Date: Sun, 14 May 2000 18:11:27 +0100
From: chris-AT-cryptic.demon.co.uk
Subject: Re: Scots..



>Despite being Glaswegian, I'd been trying to stay out of this
>discussion, seeing little "avant-garde" in picking over Glasgow's scabs,
>but I don't want to see it romanticised as a clan-thing, with its
>international tourist appeal, "tartan days" (a purely US invention, by
>the way), and the like, so here goes...
>
>There's nothing as romantic as "clans" as an explanation of the
>divisions in Glasgow and West Central Scotland. The protestant/catholic
>discrimination is much more to do with the immigration of Irish workers
>in the 19th-early 20th century, when Glasgow was at its industrial peak.
>The predominantly Catholic immigrants were discriminated against, in
>terms of better housing, jobs, etc.

I think it goes back a bit longer than this. To the conquest of Ireland in
the 17th and 18th centuries by the British Empire, and the Scots who were
sent over to colonise the place, being the ancestors of todays Loyalists
and Unionists. The fact that the West coast Scots were mainly descended
from Irish celts themselves was conveniently forgotten in the name of the
new Protestant faith.

Sectarianism lives on in Glasgow and the West coast of Scotland, whereas it
has at least become less relevant in the East than used to be the case.
However it has not ceased to exist entirely... the Drumcree riots a few
years ago were stoked by, amongst others, an Orange Lodge Brigade from West
Lothian. The annual march by the James Connelly Society in Edinburgh has
been banned for the past few years, the authorities citing violent
incidents. However, this ban seemingly does not apply to the Orange Order,
who have recently started marching again in Edinburgh.

>An overt manifestation of the whole division is in the followings for
>Celtic and Rangers Football Clubs, sectarian monoliths which poison the
>whole of Scottish football, vampiring support in every town away from
>the local teams.

Thousands of "Old Firm" supporters travel over on the ferry from Northern
Ireland for matches too. The dominance of Celtic and Rangers sectarianism
means there are few decent football clubs in N.I. either. Unless you count
gaelic football of course... Similarly, in Liverpool around 10,000
supporters regularly travel over for home matches from the Irish Republic.

>A common, almost introductory line on
>meeting anyone is to ask "What school did you go to?", whether overtly
>or by subterfuge.

This is used in a different way in Edinburgh, by private school ex-pupils
to identify your social status. If you went to a state school, you are not
"part of the club". I always refuse to answer that question.

Chris

--------------------------------------------------------
Chris Byrne                          chris-AT-mediascot.org
--------------------------------------------------------
New Media Scotland                 Tel. +44 141 564 3010
P.O. Box 25065, Glasgow G1 5YP     Fax. +44 141 564 3011
Scotland, UK                    http://www.mediascot.org
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