"I don't think the English are particularly anti-irish at all" - David Hannam

No, neither do we, David.
Read Tiocfaidh's post again.

"I don't think we will get a particularly scientific answer here either, Tiocfaidh. But when all comes to all it is in response to a particularly un-scientific statement:-)" - Dave

(Let me, Paul...)
The fairly scientific poll we did on the Mudcat posts, showed a marked bias, Dave, and on the 'Loyalist' thread, you have sort of accepted that; you could name them yourself, you said...

"IF the 'average' Brit is Anti - Irish , how come Irish Music sessions are so popular all over Britain ?? - AND Irish theme Pubs ?? AND Guiness ???" - Leadfingers.

Combat 18 use Irish Pubs in Europe as 'headquarters' at England's 'away' games.
And sing a decent 'rebel' song (a British nomenclature, by the way) in some of these 'Irish' Pubs, and you'll get the "I feel offended..." story thrown back at you.

"And I don't think many who aren't anti Irish will feel the need to come in and defend themselves against someone's preconcieved idea of themselves either" - Guest

Perhaps not, Guest, but the discussion has been opened, and people will feel free (or otherwise...), to give their opinion, and to stick their monikers to it.
Anti-Irishness on the Mudcat has been accepted.
How subliminal is it within the psyche of the average 'Brit'
(... please note that 'English' people don't get called 'Engs'....)

And please note, also, that we are not looking for how far up the scale of racism, Anti-Irishness lies.... as being comparable to African, Asian, etc. Irish people are lucky enough in that there were other objects for 'British' people to throw their superiority complex at.

"And that prejudice was still thriving in Ireland into the last decade. I guess some people just take longer to let go and move on" - Guest

Not the 'Reverend' Ian's mob, I'm afraid.
One of his Ministers/Borough Council Representatives recently passed around leaflets protesting against the building of a Mosque in North County Armagh.
Sky News interviewed the guy, and as he was being interviewed, a small crowd of kids appeared to wave, and make faces into the camera. 'Man of God', Reverend Whatshisname, turns around to the kids and in full hearing of the 'British' public said "These Muslims eat their children, you know; we don't want them here, do we?"
Kids say "No"
Oddly enough, this kind of thing might be the catalyst..., as in 7-10 years time some of these 'Children Eaters' will be on the Electoral Register.

"The threads that occur here sometimes seem counter productive: it's easy to find bitterness and hard to relinquish it." - s&r

These threads do not set out to be counter-productive, s&r. They are created to make us think.
Has anyone actually researched what being 'British' entails?
Because it is fundamental to the premise being offered here

"I'm English. Being as England is part of Britain, that also makes me British" - Grab

... in a nutshell...

"In this country, the signs "No Irish need apply" was all about economics and jobs. had nothing to do with religion" - kendall.

In England, it wasn't necessarily related to religion, neither, kendall.
The Act of Union made any further 'Popish Plots' impossible.
They were quite happy to have us work down the tunnels and on the roads in England... they just didn't want us staying in their lodging houses.

" ... and Ireland as a nation has seen England/Britain/UK as an empire-building invader over the centuries, but individuals have of necessity worked closely with English people." - Celtaddict

That's just known as the dynamics of the situation, Celtaddict. France, England and Germany could equally fit there.
The British Government over the years since 1971 have been in secret contact with the IRA (probably un-beknownst to most English people), in direct violation of their own 'no negotiating with 'Terrorists' stance.
Who do you think the Government were trying to hoodwink on these occasions?
The Irish?

No, dear readers. The 'British' population had to believe they were actually winning the war against us.
Those 'free-thinkers' that Tiocfaidh talks about, are those that don't, or never did, buy in to the double standard

YEE - HA folks!

(I think we're actually getting somewhere...)