While studying abroad in Ireland, the Irish made it quite apparent to me what they thought of Americans. I was constantly questioned as to why we Americans have such a warped view of what Ireland and Irish culture really is. Almost every Irish person I met would complain to me about Americans coming to Ireland and claiming that they were Irish when they had some great grandfather that grew up there and that’s it. They all laughed at the band Flogging Molly, which in Ireland basically means Raping Molly. If you want to listen to what Irish people listen to, then look up Crazy Frog; it had the number one song for a month there.
The number one beer sold in Ireland is Budweiser, not Guinness. Guinness is considered an old man’s drink there. There are many other things as well, but the biggest issue, in my opinion, is the drink that many people will be drinking here in America on St. Patrick’s Day: the Irish Car Bomb.
While I was abroad my American roommate tried to order an Irish Car Bomb at the bar. The bartender just stared at him and told him they don’t sell them. My roommate was confused, until I reminded him what a car bomb means to Irish people. Car bombs in Ireland are no fun thing.
Car bombs were a major weapon in the Irish Republican Army’s fight against Northern Ireland. The car bomb’s biggest deployment by the IRA was on Friday, July 21, 1972, in a major attack on Belfast in Northern Ireland. They used 22 car bombs on the city on that day, which was known forever after as Bloody Friday. As one person described the day, “At the height of the bombing, the center of Belfast resembled a city under artillery fire; clouds of suffocating smoke enveloped buildings as one explosion followed another, almost drowning out the hysterical screams of panicked shoppers.” The attack caused significant damage not only to Northern Ireland but also to the IRA.
Bloody Friday destroyed much of the IRA’s heroic underdog popular image, produced deep revulsion amongst ordinary Catholics and eventually led to major changes in the IRA. Before this, the British were the ones committing the horrible atrocities. After this attack, the British received a major reprieve from the worldwide condemnation they were getting beforehand.
This is a very controversial subject to say the least; there are many that feel Bloody Friday was completely justified. Regardless, please know the history of the Irish Car Bomb before you go thinking you are paying a tribute to Ireland by drinking one. If you are in full support of the IRA and what it has done for Ireland then I could kind of see how drinking an Irish Car Bomb could be paying proper tribute. But before you go do that, you might want to look up the history of the IRA and decide from there.
Guinness is not a beer. It’s a stout. Beer and stout are two very different things! And lots of young people drink it too.
Stout is indeed a type of beer.
It depends on where you are. In most of the world (including the US), “beer” means lager (Budweiser, Miller, Pilsner Urquell), ale (Bass, Fuller’s, Smithwick’s), AND stout (Guinness, Murphy’s, Beamish).
In the British Isles (and, I would guess, Ireland), “beer” typically refers strictly to ales, while lagers and stouts are referred to as, well, lager and/or stout. That’s probably where the confusion comes from.
It’s not really that offensive… I doubt this moron actually ever went to Éire, the people there are not at all hateful towards Americans only douche bags that come over and think that every Irish Man wants to fight and pound Jameson all day. I feel like the OP is one of those uneducated Douche Bags just typing some nonsense on things he actually has no idea about… “Crazy Frog”give me a break… The Top 20 in Ireland is no different than any where else… lady Gaga, Brittney Spears, Katy Perry,etc…Someone Like You- Adele is The Number 1 song in… Read more »
FFS.I’m Irish born and bred and I dont think I have ever felt quite so patronised in my life. “A loving , Simple people”. Any negative feeling most people I know would feel towards Americans visiting my country (yes there is some but its nothing personal as it’s not a uniquely American thing to do. Germans do it to)Is due to this overly romantic view of our culture without any attempt to grasp the reality of it. The “warped” view as the author called it that you have exhibited beautifully. Second. You will not be served an Irish carbomb if… Read more »
J Fitzpatrick, shut up you moron. You know nothing about Ireland, see SGC’s post below. I was raised in Ireland…in the North to be exact and everything that SGC said is spot one. I spent 8 years working in a bars there and can safely say that if anyone had asked myself or any of the people I worked with for a car bomb, Irish car bomb, Belfast car bomb or anything like that, not only would you not have received it but you would have been thrown out of the bar. Who gives a crap if some idiot in… Read more »
NO mention of the Monaghan and Dublin car bombs that claimed the lives of 33 totally innocent people, mostly young women and an unborn child.
This occurred on 17th may 1974 and in 1993 the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) a Protestant terror organisation, claimed responsibility for the atrocity, but there was ample proof of collusion by the British security forces. No, car bombs are best not mentioned in a bar, especially when you do not know what you are talking about.
I was wondering what name the drink was called in Ireland?
“It’s not really that offensive….The creation is well documented locally and those present at the creation are still alive.” Oh, really? Not that offensive to whom, exactly? What difference does it make if the thoughtless people who came up with the drink are still alive…more to the point is the fact that many of those of us who experienced actual car bombs–you know, those explosive devices used by terrorists that blew the centres out of our towns, killed our friends, forced us to grow up with a fear of every parked car–are also still alive, and we *do* find it… Read more »
What a bias and inaccurate argument (Crazy frog? Lol). Im Irish (born here, grew up in the north) and have no problem with the cocktail itself, although would like to point out that car bombs are not in any respect a uniquely Irish phenomenon (sadly, they have been used around the world by various groups)! Surely if we were were to apply the same standards across the board, we would also be taking offence at any product associated with violence? For example, Agent Orange, the cocktail named after the chemical weapons used by the American military against the Vietnamese. By… Read more »
Go raibh maith agat!
You’re calling him biased and inaccurate and then saying the same thing he is. There’s no such thing as a “car bomb cocktail”, there’s a cocktail called the “Irish car bomb” and that’s it (it’s called “Irish” because it contains Irish drinks. I’m sure people in Vietnam aren’t too keen on Agent Orange cocktails and Americans wouldn’t be happy about a 9/11 sandwich. He’s not saying that Irish people are annoyed at the drink, he’s saying they’re annoyed at the name and I’m sure plenty of them are. He’s not trivialising the troubles at all. He’s writing an article explaining… Read more »
Just light two shots of 151 on fire and call it the twin towers. Even Steven.
What can you lads tell me about the Cromwellian Land Adventurers? (circa 1642) I have a suspicion that I may be a direct descendant of one of those blokes. Blimey!
Is this supposed to be journalism? Awful! Agree completely with Meh
I was thinking about the Car Bomb. I was thinking about the Kamikazi. I was thinking about the Depth Charge. I was thinking about December 7th. I was thinking about Veterans Day. I was thinking about wars worldwide across time and the losses to us all of family and friends. I was thinking about St. Patricks Day. I saw millions of people, Mothers, Fathers, Sons and Daughters, lifting Car Bombs ( now) or Depth Charges( in the past)and toasting each other in happiness and peace. I saw millions worldwide on St Patricks Day,of all countries and creeds, lifting glasses,their voices… Read more »
It is fairly funny that the author included that the Irish laugh at the “Irish Americans” for listening to such musical acts as Flogging Molly when the lead singer, Dave King, is from Dublin and some of their albums are recorded there. And by the way, if you want something to laugh at, please check out crazy frog on youtube, talk about an uncultured ridiculous video of a cartoon frog, and that was what was chart topping in Ireland? As Shane MacGowan stated, “The harp that once in Tara’s hall is burning in the dump.” I am pretty sure that… Read more »
This article is from 2007. That Crazy frog song was a ring tone and was top of the charts because people were buying the ring tone for their phones. Flogging Molly are known among a few here but they’re just not a big band, not that anyone would turn their noses up at them. The author is clueless. If Budweiser is the most popular beer then it’s because it’s cheap to buy in the shops, not many buy it in pubs. Of the pubs I frequent it’s usually Guinness or Heineken being drank. I wouldn’t take Shane McGowans words so… Read more »
Lol at getting offended by a drink name. I prefer to drink Holocaustails at my local jewish bar.
Ryan you sir are my hero!,Top drawer.
Irish is as Irish does.
Irish is as Irish does. You all are trolls.