There has been a strong reaction on social media to assertions on The Tonight Show on Virgin Media that Irish people enjoy “white privilege” and need to “improve” their behaviour.
Presenter Claire Brock said that if Irish people understood that there was white privilege and that we have an advantage, it would “help us all in turn improve our behaviour”.
Yemi Adenuga – a Fine Gael Councillor from Navan – agreed, sharing a story that her “white Irish” friend had read a book which made her aware that she had white privilege.
Hundreds took to social media to voice their opinions.
“It’s hard to believe anybody could be familiar with the history of Ireland and arrive at the conclusion that “white privilege” has played a role on this island but then again the ideology of “progressive Ireland” is imported almost entirely from California. Sorry state of affairs,” commentator Robert Burke wrote.
It’s hard to believe anybody could be familiar with the history of Ireland and arrive at the conclusion that “white privilege” has played a role on this island but then again the ideology of “progressive Ireland” is imported almost entirely from California. Sorry state of affairs https://t.co/RPddVZf3Rg
— Robert Burke (@robertburke84) February 2, 2022
“A little history lesson would improve this person’s mind. Where was white privilege when we were getting pitch-capped by the English, or being evicted to settle planters, or during the famine? This race card is such mindless gibberish. As bad as Ebun Joseph,” another said.
“When my grandfather had to get down on his knees to the British landed gentry when they passed him on the road, he was actually acknowledging his white privilege,” said one tongue-in-cheek riposte.
“White privilege” didn’t do the million Irish people who starved to death in the famine much good did it?” posted another.
“Imagine getting in a time machine and going back to the 1980’s and telling the working class from Inchicore, Ballymun,Crumlin, Tallaght etc etc that they were “White Irish” and that they had “White Privilege” wrote one person.
When my grandfather had to get down on his knees to the British landed gentry when they passed him on the road, he was actually acknowledging his white privilege.
— R2d2 (@R2d252583856) February 3, 2022
One response used a picture to illustrate the point.
Tadhg, read a book you filthy racist! And stop oozing your white privilege all over me. pic.twitter.com/NjQ66MKxeQ
— Puthoffbyputhoff (@Puthoffbyputho1) February 2, 2022
As did others:
Others pointed to the lack of diversity of the panel, with Sinn Féin’s Louise O’Reilly accusing an Garda Síochana of racial profiling and saying we need to “look in our own communities” for racism.
"It's not enough to not be racist, we must be anti-racist"
– @loreillysf on tackling racism in the community #TonightVMTV pic.twitter.com/rxREPBehLv
— TonightVMTV (@TonightVMTV) February 2, 2022
While some agreed with her stance, others accused Sinn Féin of being “way too woke”.
SF are way too woke.
WTF happened to them? Anti racist means nothing these days. Just signals that you are bought and paid for by some capital.
— Liam K (@LK1916xrp) February 3, 2022
https://twitter.com/JohnCakebread89/status/1489007780220571650