How is religion tied to ethnic identity in the UK and Ireland?

Question

I can speak from experience that in Eastern Europe, religion is tied to your ethnicity.  For example, in Eastern Poland if you are Eastern Orthodox, Jewish or Muslim you would not be considered to be ethnically Polish, even though you might actually be or claim to be.  Polish people would not accept you as one of "them".

So in the NE areas of Poland, you can speak Polish, claim to be Polish, your ancestors are from that area but if you are Eastern Orthodox then people would consider you to be Belarusian or Russian.  If you are Muslim, you would be considered Lipka Tatar.  If you convert to Catholicism, then you also "become" Polish in people's eyes.

In the former Yugoslavia you cannot be Serbian and Catholic, you would then not be considered to be really Serbian.  Only Croatians are Catholic.  If you are Muslim then you are Bosnian and of course if you are Serbian you have to be from an Eastern Orthodox family.  If you are non religious or atheist people consider your previous religious affiliation or that of your family to assign you to an ethnicity.

So in the UK, if someone in Belfast identifies as Ulster-Scots but they are Catholic, would they be seen as Ulster-Scots or as Irish?  Conversely, if you live in the Republic of Ireland and are from a Protestant family, would you truly be recognized as being Irish?  If you change religion does your ethnic affiliation change?  How about the rest of the UK?  A Catholic Englishman or Welsh person?

Magui · Accepted Answer

I watched a TV documentary about the Troubles and the division between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland and it stated that Protestants (who are of Scottish ancestry) see themselves and are perceived as British and the Catholics (of Irish ancestry) as Irish.

Anonymous · Answer

Go fvck pigs you pig fvcker

Anonymous · Answer

I'm pretty sure those who speak Gaeilge are considered ethnically Irish

for better answers you should move this question to "travel--->ireland"

Anonymous · Answer

Pols don't acknowledge Orthodox Catholics yet drop the Roman part off the other side of Catholic?

About 15 years ago, Rome and the Orthodox Council once again agreed they are the same faith, and that faith is Catholic.

I looked it up and there are Catholics that split from the Roman church in Poland. However, they don't seem to be in communion with the holy see. Where do you draw the line between Catholic and Orthodox if they're not part of the Roman church?

No matter what Americans think, the ethnicity tied to Roman Catholic is Latin .... and I don't mean South American or Mezoamerican either.

Anyway, my information may be dated but I think official church of England is still Anglican. In Ireland *ROMAN* Catholics vs. the protestants is still pushed as part of the split between North and South. Or at least I had a girlfriend from Ireland who  played it up that way.

Anonymous · Answer

TRY THE LIBRARY AND USE AN ENCYCLOPEDIA TO LEARN MORE.

How is religion tied to ethnic identity in the UK and Ireland?

5 Answers