Why do people in the UK keep thinking that they have given the Republic of Ireland a huge amount of money?

I don't. But then again I don't really give one.

Maybe you should stop stereotyping.

Because it irks some of us that some Irishmen insist that Northern Ireland should belong to Ireland and so they like to use the fact that the UK is helping to bail you out as a reason why you should drop the idea and be grateful. On the other hand I've only seen that sort of argument online.

We know it's a loan. It's still a risk on our part because if you were, say, Greece, we'd not be seeing that money again. Be at least a bit grateful, it's not like we have stacks of money just lying around.

It's not really a massive talking point in everyday life here. In fact I've never heard anyone talking about it. Perhaps it's more evident on your side of the Celtic Sea - you're the ones that have received the loans so you're more likely, psychologically, to feel, as a nation, vulnerable, and more likely to snap at the hand that feeds you. There have been papers written on that. I don't think the average British person genuinely cares, except the ones that are really involved/angered by the NI situation who would jump on this as a point for the UK.

Actually, yes, you are stereotyping. Just because you've only read one side of the argument doesn't mean the other side is non-existent. Maybe the people who know it's a loan don't feel the need to complain about it on the internet, or simply don't care enough to write about it? I think you'll find most of us are perfectly well aware it's a loan, even so that money is benefitting you and it'll be ages till we get it back, so maybe you should stop complaining about and stereotyping us.

When a developed country gives money to a developing country it's called "aid" ... when a developed country screws up its economy through sheer incompetence the money it gets is called "a loan".

Isn't language fascinating?

I know English people don't like hearing this, but its because it feels to them like a guilt reliever. "we owe them for what happened in the past, now we're even" sort of thing. of course this is not the case in reality....

Eh, i'm perfectly aware u never explicitly said England.... but England is part of the UK and in my experience it is mostly English people who hold the attitude u talk of, thats why I referred to them in particular and not the whole of the UK. Either way, I know they dont like people saying what I've just said (as demonstrated by the thumbs down) but thats just my opinion.

I really couldn't give a sh!t.