Butchered, masacred Ireland

[Pufflette]

Yes, I live in Ireland but I am labelled as a -hateful term- WASP so this is not totally bias. When looking at the history of Ireland the British have butchered that nation generation after generation after generation. According to Wikipedia (okay it is unreliable) Cromwell's campaign in Ireland resulted in the death of 40% of the Irish population, the inhabitants of Ulster turned to cannibalism during Elizabeth 1's invasion after all the crops were burnt, and the Brits even butchered the land itself for the Scottish and English cut down the native woodlands to make it all into farmland. I'm not advocating bitterness but it's just that very few people know what a bloody past there has been. Thank you .

[Octavius]

Well you could say the same for the Scots, Welsh, Iceni, Catevellauni, Angles, Saxons, the folk of Lundene and Cent, Danes, Vikings, Druids, Franks, Vandals, Visigoths, Chin and all other tribes and nations throughout the course of their time.

We all live with a chequered and bloody historical path that led us where we are today. If people want to learn about that past, they can and will.

What is so hateful about being called a White Anglo Saxon Protestant, if that is where your roots lie?

[4GS]

Thant's why I didn't answer the question octavius, it's manly the Catholic population of Ireland that holds a grudge against the Prods in Ulster

[Octavius]

Yes and the Scots hold a grudge because of some bloke called Charlie several hundred years ago, the Welsh think the English are all racist, and the North of England think the South of England is full of poncey southern softy tw@ts, whilst conversely the North is full of cap wearing whippet owning ferret training ex-miners........

and of course nobody likes the French.

[flflflflflfl]

"no one hates the irish more than the irish" is a saying i heard from my ex (whos parents are both irish).slagging people off is a popular passtime there so if you live there you'd better get used to it! unless you are some kind of royalty etc remind them you haven't had any personal benefit from any past land grabs, and remind yourself that they are actually being racist to you before feeling too sorry for them.

[Lil O'lady]

Thank you for sharing Pufflette, What was your point again?

[Lil O'lady]

Plus, are you actually American?

[thundercrack]

I,m a southerner living in the north, and I really couldn't care less where anyone comes from. we might have a different accent, but we all have the same opinions, the past has gone, we were all heathens, but we are all a bit more civilised now. theres good and bad in all breeds of people. as for the irish, I worked for the southern ireland phone company for a year and the people were the friendliest I have ever know. my next door neighbour is northern irish, and he's a lovely man, no hang ups, just jovial and friendly.
its a shame some people are brought up to bear a grudge against anyone who is not from the same road as them.
after the bombings in london you would think that every one in london is suspicious of everyone. no, go and see, life goes on there, all nationalities mix and carry on with life.
an example to all.

[Pufflette]

I suppose my point is that there is such ignorance of the atrocities that were committed in Ireland and it goes a long way to explaining the bitterness in that bitterness is passed from one generation to the next because children's opinions are shaped by their parents.