Did someone just tell me (an Irishwoman) an anti-Irish joke?

[Decaffstilltastesweird]

I was sitting in a cafe with DD earlier today. We sat down next to a man who was on his own. He said hello to DD and then chatted to me a bit about the weather; how it was too warm last week.

Me: well, being Irish, I'm not great with hot weather (ho ho)
Him: did you hear about the Irishman who was on Mastermind recently?
Me: [thinking he was actually going to tell me about a Mastermind contestant] oh no, I didn't
Him: they asked him his name and he said "pass"
Me: oh... oh... em, no, no

We went back to eating lunch and he left.

So, maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I am guessing this is supposed to mean he's so thick he can't even remember his name? Because he's Irish? Is that what he meant? I'm genuinely confused ! If that's what he meant, did I just confirm his prejudices by looking like this at him?

He seemed a pleasant enough man, so I don't think he was being intentionally hurtful to me. Maybe I'm missing something or being over sensitive, (although actually I feel more confused than outraged about it).

If anyone made an Indian or 'Paki' joke about me, they'd be slapped so hard they saw stars. You shouldn't have allowed it.

All I can say is, he was sat in the cafe by himself. He has appalling social skills. I reckon the 2 things are linked.

I'm not mad keen on violence, so probably wouldn't have slapped him. I do wish I'd called him on it before he left though. I keep running through the conversation in my head and imagining what I should have said.

Eugh, I still hear Irish jokes reasonably regularly. I was born in England and have an English accent so they have no idea my family is Irish and aren't doing it in a friendly way, expecting me to crack one right back about English stereotypes.

So, maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I am guessing this is supposed to mean he's so thick he can't even remember his name? Because he's Irish? Is that what he meant? I'm genuinely confused

Did you hear about the Irishwoman who didn't get the joke about the Irishman?

It's completely unacceptable for people to be making these kind of racist jokes. I just can't comprehend how anyone with any intelligence can't see that. The thing is, very often the person wouldn't dream of telling a "joke" about gay people, black people...etc., and rightly so.

The comment about the heat is entirely irrelevant. You were obviously saying that because, factually and objectively, Ireland has cooler, damper weather than the South of England. It's nothing to do with your genetic makeup. I would say the same as I live in Scotland. The fact that I'm second generation Scottish, with entirely Irish genes on all sides, isn't the cause of me being acclimatised to cold damp weather.

20 years ago the landlord of my local was Irish, and so was one of my mates, there used to be a lot of jokes and banter like this, the Irish always had good comebacks for it though.

It was standard back then, but I'd be very surprised to hear those kind of jokes now, in a pub or anywhere else. I'm guessing it was an older bloke who used to say that kind of thing in the pub.

I am Irish, and anti Irish "humour" is one of the last socially acceptable forms of racism in England, imho. My MIL, who thinks of herself as very PC and would never dream of making any kind of racist comment in relation to people of colour, was once telling a story about a man who tried to scam her and described him as "very Irish". It was clear this was meant as a negative thing i.e. Irish and working class or possibly a traveller. "Very English" would have the opposite connotation. I was presumably OK as she doesn't see me as "very Irish". Wish I'd challenged her but it took a while to sink in, which is part of the problem.

If he'd said that in front of me he would be getting a slap. Fuckwit.

@manateeandcake Irish is a race now, is it?

ThePants999 I considered writing "anti-Irish prejudice" but actually I think racism is a more accurate term, as did the Commission for Racial Equality: www.independent.co.uk/news/irish-butt-of-english-racism-for-more-than-eight-centuries-1342976.html

I suppose you've never met an Irish person who's told the old pun about how 'Do you realise he's British' sounds in Gaelic eh OP?

What does this mean? And it's Irish, not Gaelic, if you're referring to the language of the island of Ireland.

See also entries under "ethnicity", "race", and "racism" here www.irr.org.uk/research/statistics/definitions/

I hate racism. Growing up in Wales as an English child born in Wales by a English mother and Welsh father speaking Welsh at home and school the amount of racism towards me and my Dsis for been "English", my poor DM no wonder she insisted we moved to England when we were 12 and 13 only to be told we were Welsh and then been bullied for been Welsh for the next 5 years.

I'd like to say times have changed but not in little villages in England, my DD's coloured friend parents said that their DD is been bullied in school because of her skin colour! This is a school my other friend raves about and I was going to send my youngest there .

If anything goes missing in my village it's blamed on the foreigner's till I point out that they all work, it's far more likely be the English lads that don't work, mess around, drink on the streets and take drugs!

I've lived in several English villages that are all described as lovely areas and they've all been the same yep they're lovely if you white and have an English accent like me. I'm 30 so wasn't that long ago hopefully the next generation can see past race ☮️

Our 70 year old neighbour 3 doors down popped round last year to tell us in shock that our new neighbours are lesbians with children, I'd love to tell you we put him straight DH answered the door and mocked him with equal shock and horror. With me giggling in the living room because one of DH best friends is a lesbian

I'm confused about the racism aspect of his joke. Are Irish people a race (i.e. non-white).

UK Law: "A racial group means a group of persons defined by reference to race, colour, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins"

Thanks Maud - didn't know that. It's a bit like the definition of racism not being as simple as "hating/feeling superior to, another race".

You started it by making assumptions about all the Irish! Even so he was rude and also it's not funny. I know a lot of Jewish people who crack and accept extremely funny Jewish jokes and it's not a problem for them although I would certainly not launch into them.

Most of us in England are aware of the awful discrmination against the very poor Irish who came here to escape problems at home and the signs that used to be up on properties to rent - "no blacks, no Irish". I hope we all ensure that never happens again.

All of a sudden his friend stood up in the audience and
roared "Good man Paddy, tell the fúcking English nothing"

. I'm going to keep that one up my sleeve.

We sat down next to a man who was on his own
Maybe he didn't want a complete stranger to sit down next to him and this was his passive aggressive reaction? Doesn't make it right, and doesn't make it funny, but is an alternative explanation. Some people like their space.

I've heard that joke a few times or variants of it (never gets any funnier!) usually it's the Welsh being called thick though never heard it as the Irish.

I think every place has its stereotypes, I wouldn't have taken personal offence to it but would have still thought he was a dick for spouting crap like that.

My son is having some specialised, complicated surgery next week and his surgeon is an Irish man who comes across as being incredibly intelligent and is highly thought of in his field, I know this because his accent is my very favourite so I listen intently when he talks, he looks and sounds identical to Andrew Scott. 😊

Lucy

I've already addressed this up thread, but here goes; I didn't make any assumptions about all the Irish. I didn't say "Irish people don't like warm weather", I said that "being Irish, I [personally] don't do well with warm weather, [because I'm used to a colder climate]". The colder climate isn't in dispute. I live in one of the hottest parts of the uk now. I used to live in one of the coldest. I happen to dislike the very warm weather, because I'm not used to it.

If he'd countered with, "oh here's a funny joke about the Irishman who didn't like the sun", that would have made sense. Instead, he made a joke about a nation's propensity to be extraordinarily stupid. Where the fuck does that disgusting stereotype even come from? If he'd made a big joke about how Irish people have to stay out of the sun I might have raised an eyebrow, but thought, yeah, we do tend to be on the pale side where I'm from. How can people not see how incredibly offensive it is to make comments, (jokey or otherwise), about an entire nation being stupid?

You are right though. It is one thing for someone to gently poke fun at themselves and their own culture. That is worlds apart from someone from England making an Irish-people-are-stupid joke.

Nike

That would be one way of ensuring your own space! I don't think so though. We didn't sit at the same table as him. Just the one next to him. He was chatting to a lady at another table too. I think he may just have enjoyed a chat.

bumsquash

My dad is an Irish surgeon too. He doesn't tolerate anti-Irish jokes ever and is much more confrontational than me, (just in case it's him) !

Irish mum. A fancy bohemian cafe in North of England had this joke: St Patrick's Day special: pay for two only get one.
We don't go there any more.
Ridiculous twats.

This Irishman went for a job on a building site and the foreman told him 'we don't usually employ Irish workers on account of them being stupid, but if you can answer some difficult questions, I'll give you a week's trial.

"'That's OK,' said the Irishman.

"'You're absolutely sure?' asked the foreman.

"'Absolutely,' said the Irishman.

"'Right,' said the foreman. 'What's the difference between a joist and a girder. Think carefully.'

"'Well,' said the Irishman, 'Didn't Joyce write Ulysses and Goethe write Faust?'"