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Sexual harassment, prejudice and racism
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For women Ireland is wonderfully relaxing: the outlandish sexism of Irish society manifests itself in a male courtesy that can range from the genuine and delightful to the downright insufferable, but you are unlikely to experience any really threatening behaviour. Most uncomfortable situations can be defused by a straightforward, firm response. That said, don't believe the general view that
nothing
can happen to you. It is worth remembering that outside the cities, communities are very small, and local women you see hitching alone do so in safety because they know and are known by just about everybody on the road. Foreign travellers don't have that added security, and, though it is very unlikely, you could be unlucky. In particular, if you are travelling alone use only the budget accommodation that is listed in this guide or recommended by the tourist office, don't go with touts at stations, and exercise the kind of care in cities at night that you would in any other European country. In the case of serious assault, if possible contact a Rape Crisis Centre before going to the police (telephone numbers are given in listings). Attacks are rare and the Garda, though well-meaning, have little experience of handling distressed women.
Black travellers to Ireland should not encounter any major problems while travelling around the country. That said, one of the most surprising aspects for many visitors is how homogeneous and socially conservative Irish society actually is: the main type of racism that may be encountered is a fairly innocuous type of naive ignorance that you might find in rural Ireland where locals are simply not used to seeing black people. Although they should have little impact on a visitor to the city, it is worth being aware of racial tensions in some areas of inner-city Dublin. A more malicious type of racial intolerance is currently being directed toward increasing numbers of refugees living in inner-city areas. Due to governmental mismanagement, most migrants are obliged to wait for up to two years for a decision on residency, and during this period they are not permitted to work. The resulting development of small, impoverished ghettos of the socially dependent in these areas has led to some resentment, and unfortunately increased verbal, and, in some cases, physical racial abuse.
The
gay
community is both the biggest and least visible minority in Ireland. Although part of the UK, Northern Ireland was excluded from the 1967 Act that legalized homosexuality for consenting adults in Britain. This led one individual to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights in 1982, which brought the legal status of gays in Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK. In the Republic, homosexuality has only been legal since 1990, and a nominally wide-ranging Incitement Against Hatred Act was passed in 1994 specifically prohibiting discrimination against people on the grounds of sexual orientation as well as race. However, public indecency charges are still pursued - such as surveillance and arrest of gays cruising Dublin's Phoenix Park, and censorship laws are used to exclude gay material. Outside the big cities homosexuality is not at all socially accepted, and public displays of affection are out of the question. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Ireland,
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