Fair enough post in the main gerrardno1. To address some of your points I don’t regard Liverpool as being anti-Irish. Perhaps sone would argue that the brutuality with which the English nation has heaped upon the Irish nation would make any English club anti-Irish. I can understand that view but don’t go along with that it. It is up to you who you support but I personally would not support a team to which I have no connection with. The fact that so many Irish people support English teams is down in the main to the Sky culture rather than anything else in my view.
Sky Culture?? Irish people were supporting English sides long before the emergence of Sky Sports. There has always been a big interest in the English premiership/1st Division due primarily to the fact that that’s where the majority of our internationals play their club football. Can remember when John Aldridge went to Spain during the 80s or early 90s interest in La Liga rose significantly in Ireland as a result.
Agree completely with the first part Jack, though I do think the Sky culture has increased the phenomenon - not really of people supporting English clubs because they always did as you say. But there’s a massive exposure to the EPL now to the extent that it’s almost viewed as our domestic league and we regard other leagues as foreign.
On the Aldridge point - I don’t recall there being a significant increase in interest in La Liga. There was huge publicity in the Basque Country around Aldridge signing because he was tht first non-Basque at Real Sociedad but I don’t even remember this point being discussed much in Ireland. Kevin Moran went to Sporting Gijon around the same time but there was no coverage of the Spanish league so it was hard to follow.
For the first time in thefreekick(i think) i agree with you pied! Before sky people i knew (lids and adults) supported eircom league teams just as much as the likes of liv and man u. Since the arrival of sky and live games on tv the support for the epl has grown significantly over here and diminished for the eircom league.
Spot on there Jack. To explain Irish people’s support of English clubs as the ‘Sky Culture’ is just plain stupid
There may have been an interest in English sides before emergence of Sky Sports but level of interest has certainly increased dramatically since Murdoch’s beast started broadcasing. Look at our Irish owned quality newspapers giving great column space to the fued between Alex Ferguson and Jose Murinho this morning. I doubt a similar event would have been given as much coverage here fifteen years ago.I also don’t recall such a rise in popularity for La Liga when Aldridge moved. Similarly we were hardly glued to Dutch league when David Connolly moved there.
I don’t accept that. If Sky didn’t come in there would still be massive interest. I, for instance, have never had Sky Sports in my house but I know you would call me a victim of the ‘Sky culture’.
I don’t think you need to be a Sky Sports subscriber to be affected by the greater Sky culture. I think piper is being too narrow when he refers to the Sky Sports influence - it’s far more widespread than that.
Walk down Grafton Street or go into the Jervis Centre and you could be in Glasgow, London, Liverpool etc. Top Shop, Dixon’s, HMV, Oasis etc. Then turn on the Late Late Show like you did last night and there’s some fool actress from Eastenders that we’re supposed to be interested in.
As far as sport goes - I think the exposure to English tabloids and the dominance of English football on British and Irish television stations has created a sad situation where we are exposed to only one league that many people consider to be their own.
I know what you are getting at but you can’t say that Sky Sports has caused the introduction of British shops into Ireland.
These companies obviusly wanted to get into new markets and saw Ireland as the Next (pun intended) market. What has it to do with the Sky culture?
Exalt for the pun Farmer.
I’m not blaming Sky Sports for anything like that - I’m just saying that Sky is part of a wider phenomenon and calling it “Sky culture” is just a generic term. It’s a dramatic over-exposure to British media and culture and Sky are one factor in that.
No. There are many American shops in Ireland as well. To place the introduction of British owned shops as a result of Ireland becoming effectively a second Britain just doesn’t add up
Indeed.
No. There are many American shops in Ireland as well. To place the introduction of British owned shops as a result of Ireland becoming effectively a second Britain just doesn’t add up
What American shops? Tower Records, Foot Locker (not sure ?). There aren’t that many really. We have a huge exposure to British culture here through television, newspapers and their popular music and shops are everywhere in Ireland. From Tesco to B&Q and all the “high street” shops. Don’t think there’s as many American owned at all.
If you walk down Henry Street or Grafton Street it’s the same as Buchanan Street or Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow. It doesn’t ape New York, it apes Britain.
Please do not class the orange order as dispicaple. Those who do support ira terrorists who murder innocent people and children.
We are are an organisation who support the protestant culture but do not support violence and are proud of our ulster Scots heritage and British culture.
Many of our people have been murdwde5by sinn fein / ira terrorists ( there is no difference) so to be an orange man is an honour
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Welcome @arsenal1 and a great first post. You make an extremely valid point. Before I give it a LIKE, can you clarify how long exactly has your thumb been up your hole?
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Il bite . Hello @arsenal1 my name is mr green you call me @codegreen . The prods in the north have been there for 100s of years. It would be unfair if we just got rid of them I think . They are apart of ireland apart of our history apart of our make up . I admire the steps they have taking to generate peace and their commitment to get the assembly back up and running . Even mrs Forster has gone out of her way to ride her irish catholic chauffeur. Rory mcilroy declaring for ireland in the Olympics. They are taking giant steps . Day by day . It wont be long now before they complete our transition for a united ireland . Be great to see good hurling strongholds up there.
But rory is a taig. It speaks volumes about him that so many people just assume he’s a tan.
Yes codegreen, will be great to parade down o connelly St on the twelfth
Ps codegreen, I classify myself as Irish.
It’s great that you’ve decided to celebrate a united Ireland by embracing your true female identity
Good luck with it