Again from personal experience I would have to say there is a perception of underlying resentment towards the Irish. I have travelled many times from Canada to Belfast through Heathrow and/or Gatwick and in almost every instance I was held and questioned by CID officers. They were usually content in holding me till they were sure I'd missed my connecting flight to Belfast. An inconvenience I'm sure that they found amusing. They even once, separated me from my wife and child on our first visit as a family to the country. My wife was left wondering what was going on as I was lead away by two plain clothes guys. No explainations were given. They wouldn't even let me reasure my family. My wife and child were in tears and near hysterics when I finally returned to them at the Belfast terminal.

I remember well one night in a pub in Nottingham when this anti-Irish bigotry reared its ugly head. I was there visiting a friend. I had my guitar with me and as the evening wore on I was asked by some people we were sitting with (friends of my friend) if I would play an Irish tune. I said I would. I was part way through "The Cliffs of Doonen", when this guy who was sitting with his mates at another table said, "if you don't shut that Irish shit I'll come over there and stick that fucking guitar up your arse." I let him know that I was ready when he was. To my surprise the barman came over to our table and asked me to leave. So there you go.