There have been lot of discussion about many topics related both to Irish and Polish society. There have been both many good and bitter words about Poles, as well as Irishmen, but actually I forgot about the fact that I have a platform to make possible discussion and opinion exchange between both Polish and Irish societies. That platform consist of both of my blogs - Polish and English one.
I have just realised that there is no real Irish - Polish discussion forum, aimed in integration and real introduction both nations to each other. Maybe my idea is pointless, but the lack of discussion between our communities becoming annoying.
Let’s start the discussion between both of our societies. Add your comments to this post, and express your opinions about us, your suggestions or advices what should we change or on what should we work on. I will translate all of them to Polish and will post it on Polish blog, with explanation of the whole idea of multicultural discussion.
All opinions (except extremely vulgar) will be accepted, translated and posted on Polish blog (www.eire.drakkart.com)
Czesc!
a Spanish reader here. I’d say that an interesting topic could be what’s going on with the twins in Poland!
Two ongoing debates are getting my attention:
- The “purgation” law - for former communists collaborators. Is this meant to split the country in two sides or what? In Spain if a left party wants to retire a dictatorship symbol from a plaza or street the right party will feel outraged and insulted, and this is due to the lack of reconciliation between two points of view - and two societies - since the Civil War(70 years ago).
In Ireland, after the Civil War everyone seemed to be happy and numb, yet only the North had troubles.
- The laws and gay people.
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/feb/07022306.html
A similar law was passed in Spain few months ago and it has been a major concern since then for the right-wing party. Irish governement hasn’t approved it yet but they say it will come sooner or later. But wtf is going on with the twins?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/gayrights/story/0,,2038057,00.html
Isn’t this kind of decisions/speech the ones that slow down the process for full commitment with the EU - in any country?
Cheers and keep up the good work!
I have got on grand with all the Poles I have met, for the most part their English tends to be better than mine so no problem communicating or anything like that
However, what I do find is that the Poles tend to very much stick together and stay in their own social circles. To be honest, this is probably a bilateral problem, both the Irish and the Poles need to make greater effort.
I work and have worked with a number of Polish people, and I find them to be hard working people. Good for the craic as well and with a similar outlook to myself.
However, in my home town in co wexford, where there is a higher concentration of Polish people, along with other nationalities, some problems have crept in with some of the new comers, but by no means all. For instance, my local night club had to be closed down because some of the polish and latvians were carrying knives into the club. Something unfamiliar in our local town.
In general though, my experiences have been good.
My company employs two Polish programmers, and we are in the process of employing four more. My experience of them is that they are very adept, independent, and comfortable to work with. As far as the English goes, it is sometimes hard to understand their speech, but their writing is usually impeccable.
I have also noticed that they tend to stick together, but that is understandable - if the situation was reversed, I would probably tend to stick close to my fellow English-speakers (Irish, English, Australian, anything-but-American!)
Personally, I wish I knew more foreigners. Where I live, Monaghan, Irish-born people seem to account for a shrinking percentage of the population. As I don’t speak Polish, Romanian or any other eastern-european language, it means that the number of people I can speak to easily is rather limited.
I try, though!
hi,
I’m reading your blog… and all I have to say is: good job!
beautiful photos, a lot of interesting informations… yum-yum ^^
I think you’re very friendly man
good luck!!!
btw: it’s nice to hear that some of Irish people like Polish people
good idea for a blog. it’s something i think about now and then - if so many polish people live here, how come i don’t know any?
i’ve worked with a few poles, and they’re much like everyone else for getting on with. no problems. sound people. but i don’t have any polish friends. suppose that’s because ‘we’ all stick together, wherever we’re from. i’m sure this will change with time, though.
gorgous women too. they all seem to have polish boyfriends though. hopefully this will change too.
No need really for me to get in on this, Mac - You know my views already.
But if I may add two more:
1. The Pillion Passenger is right: Polish women! Wow! I am thinking of one I know - Dziewczyna o śmiejących się oczach.
2. Why do Irish people when conversing casually with foreigners throw any non English word they can into the conversation? e.g. I’ve heard folks paying for petrol in a garage saying things like “merci” and “danke” to Chinese guys. I’m sure Polish people working in garages, shops and pubs get this too. Are my countrymen so ashamed of being monolingual that using any foreign word, no matter what the language, makes amends?
i totally respect the polish here in Ireland ,they come here get a job within days and pay their taxes.They do not come here to sponge off the ordinary people of Ireland like so many do.
My girlfriend is Polish and we are expecting our first baby together around Halloween. I have noticed quite a few cultural differences but they are ones that I really enjoy. It is always great to see and experience how different cultures have their different ways of socialising etc.
We are heading to Poland at the end of May and I cannot wait to go there.
I’m extremely pro-immigration, and love what’s happening in Ireland today. Years ago, it almost felt that we were cut off from the world, and I suppose in a sense we were! Now the world is right outside our front door and there are a lot more interesting faces and voices heard about the place.
It is very hard though to meet any newcomers on a normal social basis though. When I go out, the pubs and clubs still seem to have more Irish in them than you’d expect. You’d really have to be in a workplace with a few different nationallities to stand a chance at getting an opportunity to socialise with different cultures. I wish it was easier!
The Polish and the Irish have a lot in common. They are both catholic and agricultural countries, and the Polish are having very similar migratory experiences as the Irish did a few decades ago. I hope the Irish learn to welcome all foreigners into our society, for it makes it a richer and more diverse place to live. We must remember that we were the ones who were forced to leave our country in search of jobs for many years, therefore we should never scapegoat those who now migrate.
I love Ireland and people there! I never met so much kind people like in Ireland! I leave heare my heart….
i am studying and am living with a polish guy whos an absolute nut case (in a good way) very similar perspectives on life, very similar sense of humor and in general i believe we are more similar than we are different. For Polish people reading this i would like to just say that for me personally i am nervous about starting a conversation with you in case your english is poor and i end up looking like a fool. however any time Polish person talks to me i am very happy to talk back and get to know them. Obviously i cannot speak for my entire country but this is just how i feel.
Thank You
I met a Polish girl last June who was only visiting Dublin for a weekend. She was living in New York and going home to visit her family and just decided to visit Dublin on the way home. We hit it off straight away and she moved over last October, we now live together very happily. I have visited Poland twice now and absolutely love the place and it’s people.
I think Irish people get the Polish and other eastern Europeans mixed up and although they may look very similar to us they are completely different people.
Best thing that ever happened to me
Hi. I moved here 2 months ago (before I lived in other countries). Ireland is lovely and people are very nice…but somehow I cannot make friends. I don’t know why…as I always want to integrate with locals but I find it so difficult here.
I do have some colleagues at work but it is not the same…
Maybe because I am new here(?)..Anyway I will keep trying.
Cheers!
Poles are a parasite on society and take jobs that Irish people have a right to.As well as that most of the men are idiots.They’re big fat heads who think they’re macho because they drink vodka.Wow!
Ha ha
Well.. it seems you have been listening to the same words about yourself, haven’t you?
isn’t it strange, that there is still plenty of jobs in Ireland?
Please explain, why in almost every newspaper there is hundreds of appointment adverts? You mean, there is still plenty of job vacancies, but those vacancies are not for Irish, only for Polish?
The only problem about jobs, it is exploitation of people who don’t know they rights. It affects the wages both Polish and Irish workers.
Can you also explain, why e.g. most of the archaeologist in Ireland are foreigners? I haven’t seen unemployed Irish archaeologist
i personally welcome all poles to this country they are hard working polite and easy going unlike other ethnic minoritys also beuatiful women too
I think it’s great that there is such a good Polish presence in Ireland. I find it very interesting to see and experience different cultures.
I became very good friends with some Polish people when I was abroad on an Erasmus exchange. Sadly I do not know any Polish people in Ireland yet, but that is just because I am busy with college at the moment.
However I am surprised I have not seen a big increase in the amount of Polish bands playing in Ireland. There are some great Polish metal bands that I would love to see perform here more often
All the eastern europeans coming over here is great, they’re needed for the economy. They fill a lot of jobs that just wouldn’t be done by Irish people. And the women are stunning
Hi all.I have lived and worked in about 10-12 different countries.Being Irish the very first thing that I do when I arrive by Land,Sea or Air is to find an Irish Pub in that city.I then toss down a few and talk to other Irish men.I usually have a job and a place to stay within a day or two.The Polish to me are doing the very same thing that I and many,many thousands of my fellow country men and women have and are still doing world wide.
The difference being that unless you have left your home country and have tried to make it in a totally foreign country you just really do not understand the vital connection one needs to stay close to your fellow man or women.
I live in America and after a lot of years will be going home to my Dear Ireland to settle after a long road trip.
Reading this Eastern European issue is a little worry to me.People say to me that I will be shocked with the way Ireland has become.Be open minded is my mental taught.Polish people have filled in my vacant spot in my home country because I choose to leave it years ago.
I am comming home EIRE and welcome me with open arms.
Tommy, what do you mean “Eastern European issue”? Poland lies in the heart of Europe…
and Ireland changed a lot (for good and for bad as well) not only becasue of Poles… it is the biggest in Europe consumer of cocaine and one of the biggest consumers of heroin.
Story all,
Finally got around to taking a look Krystian, nice work buddy (dunno if u remember me, i worked with u on the Narraghmore site)
Firstly I want to say Céad míle fáilte and Dzień dobry to all the Polish who have come to Ireland in recent years, Its cool to see such positive comments (Generally) about Immigration on the blog. As a proud Irishman I am glad that my country is in a position to give Polish people a fair crack at a decent standard of living (considering our respective Heritages), I ask only that they observe the laws and customs of the country e.g dont drink in Public, we have a bad enough alcohol problem here as it is :-). Try and go easy on the “kurwa mac” too lads. On a more serious note, Its a bit worrying about the position of Poland politically, Lech Kaczynski done no favours for the Polish in Ireland on his recent visit :-). Whether your Irish or Polish dont be afraid to tackle people who break the law or act like twats or dupeks.
Slán agus beanacht
Eddie
P.S to all my fellow Irishmen, for the love a god will ye stop feckin rubbish all over d shop like
Czesc!
I work with a few Poles and have to say they’re some of the best people I work with
Really nice people, good fun, and hard-working. They’ve been teaching me Polish phrases here and there 
I’d like to visit Poland some day soon.
Dave
Was looking at houses in Poland website. Wow they so cheap. You could buy a castle for €350.000. You wouldn’t get that here in Ireland lol. Pity they didn’t have a website so some Irish people could learn some Polish words.
I think that the polish in Ireland is the best thing that ever happened Ireland! It is great, there are great people and the Polish women are stunning beautiful and graceful. I mean a lot of women in Ireland are so materialistic and empowered they assume that every man is bad. I would choose a Polish woman any day over an Irish girl. I just love the foreign accents, the language, the culture and the difference. It is truly great to get the opportunity to meet new people which we would all be grateful for. I truly wish all the polish in Ireland the very best! Feel free to email kenneallydaniel@hotmail.com
Regards,
Danny
I’m an Irish guy living with a Polish girl almost four years now. We met in Krakow while I was on holiday and a month later I moved back over there for a year of teaching English and partying far too much! We decided to move back to Ireland as I simply was not cut out to be a teacher and the wage situation in Poland is a problem if you want to make any real purchases ie. I could afford to eat out and party every night but had to really lie low if I wanted to even just buy a pair of trainers..otherwise I was very happy in Krakow. I have travelled all around Europe and I have to say that Poland was the first place I felt truly at home. Our general outlook is very similar, particularly our black sense of humour, the Poles enjoy slagging the hell out of each other just as much as the Irish and are moaners of the highest order, something which most Irish people should be familiar with! When we arrived back the first trickle of Polish workers had begun and I was quite happy to be able to stop and chat with the token Polish person around my town, needless to say that novelty factor has long since passed and with the vast Polish community present today it has become more difficult for the Irish to meet Polish people and perhaps this can make both groups a little suspicious of each other. For the most part I think the Polish have really done themselves proud in how they have managed the transition to Ireland, give or take the odd no neck powerlifting dresiarz but sure Ireland is has it fair share of similar types! I hope everything runs as smoothly as it has till now and it would be nice to see some Polish to make Ireland a permanent home. I think we can only benefit from this influx, culturally, professionally and genetically!!
My partner and myself are planning to move back to Poland one day, but thats more to do with her family than our choice of home, both countries have their pro’s and con’s..besides gotta send some Paddies back the other way!
I work with 2 poles and while both are very hard working, i find them incredibly tight and judgmental. They make absolutely no effort to speak english around the office (which is also very multicultural…i am the only irish person, there are also 3 polish girls working in the shop near us and they are the rudest, most unfriendly girls i’ve ever met. Maybe it’s just the women?
Czech!
I think it’s great that this forum has been set up i lived n worked in Krakow three years ago and loved it and have been back in Poland to stay for a couple of months last year, i meet so many lovely people n went to some cool places.
I had a polish boyfriend who i lived with he was very abusive physicaly and mentaly he drove his car sometimes drunk and saw women as mearly sex objects. He had no respect for the law in Ireland. At the end i had to file a report with the police and leave the town that we were living in(here in Ireland) because i felt so unsafe. I have many polish n lithuanian friends so i know not all polish men are like this but it is very hard for me to not be be wary of polish men ! Maybe i was unlucky but it will take me a long time to get over this. I just hope that polish people respect the law here and or culture so there will be no problems in the future. I hope u publish this as it is a valid point! thnx
I work in a 4 person department within a company, the other three are Polish. While I am good friends with one, I have to say that the other two and most Polish people that I have met are generally ok. I would agree with eddies comments with regard to drinking in public. Recently I could not take my kids to the local park because of large groups of Polish people drinking there. They are noisey and mostly rude. Remember, the irish did have to emmigrate but the statistics are not accurate with regard to the amount of Polish in Ireland. My Polish friend told me of how it is known in the Polish community that the recently released figures from the Central Statistics Office are a joke and that upward of 400,000 poles are in the country(approx 10%) counting all the parents and grandparents who come here to babysit and who dont register for a PPS no. To compare: A similar influx into the U.S in a three year period would result in 25 million immigrants.
Likewise 6 million into the UK. Would this be acceptable?? The Irish did not emmigrate in such vast percentages. While I welcome anybody to come and work and share in our country, I dont think that this influx is good for Ireland and cannot be sustained. Think of our childrens education, the health service, these are under enough strain already. While it is good to see positive comments, I can only ask that, why in every conversation in every household and family, we feel that there are “too many of them around”. Everybody I know whisper that they are unhappy with the situation, but of course we have to be “politically correct”. We have had our own problems in Ireland with regard to alcohol, litter etc. but the majority of the Polish are making it difficult for the law abiding Polish.
Drink driving, no car tax, 15-20 year old hazardous cars, no nct, no bins, where do they dump their rubbish. My argument is not about a person or country but too many immigrants and no control on the influx. Ireland is no longer Ireland and it is a shame that our parents and grandparents who built this country over the last 80 years are watching it being overrun by an open door EU policy to immigration.
I apologise if I offend anybody but these are my thoughts and the thoughts of the majority of people but most will not speak up.
Rodger, no problem
I don’t think your post would insult anybody. I can understand your thoughts about being overrun by Poles, but the number you quoted are overestimated. The number of all PPS registered to Poles are lower than 300 thousands, and remember that still people coming back to Poland, after saving exact amount of money.
The most common assumption or estimation is about 300 thousands. Of course - 300 thousands is still very big number.
As for the drink driving, I can’t agree that it is the major Polish problem. Court brief column in The Nationalist (local Carlow area) is full of Irish drinking drivers. There is of course some Poles mentioned, but not every weeks.
Dumping wastes is also mainly Irish problem, and even high number of Poles is only the addition, and making it a little bigger.
But still, I agree that the influx can be a problem, a cultural problem.
Hi Rodger.
about being politically correct. I think this is a big problem. Ye don’t say things straight in the eyes. Which we are in most cases got used to. If ye have a problem speak up! I have that problem on a daily basis. If something wrong say it. If you won’t say I won’t know if I won’t know I won’t do anything with it You still be upset.
Czesc,
I have travelled around a lot of European countries and worked in various parts of Europe and hope to visit Poland some day.
Somebody asked about learning some Polish words, here is a website to download simple courses for free. http://www.byki.com/
I would like to date a Polish girl but they are all too young for me, I am a young 48. I know a few Polish girls from going into my local shop and they are all very nice and polite. I keep asking them to send over their older sisters (joke).
It cannot be easy working away from home, so I understand why they will stick together.
Most young people in Ireland never knew the bad times (including Charlie Haughey) when 70,000 were leaving Ireland every year to work abroad. So, it is good that we let others have a chance to better their lives, because most will want to return home and have a better life when they return.
MacKozer
Like many Irish here I travelled and worked abroad (no jobs in the 80’s and 90’s) - and the Irish pub and network was invaluable ‘cos you met lots of English speakers from all over the world. I didn’t make many friends in any of the countries though, until after a couple of years. Many Irish treated the experience as a working holiday, as transitional, knowing they would move on. The Poles coming to Ireland to work is great for the country socially, culturally, economically - where will the next tiger settle for a few years? If we want to integrate more (and I’d say 90% of us do) - it’ll be through sport, Poles marrying and raising kids here, business and lastly - leisure - lets see some Polish bands, lets get some motivated people set up ad hoc party nights, cultural events - plays - and meetings for all newcomers. It’ll take time - and effort - as for your comments on the first five pages of papers dealing with crime - how true - never thought about that!
I work in a community radio and will be trying to get a Polish programme on the air before the end of the year. We have a Russian and African programme on at the moment.
Keep up the blog.
The Eye in the Sky
P.S. Myself and a friend tried to get to Poland on the train in 1991 but was turned back at Ostrava. After being interrogated in the middle of the night, we got the next train back to Praha. I remember the strong smell of pure alcohol in the cool midnight air. That said, I would like to swap homes with a Polish family sometime in the future for a holiday.
P.P.S. just looked at the map and maybe it wasn’t Ostrava cos it’s miles in the wrong direction. Well it was a long time ago and an experience!
Can you also explain, why e.g. most of the archaeologist in Ireland are foreigners? I haven’t seen unemployed Irish archaeologist
Mackozer
How come there are polish archaeologists here? i have several friends with archaeological qualifications who are now undertaking another course because they cannot find a job in archaeology. i find this unusual. I thought that archaeology was an area where there were too many graduates in Ireland for too few jobs.
I truly hope that Polish people living and working in Ireland enjoy their time here and it would be really nice if they choose to stay. I work with many Polish people and I generally find them extremely friendly. I do think that Irish and Poles need to integrate more and I wish it would happen. I take the point that Irish people often gang together when they arrive on foreign soil but I do believe that this only happens in non-english speaking countries and even the, it is only until they are comfortable with the language.
i think the polish are hard working, decent people and the more the merrier… i have noticed some cultural differences - polish are very left brained people, very smart,intelligent and diligent. but in my experience they can lack spontanaety or a spark and seem serious or conventional, but i think its perhaps circumstantial to an extent.polish people have told me that irish people are more creative with humour and are friendlier but this is just opinion, not a nessecarily a reflection of reality and i do think that communism has left a residue in the polish psyque. but i think its good to have a bit of contrast, i work with many polish and they are a great bunch, the women are amazing and i cant help flirting with them!but then the boyfriend comes in and i hide behind some fat irish girl for safety ;-)!
but they do keep to themselves and perhaps they are happy this way, i dont know, i would be more than happy to meet with polish people if they wanted to integrate more, see who’s the most intellegent(after 10 pints of course…)!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!