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).

Google hedge schools Lucysky. And stop, just stop patronising Irish people. Just stop it.

And one final point - you don't become intelligent through education. I suspect you are a case in point.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_Laws_(Ireland)

Here's a link which may (or may not) educate you.

Bear in mind that the vast majority of Irish were Catholic, so this was complete and utter torture of the Irish people - not 'just' of Catholics.

God, some English people are so utterly ignorant of their own history, it is astonishing.

And Lucysky is the poster lauding the merits of GCSE history! I rest my case.

Something more for you to stew on Lucysky.

ie.usembassy.gov/remarks-by-president-obama-on-irelands-1916-commemorations/

And here m'lady is when our fates as feckless uncouth ignoramus' changed.

POBLACHT NA hÉIREANN
THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
OF THE
IRISH REPUBLIC
TO THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND
IRISHMEN AND IRISHWOMEN: In the name of God and of the dead generations from which she receives her old tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for her freedom.
Having organised and trained her manhood through her secret revolutionary organisation, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and through her open military organisations, the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army, having patiently perfected her discipline, having resolutely waited for the right moment to reveal itself, she now seizes that moment, and supported by her exiled children in America and by gallant allies in Europe, but relying in the first on her own strength, she strikes in full confidence of victory.

We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible. The long usurpation of that right by a foreign people and government has not extinguished the right, nor can it ever be extinguished except by the destruction of the Irish people.

In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty; six times during the past three hundred years they have asserted it in arms. Standing on that fundamental right and again asserting it in arms in the face of the world, we hereby proclaim the Irish Republic as a Sovereign Independent State, and we pledge our lives and the lives of our comrades in arms to the cause of its freedom, of its welfare, and of its exaltation among the nations.
The Irish Republic is entitled to, and hereby claims, the allegiance of every Irishman and Irishwoman. The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all of the children of the nation equally, and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien Government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.
Until our arms have brought the opportune moment for the establishment of a permanent National Government, representative of the whole people of Ireland and elected by the suffrages of all her men and women, the Provisional Government, hereby constituted, will administer the civil and military affairs of the Republic in trust for the people.

We place the cause of the Irish Republic under the protection of the Most High God, Whose blessing we invoke upon our arms, and we pray that no one who serves that cause will dishonour it by cowardice, inhumanity, or rapine. In this supreme hour the Irish nation must, by its valour and discipline, and by the readiness of its children to sacrifice themselves for the common good, prove itself worthy of the august destiny to which it is called.
Signed on behalf of the Provisional Government:
THOMAS J. CLARKE
SEAN Mac DIARMADA THOMAS MacDONAGH
P. H. PEARSE EAMONN CEANNT
JAMES CONNOLLY JOSEPH PLUNKETT

I left my wallet on a bus once and luckily the bus company found it or someone handed it in. I have an Irish surname but am not Irish (longish and unexciting story). I went to the bus depot to collect the wallet and the lady who worked there said in so many words that I had forgotten my wallet as I was stupid and Irish and all Irish people are stupid. I was young and embarrassed and grateful to have my wallet back so I just slunk off but I remember that stupid comment to this day and certainly were it to happen now I am older and more confident I would definitely call out someone for saying something like this.

Since I'm on a roll, here's one of my favourite songs. Joseph Plunkett, you may notice is one of the signatories to our Proclamation (above).

As the saying goes, 'if you thought he was a donkey, you were a bigger ass'.

Another song you might know, is our much beloved Fields of Athenry. If you're a rugby fan, you'll have heard us sing it loudly at our games. I'd urge you to actually read the lyrics. You'll understand it then. And you'll understand why we sing it particularly loudly at English games. ;)

And this is the fellow mentioned in the song whose corn was stolen.... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Charles_Trevelyan,_1st_Baronet

I suggest you read the first quote about him "Trevelyan's most enduring mark on history may be the quasi-genocidal anti-Irish racial sentiment he expressed during his term in the critical position of administrating relief for the millions of Irish peasants suffering under the Irish famine as Assistant Secretary to HM Treasury (1840–1859) under the Whig administration of Lord Russell.[1]"

When did this become an acceptable stereotype to bring up to a stranger in a cafe?

It was really common until the 1970s, then in about 1985 a memo went round that Irish jokes were no longer funny, but scouse jokes were still OK.

Thankfully comedy has moved on.

My uncle moved here in the 70's and had the unfortunate name of Patrick hahahhaahahahaha. Paddy from Ireland. Poor fucker suffered serious abuse. He now employs about 30 people as 'chippies'.

I don't think he has recovered from the abuse though. He has serious issues with his name and will only respond to his full title - Patrick. Woe betide you if you call him anything else.

The hedge schools often covered Latin and Greek, so your average Irish farm kid could have been covering the same as upper class English children.

He was being an idiot. Some people think its funny but it just makes them look stupid. When I moved to a different county in the uk I had to hear lots of jokes about being from suffolk which meant apparently we were all uneducated inbred farmers who were thick and who were sleeping with our siblings. I had friends from norfolk who got simular jokes. Know alot of women from essex who have to hear crap about being an essex girl as well. It is just not funny

OP unfortunately you had an encounter with an utter tosser today, try not to let it ruin your day A bit sad about the amount of posters who think that just because she made a lighthearted comment about being from Ireland and so couldn't take heat sometimes, that she was now fair-game to be told an unfunny anti-Irish joke.
Factually Irish(celtic)people have some of the palest skin In the world and and a huge majority cannot stand hot weather. There was nothing she said that was offensive. It's a fact. Said in a frivolous way... Just like my Irish friends have being saying over the last few weeks.

BadLad

Would people be afraid now to make racist comments against the English because other Irish people would call them out for their racism.

I genuinely can't think of a standard anti-English joke, which Irish people might like to wheel out. I can't remember ever being told one irl.

Anyone, Irish or otherwise, making anti-English jokes (eg English people are so thick they can't remember their own name lol rofl ), in my presence, would get a fucking earful unless I was too stunned to realise I was being told an anti-English joke and was sitting (seated?) there looking like this instead.

Ffs. I'm still annoyed with myself for not reacting. In my defence, it was a shit joke and it was poorly delivered, so it really didn't sink in till it was too late. Even then, I had no idea what he meant, which is why I had to start this thread.

Anyway, thanks all very much for comments .

laGrosella: It's pretty funny when people, Spanish and Irish included, insist I'm really Spanish or my ancestors were. For a long time I really believed that or gave the Armada thing as a reason. Turns out to be bollocks on testing. I only have 1% Iberian peninsula and I am 98% European - Irish and Scots - only 2% Scandinavian which means no Norman/ Anglo etc. The idea that there was a pre-existing European population which was DARK (eg the Basques) is very disturbing to some people but it explains so much about my family's fear of these types.