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HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of Irish people living in England and rest of the UK woke up this morning to countries getting ready to leave the EU.
The United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union in an historic move set to have wide ranging implications for Ireland and the rest of the world.
The dominant feeling being conveyed right right now is one of great uncertainty – as people scramble to figure out what exactly a ‘Brexit’ will mean for the world.
For the tens of thousands of young Irish emigrants living and working in London and the rest of England, their livelihoods and status could be on the line.
TheJournal.ie spoke to some Irish community representatives as well as people living and working in London to sample the mood after the result.
‘We just don’t know what will happen’
Ian Mclintock of the London Irish Centre told TheJournal.ie that at the moment the dominant sentiment in the Irish community was uncertainty.
Ian said that he hadn’t had time to properly gauge the Irish reaction but that in terms of the future “nothing is guaranteed”.
“We did testing prior to the referendum and the Irish here were primarily pro staying in the EU,” he said.
For younger people, the biggest concerns were the UK and Irish communities and jobs.
However, reflecting the wider voting trends, Ian said that of the older Irish people surveyed, two thirds wanted to leave the EU.
Ian said that only time will tell what the situation of the Irish in England will be once the UK has properly left the union.
While many believe that Ireland and the UK’s common travel policy between countries will remain, Ian said that “nothing is guaranteed”.
“It’s a different world we’re in now” he said.
Our hope is that things will just stay the same, but you can’t know.
However, he said that the relationship between the UK and Ireland was a longstanding one and he saw no reason why either country would want to change that.
“The UK has such a longstanding relationship with Ireland. I can’t see why they would damage that – but the truth is we just don’t know,” he said.
Whatever happens our job is to deliver the best we can for the community and we will continue to do that no matter what happens
“Rough seas ahead”
For young Irish immigrants living and working in London, fears over jobs, immigrant status and what it will mean for families back home are occupying their minds this morning.
“There’s an uncertainty around what’s going to happen – no really knows what the situation is,” Emmet Langan (26) told TheJournal.ie.
He moved to London in February and works in a photography studio. A large percentage of the workers aren’t from the UK, and Emmet wonders what their status will be once the negotiations are complete.
His primary worries rest on the plummeting value of the Pound and the uncertainty over what’s going to happen next.
“The Pound is losing all its value – Scotland are saying they want to leave and there’s talk over the border in Northern Ireland,” said Langan.
Whatever happens, there’s going to be rough seas ahead for the foreseeable future.
While he isn’t necessarily worried about his own position in the UK, Emmet Langan thinks that tighter border controls could well be introduced.
“I’m sure most people will be fine but I’d imagine there will be tighter immigration laws in the future,” he said.
“It’s very disappointing”
Hannah Little, a 26-year-old from Dublin working in freelance marketing in London, has concerns about Northern Ireland, family back home and what the vote means for UK politics in general.
“It’s very disappointing,” she told TheJournal.ie.
“There was a lot of anti-establishment votes – people just not knowing where to place their anger.”
In practical terms for Ireland, worries about costs over moving home, the decline in value of the Pound and the Northern Ireland border are at the forefront of her mind.
I don’t think we’re going to see effects for maybe a year or two years – but then again you really just don’t know.
However, aside from economic worries, concerns over what the vote means for the social and political fabric of England worry her most.
“I’m more worried about what kind of government people will vote for in the future,” she said.
“Looking at this referendum vote, there’s a lot of xenophobia, a lot of Islamophobia and that’s just not the country that I want to live in.
If there’s anything that will make me want to leave, it’ll be more societal problems rather than economic ones.
Are you living in the UK and are you happy or sad about the referendum result? Get in touch – cormac@thejournal.ie
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Interesting language used in the article. Terrorists are called rebels. The Syrian government is called the Syrian regime. It’s always good to hear what the ‘independent’ British backed Syrian Observatory for Human Rights have to say. It would be interesting to see the reaction of the ‘West’ if the Russians/Chinese started labelling the protesters in Paris as ‘freedom fighters’, started supporting them directly/indirectly in order to disrupt/displace the Macron government, met with them on the streets shaking hands and spurring them on, protested aggressive government actions on ‘peaceful protests’, etc a la Maidan in Kiev.
@Conor Treacy: Nail on head,
But sure it is no wonder the language used in these articles when they are all copied and pasted from AFP which is a French Government controlled news association.
@Pixie McMullen: Oh look, someone else who thinks ‘state-owned’ and ‘state-controlled’ are the same thing. Just because the two are mutually inclusive where you’re concerted, it doesn’t mean the same applies everywhere else.
@Harry Whitehead: Leave Harry’s terrorists alone. Did u not read yesterday that the english don’t consider ISIS a major threat anymore. Russia is the big bad wolf now. Saudi Arabia having killed 48,000 children in Yemen year to date are considered Harry and englands ally.
@Cal Mooney: “The English”? There hasn’t been an English state since the 1700s. Try and keep up Wally. And I’m still waiting for your examples of my having defended the Saudo regime.
Who to believe??….the Russians or Al-Qaeda.
@Derek Durkin: Neither!
@Derek Durkin: Maybe if you and Charliegrl80 took your head out of the western media and read some other news sources you would both have a better understanding of what`s going on, but i won`t hold my breath on either of you bothering, keep drinking the Koolaid.
@Pixie McMullen: Bore off comrade. RT’s that way, you’re on the wrong site.
@Harry Whitehead: Ah, There you are Harry, throwing in your pearls of wisdom as always..
For a bloke with a bio saying he is interested in history, politics, linguistics and current affairs, It is pretty laughable when all your actions on this site are always just little wisecracks, insults or comments with no substance.
@Derek Durkin: President Assad used chlorine, bombing civilians. The Russians, Assad’s ally, then use this to justify attacking a rebel group.
@Pixie McMullen: “For a bloke with…” blah blah blah. Didn’t you say more or less exactly the same thing a while back, comrade?
@Ryan Dub: So you are telling me that the Syrian army moved into the terrorists positions, fired a load of chlorine filled missiles on their own civilians into an area they hold, then moved back out giving the positions back to the Jihadis who waited patiently for the Russian air force to show up?
Where do you buy your weed? It seems to be a lot better than anything i can get.
@Pixie McMullen: “read some other news sources”
Translation: read something which refuses to criticise our Glorious Leader or his Aliies under ANY circumstance.
@Harry Whitehead: You really should be put in between 2 fingers and squeezed………like any other whitehead
@Pixie McMullen: For a bloke who whines about “wisecracks, insults or comments with no substance” you sure have a funny knack for farting them out yourself. Making whitehead jokes though? That’s lame even by your pisspoor standards.
@Harry Whitehead: You triggered hon?
Not very nice when you slag someone off who turns out to be better at slagging than yourself, is it?
Go have a wee lie down and a good cry
@Pixie McMullen: “turns out to be better at slagging” no comrade, that’s kinda the whole point. Never mind though, you keep telling yourself you’re Oscar Wilde reborn. Attaboy.
@Harry Whitehead: Harry grow up and drop the comrade crap, you come across clueless
@Michael Eric Devine: “Sorry, this content isn’t available right now” Mighty fine coincidence there, wouldn’t you say?
@Harry Whitehead: He has the Idiot blocker activated on his Facebook profile, That`s why you can`t see it `arry
@Harry Whitehead: you are such a damn cliche. You have to be an especially arrogant and delusional person to believe Russian agents are being paid to argue against you (the hint is you don’t have an actual argument you’re just slinging shit)
The absolute neck on you telling someone who raised a valid point the ‘other side’ is that way. You may have picked your side and chosen to unquestionably swallow all it presents, that’s entirely on you.
You’re everything that’s wrong with debate in 2018
@Michael Eric Devine: “Cliche!” squawked someone from with a fake profile and a kneekerk defensive reaction to anyone dissing Uncle Vlad and his pet regimes. LOLz
@Harry Whitehead: Harry give up responding you really are just making a fool of yourself
@Ryan Dub: if chlorine was used why have loads of people moved back into east ghouta
when chlorine bombs are used it makes houses uninhabitable for years
Russia’s RT broadcast claims that French special forces were involved in the attact…
“French special forces on the ground from where the missiles were fired”
Now Russia, conviently, has Casus belli to begin it’s Idlib campaign.
@Ryan Dub: army of islam and hayat tahrir al sham
the media for some reason never mentions these terrorists groups names.
they also infight alot and regularly change their names
The last real legitimate rebel groups you could say, not the islamic jihad groups in idlib, surrendered under reconciliation agreements in june the only requirement was to hand over heavy weapons and ieds they were let keep their ak47s and mgs and most took the offer to integrate themselves in to a syrian army division as they weren’t active in fighting for 2 years.
@David Jordan: Conveniently???
They have held off for the last 2 months after a ceasefire was brokered, The headhackers haven`t lived up to their part of the ceasefire, firing indiscriminately and refusing to relinquish the heave weaponry and move out of the buffer zone Turkey helped set up.
Russia and the SAA have every right to go on the offensive, as they are the only 2 legitimate forces in this war, but of course, you know all this already
I can`t wait to see the French and US Tomahawk missiles to start raining down on these headhacking western backed terrorists over the use of chemical weapons…..
@Pixie McMullen: Russia’s RT broadcast claims that French special forces were involved in the attact. This is grade A conspiracy rubbish.
“French special forces on the ground from where the missiles were fired”
Now Russia the Syrian government, conviently, have Casus belli to begin it’s Idlib / West Aleppo campaign. Russia and Syrian government forces have started bombing West Aleppo, breaking a months long ceasefire.
https://youtu.be/ApIhgFVa6-A?t=78
https://twitter.com/dannymakkisyria/status/1066647370115571713?s=21
@David Jordan: And you know this to be rubbish because……
Russia warned of chemical weapon in the hands of jihadis time and again over the last few months, there are reports that one terrorist group attacked another and took 2 cannisters of Chlorine from them a few weeks back, there are reports of chemical weapons being smuggled in over the turkish border to be used…
It wouldn`t surprise me in the slightest if this report is true, UK, US and French ALL have special forces on the ground in Syria, and have done for quite a few years now
@Pixie McMullen: for what it’s worth, the syriancivilwar sub on reddit which is pro-Syrian government and pro-Russia, is very skeptical that an attack actually took place. West Aleppo has been bombed by Syrian government and Russia for the first time in 75 days in response.
@David Jordan: Odd then that “The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights”, which has been relentlessly on the side of the “rebels” are confirming the chlorine attack.
@brendan fitzsimons: They didn’t confirm a chlorine attack, they reported on claims of a chlorine attack. Anyway, here we are a few days later, and still no proof that a chlorine attack happened. No dead, no chlorine cannisters, no results of an independent investigation. 1the OPCW and UN have not been asked to investigate – Russia has gone quiet on the story, it’s now all forgotten about as if it didn’t happen. News later on suggests people panicked.
BBC and the Guardian still hold onto myth that these rebels are moderate and not Al Queada or IS….Within a few years of start of civil war the rebels became radical Sunni Jahadi backed by Saudi… Qatar and the US….
The Russian Federation is not the same as the Communist led USSR. Under Putin, Russia has reinvigorated her Christian soul. The Western democracies can’t handle that. Where we in the West are witnessing constant attacks on Christianity, the same cannot be said about Russia.
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