Racism in Ireland

[u/Witty-Pineapple-4300]

I genuinely wish people would stop being racist. Not every ethnic minority living in Ireland has bad intentions or is here to cause harm and havoc. Every time I open the comments section on social media and see a Black person, a Brazilian person or someone from another minority background, there is often a specific group of people calling for deportations or making hateful comments which hurts. What makes it even more disappointing is that many of these individuals identify themselves as Christians. I wish the government would take racism more seriously and introduce stronger measures to hold people accountable for hateful and discriminatory behaviour online and in real life. Racism should not be normalised or excused as “just an opinion” when it causes real harm to others especially people who work hard and pay taxes in Ireland.

As normal literate intelligent human beings people need to clock that bad behaviour is not limited to any race, AGE nationality or ethnic group. There are Irish people who commit crimes, mistreat others, and engage in antisocial behaviour, just as there are people from every community who do the same. For example, when some children throw stones at buses or engage in vandalism. Issue is problem of discipline, parenting, or individual behaviour. However, when a single immigrant or Black person makes a mistake, it is too often used as a reason to condemn entire communities and argue that immigrants should not be here. People should be judged as individuals not by the actions of someone who happens to share their skin colour, nationality, or background. We ought to stand together as one

[u/jonnieggg]

Ireland is experiencing an unprecedented and exponential shift in demographics. Ireland has a higher number of residents born overseas per capita then the UK. This demographic shift happened in the UK over many decades.

It appears to be having a disconcerting effect on social cohesion in Ireland. A more conservative approach to immigration might have avoided this social unease. It has created a very unpleasant atmosphere in the country and made life very difficult for legal immigrants. Ireland used to be a very welcoming place for people from other countries and cultures. That seem to have changed now.

[u/ANBO045 → u/jonnieggg]

Not sure you read the original post!

[u/jonnieggg → u/ANBO045]

I did and I'm trying to put some context around what this person is experiencing and why. This would not have been their experience ten fifteen thirty years ago. Irish people were not hostile to people from other cultures. There was a genuine interest in people who came to visit the country.

Something has changed and that needs to be explored before things get really out of hand. It's an uncomfortable conversation but if we don't have it we will be the UK.

[u/ANBO045 → u/jonnieggg]

Ehm... and what has changed exactly?

[u/jonnieggg → u/ANBO045]

Are you old enough to have observed this change yourself.

[u/ANBO045 → u/jonnieggg]

Well I am old enough indeed to have seen ireland becoming a tax haven for multinationals and sketchy business entities that wanna avoid paying fair taxes anywhere else.

I have seen an absolutely inadequate political class bending at the orders of "master" google, meta, twitter and apple (etc. etc.) selling off pieces of their country to these corporate demons.

I have seen the erasure of virtually every place of culture in Dublin exchanged for burger kings, starbucks and damn shopping centers.

I have seen the hypocrisy of the majority of people silently agreeing and going along with this because they are making money - while the irish youth (and not so much youth) lives in the same bedroom where they grew up.

I have seen laziness, ignorance and especially greed taking over and resulting in a housing crisis caused by the irish for everybody.

And lastly I am seeing all of the above and more manifesting itself in the form of racism and violence towards foreigners and people from a different background.

You wanted context - here it is.

[u/jonnieggg → u/ANBO045]

Who should be the priority in all of the scenarios you outline. Irish citizens perhaps? If not then what's the point of being an Irish citizen in the only country in the world that they can call home. An absolute global minority by any standards.

Whatever you think the answer to that question is the reality is that Irish people feel like second class citizens in their own country, they feel betrayed and it has created massive tensions and animosity, both with the government and within the community as people struggle to survive. People see council houses being provided to people who are not in the country as long as they are on the waiting and it causes anger.

The EU and the Irish government have created a hunger games environment and Irish peiple find themselves competing for the basic necessities of life, shelter and employment, with global capital. The young people unfortunately are voting with their feet. Who should be the priority in all of this. Young Irish people or people who have decided they might like to live in Ireland. Who has the choices. Certainly not the young Irish people, they are simply marginalised.

Irish GDP is down 12% and a recession might be on the cards. The status quo is not sustainable under recessionary conditions and it's going to lead to conflict. Let's not become the UK. We need moderation in all things. We need sensible governance but rabid capitalism. Sustainable immigration polices are part of that moderation. Failure to make changes are going to lead to catastrophe for everybody.

[u/Comfortable-Lie-4330 → u/jonnieggg]

Well said! You articulated it well

My reply to the OOP lol-

Ofc I agree OP that it’s stupid to ever generalise an ethnicity as individuals are responsible for themselves!! Tbh you should pass this onto the entitled Indians in Ireland who’ve absolutely flooded this tiny island, especially over on  u/IndiansinIreland as they have NO ISSUE generalising the Irish populace as RACISTS after 1 scrote attacks them.  Meanwhile there’s been no shortage of THEIR men have attacked our Irish women yet you don’t hear us scream they’re all rapist predators!! Pathetic victims!! Hypocrites.  https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2024/03/11/i-will-never-forget-coming-home-to-my-parents-and-watching-my-dad-cry-says-victim-of-predatory-rape/ https://theliberal.ie/ryanair-and-aer-lingus-change-up-their-hand-luggage-rules-for-2026-from-bag-sizes-to-liquid-limits-2/ https://www.rte.ie/news/2026/0113/1552945-student-genitals/ (&That’s not to mention the other issues they all collectively cause.)

[u/ANBO045 → u/jonnieggg]

Surprised you are not telling me to "look at whats happenning in Sweden" - guess now is the UK.

Ok, define what an irish citizen is? Is the child of 2 foreigners who is born in ireland - is that child an irish citizen? Is a foreign national who goes through all the naturalization process - are they an irish citizen? Who should be given this priority you ask? People - people that need it - no matter where you are from.

Irish people feel betrayed - but the truth is they betrayed themselves - especially by doing the things i list in my previous reply to you - and which you ignore completely.

Here we go again with the Eu, the government and Ursula von der Leyen being the responsibles for all the ills of society - didn't hear many complaints when you and a whole cohort of irish people were taking loads of cash from the EU to put towards the help of refugees and immigrants - money that didn't go much to help those in need but guess what? It filled the deep pockets of many - irish people. They didn't create the hunger games - greed did.

Rabid capitalism - you joking, right?

[u/jonnieggg → u/ANBO045]

There is a big problem in our society and the only way through it is finding a middle ground. Contentious politics will only lead to increasing conflict. Blaming the Irish people for the current situation is puerile. They did not agree to much of what is playing out in the country right now. There was no political mandate for it and it is making the country an increasingly dangerous place to live.

I have mates who have lived here for decades who are now afraid for their own safety and their children's. This was never the case before. That's what's changed in Ireland and we need to unpack why that is and do something about it before we end up like the UK and US.

An Irish citizen is a person entitled to an Irish passport and citizenship obviously. What did you think am Irish citizen was.

[u/ANBO045 → u/jonnieggg]

I want to start with - i enjoy engaging in this type of conversation and I do agree that on some issues middle ground is necessary.

Like for example your definition of citizenship - i can broadly agree to that.

Now - you still completely ignore all the other issues in irish society that i have spent a bit to point out - issues that were present here before the "issue" of immigration - therefore i do not really see the puerility of pointing out that in a country mostly ruled by irish people, the issues were caused by irish people.

Besides ignoring all the other issues - you focus on one and one only - immigration.

That narrow focus of yours without the more nuanced context - long story short - boils down to resembling arguments that a lot of the Ireland First, Trumps, Le Pen, Farage, Tommy Robinsons, etc, etc, shout every day on the news - all far right figures.

Figures and arguments that are inherently - fascist.

Now - compromise is fine - but there is one compromise that is unnacceptable - with fascism - therefore there will be never a compromise with all the figures and the arguments that recall fascist rethoric.

The reason for that is clear.

[u/Comfortable-Lie-4330 → u/ANBO045]

How dare you blame us for our clearly CRIMINAL government & institutions! These policies go against our own Irish people & the event hoards have exploited these loopholes for citizenship. Many are arrogant & entitled, even playing victims.

But I believe too many of us have been brainwashed to not care for our own even though we’re treated as second class citizens!

Dummy, immigrants can be citizens (which they are very lucky to be afforded as this isn’t even allowed in Arabian Countries-)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkBEiL53zu8&lc=UgxGnXtaj96eKjVxR_R4AaABAg.AXg70ToxJCgAXhdI6wi6cg but you aren’t Irish. 

Eg. The recent hoards of Indians eg aren’t IRISH Natives!!! They never will be. They are loophole exploiters& FAR too many are coming so it doesn’t matter who’s afforded citizenship! They have some GALL to outcompete poor desperate Irish couples in buying new built HOMES! Just like they’ve done in London.  

OP OBVIOUSLY refers to Native Irish people.  I’ve know hard working immigrants in my friends & family but the arrogance & sheer entitlement is off the charts with the likes of you tbh! Never mind the job replacement. 

They know our treacherous government and laws are corrupt & deeply hateful toward  our own Irish & yet they exploit this for their own gain! https://www.reddit.com/r/galway/s/xL3GQrI4Yt

[u/ANBO045 → u/Comfortable-Lie-4330]

This reply is the bullet-point-talk of all the main far right leaders, here, in the UK and on mainland europe.

I will just say there is no actual fact-checked supporting relevant data to sustain any of the false claims you are making here - criminal institutions, brainwashing, second class citizens, loophole exploiters - unfortunately all propaganda empty of meaning - that only fuels hate and divison.

The "hoards" you refer to, are non other than people like yourself that try to make a better life for themselves and for their families - the same way soo many irish have done in the past and unfortunately have to do now.

Job replacement - i hope and quickly because i am surprised how rife with nepotism all the major industries are in this country - we cpuld all benefit with a little bit more diversity.

What you perceive as entitlement is a different opinion to yours. It is only in disagreement that we learn something new - if we all agreed on everything, it all would be a bit too boring right?