Tacit dimensions of identity : the intersection of name, accent and denomination in pre-Celtic Tiger Ireland

The impetus for this paper occurred during my PhD research, which explored issues of migrancy and identity among migrants from the island of Ireland to Australia during 1980–2001.2 Discussions with informants repeatedly highlighted the associations they had grown up with in Ireland between religious and geographical origins and name/ surname and accent. Those from Northern Ireland further emphasised how residential and educational segregation resulted in presumptions as to whether they were Catholic or Protestant being based on school attendance and home address.3 Likewise, all informants mentioned that accent served as an indicator of geographical origin within the 32 counties and, by default, of religious affiliation. As an Irish person conducting this research, these connections presented me with few surprises. However, my New Zealand-born supervisor lacked a similar grounding in Ireland’s conventions and urged me to find scholarly evidence to validate the community understandings held by myself and my informants. This led to the identification of a lacuna in the literature that this current article now seeks to address.