What caused the hate?

Question

I'm trying to find more information on why the Irish had such a hatred towards Britain for so long. I know there were many instances, and I'm happy to get any information I can, but I'm especially interested in the ealier "feuds" rather than the latter. But like I said any and all pertinent information is helpful!

Answer 1

well your question is a very easy question to answer, however the answer is not so short although I will try to make it as short as possible.

So heres the story, in the mid 12th century there were two main kings of Ireland. Rory O'Conner and Dermit McMurrugh. Rory owned the west side of Ireland and Dermit the east (including Dublin). So after many years of fighting it looked as though Rory was going to win and become the first real king of Ireland. So because of this Dermit went to King Henry who was involved in a war with the French at that time and asked him for his support in order to defeat Rory.

Problem was as I stated above henry was already at war and so he told Dermit, sorry I can't help you. After a few days of negogiation Henry decided to give Dermit a letter which stated that he would allow any English noble who choose to, to go and fight with Dermit. So Dermit took this letter and went to as many nobles as he could find asking for there help.

Alas no one wanted to help him, so just before he was going to go back to Ireland with the assured idea that he was going to lose everything he met a noble who was a legend for his time. The man he met was called Strongbow. no one knows his real name anymore, but strongbow is still famous today. Anyways so Dermit and Strongbow whent back to Ireland and defeated Rory O'Conner and Dermit became the first real king of Ireland. However the price he had to pay was to let Strongbow marry his daughter and give Strongbow controll over Dublin. Naturally once this was done Strongbow moved in all his English friends to govern different parts of Dublin and the surrounding areas.

After a few years (ie 20 or 30) Henry begain to notice that Strongbow was building a big force of support in Ireland. Henry then became a little worried about this as he new of Strongbows abilities and begain to think that Strongbow might try to invade England. And so in the mid 12th centurey 1154 I think Henry first went to Ireland under the authority of the Bull De Libilliter (or letter from the pope, which he had recieved several years earlier instructing him to go to Ireland but he ignored it because he was fighting France) and quickly made a treaty with Strongbow and all other Irish kings including Rory O'Conner in which England would defend Ireland against attack from outsiders and from itself in return for Ireland immigration into the British Empire.

And thus from this comes todays situation in Ireland. Those of the IRA for example are big supporters of Rory O'Conner and those who like England support Dermit McMurrugh. As for the religion of catholic verses prodistant, that was a slighty latter development into the political problem of who is King, needless to say this was the invasion of Ireland that wasent really an invassion.

Answer 2

Lisa S gave the best answer I've ever seen written about Ireland and the reasons for the fighting. Is this why Mr. William Henry Gates III named his first son Rory?
I was clueless why he would ever name the child Rory, and here appears to be the answer. It's a nice name, although I never knew the history.
I copied everything Lisa S wrote about this subject. It's always been a mystery to me why some Irish are so different from others, and why they continue to fight.
Are there any suggestions for working towards a lasting peace? Can the Irish be trusted on their own. It can't be much protection with the British Empire if they keep killing each other.

Answer 3

Fundamentally, it boils down to the hatred of the outside conqueror being far greater than the hatred of each other. The Irish who moved to Scotland and became Scots are exactly the same (see the Highland clans vs. the Lowlanders/English - we could ask the Picts how they felt about the conquering Irish, but of course they're all dead now..). Heck, the 'free' Gauls vs. the Romanized Gauls/Romans were no different. Pick a group - it's generally the same.

Answer 4

I think it had started back when the English ruled that region I think it was with Henry the VIII,and considered the Irish their subjects, and being so they treated them like dogs, they taxed them to poverty, took their land and they were ruthless in their treatment towards them. You can't tick off an Irishman and expect them not to retaliate, that's what happened and with a vengeance every chance they could. After the potato famine there was a large part of the Irish population moved to the US in search of a better life. I hope that helped.

Answer 5

This conflict all boils down to the potato. The English mashed the crops and stole the land. They also drank all the bushmills....never to be forgiven.

Of course, conquest, near slavery in feudal wrapper, discrimination, religous strife, and the murder of family members did not help.

Potato or the english doing their royal domination as an imperial power unjustly enriching their treasury....you pick.

Answer 6

the hate, apparently, is not towards the British, but towards the English solely.

Answer 7

I think it's because they cut down all our trees and made us refer to Englishmen as gentlemen.

(:

Answer 8

centuries of abuse and imperialism... anyway, i could explain it but it would take about 2 hours...

... be happy to know, that we are starting to be more friendly these days....

Answer 9

My dad was born there and he doesn't hate the british.

Ok I lied

Answer 10

devil make us kill each other.