[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

She has just told you that in the area she lives she is in the minority, I understand what she is saying I live in a similar area the difference is I have always lived in multicultural boroughs in London so I am perfectly used to it, if however I returned to Ireland and found the area I grew up was now completely changed culturally I probably would have an issue with that!! I think for some of the older generations they have seen so much change in their life time it is difficult to comes to terms with it. If you have grown up with it as my kids have they have no issues whatsoever but I have have a 85 year old neighbour who remembers when the area was different and has a different view, that's not racism that is someone who has seen a complete change in their lifetime and is not happy at the loss of her community and neighbourhood.

I can understand that but that's just life I guess, things change and evolve. The sense of community is less here than it was when I was younger too but that's not down to different cultures moving into areas it's just the way the world has moved. You asked earlier what it was like over here. I guess it's different from England because we don't have as much of areas being taken over by a certain group/groups, not that I've noticed anyway. It seems to me that attitudes towards immigrants are harsher over in Britain. Of course Ireland probably isn't high on the list as a target for ISIS either so maybe we're less worried? I don't know really

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I can understand that but that's just life I guess, things change and evolve. The sense of community is less here than it was when I was younger too but that's not down to different cultures moving into areas it's just the way the world has moved. You asked earlier what it was like over here. I guess it's different from England because we don't have as much of areas being taken over by a certain group/groups, not that I've noticed anyway. It seems to me that attitudes towards immigrants are harsher over in Britain. Of course Ireland probably isn't high on the list as a target for ISIS either so maybe we're less worried? I don't know really

Not just in relation to ISIS but to immigration in general. I asked because I found attitudes to people coming to work in Ireland as not as welcoming as they might be, I think it was all great during the Celtic Tiger but once that bubble burst there seemed to be a lot of anti Polish sentiment...I remember sitting in a hospital in Cork when my Mum was unwell and the cleaner was having a right moan about Polish people, when I said Ireland has been exporting people for years and it was their turn to give something back she looked quite taken aback its a sentiment I heard a few times on visits, again that is not everyone, just like here in the UK, I am not sure how any major town in Ireland would react to Irish people being in the minority either

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Not just in relation to ISIS but to immigration in general. I asked because I found attitudes to people coming to work in Ireland as not as welcoming as they might be, I think it was all great during the Celtic Tiger but once that bubble burst there seemed to be a lot of anti Polish sentiment...I remember sitting in a hospital in Cork when my Mum was unwell and the cleaner was having a right moan about Polish people, when I said Ireland has been exporting people for years and it was their turn to give something back she looked quite taken aback its a sentiment I heard a few times on visits, again that is not everyone, just like here in the UK, I am not sure how any major town in Ireland would react to Irish people being in the minority either

I think that may have been during the very worst time of the recession, there are still quite a lot of Polish people here but I never hear anyone giving out about them (where as I did a bit just after the bubble burst) What I will say though is the Polish over here have really integrated well, it definitely makes things harder when whatever nationality it is don't do that but I think that can be contributed to on both sides, like we'll say african refugees that came over here, they would be all placed in areas together so we're contributing to making "ghettos" (for lack of a better word) and alienating them, as well as them choosing to stick together

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I can understand that but that's just life I guess, things change and evolve. The sense of community is less here than it was when I was younger too but that's not down to different cultures moving into areas it's just the way the world has moved. You asked earlier what it was like over here. I guess it's different from England because we don't have as much of areas being taken over by a certain group/groups, not that I've noticed anyway. It seems to me that attitudes towards immigrants are harsher over in Britain. Of course Ireland probably isn't high on the list as a target for ISIS either so maybe we're less worried? I don't know really

What do you think the reason is for attitudes towards immigrants not being as harsh in Ireland?


I would suggest that it's because you're not experiencing it.If you got whole areas taken over i can guarantee attitudes would be exactly the same.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

What do you think the reason is for attitudes towards immigrants not being as harsh in Ireland?


I would suggest that it's because you're not experiencing it.If you got whole areas taken over i can guarantee attitudes would be exactly the same.

Yeah maybe so NM that coupled with us probably not being overly worried about being a target for ISIS. I think maybe the only reason they would think about targeting Ireland is if they targeted Shannon Airport because the American air force use there to refuel

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Yeah maybe so NM that coupled with us probably not being overly worried about being a target for ISIS. I think maybe the only reason they would think about targeting Ireland is if they targeted Shannon Airport because the American air force use there to refuel

Yeah i think their narrative for attacking Britain and France etc and the US is that we're at war with them in Syria/Iraq.I don't think Ireland is on their radar.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

Yeah i think their narrative for attacking Britain and France etc and the US is that we're at war with them in Syria/Iraq.I don't think Ireland is on their radar.

Fingers crossed anyway

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

It's her perception that she's a minority, it's not factual unless she can provide evidence. I doubt very much that a white christian/atheist/agnostic (whichever she is) person in Yorkshire is a minority.

Things change and grow, life is not stagnant and neither is culture. As an elderly woman who has seen so much change in her life, you'd think she'd understand that. It sounds like she remembers when the community was mostly white and dislikes the idea of diversity, her community hasn't been lost, it's evolved and I doubt it's changed that much that she's now a minority, that's just a fear that ignorant people have.

So you don't believe she is in a minority even though she has produced percentages that clearly say she is Its her town I think she knows what she is talking about.

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Cherie

So you don't believe she is in a minority even though she has produced percentages that clearly say she is Its her town I think she knows what she is talking about.

She's produced numbers, I can do the same and it would be equally worthless without solid evidence to back it up.

It's her PERCEPTION of her town and not a reliable one either.