AIBU to feel a bit off about the word leprechaun being used to describe my (Irish) child in the UK?

[astoundedgoat]

It's not being meant in a mean way - it's a school-related thing, and is being applied to a group, with no reference to their ethnicities.

Backstory for my own emotional starting point here: for example, a couple of years ago an older man commented in a definitely patronising way that it was lovely to see my children "running around like little leprechauns". He wasn't trying to be rude - it was the casual sort of "you're very well spoken for a [insert ethnicity] person." kind of vibe, but the turn of phrase already had a negative twinge for me before it came up in school recently.

Just wondering how other Irish people in England would feel about their children's - let's say - ballet group - being called "Leprechauns" complete with stylised cartoon figure.

Am I being mad as a brush to be sensitive about it? Everyone else thinks it's delightful.

I think describing your Irish child as a leprechaun has potential to be a bit offensive, if the person is a bit patronising.

Dance groups names etc wouldn’t bother me.

My family are Irish, but I am born in england. My family members remember ‘no Irish, no blacks, no dogs’ signs so I think some people could still have potential to be bigoted.

I'm not Irish so could be missing something but my son has twins in his year that I always think of as "little Leprechauns". They both dance, are musical and tiny but seem old for their years. I think they are fantastic wee boys and mean it fondly. However I wouldn't say it to their Mum. WE also had Leprechauns as one of our groups in Brownies.

I'd keep the two separate OP.

The gentleman mentioned in your backstory I find patronising. It wouldn't upset me as to saying something. I'm a Scot living in England, & I've had this said to me once or twice. It's a step up the list. I'm sensitive because I've also had some quite uncomfortable things said to me over the years.

The school/group thing is just that.

If it's being applied to a group of children (who are presumably mainly British heritage if you are in England) then I wouldn't take offence.

If it was being used for my child because they are Irish (do your children speak with Irish accents?) then I would think it was a bit off. Not racist, but a bit inappropriate. It would be a bit like describing English kids as a bunch of bulldogs (though that's probably more negative).

When I was in the Brownies our sixes were named after fairy groups. I was in the Elves but we had Leprechauns too.

I'm Irish. I would think it a bit of an odd thing to say but I wouldn't take offence.

are you mad as a brush to take offence?? yes probably , because you know its just a cute name thing and as you said not actually used to refer to ethnicity, now call them Fairy's and see how offensive that is..

It's an appalling insult towards someone of Irish heritage, especially from an adult. I might excuse children who know no better.

It ranks alongside ".... was a Welshman, Paddy was a thief", "Sambo", "Paki", "Hillbilly" and many other titles.

BlackrockMum...

So in the Brownies, groups are all called after that sort of thing: pixies, gnomes, fairies etc. Is it that kind of situation? And it just happens that one of the groups is called leprechauns, and your child is randomly placed in it?

If so, I think you are probably being a little bit unreasonable here. It's not that the children are being described as those things. No one thinks the children in the other group are fairies or gnomes. It's more like them being the reds and the blues or the apples and the oranges.

I had an Irish colleague whose nickname at school (in Ireland) was leprechaun.

It's an appalling insult towards someone of Irish heritage, especially from an adult. I might excuse children who know no better.

Yes, of course, but this isn't that. No one is calling a person a leprechaun. Leprechaun isn't a racial slur when it's being used to describe, well, a leprechaun.

I'm not sure - because don;t have all the details. i think your story about the patronising man (who i agree was out of order) is kind of irrelevant. is your child being specifically referred to as a leprechaun because they are Irish, or are the children (Irish + others) all in groups and have named themselves after fairies.
I think if it is 'Everyone call their group after a fairy' and your child's group happens to have chosen leprechaun for a group which happens to have one Irish child in it' then it may be OK - unless your DC is upset by it.
If it is ' there are a couple of Irish DC in this group so you;d better be the leprechauns' then I'd be complaining about that.

I suppose leprechauns in themselves are not offensive , but leprechaun as a synonym for Irish person is offensive.

I come from an ethnic group that gets called all kinds of names - and sometimes you have to deal with it on a case by case basis, and ask if it is malicious, ignorant, or just kind of coincidental.

You;re the only one who can decide which of those it is (and if it is one of the first two, I'd address it, and maybe point out potential for misinterpretation if it is the third.)

Thank you for the level-headed responses! I feel a lot better.

DH calls me a Kelpi. It's very offensive as I'm actually a sprite.

Wouldnt bother me. My father finds the Paddy word very offensive because it’s being used a derogatory term against him, but he has experienced a fair but of rascism as a young man (with a dodgy tash) travelling frequently between Dublin & London during the height of troubles. I do think there is a lot of casual rascism towards Irish people & a lot of people in England don’t really understand the troubles & think it was religious etc.