Divide and conquer..

It’s a tried and tested method… used successfully for centuries by various regimes in various guises..

Turn the peasants against each other and distract them from the systematic abuse from their overlords..

Make the Private Sector resent the Public sector..
Make the Employed despise the unemployed..
Make the middle class fearful of the working class..
Hack the students to pieces, sure they’re just wasters anyhow…
Blame the immigrants, use them as scapegoats so that the natives have a target for their anger..

I”m sure the political/banking elites are only too delighted to see us all savage each other..
That way they can push through all sorts of Orwellian scenarios right under our very noses..

Fiscal Union..

F.U.

and everyone else by the looks of it…

Very fair article, I know, work with, socialise with allot of people from Poland, and like the Irish in Australia (which I was for 12 months) it only takes one bad story to ruin they’re reputation!! For this country to get back on it’s feet we need everybody who wants to be here, be it Polish, South African etc. to work together, we need to stump out benefit fraud regardless of nationality.

What does any of this have to do with racism?

Even though the politician in question is an eejit, he was mainly spouting off because someone appeared to be taking the piss re: dole payments, not because of their race (to be honest, even after reading the corrected translation, I still don”t understand why this girl couldn’t just relocate to somewhere else in Ireland to get a job instead of staying on the dole for 2 years – that’s what plenty of others are being forced to do).

I have travelled to many places and even worked abroad (currently living in Germany)- whilst I will admit that there is certainly a certain element of racism in Ireland, it is completely harmless compared to some other areas of Europe…

I would suggest that the author try out Germany (oh they love the Polish over here) or even look towards her own country (the skinheads gangs) if she wants to see the real dark side of racism…

The problem with Ireland is simply that it was too much in such a short space of time. In the 80s nobody would have dreamed to move to Ireland, in the 2000’s you had almost of all of Europe trying to move to Ireland.

They should have controlled it better to allow for better integration IMO.

It doesn’t matter where you go in this world, racism will always be present in some shape or form – sad, but true.

I dunno. All this storm in a teacup. If you really want to see racism and anti-Polish/Turkish/foreigner sentiment, then go to Germany. Far ahead of any Irish instances, by a country mile.

I never generalise but every single taxi driver in Dublin is racist

Oh God please give it a rest!!!!!, one pea brain politician shoots his mouth off and one rag exploits a story, and once again everyone is tripping over themselves to say how terrible the Irish are…. We aren’t racist for the most part. You will always get some bad eggs.
We are a soft touch as a nation, everyone knows this.

Hmmm, that was quite a brief article. I don’t feel much wiser on “what it’s really like being Polish in Ireland”. And, to be honest, if you are offended by someone complimenting you on your standard of English when it is not your first spoken language, you’re a bit hypersensitive.

“I’m Irish, sure racism is part of me culture.” Sergent Gerry Boyle.

Can I say something really unpopular? More than once I have been attacked by polish men who claim that I was being racist. In one instance, I got a punch in the face. Why? Well because some drunk Americans were saying some pretty nasty stuff about a polish girl standing next to me, when I told them to leave it out as she clearly didn’t understand their slang her friend punched me and not them. I’m all for being open and accepting but tolerance in all instances is a two way street. I wish my incident was a once off but I have heard of a lot of similar stories. By in large the polish community are fantastic, but just like the Irish the polish community have their problems with acceptance of other nationalities also.

Is there a nation on earth that is not in some way racist or xenophobic? I don’t think so.
I personally think Ireland has done very well to adjust in these rapidly changing times. Yes we have racists and yes we have narrow minded eejits but on the whole Irish society has done well to cope with significant changes and i’m confident we’ll continue to grow into the future.

One truth often overlooked is that many immigrants don’t like Ireland or Irish people at all and sometimes openly display it. And that’s natural! We can’t all like each other all the time, and we shouldn’t have to. But it doesn’t mean we can’t treat each other with respect.

Without getting into the politics of all this, I can only say what my experience has been.
In the early noughties, I was working in the airport, and we were crying out for staff, Irish people just weren’t applying for the jobs, this led to recruitment drives in Latvia and Lithuania. The company I worked for used an agency, and this agency put maybe 12-14 people into a 3 bedroom house miles away from the airport , then over charged them for basic services. Not only were these people filling jobs that Irish weren’t applying for , they were being ripped off in the process.
A few years later, I was working in a warehouse that was recruiting, NOT ONE Irish person applied for the jobs on offer. I ended up poaching Polish staff that I worked with previously.
I can honestly say that I have found most Polish people I have met, to be courteous , hard working , polite and decent.
the kind of sensationalist reporting that has been going on the last couple of days , is only taking the heat off the government, where it belongs.
Welfare recipients did not burst the bubble, or shift the sand foundations.
Without the influx of hard-working people to our country the boom-times wouldn’t have happened.
Don’t lose sight of where the real problem lies, and direct your anger at the people who truly deserve it, not the workers, and those willing to work

Hi Anna….well after reading your column I have to say that first of all it’s good that you still see Ireland as home and secondly the Xenophobia could be explained in a number of ways…In my opinion,Irish people really only experienced a different culture when the Poles and Latvians first came over here..I’ve worked with people from both countries and when I first met them I would speak slowly and ask them how they like Ireland and if they ever wanted to go back home etc..I felt very condescending towards them but I genuinely wanted to seem welcoming…Polish and Latvians are VERY good workers,there’s no denying that and the fact that the recession hit made people wonder how long it would take for them all to leave and ‘go where the money was’ but that’s life..it’s survival,I know from talking to my Polish friends how hard things were and still are in Poland and I myself would do the same thing.I would also hope that I’d be made welcome in the country I went to as well..anyway,all in all I just want to say that I believe a lot of Polish and Latvians have integrated themselves into Irish society extremely well and because they call Ireland home,have a right to have an opinion on our country….and here’s to many Irish people being made welcome in Poland for Euro 2012. żegnaj i powodzenia

How about an article on the ‘no Irish’ signs on building sites in Poland?

I’m Russian (duh – my nickname says it all!), I live in Ireland for 14 years (and paying taxes for over 12 years) and still I get this message from Jimmy Harte: “You are a waste [sic] Read the article. I wonder when you last had a non national in your home. Never I’d day [sic]”

I do have a “non national in my home”, even with my Irish passport – this “non national” is my fecking wife!

“one pea brain politician shoots his mouth off and one rag exploits a story” – and that’s the problem. We shouldn’t have “pea-brain” politicians.

Those, especially, who use degratory language in their political rethoric

I’d just like to comment on a snippet from the article written above
“‘Magda’, an unemployed Polish waitress who was said to be abusing the social welfare system, provoked an avalanche of reactions towards the Polish community in Ireland earlier this week.”

no there was not an avalanche of reactions towards the polish community at all , most of the comments where his made at the spongers on the dole who’ve never worked a day in their life in this country ……………….be it polish, Irish (because we have plenty of our own ), or any other national,
the system is all wrong and most certainly does not help those in most need , it only cater’s for those wankers who’ve been playing the system from the start

The problem with Ireland is that most people here never seem to know when to shut the fuck up.

Maybe if non-nationals realised that Cork people were treated a “little differently” in Dublin and Dublin people were “patronised” in Kerry etc. They might understand that some of this “underlying racism” is actually being treated as “one of us”. :) If an Irish person really has it in for you he’ll only talk behind your back anyway. What’s difficult to manage is avoiding our tendancy to use the unique attributes of a person in a rhymingput-down. While “baldy boll*x” and “fat f*cker” are ok “black bas**rd” is not allowed just because it’s a skin colour and it’s the second part is the actual put-down! :) How cruel to us natives to have to bite our tongues on that one! :)

Exactly the same stereotypical stuff irish people had to endure in the uk in the 60′s and 70′s. The bad actions of the few tarnished the majority.

i had a slagging match with a polish girl yesterday about magda and my polish friend said in fairness if u go to a different country and not work for a year and a half well that’s not right. this reminded me that when i lived outside Ireland for nearly 12 years i wasn’t out of work for more than a 2/3 weeks. i didn’t care who asked me what. i didn’t care about the Irish jokes. i didn’t care about been called a thick paddy or a thick mick. i grew around my surroundings and that’s how i got on. The polish girl i was talking too, i can see does the same. but the majority of foreign nationals that come here don’t. this is where the divide is. we are treated as the racists, maybe before someone packs their bags to head off to a different country they should do some research on the culture so they can understand how to interact better.. also every foreigner i meet i will ask them questions the very same way i ask every new Irish person i meet. that’s politeness bet into me from when i fell out of the pram

Everyone is missing the point…WE ARE ALL BEING SCREWED OVER BY MY MASTERS IN EUROPE!! and this is yet again an attempt to distract us from the real issue and sadly its working…Why can’t WE ALL live in a Europe where we are free to travel and work? Why can’t every citizen have an education, a job, a house, health care, a pension??
I’m Irish, I love my country and what it (use to) stand for but if we allow this system to continue there wont be an Ireland or a Poland. Instead we have a Untied states of Franco/Germany WHERE we will be second class citizen’s..WAKE THE FUCK UP PEOPLE..

In some ways, that article is as sensationalist as anything that was written or said yesterday. I admit that I haven’t really spoken to anyone about it but I’ve been tracking the story, listening to radio talk shows and reading comments and for the most part, people have had nothing but positive things to say about the polish community while they lament the press for printing the article and Jimmy Harte for jumping on the bandwagon. Even before it came to light that the story was essentially a manipulated fabrication, most of the anger was directed at the fact that someone would openly brag about living a comfortable life on dole (not to mention calling the place a shithole) and not at the fact that it was a foreigner doing it. Of course, that wasn’t always the case, but it was, for the most part, the general tone of the comments.

I do believe that this is being blown out of all proportion by misguided morons using a poor translation.

But in fairness more of these racists and xenophobes need to travel the world and see and meet its people instead of having the sole goal of collecting money and things.

Many polish and other immigrants have a decent work ethic – fair play, anyone who works hard deserves to be paid. That said, I think that many of us have yet to realise just how different the mindset of eastern Europeans is to our own. This is a vastly different culture and it’s not too surprising when you consider where they’re coming from. Polish in particular are one generation from the clutches of the soviets and the mentality still exists. I know a polish man well, his name is Janusz and he has told me many time of how difficult and calculating polish women really are – his words not mine. I could go on a rant about polish women, my impression, that of my friends, but the real point here is don’t expect a people as different as eastern Europeans to integrate in any real way in a few short years. They have not and they won’t. They largely remain apart from the Irish community and it is my opinion that it will not change until two things happen.
1/ The Irish economy recovers
2/ Poland loses it’s post communist attitudes

I might add that after 14 years in Ireland, Janusz runs an insulation business in the black economy, still drives a polish car and always tells me that whatever Ireland has…it’s better in Poland. He doesn’t really mean it as a slight against the country, he just can’t help himself…

FFS Who cares? Seriously! Irish, Polish, Australian, English,its the same crap everywhere, we’re all the bloody same, just the roles reversed in whatever country applies. Why the big shock that you are treated somewhat a little different, even in a subtle way. What do you expect?? You come to an island that has no history of immigration , that can barely manage an influx of wealth, of which it subsequently lost, and you expect that you wont be treated somewhat even a little different?

Im glad you are here to stay, we need a bigger population anyway to function better. And that was a well written article, but no offence, there was no need for it.

Paddy Irishman, Paddy Scotsman and Paddy Englishman………I’ve been hearing those jokes since I was born!! And that people was a loooong time ago.

Casual racism is almost a national pastime. Just like drinking really. Most of us do it, sometimes more then we should, without thinking about the consequences and when we f#*k up we just shrug our shoulders and call it a “bit of craic” and forget it ever happened. Ive done it myself, Ive witnessed it happen and Ive been on the receiving end of it when I worked abroad. We need to have a serious debate in this Country about this subject, Im just worried that it will take something far more sinister to make this happen. As if a national newspaper publishing the kind of drivel it has isnt serious enough in the first place.

It’s all well when it ends well.

And with this particular occasion, the response of the Irish public re what went on with Magda can not be faulted. I was not born in Ireland btw. But give out about my Irish people and I will bite your head off (this is a general remark, has nothing to do with the above article, which I can relate to and find fair, even if.. reactive).

And you know what? That is how any other foreign national who considers Ireland to be their home feels like, impossible not to develop a feeling of belonging.

Cuppa tea?

Having read the original Magda article using Google Translate, I have decided that if I was one of the 30 million + people living in Poland, I would definitely head here to take advantage of the fantastic Irish social welfare system. Free education, subsidized accommodation and free advice on setting up my own business once I’ve spent enough time reflecting on my life!

Ireland does not have monopoly for eijits and racists. But I will not say that whole country behaves like that – I wouldn’t be here, I wouldn’t want to raise my daughter fearing she will be abused verbally.

I’ve heard stories about Irish citizens acting like racists, but I’ve saw with my own eyes how some of my fellow countrymen are living here like rats, drinking without limits, breaking law and so on. What I’m trying to say is you shouldn’t judge whole nation by few people. I’ve tried to “merge” with Irish instead of spending my time in my own ghetto going to work and coming straight home. That action was appreciated here, I got lots of friends here and we have a good craic from time to time in pub, bowling lane or shooting grounds. I don’t have to be liked by everyone but I respect Irish nation, your culture and your rules.
Damn shame about Poles without decent English – but it’s not a problem of the Irish society. It’s a problem of those people who are trying their luck, because they are limiting themselves. Imagine going to other country, breaking a leg and not being able to call for help.

Some will blame us for condition of Irish economy. Others will leave us be, while others may just look like racist – this is Ireland people are slagging each other all the time! Irish are slagging each other too you just have to get used to it! At the end of the day we will all go to TESCO for some groceries while our birds will get new tops from Penneys ;) Live and let live. There is a massive amount of Poles here – history repeats itself some time ago Irish were going to Canada, USA or Australia looking for better lives. We are doing the same. I’m settling in with my family here. I don’t think those who worked with me in Burger King in Dundalk believed I’m here to stay.

I’m not Polish, nor Irish, but.I have lived here for 14 years. I have been fleeced by the Irish government just like everyone, I pay taxes etc etc. that makes me think I have the right to speak my mind. I don’t hide my name, but I have been thinking of changing my user name into some irish name, because i have been told to ‘shut my ass’ , not to talk about ‘the Irish’ and worst of all that I come from a country where sodomy and porn is rife. I don’t think it’s important where I come from, and most people in Ireland like me when they know me. But seeing this foreign name of mine provokes a good few of the Journal.ie readers to shout( on the keyboard) abuse at me. That can only be xenophobia!

The 19th century is thataway.

There needs to be no further comment or input in relation to this article.
Anna has described the polish situation with perfection.
Well done

Can we all not just get along

Well done, very true and at least, for now, we have no extreme Right-Wing parties!

We need to scrap this free movement of labour idiocy and bring in a system like the one being used in Australia and the one being proposed in the UK.

wot? I couldn’t understand you. do you speak english?

As a Italian descent, Brazilian born (and proudly living in Sao Paulo-Brazil), with some years of experience living in the Irish society (Where I worked for the HSE) and fortunately bringing in 2 weeks my polish girlfriend who I met in Dublin to Brazil , I remember no long ago, when still living there, reading about Young Irish people living in Australia, and being nick named as “Green Niggas”.

Now, Mr. “Stay With” …What do u think about the Aussies saying that??

Yours sincerely,
Brazilian in Brazil, (The country which received 500k Ukrainian, 1milliom japanese, 1.8 milliom poles, 5million germans, 20 million italians decendants, and many other nationalities since the Second World War)…and proud of it.

Great article, I happen to work with a group of great Polish people and even when I am on my own in the room with them they speak Polish
Is that discrimination or racism?

Caveman.

Ah the polish are grand, white European christians are always welcome in Ireland. As for the rest of the immigrants, the non white Europeans, well I am sure their mothers love them….

In our new Ireland Poles are a part (not apart).

I need to do some research on this, but, would I be correct in saying that the only limit on the number of Europeans that can come to Ireland to look for work and then get on the social welfare system if they can’t find work, is the number of people living in Europe?

Isn’t that a bit risky? I mean, let’s say this country ends up in a recession, heading for a depression, and services are being cut all over the place and work is hard to find. Could this country, in that situation, afford to have potentially millions more people receiving social welfare?

……won’t somebody please think of the can children!!!!!! ( Simpsons needlessly hysterical joke) :-)

have a look at the same Irish faces outside your local pub having a smoke on a daily basis ! maybe a story about Irish welfare abusers would be welcome !

Fair dues, a good article. People tend to turn to xenophobia and racism when the times are tough, looking for a scapegoat to place some of their woes onto. It’s good to see a Polish person speaking out about the subject so we can see it from the other point of view.

I don’t go along with all the ceád mile failte (CMF) stuff and never did. So with that comment you can label me with whatever derogatory names you want, if that makes you feel good.

In the opening lines we have the wonderfully CMF line “Polish born Dubliner Anna Pas”.
This lady is NOT a Dubliner no matter how polite the Journal is trying to be.

Other nice names like the ‘new Irish’ are also politically correct nonsense.

The author suggests we should stop thinking that it is the immigrants that should be ‘Blamed for creating the crisis’
…I haven’t heard that one before, and I’m not sure anyone is really saying that.
How many people have said this and who are they ? Urban myths can work both ways…

Personally, I reckon most came here for a good time, not for a long time. With absolutely no historic or cultural connections, a different language and a different way of life, its hard to think otherwise.

I guess the acid test is to ask;
how many Poles came here from 1987-97 ?
Or in the 10 years post the break-up of the Soviet Union if you prefer ?

I have always believed that the enforced immigration policy that was foisted upon us by FF’s lust for power was wrong.
Dressed up politely as ‘multiculturialism’ it was culturally irresponsible to do what they did.

Wow slow down everyone there will always be small minded people who fear change , and some times blame that on the change in the people around them cause they have a different accent , are a different colour ,gender, religion , or different shaped hat ! So whets the surprise !? Anyway welcome and did I read it right your single and looking ? Ha

I’m English lived here 10yrs but still don’t feel accepted going home soon shame because I love Ireland just not some of the people :(

most of the people i find are racist in ireland are un educated.and dont want to work. its a shame magdas story was written in this way by the media.

Attacking the Poles seems to be the ‘acceptable’ racism that the English would reserve for the Irish. At least Darren Scully was quickly removed from his position and faced legal ramifications, Judge Mary Devins appears to not be in danger of the same treatment.

I would wager that proportionally less Poles are on welfare than native Irish here in Ireland.

Arbeit Macht Frei Polskis

Hello Anna,
I found your article accidentally while searching for some information about Ireland as my possible future holiday destination. You’re article kind of cheered me up, as I had similar impressions and small talks with people not in Ireland, but in the Netherlands, where I had been to an exchange for half a year. I am half Polish half Dutch and I speak dutch, although a little bit worse than polish, where I have spent most of my life, still fluent though. Oh my god, I just could not stand all those small conversations with native students starting from: ‘I clearly hear, you have an accent. Where are you from?’ and ‘ How can it be, that you speak so good dutch’?, haha. And the I had again and again recall my twisted life story. Then I had some problems with making friendships with natives from my course, which kind of upsetted me, because that was what I was counting for. Native students and foreign students although in one course, where usually keeping apart (everything was thought in english), not socialising much. But well, not everywhere you do make friends, I suppose and every nation has its habits.
2012 was a difficult year for a Polish immigrant, so to see. In the Netherlands, the populists became openly hostile towards Polish workers and there was a website created for reporting people from Central-East Europeans if they cause any noise or are drinking. Crazy!
Me personally, I have not heard a lot of bad words from Dutch people towards Polish. Only one fellow student, my lab partner, was pushing my boundaries by teasing me with stuff like: ‘hmm, measuring EC is such a Polish job’ or while introducing me to his mates: ‘This is my Polish’. -’Oh, Polish? Fspsjjpsjj!’. Another aquiantance asked me, if we are drunk all the time. For contrary, my dutch cousins friends where cool and one of them had a friend, who’s girl was Polish, other one went on an exchange and learned to speak fluently Polish in half a year, another was working with some Polish lads and although some of them told me, that yes, there is stereotype of a Polish who works hard drinks much, then I cannot complaint this much.
Anyways, I agree, that it all starts in your head and props for the article and the comments, I think it became a quite interesting discussion.

Hi, Im Luke, Im Polish guy from Krakow living in Ireland for nearly two years, i”ve never came across any rasism. Irish people are in my opinion the most friendly people in europe. If we – Polish were at least half that tolerant compared to Irish – wow – that would be success! But for now, we can still learn a lot from them. We are often oversensitive – there are few reasons why is that but this could be long and boring story… I dont want to speak for other people or other nations but in my opinion the key thing is to try to socialise with irish people as much as it is possible so they can get know more about us, and think about us not only as “workers”. My Irish friend John from my working place came up with an idea to create little fotball team so we can play sometimes after work and I think its great idea becouse this is another opportunity to socialise! Ireland can make Polish people only “better” providing that we are on the right place with good people that we are surrounded by. Most Polish who worked in the past here in Ireland and now are back in Poland are now basically better, nicer people… really.. its like good washing machine for us. I realize that now when the recession is still visible everyone who came here to work can be potentially under fire. I also can understand young generation of Irish people that will be looking for job in near future. I respect and aprecciate the fact that I can work. I”m an Engineer and all I can say is that even if I was to leave Ireland becouse of some reasons I”lI try to do my best to leave company only in better condition so anybody after me would continue what I”ve started. Ireland and Irish People always been and will be number one best friends for Poland. They have excellent opinion in PL and they are very very welcome!

Anna,

Thank you very much for representing Polish nation in Irish journalism. You couldnt describe the problem of ” indirect xenophobia” any better… the highly sympathetic stories about cleaning ladies are bizzarre! Thankfully there is a new topic this year on people`s mouth that might be just a saver …Euro 2012 in Poland.
I am glad to see that your article caused a bit of stir, well let` s better call it a brainstorming session! :-) Those are always good, random sugesstions might actually bring us somewhere! Good luck in your career!

@Tom, you should be careful how you word things. On reflection you might want to retract that outrageous accusation.

Zapomnialas chyba z jakiego kraju pochodzisz.