Rory Stewart: l’opinione dell’Irlanda di Britons è passata dalla “superiorità patrocinante alla completa ignoranza” – The Irish Times

This guy is a busted flush. He couldn’t have been more wrong in his prediction of the US election.

Edit: Not sure what all the down votes are about. Just stating a fact.

Well it beats being in focus, and yeah we know Britain wants to use us as a crowbar to the back window of the EU, the EU also knows that. Expect the common travel area to be a pain point again and more often in the future

Before the millennium the UK was mostly white (almost all white in most places) while there were also always hundreds of thousands of working class Irish  people in the cities.   Now, the difference between a white English person and white Irish person seems trivial for most compared to differences with Eastern European, Indian or Somali immigrants or citizens with that heritage etc etc.

The Irish also uses to be more different particularly in terms of religion to the English ie religious catholics. Without this signifier the differences between English and Irish culture are even less apparent.

There are very few young Irish working class people working in English cities now. Irs mostly middle class graduates who don’t stand out as much as Irish “navvies” did 40 years ago.

Also the troubles ended 30 years ago which pretty much removed Ireland from the UKs current affairs for most people. Should add that Islamic terrorism when it arrived seemed far more dangerous than “Irish terrorism” that it almost superseded the memory of “Irish terrorists”. I remember in London someone who was black (not even Muslim) joking that he might get blamed for a terrorist attack but not me or others because we were all white. The connection between my irish accent and being suspected if terrorism would seem ridiculous to anyone in the UK under the age of 50.

What I can’t understand is why are we so hung up on what the neighbours think of us we’re not like that about any other country. Time to leave the past behind and take everyone from every country at face value.

Largely agree with Stewart. I studied/worked in UK for some years & afterwards spent a lot of time in London (mainly), plus my partner is English. Older English/UK folks know of Ire & most have visited. Younger Eng/UK far less so, except for those lucky enough to have been to Temple Bar on a stag weekend. Eng/UK immigrants from Europe know about Ire & many have visited. Non European Eng/UK immigrants have no idea where the country is, never mind what happens here. However, they generally know noting of Europe at all. The 🇧🇷 are an exception & many have chums here. So, a lot is generational & a lot immigration status based.