The British wit

~~jwb~~ · 12-09-2020, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Yeah, you can never condone innocents and civilians being killed, but the IRA (which began as the IRB) was originally a form of resistance against English rule of course, and was supported by just about every Irish person. At that point, they only went for military targets and it was kind of a guerrila war. Later of course it became all about paid mercenaries and special interests, and the violence just escalated.

We were lucky here in the south; had few if any bombs (just one I remember when I was quite young, in O'Connell Street) but we were always hearing about it on the news. It's hard not to think of the "Brits" deserving it, as when we saw the likes of the miscarriages of justice such as the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four that led to the old saying "Irish as charged", but of course you had sympathy with the innocents killed in the bombing campaigns, and the daily violence people had to suffer.

Of course, I can't really speak about it with any sort of authority, as it was up there and we were down here. Heard about it almost every day on the news, but it seldom crossed the border. Sort of like, I guess, hearing about a bomb going off in Mexico, say, and being in New York.

My late aunt's uncle was in the original IRA, and she told some interesting stories about he and other IRA men escaping - and she'd point out the window - down the garden and over that wall, with the British soldiers after them. Fascinating stuff. But a world removed from the IRA of the seventies and eighties, who mostly were just out for themselves and didn't give a curse about a united Ireland.

interesting. You say just about every irishman supported the original IRA, but I thought that there were Protestant Irish who supported England?

Also, have you ever seen the series of peaky blinders?

~~jwb~~ · 12-09-2020, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neapolitan

When you have a spot of tea do you reach for: the scone, the biscotti or the hamentashen?

I don't have a spot of tea. I drink coffee.

Trollheart · 12-10-2020, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwb

interesting. You say just about every irishman supported the original IRA, but I thought that there were Protestant Irish who supported England?

Also, have you ever seen the series of peaky blinders?

Okay well here's the deal: right or wrong, we generally didn't consider Protestants (Proddies) Irishmen. They were the blow-ins, the johnny-come-latelies, the almost-as-English-as-the-English-themselves. So when I say every Irishman I don't include them. Plus, as I noted, I'm talking about the South, the Republic, and you got very few Proddies down here. The Republic was (perhaps obviously) more or less all republican, and certainly where I lived, and live now, it was a very Republican area. Now, I assume you realise that when I say Republican, I'm talking about a different Republican then your US ones. Yours is a party, ours is too but more an ideal: the reunification of all 32 counties under one Republic.

So almost everyone in the South was, overtly or at least tentatively, a Republican. You'd see things like "Up the RA" (short for IRA - yeah, only the Irish could need to shorten a three-letter word!) "Brits Out" and "Provos Rule", but then it's a lot easier to support a group or faction when you're not faced with their atrocities on a regular basis. Still, Ireland wanted its 6 counties back and it's always been a bone of contention that the Brits were up there. Also, we hated Thatcher (who didn't?) so that added to it. The internment camps, H-Block, The Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six all went to intensify that innate hatred of the British, which had been ingrained in us from school, given that the English had occupied and oppressed Ireland for 700 years.

Edt: Yes I saw Peaky Blinders. Did not like it personally. Might consider going back and trying it again. If you're looking for authentic though The Rising and The Treaty are good programmes that capture the feeling in pre-1916 Ireland.

adidasss · 12-10-2020, 07:10 AM

Have you seen Derry girls?? It's brilliant! I have to say, if anyone can match the British wit, it's the Oyresh!

Trollheart · 12-10-2020, 09:06 AM

Yes I have, and I agree it's excellent.

~~jwb~~ · 12-10-2020, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Okay well here's the deal: right or wrong, we generally didn't consider Protestants (Proddies) Irishmen. They were the blow-ins, the johnny-come-latelies, the almost-as-English-as-the-English-themselves. So when I say every Irishman I don't include them. Plus, as I noted, I'm talking about the South, the Republic, and you got very few Proddies down here. The Republic was (perhaps obviously) more or less all republican, and certainly where I lived, and live now, it was a very Republican area. Now, I assume you realise that when I say Republican, I'm talking about a different Republican then your US ones. Yours is a party, ours is too but more an ideal: the reunification of all 32 counties under one Republic.

So almost everyone in the South was, overtly or at least tentatively, a Republican. You'd see things like "Up the RA" (short for IRA - yeah, only the Irish could need to shorten a three-letter word!) "Brits Out" and "Provos Rule", but then it's a lot easier to support a group or faction when you're not faced with their atrocities on a regular basis. Still, Ireland wanted its 6 counties back and it's always been a bone of contention that the Brits were up there. Also, we hated Thatcher (who didn't?) so that added to it. The internment camps, H-Block, The Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six all went to intensify that innate hatred of the British, which had been ingrained in us from school, given that the English had occupied and oppressed Ireland for 700 years.

Edt: Yes I saw Peaky Blinders. Did not like it personally. Might consider going back and trying it again. If you're looking for authentic though The Rising and The Treaty are good programmes that capture the feeling in pre-1916 Ireland.

heh... I trimmed off peaky after the beginning of s2. When they acted like he was gonna die and the cop saved him... I'm like I know for a fact you're not gonna kill off your main character this early. Didn't even kill off that snitch broad at the end of season 1. So how the hell am I supposed to suspend disbelief? I liked the setting though.

So I ditched Peaky Blinders and started rewatching The Sopranos yet again instead.

Neapolitan · 12-10-2020, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwb

I don't have a spot of tea. I drink coffee.

OK then, when you have your "coffee" do you reach for: scone, biscotti or hamentashen?

Trollheart · 12-11-2020, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwb

heh... I trimmed off peaky after the beginning of s2. When they acted like he was gonna die and the cop saved him... I'm like I know for a fact you're not gonna kill off your main character this early. Didn't even kill off that snitch broad at the end of season 1. So how the hell am I supposed to suspend disbelief? I liked the setting though.

So I ditched Peaky Blinders and started rewatching The Sopranos yet again instead.

I assume you've seen Sons of Anarchy? And if you're into gangsters (and have Italian blood) try Gomorrah, not to mention Gangs of London.

~~jwb~~ · 12-11-2020, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neapolitan

OK then, when you have your "coffee" do you reach for: scone, biscotti or hamentashen?

I reach for your mom's ****

~~jwb~~ · 12-11-2020, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

I assume you've seen Sons of Anarchy? And if you're into gangsters (and have Italian blood) try Gomorrah, not to mention Gangs of London.

seen part of SoA. Couple seasons. Never finished it.

Nobody even comes close to the sopranos imo

12-10-2020, 07:10 AM	#34 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	Have you seen Derry girls?? It's brilliant! I have to say, if anyone can match the British wit, it's the Oyresh! __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

12-10-2020, 09:06 AM	#35 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,971	Yes I have, and I agree it's excellent. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018