To think friends are being over-senstive?

[pomadas87]

A friend (who lives abroad) messaged me and a couple of our good mutual friends - he shared happy news of his new baby and some pics. Everyone v excited and wished him congratulations!

He then said "so who's next to have a baby - she needs a playmate!" ... me and DH are newly married and are getting the question quite a lot...! Other friend said "I'm looking at you guys" (meaning me and DH)...

I then said "not for a while I'm afraid why don't you have another one straightaway and you'll have Irish Twins - instant playmate!"

Meant it in a joking way and then they all called me a racist, xenophobe etc.... I didn't realise it was offensive and now I'm feeling shitty! Did they overreact to my (stupid) joke or am I just an idiot?!

It was a stupid comment, and unnecessary

I've never heard it before, despite having an Irish cousin who does have two children 11 months apart. And having lived in Ireland for a while myself. So clearly not that common a phrase.

Yabu

Are the Irish not allowed to be offended at racism?

I think mousse is surprised because she's Irish & not offended by it.

User - (as is totally clear from my posts) I'm surprised because it is not my experience (as an Irish person living in Ireland) that people are offended by the term.

I'm Irish and I've no idea why this is offensive .Quite happy to be educated about it, and the other phrases mentioned above, if those who do find it offensive would be so kind.

Don't sweet it OP, just apologise if they found if offensive, but there's more to life (I'm an Irish twin btw, only 8 months younger than my big bro!!!)

I think it's really off, yes, and should be called out on it. It's one thing actual Irish people using it and not being offended but it is, at best, perpetuating a stereotype and so not a good phrase for a non-Irish person.

I don't know ANY Irish person who would be offended by this! It is not a term used in a derogatory sense more a description!
As a pp said IRISH people refer to their own siblings/children/parents as Irish twins are they racist against themselves?

But why is it racist? It is, I suppose, potentially racialist - in as much as the term ascribes a characteristic to all Irish people which clearly does not apply to all Irish people. But it's not a negative characteristic, is it? It's not a bad thing to have children close together - many people would choose so to do. Isn't it just the same as, say, someone asking the mother of a couple of very tall children if their father is Dutch?

I have always regarded it more as an affectionate joke term, barely even remotely edgy as jokes go, rather than the racial slur that other posters are identifying it as.

I mean I wouldn't think twice about using it about my own family in the relevant context. And I don't regard myself as having internalised xenophobia against myself...(not really sure racism is the appropriate term in any event).

I'll probably not use the term again after this thread but I'll definitely be asking some friends and family what they think as I've genuinely a) heard the term a reasonable amount and b) never witnessed anyone being offended by it.

Not offensive!

Some people . . .

(How is it not offensive to tell you you should be breeding?)

They don't sound like close friends really. A prod maybe but not all guns name calling. Friends don't do that.

Irish kiss Irish confetti?? Redsrule never heard of either, can you expand

As an Irish person, born, bred & living here I am not offended at all, it's commonly used here

My experience is you don't get the racist overtones if you live in Ireland. However here the general racism including anti red(ginger) rhetoric is getting much more common.

I don't find it offensive at all. In fact, I've used it!

However, I agree that xenophobia is alive and well with the British against the Irish and is rampant on MN.

Irish kiss- slap, Irish confetti - throwing a brick, horrible but used where I live in southern England.

FFS it's not offensive! I'm offended that everyone is so bloody precious.

Talk about getting your knickers in a twist.

Daughter of an Irish twin here.

I've always heard of it described as a Glaswegian kiss not an Irish kiss (assume whoever said that meant a headbutt).

No idea what the confetti one means.

Just queried this with Irish friend who was incredulous that anyone could be offended by it.

Now trying to work out if this is a real issue or just a matter of a handful of ppl being professionally offended...

I'm Irish and an Irish twin. Never considered it offensive, just a reflection of what used to be a far more prevalent occurrence than it is these days.

In all my born years, I have never ever ever ever heard this expression before! Is it particularly used in certain parts of the country?? (Outside of Ireland?)

Was mulling over whether the reason was because I have not really encountered knowingly anyone that close in age - but I have.

It sounds a bit sneering to me, tbh

Jaysus was just a turn of phrase, don`t be offended on my account.

Sincerely yours
A Kilkenny cat

Sometimes this site is an education, I'd never heard of any of these terms...
I don't think your 'friends' sound very nice OP, regardless of if what you said was offensive.

I've never heard of it before. Had to really stop and think about it to get it too.

Maybe I'm not best placed to comment, as I'm not Irish, but I don't know why that'd be offensive, surely it's because it's relatively common for Irish families have kids close in age... but to me that's a lovely thing??

Devilish - it's a Glasgow kiss, not a Glaswegian kiss. Not surprised that it might also be referred to as an Irish kiss as there are plenty of Irish people in Glasgow.

I agree with a PP who said the last bastion of casual racism is often targeted at the Irish.