Is there a problem with emigrants returning to Ireland for holidays and “sneering” at the country? 

While most emigrants love to return home and often develop rose tinted glasses about the place they left behind, that is not the case for everyone. 

On Moncrieff, Irish Times contributor Céire Sadlier said emigrants complaining about Ireland was a phenomenon that had started “getting under my skin”. 

“They say the place is a kip,” she said. 

“When they come back they might be giving out about things that they suddenly think are very colloquial or the types of traditions that we are used to in Ireland that they suddenly want to mock - things like the Angelus or the Late Late Show. 

“And they come back and go, ‘Are you guys still doing that?’ Like we’re a bunch of eejits basically. 

“And I’m thinking, ‘Hang on, you only left a few weeks ago.’”

An aerial view of the Cliffs of Moher. Picture by: scenicireland.com / Christopher Hill Photographic / Alamy Stock Photo. 

Ms Sadlier continued that it is this “sneering” attitude that irritates her the most. 

“I don’t hear people talking as badly about the places they go as they do about home,” she said. 

“Even though when I go to these places I can see the flaws straight away. 

“But I wouldn’t dare be as critical of those places to the people from those places as Irish people are about Ireland.”

The Dingle Peninsula. Picture by: Alamy.com. 

Given that she was born in Malawi and then “moved around a lot” in Africa afterwards, Ms Sadlier feels she has a special perspective on life in Ireland. 

“I suppose the places I was living in weren’t maybe as glamorous or as high functioning as New York or Sydney where many of our emigrants go,” she said. 

“I always thought of Ireland as home and as a nirvana, somewhere where I wanted to go. 

“I’ve always adored it and, of course, I get upset about plenty of things that happen in Ireland. 

“But I don’t know if it’s a respect thing; I get sad about things but I don’t turn around and start talking in a degrading way about my home - the place I’m from.”

Main image: An older man sitting at a table with a glass of beer. Picture by: Alamy.com.