Originally Posted by TrishB (Post 5364262)

I find it quite laughable how so few Canadians call themselves just that, yet banter on about how great Canada is as a nation, how it is a great big happy melting pot! Well, CALL YOURSELF CANADIAN THEN!!!!! BE PROUD OF WHERE YOU'RE FROM!!

Originally Posted by bazzz (Post 5364320)

Do they really say that? Canada isn't a melting pot; the US is. Canada is multicultural.

Originally Posted by mayomurphy (Post 5558079)

I am English Born but all of my family orginates from Ireland my mom from Westport C.Mayo and my nan and grandads brothers and sister alot still live there and my dads grandad is from Rosscommon so as i see it more of my family is from Ireland so although i was born here it is not were i am from. i have been to Ireland many of times and it always feels liek home when i go back and has a special place in my heart i will definetly be moving over there in 5 years time as i am still at college at the moment but everything about me is iriash my name is liam murphy (Murphy meaning Celtic sea worrior), i am catholic i love spending time with my irish familyi have 40 great aunt's and uncle and 50 2ns cousins who are like cousins to me, i love to drink :thumbup: and always choose ireland over england for every sport so Erin Go Brough and if you don't like this Pogue ma Ho :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by welshviking (Post 5345120)

what about French Canadians then?

Originally Posted by ann m (Post 5349182)

My parents were from Northern Ireland. I was born in the UK. If I have to quantify it, I suppose I've always considered myself British (as opposed to English - my mum always went to great pains to explain that she was British - it must have rubbed off). She experienced all the "No blacks, no Irish" comments when they first came over, and was suitably offended - but no-one could ever get beyond the accent, therefore she was "Irish" - not that that kind of treatment was acceptable to anyone.

Hubby's parents are from Ireland (who also experienced that same "No blacks, no Irish"). My mum loved my husband from the outset - so when the proposal came, she had no issues with me marrying a 'good Catholic boy' ! She really took to his parents too but she thought that his parents, however, might be horrified at the whole idea! We married in a Church of England church. His parents have always been lovely, and nothing short of brilliant in welcoming me into their home and lives. I know his mother had issues about the choice of the church, and privately thought she might turn into a ball of fire when she crossed the threshold :rofl: Our two children are their only 'non-Catholic' grandchildren but it's not been a problem - that I have ever been made aware of. Love and happiness come first. Their own faith is fierce but private.

I can't help but wonder if both of our sets of parents had stayed where they were born, and my hubby and I had 'just happened to meet' somewhere in Ireland, how different the story might have been?

As an aside, I remember when my dad was travelling overseas alot, especially around Saudi and Iraq, he always took 'both' passports with him - his British one and his (I have no idea how he got it) Irish passport. The Irish passport was his get-out-of-jail card should he get into any trouble.

Many people use or discard their heritage, nationality or genes. Sometimes it is perhaps quite flippant, say, when there's a footie match on the box and it's just easier to support one or the other. Sometimes it is without thought or unconcious and it's just an element of their life that is thread in and out of their very fibre. And sometimes it is a deliberate, well-thought out and decisive 'ownership' of their origins. Declaring who you are, or where you are from, is putting your big flag in the sand and saying "This is me". Is it?

Ireland is a paradox to me. On the face of it, you will never meet such a friendly, hospitable and funny race of people. But the relationship between nationality and faith is never far from the surface. My personal experience shows that this can bring about abject misery - and whole-hearted love and acceptance. So just your average human, then, eh?

Originally Posted by Londonuck (Post 5558192)

My Irish passport has a couple of times had me drinking for free, all night, in New York City. My parents also when through Miami immigration without stopping after an Officer Kelly saw their passports.

Originally Posted by Danny B (Post 5558212)

born in Canada, has Canadian parents, never set foot outside of N.America and when he discovered that his Grandfather was Scottish all of a sudden he started telling people that he was a Scot :confused:

Originally Posted by mayomurphy (Post 5558079)

I am English Born but all of my family orginates from Ireland my mom from Westport C.Mayo and my nan and grandads brothers and sister alot still live there and my dads grandad is from Rosscommon so as i see it more of my family is from Ireland so although i was born here it is not were i am from. i have been to Ireland many of times and it always feels liek home when i go back and has a special place in my heart i will definetly be moving over there in 5 years time as i am still at college at the moment but everything about me is iriash my name is liam murphy (Murphy meaning Celtic sea worrior), i am catholic i love spending time with my irish familyi have 40 great aunt's and uncle and 50 2ns cousins who are like cousins to me, i love to drink :thumbup: and always choose ireland over england for every sport so Erin Go Brough and if you don't like this Pogue ma Ho :thumbsup: