Another funny thing (I know some people may not get this) even though I was brought up catholic, because I'm from a town called Larne it was assumed by one regular Irish customer in the bar that I was "a wee orange woman" and he even introduced me certain people as such. I never bothered correcting him I thought it was quiet funny.

what about French Canadians then?

Just like Americans (on Irishness). I know a francophone Montrealer called O'Neill. He considers himself Irish because one grandfather was Irish.

FFS!!! it's ridiclous

Thats just what Im trying to say. It bugs me when people haven't got a clue about their family history and someone mentions on the sideline. 'hey you could be Irish/Scottish/Italian ... (enter country here)'
and then all of a sudden a day comes around where they feel the need to amplify this fact.. purely to get attention. (or to get into certain sports teams)
When the other 364 days, they couldn't care less.

On the flip side, Hypothertically if I was born in Wales My parents were Canadian and moved to Canada when I was a day old. 25 years down the line, personally I would call myself Canadian. Simply because this is the lifestyle and culture that I had followed all my life. How could I call myself Welsh when there's not a single welsh 'influence' in me?
Im not saying that the country you were born in denotes what nationality you are.What i'm asking is, how welsh could I possibly be, if I only spent a day of my life in Wales.



If you have Welsh, native, English, Spanish etc blood in you.. Thats Wonderful. Be proud of who you are,. Love who you are and your bloodline everyday, learn the history, learns what its like to live as a Scot.

I think it's almost disrespectful for people to ride claims on a country only because they think it's a cool thing to do when 364 days a year they couldn't give two hoots about that country.

I don't think you understand Canada. In that circumstance you would a Welsh-Canadian. If you had no Welsh lifestyle and culture you would have none at all.

My current out-laws are so divided along sectarian lines that I would actually be cautious to visit them...over there. OH is from a Scottish/Northern Irish family so familiar with the old Ian Paisley position, they used to have tea with him. I am allegedly Catholic, and the outlaws have not spoken to my OH since the day he got together with "that dirty Feinian". I am English.

wow that's harsh, how many years has that been then?

Wouldn't it be fun if the came to visit Canada and everyone just refer to them as your Irish relatives!! Not that that's likely.

I remember as a kid getting called a "dirty fenian" by some kids on the way home from school, my mothers advice was to tell them that a fenian was a brave Irish warrior, I think she was really trying to get my ass kicked!!

I remember my parents drumming in to me that I should say " I am proud to be Irish" when the bullies started their daily torrent of abuse.

When I finally did say that, they just used to mimic my then Irish accent and make it 100 times worse. Moral of the story - I should have told them to "pogue ma ho-in" sadistic little barstewards.

Mrs M x

Nice one Mrs. M

Do you have any idea how many free pints you're bought if you have a broad accent?

Five years now and they have a grandson they refuse to acknowledge. If they only knew that their son coverted to Catholicism...lmao...

Why are youse Irish so self obsessed? Me, I'm a Geordie so I know a bit about tribalism and persecution.

You lot...

Well of course it is estimated that at least half of all Americans who claim to be of Irish descent get really disappointed when they trace their family tree and realise they are actually of Eastern European descent. What happened was when people immigrated to the US in the mid 1800s to early 1900s they all went through Ellis Island in New York. Most of the Immigration officials there were of genuine Irish descent at the time and often any time they got a name they couldn't spell they would give them a new Irish name, fill out the papers and pass them on their way. So most "Irish" people in the US are anything but.

Of course you can claim you are Irish if a grandparent once thought of visiting Ireland, at least that's the way the Republic of Ireland football team seems to work it.