Northern Irish appear to have more smarts...
Yes, and a reputation for toughness. Also for being good neighbors.
I have no use for Irish Lefties. The entire Deep South was influenced by Scot/Irish immigration.
My daughter is a member of DAR. And eligible for the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.
Judgment by race is a mistake. We are American and Texan. I feel very strong allegiance to both.
“Northern Irish appear to have more smarts...”
Of course they do, they’re descended from Scotsmen who emigrated to the Emerald Isle. Not that today’s Scotland has anything to brag about, they’re just as muzzified and secularized as the rest of UK.
But the persnicketiness of the Irish has never changed.