English or Irish? The 2nd Gen question

**Gather round** · 10/04/2013, 9:48 AM

Originally Posted by Bottle of Tonic

I have the utmost respect for the 2nd gen(and further) Brit-born Irish that feel a connection to the country. Never these days would I consider them any less Irish than Irish-born

That's fine, but almost anyone can feel a connection. Not just the 70 million with notional Irish ancestry, but anyone who drinks a green pint on Paddy's Day. It's Oirishness as lifestyle choice.

There's a spectrum, with people who live in, pay taxes, use services and vote in the Republic at one end, and those once-annually craicsters at the other. With immigrant workers, their non-citizen Irish-born children, Nordies, Unionists, emigrants forced out for work, and the Cruiser or Obama's great-granny who sailed on the Mayoflower in 1690 or 1845 somewhere in between. The problem is often when one of the middle groups starts bickering with another. Why can't we all stop that and have a sing-song?

**ArdeeBhoy** · 10/04/2013, 9:50 AM

One of the QPR lads wanted to go ahead with this eejit, we stopped him but then the originator got a clip round the head as he was leaving.
Not even handbags.

**ArdeeBhoy** · 10/04/2013, 9:53 AM

Originally Posted by Gather round

There's a spectrum, with people who live in, pay taxes, use services and vote in the Republic at one end, and those once-annually craicsters at the other. With immigrant workers, their non-citizen Irish-born children, Nordies, Unionists, emigrants forced out for work, and the Cruiser or Obama's great-granny who sailed on the Mayoflower in 1690 or 1845 somewhere in between. The problem is often when one of the middle groups starts bickering with another. Why can't we all stop that and have a sing-song?

Except most unionists (Not you/NB) don't 'want' to be Irish or even admit a connection, whilst a good no. of songs, on all sides, are rather inflammatory on the matter...