Suddenly what was previously unsayable is out in the open accurately and honestly.
Rather than the false equivalence of the sectarian narrative, the Catholics in Scotland have found their voice.
This isn’t great news for the well-funded anti-sectarianism industry in Fair Caledonia.
Take this, for example, from…
Their opinion on the flag of my country actually says a lot more about them than it does about the multi-generational Irish community in Scotland.
It was encouraging to see them being called out for it.
For years the anti-sectarianism industry in Scotland has peddled the “both sides are as bad as each other” Orwellian narrative.
Finally, the truth is seeping out into the mainstream.
For example, this podcast with Stuart Cosgrove and Eamonn O’Neill is really excellent and worth your time.
They hit more nails on the head than a pair of time served joiners on bonus!
I also thought that the questions from Englishman Steve Richards indicated just how much that anti-Irish racism had been Scotland’s very well kept dirty little secret.
The featured image is from back in the day, with the Irish flag flying above the old Jungle enclosure.
In the 1950s the staunch brethren at the Scottish Football Association wanted it taken down. There was a standoff and the flag is still there.
It is rather sad that an anti-sectarian charity in 2021 appears to have the same view as the SFA in the 1950s on the Irish tricolour.
Your humble correspondent was born in that decade and the implicit message that was transmitted throughout my childhood was that the natives didn’t really want us in their delightful little part of Britain.
Yesterday, across my social media, Catholics in Scotland, many of Irish heritage, were sharing their life experiences of being causally disparaged or openly attacked because of their background.
There were lots of these memories being shared.
This one was the most poignant.
For previous generations, the only practical survival strategy was to get a comfy seat at the back of the bus and silently endure the racist insults.
Could this be a Me Too moment for Catholics and the multi-generational Irish community in Scotland?
I hope so.
Anti-Catholic hatred and anti-Irish racism is a shameful blemish on an otherwise fair-minded country.
Scotland should not let the Ibrox klan define them.
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One of my work colleagues said to me that on the day of the George square celebration, the police used the section 14 rule (his words) to kettle the peaceful fans, his sons video of this happening proved that the police were the aggressive driver in all the cases of violence, i told him that the police were dispersing the crowd FROM George square to let other people enjoy Glasgow, i asked him to see the video of the kettling incident and his reply was that my mind has been to believe that rangers fans are always bad, he then said what about your mob wrecking Glasgow the next day, sometimes bemused is a weak word, sometimes silence is best, i stood and stared at my working colleague for approximately 30 seconds in silence until he left my vicinity wondering if the kettling actually happened?
In the late eighties I applied for an apprenticeship with one of the largest (then) electrical contractors in Scotland. The recruitment was via an access course in a Technical College. However, one of the lecturers took me aside and told me despite having the highest exam results in the class, I had no chance of getting the job as I went to a Catholic secondary school and the company had a policy of not ‘knowingly’ employing Catholics. He told me I could try falsely claiming to have gone to a non domination school but to put my correct exam results down which is what I did. I got the job, worked very successfully for two years, passed my electrical exams (highest grades possible) until I ended up working with another employee who turned out to be from my local area. He pressed me on school, football team I supported and then reported his suspicion I was a “Dirty Pape” to the manager. I was ‘interviewed’ by the manager then sacked four days later for ‘misrepresentation on my original application form’ – yes, the school I went to. Turned out for the best as I went to University, gained my degree and the company in question went out of business in the mid 1990s. Things have not changed at all. I know a Civil Servant who recently openly boasted that when recruiting he automatically rejects all applicants from schools with a ‘Saint’ in front of the name. I advise my children, nieces and nephews not to put the school they went to in job applications if at all possible as there are far too many bigots who will use that that as an excuse to dismiss job applications from anyone who went to a Catholic school.
Found this in a document entitled “Legal Definition Of Sectarian Working Group (published 2018)
it is within judicial knowledge that the term “Fenian” is used by a certain section of the population to describe a person either of Irish ancestry or even a person of the Roman Catholic faith, whether of Irish ancestry or not. Coupled with the derogatory term “bastard”, this is either an expression of religious prejudice or racial bigotry or both.[41]
Hopefully we will see a change happening but I don’t expect it to be quick that’s for sure. Coming from the little town just down the road from you, Coatbridge, my own experiences with Civic Scotland were not the most endearing and, having moved to England some 30+ years ago, I am pleased that my children, with Irish names, experienced no negative issues as a result.
I fear for the hatred they may have experienced in Scotland, the questions about school, football team, priest name etc used to find out your religion (my school did not have ‘Saint’ in front of it so often confused them.
My own experiences included…as a ten year old child with protestant friends…not being allowed to train with them at a Saturday school football team run by a local police officer as in his words…I was a little Fenian bastard and can f’ off to train / play with my own type.
In later years this same police officer, in full uniform, attending an Orange Walk, stopped a band at one point in the road and told them to play the Billy Boys and as they did he happily walked up and down punching the air and getting the crowd to sing it.
On another occasion I was arrested for allegedly attacking an Orange Walk, by chance an ex soldier and his wife who were stood beside me saw the incident, found out who I was, where I lived and went to see my parents to inform them of my innocence, the man attended court for me where two police officers perjured themselves with two completely different stories of where I was and what I was doing…needless to say, thanks to my witness I was found not guilty. Whilst in custody following my arrest I was beaten by three police /CID officers for being a Fenian Bastard and for the ‘hatred in my eyes’ (I actually worked with the daughter of one of the CID who held my head up for one of the others to punch me before laying in a few digs himself.
Another occasion I applied to hold a St Patrick’s day parade in the town, the police decided it would be a good idea to actually visit my place of work, speak to my manager, himself an Orangeman and Freemason, then call me in to the office to discuss my application…I had never given my work details. (To be fair to my manager and what he was and knowing what I was, I never experienced any issues with him).
There were many many more experiences witnessed or subjected to…as per many more of your followers…
Here’s to the day Scotland starts removing them from powers of authority and punishing them accordingly…
Wow , what an extraordinary story, I thought I was picked on by certain foreman in the Glasgow shipyards, but nothing like this, my mother was non catholic but it was her who got us up on Sunday to go to mass. The catholic, Protestant, Celtic, Rangers shit was the main reason why my wife and I emigrated to NZ.
I went to a so called non denominational school and was belted on more than one occasion at prayers when I’d forget myself and say the Lord’s Prayer in the form I said it at mass (“who art in heaven” and not the mandatory “which art in heaven” and asking forgiveness for “trespasses” instead of “debts”). There is NO SUCH THING as a non denominational school in Scotland. They’re all strictly Church of Scotland.