There are some names in Ireland that it’s best to avoid uttering, or you’ll provoke a grimace or bitterness from the locals. Names that played a part in the country’s bloody history, and that have left their mark on Irish consciousness forever. To avoid any blunders, here’s a look at the most unpopular personalities in Ireland…
King Diarmuid Mac Murrough
This king of Leinster is infamous for inviting the English to settle in Ireland in 1169. To understand better, we need to go back 3 years to 1166. At that time, this Irish king lost his throne and was driven from his kingdom.
Determined to take back what belonged to him, he sought help from King Henry II of England. The English king agreed to lend him a hand, and in return asked him to swear allegiance.
This agreement led to the Norman invasions of Ireland in 1169: the English landed on Irish territory and imposed their domination. A situation that would last for many centuries, plunging Ireland into a bloody history.
The Irish population is still bitter about it… And we can only understand them!
Oliver Cromwell – Public domain
If there’s one person deeply hated in Ireland, it’s Oliver Cromwell. The latter landed in Ireland to suppress the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653). At the time, the Irish were trying to rise up to put an end to the English yoke on their territory…
But Oliver Cromwell was not to be denied, and in 1649 he launched a large-scale operation (later known as the Cromwellian conquests). Accompanied by an army of 12,000 men, he sacked Ireland’s major cities, murdered, starved and raped every Irish Catholic he came across… He then purged the country, reducing the Irish population from 1,466,000 to 616,000. Men, women, children… No one is spared.
His murderous actions have made him a highly hated historical figure in Ireland to this day…
Charles Trevelyan
Sir Charles Edward Trevelyan was a senior official of the British Empire. He is infamous for having played a major role in the mismanagement of the Great Irish Famine.
At a time when millions of Irish people were starving to death as a result of the blight crisis, the latter was conspicuous by his wilful inaction. A follower of liberal economic theories, he knowingly allowed Ireland to sink, in order to preserve the economy of the British Empire and force a transformation of the island of Ireland by attacking the poorest…
In Ireland, Charles Trevelyan is widely regarded as a murderer.
David Lloyd George
This British Prime Minister was one of the architects of the famous Treaty of London, ratifying the annexation of Northern Ireland by the British Empire, and the formal independence of the Republic of Ireland.
Known for his oratorical skills, he is said to have succeeded in dividing the Irish delegation at the treaty talks, and to have argued in favor of Irish partition. Implacable, he would have acted to defend the interests of his Unionist supporters at all costs.
Although he was not the only person responsible for negotiating the treaty, he remains a highly contested figurehead in Ireland…
Winston Churchill
And yes. Winston Churchill may be popular around the world (mainly for his role in the Second World War), but he’s still hated in Ireland. The reason?
The British man is said to have been behind the creation of the Black and Tans, an armed militia infamous for its bloody crushing of any attempt at Irish rebellion. This paramilitary organization blew a terrifying wind of violence across the country, causing misery and devastation in their wake.
So the Black and Tans sacked Irish villages, entering homes, raping women and children, shooting without trial, and torturing any suspects. These acts outraged the entire Irish population, and provoked a wave of anger…
Even today, their exactions remain vivid in people’s minds.
Margaret Thatcher – Public domain
She is undoubtedly one of the most hated figures in Ireland. Margaret Thatcher, also known as the “Iron Lady”, was sadly conspicuous by her silence during the 1981 hunger strikes in Northern Ireland.
At that time, 10 IRA prisoners, led by Bobby Sands, decided to go on hunger strike to demand political prisoner status. The media quickly picked up on their struggle, showing them to be getting thinner and weaker. The days went by and many died, without the British Prime Minister saying anything.
A decision that unleashed international incomprehension and anger in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Margaret Thatcher held her position to the bitter end, despite the death of Bobby Sands himself. Even today, this silence makes him particularly unpopular on the Irish island.
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