We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
IRELAND’S EUROVISION ENTRY this year unfortunately did not make it into tonight’s grand final, but many of you may still have been watching and reminiscing about successes passed.
Let’s see how much you remember…
I’m proud of the people, I’m proud of the beauty of our country. I’m proud of our culture, of our history. I’m deeply ashamed of the spineless, clueless cowards we have running the place.
@Laura Walsh:
But Open-Border Extremists ask “who are the Irish anyway”, they ask “what culture have the Irish”.
In 15 years through low self-esteem the Irish are on their way to giving away their territorial and ancestral birthright
Ireland’s native population could be in a minority by the middle of this century, the president of Dublin City University (DCU) will claim today. But large-scale immigration is still essential if we are to remain prosperous, Prof Ferdinand von Prondzynski will say.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/irish-could-be-minority-ethnic-group-here-by-2050-professor-1.424517
@stevenocarroll:
worth a read is Paul Collier’s
Exodus: How Migration is Changing Our World.
Collier is a former senior figure at the world bank and is pro-EU and pro-immigration, but anti- mass immigration. He sets it out in the book, and he a few other academics studied mass immigration across all continents over generations. It always ended badly.
1. Loss of generosity – reduction in benefits, social protection.
2. Loss of co-operation as different enclaves inevitably build as groups – surprise, surprise, prefer to live among their own.
3. Lastly, confrontational politics – in plain language, tribal warfare as happened in African and Asian countries and the Middle East. As Collier kept pointing out on BBC’s Newsnight last year, there was solid science behind his book and the three stages follow as sure as night follows day.
What makes me proud to be Irish is our history! I’m proud of the fact that a people who could come through so much destruction famine losing their language massive migration and loss of culture and on top oppression and still thrive without bitterness in their hearts! Eire Abu
@Gearoid Mag Leannáin:
The Irish about to be a minority in 2050
Ireland’s native population could be in a minority by the middle of this century, the president of Dublin City University (DCU) will claim today. But large-scale immigration is still essential if we are to remain prosperous, Prof Ferdinand von Prondzynski will say.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/irish-could-be-minority-ethnic-group-here-by-2050-professor-1.424517
I’m proud of our Sports especially Rugby Soccer etc our unique wit.
Saying that there is a lot i’m not proud of, the way the Country is run, homelessness not enough nurses hospitals.
The worst the most important People have to strike to get a decent wage Garda Nurses Teachers. Thats the Ireland i’m ashamed of, the Government should start with that.
The Irish sense of humour you can’t beat it …… ” Me Father passed away last night Seamus ” … ” oh Jesus sorry to hear that Pat … your still coming on me stags aren’t yeah..” ….
@von:
But Open-Border Extremists say we need non-white people so that our soccer team and other sports competitors can win
I always thought the point of diversity in sports was that each country would pitch their ancestral talent against others and see how we get on, so far for such a small country we have racked up quite a tally of Olympic medals, have beaten the worlds best in soccer, Brazil, Germany etc, have won Tour de France, World Champions etc. So guess all we only need is Irish people and more self-belief. Plus our runners, including our mid-distance runners are turning out to be fast bstrds. With more people in sprinting we would no doubt at some stage beat the sprinters too.
@von:Someone recently told me that Ireland and Italy are the only two countries who have never reached the semi finals of a Rugby World Cup, out of only ten decent teams in the game, is that actually true? As for our football team they are terrible. I’m as proud to be Irish as the next person but lets be realistic.
Paul i agree, but we are a small Country and any good players (soccer) seem to go to England but our Rugby guys fight to the end, I have faith in them and if i didn’t have the Sport and the there is nothing except our beautiful buildings and Museums .
@von: True Von, I sometimes forget how small we actually are, and to be fair the rugby lads have a great fighting spirit. On a slightly different note, I was walking through town recently and an old lady fell on the street. Within seconds there was a large group of people (including myself) around her trying to help her. The owner from a nearby cafe brought her in for a cup of tea and a few of us waited with her until her son arrived. She was fine except for the shock but it’s little moments like that which make me proud to be Irish. There is something special in the majority of people here, a compassion, that is not so readily found in other countries. That makes me proud of what and who we are.
Why do so many Irish people care about how we’re perceived abroad? I love being Irish but I don’t really care if people in other countries like us or not what difference does it make?
Millions every year in tourism revenue
We have a lot to be proud of in Ireland, so much but out political class is something that I am so ashamed of; there is a rotten culture of greed and incompetence, exasperated by a leadership deficit. Our so called leaders have sold us out to global corporations, the banking crisis, CETA, TTIP, NAMA and vulture funds. HSE for the most part is a cesspool devoid of leadership. Then there is homelessness, evictions, mental health, countless charity scandals, the buried Moriarty Tribunal report, treatment of Garda Whistleblowers, skewed media reporting from the national broadcaster and the media dominance of DOB.
This political party led chaos is endangering all the good things that makes the vast majority of us proud to be Irish. I’m proud of the Icelandic government and the way they put their people first.
There is quite some merit in the UK initiative to change politics, Free parliament:-
http://www.freeparliament.org.uk worth a look, it includes the power to recall under preforming deputies……
Kirk, spot on. And while we have a reputation for being friendly, you and I are never more than ten steps away from a complete and utter sc..bag.
exacerbated
ISBA Seamus. Well said i agree with all you say.
“People are incredibly fond of the Irish” I’m incredibly proud of our modesty.
I’m not Irish, but despite the clowns running the place,I love living here.
I was born in Cuba,moved to Pakistan until I was 10,then lived in Alaska until I was 16.moved on to hawaii until I was 22 then moved “back to dear old Ireland.Of course I’m proud to be Irish!
@Gerry Fallon:
Are you’re parents Irish?
@stevenocarroll:
*your
No my dad is an Eskimo and my mother is a queen from the umgowa tribe in borneo!
@Gerry Fallon:
Do you think Inuit and the Umgowa tribe have a right as ethnicities to their exclusive and ancestral territories?
Begorrah Steven I do and be jaysus!
@Gerry Fallon:
Who says “begorrah” or “be Jaysus”
@Gerry Fallon: You are very ignorant and stupid to respond to a question from Steven like that.Not your fault you are thick as pig sh*t i guess.Blame your parents.Ass*ole.
Kieran,are you ok.?will I call a doctor for you?Is Steven your lickle fwend? I don’t like you getting all upset like that.
I’m not proud to be Irish. Just glad.
@Margie Murph:
Why not proud?
Blacks say Black pride, gays say Gay pride.
Irish Pride – good bread
@Anthony Healy Poroloniczak:
Irish Pride – marry an Irish woman
Mick Wallace ‘s hair and beard combo
Often, while lying down, I’ll suddenly stand proudly thinking of lovely Irish women.
Good Guinness
enda kenny
Patrick Gough. The men in the white coat’s are coming for you.
How about being humbled to be Irish? Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. Proud is much exploited , discredited, and ambiguous word!
when I seen that chap`s name ( enda mc nulty) I thought for a second it was kenny I would be ashamed to be connected to him or any of his govt in any way they should not be classified as Irish, they are an embarisment to the Irish nation….
Having lived abroad for years and having returned home has given me a perspective and appreciation I never had before.
We live on a very beautiful small green Island.
We are generally warm , friendly and empathic.
We are spirited and look at rules as a challenge rather than something to be obeyed.
We have a deep and rich history and culture that newer nations do not.
We have a phenomenal sense of humour
The food available here is some of the best on Planet Earth.
The list is endless..
Being Catholic.
And visiting Skellig Michael for cultural reasons.
Proud of Denis O’ Brien, Paddy Hickey and John Delaney…
Well I’m proud of our citizens, they keep voting for the same crew and hope for a different result each time. Well done Ireland, stay stupid and fleece each other silly!
Being Irish. I’m proud of our history which seen the birth of a nation. Being Irish means proud that u can go anywhere and people smile when u say we’re ure from. It’s also the little things like Guinness coddle. Stew. Tatyo chrisps..
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say