andrewmillman
Club Legend
- Apr 23, 2020
- 2,169
- 2,279
- AFL Club
- Hawthorn
I appreciate the research.My first thought was a retort, but then I actually explored the claim a little.
Irish convicts | National Museum of Australia
www.nma.gov.au
Turns out, only 12% of convicts were Irish, with the majority of Irish settlers coming between 1788 and 1921. Bear in mind that the religious and cultural differences - severe enough to create flashpoints in Northern Ireland pretty recently - were sufficient to create the 'them vs us' mindset you see in a lot of our colonial narratives between Irish settlers and the establishment. And we supposedly love an underdog.
Still, useful to have a look at my biases.