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Middle Class Catholics in Northern Ireland
by beano 
on 30 Aug 2008 at 15:25. Categories: Northern Ireland, Lifestyle, Sinn Fein, Business & Economy, Culture, Politics , Tags: cathoics, irish nationalists, middle-class, northern ireland, sinn fein This was initially published a couple of months ago now, so apologies to those who have read it elsewhere, but I think it's definitely worth highlighting Jim Cusack writing in the Irish Independent about how prosperous Northern Ireland, and specifically Northern Irish Poor Oppressed Filthy Rich Catholics, have become in recent years.
I've picked out the highlights below, but I'd really encourage anyone with 5-10 minutes free to read the whole article.
earlier this year, when the Rich List for Northern Ireland was published , there was one little detail that went completely unnoticed -- well over half of those on it were Catholics. Places one, two and three were all filled by Catholics. The richest part of Belfast, the Malone Road -- think Ballsbridge in Dublin 4 -- now has a Catholic majority.
...
Isn't Northern Ireland supposed to be, er, depressed, like, after three decades of terrorist violence? Aren't the Catholics supposed to be "oppressed" like Gerry Adams keeps banging on about and the Southern meeja still seems to believe?
...
Truth is, cross the Ormeau Bridge over the Lagan, up into those nice leafy streets, and the arriviste MCCs would rather be seen wearing shell suits and trainers than vote Sinn Fein. Gerry, baby: Middle Class Catholics define their social position primarily through the distance between themselves and you and your voters. About as many Catholics vote Sinn Fein in south and south west Belfast as in Dun Laoghaire. If you live in a part of Belfast that has a street sign in both Irish and English, any self-respecting MCC would cross the road to avoid you.
I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I am certain that if there is a relative increase in wealth among Catholics vis a vis Protestants then it is of their own making and based in no small part on different attitudes to education. On a brighter note, the accepted wisdom is that with money comes power and influence, so it would be nice to believe that Cusick is right and that it also brings a gulf with Sinn Fein and their brand of victimhood-based ethno-nationalism and a shift in priorities away from simply one-upping the Prods.
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12 comments
An acqaintance of mine would fit this description nicely.
State Maintained Catholic Grammar school educated, working as a pilot for British Midland, lives in a nice detached house in Ballyholme, father has knelt before the Queen at Buckingham Palace and received a British Empire Medal for services to Industry in Northern Ireland-specifically Bombardier Shorts.....
I took him to the old Landsdowne for the last match ever played there Leinster v Ulster and he supported Leinster....
The amusing thing is he's as much an Ulster Brit as I am but defines himself as a Republican...and U/S Prods are accused of having an identity crisis??
If he ever landed in Tralee say, the locals would have pigeon holed in an instant. The thing is none of what Cusack wrote is a new phenomenon, but the SF propaganda machine has been utterly effective in putting up a smokescreen to hide the MCC factor.
What is tragic is that apparently well educated and intelligent individuals have bought into the SF view of the world and have latched on the sickening MOPEry that they peddle.
The truth is that Britain has always been a patchwork of different identities and has embraced them all to become what it is-no one is being oppressed anywhere in the UK-except perhaps by their own politicians.
I'd agree with Beano-this article should be required reading for all.
Did Jim Cusack only recently realise there are m/c Catholics in the north? Idiot.
1.There are no sectarian barriers to individual opportunity and creation of wealth
2.There is a healthy respect and desire for quality education on both sides of the community-which is acknowledged, supported and paid for by the UK government
3. Economics is a greater motivator than ideology for the majority
4. The Dail can't afford Norn Irn
5. SF are great propogandists but actually the situation on the ground is somewhat different to their assertion
6. People in the Republic need to have their preconceptions of the situation in NI challenged-which is why he probably wrote the article.
What would be idiotic about that then?
He is basing his article on the ridiculous premise that southerners know nothing about the north and believe everything that SF say about it. (Actually it is debatable whether SF ever claimed that the Catholic m/c were oppressed, but that's another story.) We're talking about the Republic here; not Irish-America.
He also seems to be implying that because m/c Catholics don't vote SF (although, of course, some do - especially in rural areas), they have no interest in the national question -which would fit Independent Newspapers' worldview.
Also, I don't know why your mate would support Leinster against Ulster. I know Leinster people who don't support Leinster, such is their unpopularity. He sounds like a bit of an Ulster-twit rather than an "Ulster-Brit".
SF didn't even acknowledge MCC's during their reign of terror-it didn't fit with the party line of total sectarian oppression by the bastard Brits and would have confused those in NY and Boston.
There is nothing ridiculous in asserting that a large portion of the population of the Republic would have a somewhat one sided view of the situation in NI-vice versa also applies as well of course. This from simple observation and experience. It wasn't only the Oirish across the water who sucked up the SF propaganda.
As for my "mate" and his irrational, De Valera, green tinted, leprechaun riddled version of Irish identity you'd be better off asking him.....the irony is that the homogenous nature of the culture existing in the different legislative jurisdictions of these islands is totally lost on him and his ilk.
Cusack's piece and the frank and factual observations within it are to be applauded. It's about time that a different view of NI was presented to the world and that the naysayers, bigots and begrudgers didn't always hog the limelight.
Indeed not. But that is not what he asserted. He was implying that southerners don't have a scooby-doo; that's just silly.
"As for my "mate" and his irrational, De Valera, green tinted, leprechaun riddled version of Irish identity you'd be better off asking him....."
I only thought he was irrational for supporting Leinster when he is actually from Ulster.
Anyway, what is a "De Valera, green-tinted, leprechaun riddled version of Irish identity"? Also, how can he have such a point of view yet also be "as much an Ulster Brit as I am"?
We'll have to agree to disagree about Cusacks percieved contention regarding the nature of the southerners understanding of the situation in NI.
Agreed!
I presume we can agree on both being pleased by the fine Ulster win against the European Cup holders last week?
I only thought he was irrational for supporting Leinster when he is actually from Ulster.
Anyway, what is a "De Valera, green-tinted, leprechaun riddled version of Irish identity"? Also, how can he have such a point of view yet also be "as much an Ulster Brit as I am"?
I've yet to understand myself how he has come to hold such views as an obviously repressed and unfree citizen living in a sectarian state that has denied him his basic rights and equal opportunities and is now an ardent republican and after a few pints a bit of a bigot to boot.
This is awesome, please keep writing.
Good post!As i was passing by here and i read your post.
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