West Briton

West Briton (adjective West British; both often shortened to West Brit) is a pejorative term for an Irish person who is alleged by the user of the term to be excessively sympathetic to the United Kingdom or who takes his cultural and social cues from Great Britain. [ [http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-wes1.htm "West Brit"] from World Wide Words]

History

The term has its origins in 19th century Ireland, and the term has evolved over the years. Nationalist leader Daniel O'Connell used it in the British House of Commons in 1832: :"The people of Ireland are ready to become a portion of the Empire, provided they be made so in reality and not in name alone; they are ready to become a kind of West Briton if made so in benefits and justice; but if not, we are Irishmen again."

The term came to prominence in the land struggle of the 1880s. D. P. Moran, who founded "The Leader" in 1900, used the term frequently to describe those who he did not consider sufficiently Irish. It was a synonym with those he described as "Sourfaces", who mourned the death of the British Queen Victoria [ [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FKX/is_3-4_38/ai_111265622 D.P. Moran and the leader: writing an Irish Ireland through partition] ] It included virtually all Church of Ireland Protestants and those Catholics who did not measure up to his definition of "Irish Irelanders". [ [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FKX/is_3-4_38/ai_111265622/pg_1 D.P. Moran and the leader: writing an Irish Ireland through partition | Eire-Ireland:Journal of Irish Studies | Find Articles at BNET.com ] ]

In the early years of the Irish Free State, the term was used by some to indicate those who were deemed to have a subservient attitude towards the United Kingdom and to be afraid to cut ties with what had become a foreign country.Fact|date=March 2007 The term was applied mainly to Roman Catholics, as Protestants were expected by such to be naturally Unionist.

Contemporary usage

"West Briton" is today used by some Irish people to criticise others for a variety of perceived faults:
* taking a view of Irish history which highlights perceived positive aspects of British influence in Ireland, or criticizing Irish nationalist rebellions
* cultural cringe: following British popular culture, while appearing embarrassed by or disdainful of aspects of Irish culture, such as the Irish language or Gaelic games
* opposition or indifference to a United Ireland or militant Irish Republicanism
* Support (or alleged support) for neo-Unionism

Nationalist former politician Kevin Boland described the Fine Gael party as such in his 1984 book "Fine Gael: British or Irish". [cite book |title=Fine Gael: British or Irish |first=Kevin |last=Boland |authorlink=Kevin Boland |year=1984 |publisher=Mercier Press |quote=] Request quotation|date=February 2007

imilar epithets

Castle Catholic was applied more specifically by purist Republicans to middle-class Catholics assimilated into the pro-British establishment, after Dublin Castle, the centre of the British administration. Sometimes the exaggerated pronunciation spelling Cawtholic is used to suggest an accent imitative of British Received Pronunciation.

The old-fashioned word (from Irish: "seoinín", diminutive of "Seán") was applied to someone who affected the habits of the British ascendancy. P. W. Joyce's "English As We Speak It In Ireland" defines it as "a gentleman in a small way: a would-be gentleman who puts on superior airs." [English As We Speak It In Ireland: Rabble to Yoke page 321.]

The term is sometimes contrasted with Little Irelander, a derogatory term foran Irish person who is seen asexcessively nationalistic, Anglophobic and xenophobic, sometimes also practicinga strongly conservative form of Roman Catholicism. This term was popularised by Sean O'Faolain [See "Sean O'Faolain's Irish Vision"By Richard Bonaccorso,SUNY Press,1987, pg. 29 ] .

ee also

*Anglophile
*Jackeen
*North Briton
*Dublin 4

References