Nothing but the same old story: The roots of anti-Irish racism

by Liz Curtis

1998 reprint in Fine condition

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Irish Literature, Ireland, Politics

102 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1984

Reviews

[Pádraig Mac Oscair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Irish history is interesting and important in a global context because of what it tells us about the development of colonialism and race as an idea - as well as the ever-shifting nature of who is and isn't "white". Curtis traces the emergence of anti Irish racism from the Norman conquest onwards, with the supposedly backward nature of Irish civilisation used as the excuse for highly profitable British colonialism and mass murder which has wiped out the Irish language in much of the country and reduced the countryside to an ecological dead zone to provide their cities with cheap food and labour to the anti-Irish humour prevalent in British media at time of writing in the 80s (a curious quirk of most British TV is that it seems to be based on the premise that people are incapable of understanding complex topics unless presented as a joke). Such humour has largely faded into irrelevance in recent decades, not coincidentally at much the same time as Ireland has become a wealthy first world country much like Belgium or Denmark - with the attendant racial politics. Have the Irish finally become white?

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always loved Ireland and the Irish, so it was interesting and slightly jarring to read of the hatred and blatant racism from many toward them.

Liz Curtis outlines the beginning of this hatred in the 13th century, through to the 1980s. There was a lot that I didn't know and although short, this book was very informative.

Curtis obviously put a lot of time and effort into research for this book, including dozens of articles, cartoons and drawings dating back to the 13th century depicting the Irish in an awful light.

What's even worse is that these harmful views are still held by people today, and much of it from ridiculous, insidious, right wing propaganda.

It's laughable that the Irish intellect had been portrayed as below-average considering the number of truly brilliant, talented people to have come from a pretty small country.

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it a little apologetic towards the IRA but overall an interesting look at the relationship between Ireland and England and the fractious neighbourly relationship between the two. By portraying the Irish as being backward and ignorant, conquerors could make themselves look better and justify what they did. Interesting to see that practices were then exported after testing on the Irish. Anyone who wonders why the Irish rankle about being labeled as British (vide Starbucks during the Diamond Jubilee) should be forcefed this book or it's ilk.