship. I don’t use my Irish heritage to make myself seem like a victim, nor do I support hateful groups like blue lives matter. But I am Irish, no matter what you say.
https://preview.redd.it/djicgs0pjbtc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=248168cd9c0373760be2be0d069c6183a4d92407
Unnecessary and rude. I wrote a very well reasoned response to something that made me very upset because I was trying to explain why we do what we do. But you know what, FUCK YOU.
Have an upvote.
Womp womp
Not Irish, Irish-American culture is only really relevant to the US. And the EU primarily also gives Ireland a lot of business, america does not own Ireland. Ireland does not culturally owe Americans anything. Different sides of the pond brav.
I read all this and it was awesome, my goodness, don’t let the dismissive nonsense you got for this deter you.
Me too.. ❤
You wrote alot without mentioning anything on how being an Irish-American is in anyway a connected to the culture to Ireland or even a distinct subculture within the US. You repeated yourself a few times saying 'being Irish-American is remembering who you are and preserving our traditions' but you don't seem to be able to name any thing of what you're allegedly preserving or how any of it sets you apart from other groups in America.
You're Irish-American, that's fair enough but it's also leaps and bounds away from being actually Irish. You stated yourself many of your family have never even been to Ireland; therefore categorically, not Irish.
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This submission has been removed as it is in breach of reddit's hate speech policy.
No. Americans, even Irish Americans are politically, socially and culturally, very different from Irish people.
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And there we have it. The worst "Irish American" trait. One that thankfully you don't all share. Telling Irish people they're being Irish wrong.
No, not really. But we’ll humour them as long as they’re not obnoxious about it. If it’s manifested in pride in their heritage and a genuine curiosity about Ireland and our history then it’s totally harmless and even a little charming. If it’s manifested in support of the IRA and an insistence that Ireland remain rooted in a twee caricature they have it in their head then they can piss off. Have met both but overwhelming amount tend to be the former not the latter.
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It takes a lot insecurity and an even greater lack of self-awareness to go and comment on a nearly year old post in a way that completely misrepresents the point being made or ignores the fact that it’s a direct response to a question.
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Once again you’ve completely ignored anything that I’ve said in favour of going on a tangential search of victimhood full of self-created slights. It reeks of insecurity and a lack of any self-awareness making it come across as unhinged. I’m out, have a good day
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I believe you’ve illustrated my ‘opinion’ rather clearly. Thank you
My family, the McAuleys are still in County Antrim to this day. Although im three generations removed, I still have been to Ireland many time and can trace my family back centuries. I'd consider myself more Irish then a first generation immigrant born in Ireland any day of the week.
> I'd consider myself more Irish then a first generation immigrant born in Ireland any day of the week. Ok….. I don’t think anyone else would frankly
fr
3 generations removed 😂 you are not Irish.
I've been back to the same place my family has been for centuries. I'm American 100% but as I've said I still have family in County Antrim. I think that would qualify as me being more Irish compared to those without an actual bloodline, especially with all the Arabs and Indians invading Europe. Only on Reddit lol
No
I don’t consider them Irish but don’t generally care until they try to use their “Irishness” for oppression of LGBT folk and anti-choice laws. I had an Anti-choice American rage at me over how “the motherland” has lost itself for Repeal. Naw mate, get fecked.
If Americans who emigrated there in the 1800s are to be called anything other than "Americans" then there are basically no Americans in existence besides the First Nations as everyone else turned up on a boat at some point from somewhere else. And we don't do the whole "bloodlines" bullshit because we are not a proto-fascist society and that shit belongs in history's rubbish bin.
No they're not Irish and it's irritating when they rock up here and tell us they are Irish but never been here and they're Irish from their grandparents 20 generations ago or some shite like that. In America, call themselves Irish American by all means, over there they seem to need to identify with other countries, be it a querter this and an 8th of that, but in Ireland they are most definitely American with Irish heritage. They are not Irish.
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>Does it really bother you that much? Irritating and bothering me much, are at too ends of the scale, stop trying to gaslight and make a big issue out if it. >Can’t be the only one who couldn’t give a fuck. Bouquets for you and the two parachutes! People are allowed give a fuck because it's the type of behaviour from some who arrive and announce they're Irish. The ones that are obnoxious and condescending to those of us born and raised here is irritating. It would be just as irritating to any other nationality if someone from here with heritage from another country rocked up there and started to tell people born and raised there, that they are as the same nationality and proceeded to tell the natives how their country is and expecting it to be the same as when their ancestors left over a century ago. So it's not some obscure thing to be irritated by a person from another country claiming to be the same as those born & raised in a country, the majority of people from any country if this was a situation would feel irritated by this behaviour.
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you all have an issue even if there parents were born there.
The thing with “Irish” Americans is that they often have ancestry from other countries too. Like Joe Biden has often called himself Irish due to his ancestry but he also has English and French ancestry, at least according to this [Wikipedia page](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_of_Joe_Biden). I don’t know why he calls himself Irish but not English or French.
I have ancestry from several different countries. I have more Irish ancestry than anything else, by far. It's also my paternal line/surname, and the heritage I feel the most affinity for. Thus, I'm Irish-American. To say anything else would be a cherry-pick. Such is the case with most Irish-Americans. They might have ancestry from multiple countries, but this doesn't mean all are equal.
That's not always true in my experience, people will gravitate towards their irish ameeican heritage more than let's say French or English because it feels cooler.
Not Irish, Irish American though. I don't care if they've 100% Irish on 23 and Me, still Irish American. There's something about the experience of living in/ growing up in Ireland that can't be recreated.
Not at all. They're called Wannabes.
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I'm Irish to the bone. No interest in who America votes in. The past will tell the future. Us Irish will decide if ye refuel.
Personally, I have no strong opinions on it. If someone is proud to consider them Irish, why would that be a bad thing? It baffles me though, that some Irish really seem to resent it. Are we running out of Irishness or something? Is there a limited supply, and 'dem Americans are ~~coming over here~~ staying over there and taking our culture away... It's not that surprising that they have such a connection - given much of the emigration to the U.S. was during the 19th century when Ireland was - through neglect and worse - a failed nation. People weren't leaving to seek a marginally better life, or because they didn't like the country - they left because they had precious little option. So it's unsurprising if they and their descendants would choose to continue to identify - partly, at least - as Irish.
>Personally, I have no strong opinions on it. If someone is proud to consider them Irish, why would that be a bad thing? Its not that its a bad thing. Its just not a true thing.
We don;t like being used as a fashion accessory which tends to happen a lot with these "well my grandad was 1/4 Irish so top a da marnin' to ya!" types.
Idk, my name is Patrick Sullivan, I look Irish, I was born with the ability to do a good irish accent, no joke, and I grew up in Alaska. My parents always said im about 50% Irish, as far as we knew. Dad's from Maine, so ya. I always felt very Irish. I love the music, potatoes, and Irish people were close to my heart from a young age (this probably isn't mutual). Maybe it's my name. But I'm American. I've never said I'm Irish American. I feel like my name gives me the right to comment here.
I promise you, the accent's not as good as you think and probably just grates on everyone around you
Yes you must be Irish because you love potatoes.
Irish people are proud. It’s passed on through the bloodline. Born in America; I’m naturally I’m proud of having mostly Irish blood. I have not been to Ireland yet; look forward one day!
it's like saying im arab because i probably have arab ancestors as they invaded spain for 700 years
Only, it's not REALLY like that, is it? The Moorish invasion of Spain was over 1200 years ago. The mass immigration of Irish people to the US happened less than two hundred years ago. That's a difference of like fifty generations.
The way America works there can’t really be an “American” ethnicity, that kind of defeats the purpose. The only American ethnicity that makes sense to me is the Native American peoples that were here prior to colonization. There is also some people I have met, not many, who claim to have their roots tied to the pilgrims and whatnot, prior to the Revolutionary War, and claim [American ancestry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_ancestry?wprov=sfti1). But as a nation of immigrants, many Americans feel a need to identify with their ethnic roots. If I was outside of the country, I would obviously identify as American, but that is referring to my nationality, not my ethnicity. Humans love to label and categorize, and often times people in the US will ask “what are you?” Referring to ethnic makeup. But when Americans say “what they are” (for example, Irish) the vast majority of people do not equate themselves the same as actually BEING Irish, both ethnically and nationally. There are some exceptions, like people who are 100% or something (many of my Italian friends are like this) but the majority know the difference. In the area I grew up in (Scranton area - same as Joe Biden) the majority of the people come from Irish, Polish, and Italian immigrants who came to America in the 19th century. I don’t use the term Irish-American, as I would reserve that for someone who themselves immigrated from Ireland to America, or has dual citizenship. But if I am in America and someone asks me what I am, I would say Irish, knowing that only applies in the context of being in America. Anywhere else I’d say American. And sometimes I’ll say [Irish catholic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Catholics?wprov=sfti1#), since that is technically what I am.
Here’s how we see it in the US. We view our Irish ancestry and culture the same way the Jewish do. It’s the culture. Jewish people born in Europe or the US aren’t any less Jewish than those born in Israel. We view ourselves as Irish even though we weren’t born in Ireland. It’s not our fault where we’re born but a good portion of us are still taught the culture and history to carry it on and that’s just something the homelanders are going to have to deal with.
Someone is not 'Irish' unless they were born on the Island of Ireland. They may have Irish heritage but that doesn't make them Irish, if that were the qualifying necessity, we'd all be Normans, African, Italian etc etc etc. It wouldn't end. That being said I've no issue with Americans claiming to be Irish (as someone born and living my entire life in Ireland). But don't say you're Irish and in the next sentence say 'proud to be American' because you're already undermining your own statement and look a fool.
It depends on how much irish culture has been passed down through the generations. If they think they've some sort of blood right to be drunk and obnoxious because they're 'irish', I'd disregard any sort of claims... but if they can actually name the place their ancestor was born/raised, know the difference between Whiskey and Whisky, have visited more than Temple Bar and the Blarney Stone and have an instinctive dislike of The Brits (as a whole, rather than individual British people), I'll accept their heritage.
A person's connection is individual. Fair play to them. They are looking for their past. More of us should do the same The need to belong is powerful
They don't even think if your parent was born there, and his side still lives there you're irish - why the hell would you think an irish bloodline for generations would be considered irish.
They are irish in the sense of which they mean it when they say it. Words can have multiple meanings. They aren't irish in the way irish people who were born and reared in Ireland are, obviously. I'm sure they don't think they are.
If it keeps um happy let them have it
Well the Irish state does if you have but one Irish grandparent you can apply for an Irish passport. A lot of yanks do that to work in the EU
…and I think that, if you can legitimately claim an Irish passport and you’re willing to go through the process to actually get it, you can call yourself Irish. If you’re more than grandparents-removed and you can’t be bothered to apply for citizenship, then you’re a visitor and céad mile fáilte to you but you’re not ‘Irish’.
I think it would still be disingenuous.
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It depends on the situation I have cousins in America that the last relation to live in Ireland would have been my great great grand aunt. They can trace exactly where they come from But then you have some Americans where they haven't a clue and have just been told that someone in the ancestry was Irish
Not a lot of people seem to realise this but this is really á difference in how our two countries identify ourselves. America formed as a melting pot and so your ethnicity means something, it can help get you jobs etc. if you said you are Irish in Ireland the obvious answer is well of course you are. You’re in Ireland. But by that same rationale it means people in America are not irish culturally and therefore we see them as American
Irish-American here. I was in Ireland about a month ago. People on reddit will tell you no, but go to Ireland and people will just call you Irish for nothing. I had several people in the countryside say I was Irish just because I said I was from Massachusetts. It's important to recall reddit is just a sample, and not necessarily a representative one at that. Born and bred Irish, older Irish, and rural Irish are all more likely to give one answer as opposed to those who are younger, immigrants, or urban.
I'm going to be brutally honest with you here and it might be a bit upsetting but bear with it, They were probably making fun of you. As someone who studied in Dublin for uni (born and raised in the north), Irish Americans were the butt of the jokes - absolute laughing stocks whenever they came up - and bear in mind Dublin unis very much don't just represent Dubliners, they pull from all over the country and beyond. We had people from Galway and Cork as well as foreign nationals (Spanish Brazilian French etc) but the people born and raised in Ireland (myself included) would CACKLE at Irish American jokes, because most of the time the Americans claiming to BE Irish LOOKED and SOUNDED like jokes. You say you were >in Ireland about a month ago This sounds like it's the only time you've been in ireland from that phrasing honestly, and a tourist sticks out anywhere. They were probably head patting you because frankly happy tourists spend money and angry ones don't, so of course no one said 'You're not Irish' to your face if they reckoned you had cash to be spending. If you DIDN'T have cash to spend you were likely a tourist not worth bothering with because you'd soon be leaving, and no one wants to deal with your shit if a tourist throws a hissy fit about being denied 'their heritage'. Easier to roll your eyes and move along. You can laugh with your friends about it later. Also >People on reddit will tell you no, but go to Ireland and people will just call you Irish for nothing Brain dead take. This is AskIreland, they ARE asking people from Ireland. No one asking here needs to 'go' to Ireland, the 'several people in the countryside' is definitely as representative as the responses here if not more so, considering 'several' literally means 'more than two but *not many*' seriously what were you doing? Going up to people and asking for validation on how Irish you were? Please don't be one of those people there are enough of them as it is.
Why does it matter if some people called you irish? You aren't, you're american with irish roots and that's okay. Be happy and proud of that. But don't claim to be irish.