Will we have any problems?

Question

Me and a friend are seriously considering moving to the Republic of Ireland. I was born in Northern Ireland, but have Irish citizenship and an Irish passport etc., and I would love to return 'home'. However, I moved to England when I was fairly young, and I now have an English accent, so you would have no idea I was Irish if you were to meet me. My friend is English, and has lived here all his life.

I was just wondering, would we have any problems living in Ireland? I have no idea if there is/how strong an anti-English attitude in the Republic of Ireland. From my visits to family in Northern Ireland, I have found people to be generally quite welcoming, but then I have never spoken to that many people other than family members. How is it in the South?

Answer 1

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it. I've mentioned here before that I have 4 British colleagues and they have never had a bother and that is deep in the Irish equivalent of Deliverance country. A lot of people who emigrated to England in more straitened times have since returned to take advantage of the economic boom that began 15 years ago, complete with English accents, English spouses and English-born children. It's very common, and no bats an eyelid. How are people with Irish accents treated where you live? I imagine its about the same.

An advantage about being slightly foreign is that you can be totally eccentric and act in whichever manner you please and people will just say "dem English are a bit odd, aren't dey?"

Answer 2

You won't have any problems, seriously. Don't worry about it. Nobody down here cares about that anymore.  

Answer 3

British people make up the biggest group of non-nationals living in Ireland and over 200,000 seem to live and work quite happily here. So regardless how you are seen I can't envisage you having any problems.  

Now that's not to say you won't come across the odd eejit with a insecurity problem shouting his/her mouth off about the famine but it's unlikely.  And in the rare possibility of that happening I would like to think he'll be told where to go by anyone in the vicinity.

Irish people generally are very welcoming of everyone and there really is not equivalent to the inward looking bigoted BNP movement here.  Even Sinn Fein have to put on a guise tolerance and acceptance when they want people to vote for them.

I'd suggest coming for a week or too to see how you like it though before you commit.

Answer 4

good luck mate, you know us Irish hate the english he he, just kidding nah, you won't have any problems

Answer 5

My Mum is English and has been living here since her college years with no hassle. You will come across the rare muppet but in general you should be fine.

Answer 6

Things have changed quite rapidly in recent years in Ireland. Accents do not play a major role in everyday life here, due to the high number of other nationalities currently living here. Polish, Czech, English, Chinese, Irish Latvian, Scottish, Welsh, the list is endless. In my opinion I don't believe that an "anti-English attitude" is evident in everyday life. However I cannot speak for a whole country. You may encounter a minority that see you as "English" and attach a negativity to it, however this is not what i would consider the norm.