“Shakespeare was a black woman” - now I’ve heard it all!

the worriedwell your story is that of many of us of Irish descendant. My grandfather, catholic and illegitimate (although he had a cover story that was not broken in his lifetime.) enlisted in the army when still underage.

In his case it worked out well. He worked his way up through the ranks, was commissioned as an officer just after WW1 and was awarded an OBE. On the other side my family came over to London at the end of the Great Famine. Two generations of young widows struggled to survive, but did.

theworriedwell

Oreo

Yes lots of Irish songs are sad but no less great songs for that.
Your Father had a happy ending theworriedwell.
Very many Irish people came to England to work and settled down here , just as very many in the past emigrated to the US.
You’ll find Irish pubs just about everywhere.

He died in his early 40s leaving my mother with three schoolage children to bring up. He'd been I'll for years. It wasn't exactly a happy ending.

The reality is very sad.

I grew up in an Irish pub so you can't tell me much about them. It's the reason I'm teetotal.

Years ago there were a lot of migrant Irish construction workers in the UK, when I first started I was the digger driver, working with a gang. Highlight of the day was breakfast time at around 10am Seamus a wiry little guy from Donegal would stoke up the brazier and cook breakfast for everyone, on his shovel!! .
They were great to work with, but I only went drinking with them on a Friday night once, lesson learned

Hi everyone! 👋
My name is Glen, and I’m excited to be here! I’m a bit of a newbie, still learning the ropes, but I’m really looking forward to meeting amazing people, sharing stories, and having some great conversations. I’ve always believed that the best connections come from genuine chats, laughter, and even the small moments that make life memorable.
A little about me: I enjoy learning new things, exploring different perspectives, and connecting with people who have interesting stories to tell. I’m someone who loves a good laugh, meaningful conversations, and creating moments that make life brighter.
I’m really hoping to make some friends here, exchange ideas, and just enjoy the positive energy of this group. I may be new, but I promise to bring a friendly vibe, curiosity, and an open heart to every conversation.
Looking forward to getting to know all of you and being a part of this wonderful community! Feel free to say hi, I’d love to chat. 😊

SueDonim

*Mary Slessor*, a Scotswoman, brought about an end to the killing of twin babies in part of Nigeria. She is still revered there. She was more social worker than missionary, when you read about her life.

Twin babies are not uncommon in Nigeria, some families having multiple sets. There has been some research into why this is. Both a genetic tendency and also a diet of yams, which contain phytoestrogens, are thought to contribute to the high rate of twins being born.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-30577100

My friend experienced this in the late sixties in Nigeria.

Mary Slessor, a Scotswoman, brought about an end to the killing of twin babies in part of Nigeria. She is still revered there. She was more social worker than missionary, when you read about her life.

Twin babies are not uncommon in Nigeria, some families having multiple sets. There has been some research into why this is. Both a genetic tendency and also a diet of yams, which contain phytoestrogens, are thought to contribute to the high rate of twins being born.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-30577100

Oh dear!

Oreo

Yes lots of Irish songs are sad but no less great songs for that.
Your Father had a happy ending theworriedwell.
Very many Irish people came to England to work and settled down here , just as very many in the past emigrated to the US.
You’ll find Irish pubs just about everywhere.

He died in his early 40s leaving my mother with three schoolage children to bring up. He'd been I'll for years. It wasn't exactly a happy ending.

The reality is very sad.

I grew up in an Irish pub so you can't tell me much about them. It's the reason I'm teetotal.

In Dublin’s fair city where the girls are so pretty…..(Molly Malone) another sad song.

Yes lots of Irish songs are sad but no less great songs for that.
Your Father had a happy ending theworriedwell.
Very many Irish people came to England to work and settled down here , just as very many in the past emigrated to the US.
You’ll find Irish pubs just about everywhere.

The song might be great but it tells a tragic tale, one that has been repeated for generations.

My father's story is similar. As a teenager he cycled from the west coast across to Dublin where he sold his bike to raise his fare to Liverpool. He arrived in Liverpool penniless, remember he was still legally a child. He got directions to the nearest Catholic church where he asked for help. The Priest took him to a big Irish pub where they gave him bed and food for bottling up washing glasses etc .

When he was old enough he joined the Royal Navy and served through WWII.

Wyllow3

*Oreo*, in my opinion, that is extremely patronising - your "mock Paddy character a-setting out" song.

My gran was 100% Irish the whole family came over just like the Worried Well said, hardly anything on their backs in the 1890's.
And met of course with suspicion and much unkindness. My gran did everything top avoid any "taint":

sending my mum to elocution lessons and so on.

Why?

It's a song written by an Irish man and has been sung by many Irish folk groups and others for years.

Not half as patronising as someone trying to steal our greatest playwright and claim it was a black female just to fit the present "wokeish" agenda.

Woke is not a word I would normally use but it seems appropriate as so many understand it.

Don’t be silly Wyllow3 it’s a great song! In fact most Irish songs are.

Maremia

Thanks theworriedwell, glad it worked out for them.

Thank you.

Thanks theworriedwell, glad it worked out for them.

Wyllow3

*Oreo*, in my opinion, that is extremely patronising - your "mock Paddy character a-setting out" song.

My gran was 100% Irish the whole family came over just like the Worried Well said, hardly anything on their backs in the 1890's.
And met of course with suspicion and much unkindness. My gran did everything top avoid any "taint":

sending my mum to elocution lessons and so on.

I remember my mum being angry as we were on a bus and one woman was saying the Irish are like animals and eat off the floor without plates. My mum stood up and said we don't eat off the floor but we could as our floors are kept clean. The woman looked shocked.

Lots of prejudice in the world.

Maremia

How did it work out for your friend, the worriedwell? An awful situation

Her husband thought it was funny so it didn't cause any problems. Beliefs a out pregnancy and babies are interesting. I read about somewhere, maybe Papua New Guinea, where pregnancy was nothing to do with men, it was something that happened when you swam in the sea. One woman "proved" it to the researcher as her husband had been away on a long trip when she got pregnant, he got home to a new baby in the house. Might haved prevented a lot of angst.

Oreo, in my opinion, that is extremely patronising - your "mock Paddy character a-setting out" song.

My gran was 100% Irish the whole family came over just like the Worried Well said, hardly anything on their backs in the 1890's.
And met of course with suspicion and much unkindness. My gran did everything top avoid any "taint":

sending my mum to elocution lessons and so on.

theworriedwell

We never had an empire. We are all over the world mainly due to poverty and starvation. We are survivors.

I feel a burst of The Rocky Road To Dublin coming on….and I’m not even Irish.😄

How did it work out for your friend, the worriedwell? An awful situation

Elegran

Given the probably fate of the occasional albino baby in a tribe of brown people, White Male Supremacy is not always guaranteed.

Depends on the tribe.

I had a friend who was living in Africa when she had twins, some locals advised her husband he should kill the babies as one couldn't be his, probably best to kill her as well for her unfaithfulness.

We never had an empire. We are all over the world mainly due to poverty and starvation. We are survivors.

True, David. They also built the Antonine Wall, but that only worked for around 20 years.

Maremia

The Irish were never conquered by the Romans.

They didnt have much success with Scotland either, eventually giving up and building Hadrians wall

M0nica

*theworriedwell*, we are waiting our chance. Already wherever you go in the world you will always find someone Irish. We have nearly taken over the UK, we are strong in North America and Australia. We have even made it to New Zealnad.

This is my truth and I am sticking to it.

There is an Irish bar in most towns and cities that we have visited, always busy and serving decent food and drink.

We have even made it to New Zealnad
Just like home - no snakes. .