Am I right in being slightly annoyed?

[RottenTomatoes959]

For reference I am Irish living in Ireland.

I took DS to soft play over the weekend and got chatting to an English woman who was there with her DD.
Her DD starting having tantrum as 3 year olds tend to do and she starting laughing and joking with me over her throwing " a paddy".

Maybe she didn't understand the negative connotations of it but using this phrase to an Irish person in Ireland is a bit bloody stupid.

She ended up taking her DD and leaving so I didn't say anything but I wish I did.
Do I have right to be slightly annoyed by this?

Well Irish people tend to use terms like sweaties or bluenoses for the Scottish don’t they?

I’ve never heard either of those before!

Before getting offended by someone who clearly meant no offence and branding them racist,

OP didn’t brand her racist. Just a bit bloody stupid.

Do you not think the Irish have offensive terms used about the English? Or other nationalities?

Give an example?

I was at an International festival representing the UK (not in a competition). There were also a lot of Irish people there as well as people from many other countries.

I was wearing a union flag t-shirt and one of the Irish men there made a vicious (in tone) comment about me wearing "the Butcher's Apron".

I'd never heard the expression before but it was clear what he was referring to and, notwithstanding the history and all my obvious 300 year old British guilt, I was pretty fucking offended that he decided to bring his politics to an event which ironically started post war with a view to bringing countries together in peace.

For clarity, I’d also pull up any Irish person spouting bigotry against the English. I have actually done this once when someone made a comment about my English husband.

I can’t believe it needs to be said, but bigotry against any nation is unacceptable.

I get this woman didn’t know, so fine and the op says she might mention it politely next time. But, people coming on here declaring that it is fine to say the phrase because;

A) they’ve always said it
B) their family is Irish and they say it’s fine
C) they’ve never linked it to Ireland before

Are deliberately ignoring the people who have said they find it offensive. Again, it’s not a hanging offence, but it is a phrase I don’t like to hear and it’s a bit that people on learning why it might be offensive are insisting it’s fine because A, B or C.

My son is called Patrick after his grandfather. Said grandfather asked us not to shorten it to Paddy because it was one of the many words used to insult and denigrate him when he was an immigrant in the 1950s. I find it deeply depressing that we are so far forgetting our own history that we are denying the deep vein of anti Irish prejudice in English society.

Personally I have no issue with someone unknowingly using the phrase “having a paddy”. If they don’t know, they don’t know. My issue is with the fact the phrase is still used at all. It would have annoyed me too to be having a nice chat at soft play and then have that phrase thrown out even if in all innocence. The phrase is the problem. The woman’s intent wasn’t.

Why do people keep referring to racism? Racism has absolutely nothing to do with this.

Jesus we're not gonna be able to speak soon if people keep getting offended by everything.

Well, whether it offends you or not, I will keep saying the following:

Having a paddy
Taking the mick
Any phrase with mental/mad/crazy in it

People need to learn context. Not like she came out and said 'all Irish people are aggressive'. It's a term. If you're going to get shocked by things like that, I'd suggest you spend your life indoors with no Internet or TV.

Look up what racism actually means.

clarita

Nobody was shocked, nor do they need to hide away. But it is slightly offensive. Not a big deal, but slightly offensive.

It’s nice for you that you’re exempt from behaving like a decent human being though. Go you!

There is a huge difference between race and ethnicity, which is the correct terminology. The Irish are not a race.

Totally agree OhDoGrowUp

DontCall you met a bigoted asshole. Of course we have them here in Ireland. They exist everywhere. I know you don’t think all Irish people think the same way as him?

And for clarity (for clarita ha!), it isn’t terrible to unknowingly cause offence with something like this. If you don’t know, what can you do?

But to say “I don’t care if you find it offensive, I’m going to say it anyway cos I wanna”. Well...

Australian here. Police vans are called paddy wagons almost universally here (south). I’m astonished I’ve never made the connection, and never ever heard anyone else raise or question it.

I’ll certainly stop using that term, and start pointing out the prejudice in its original use.

Love getting edu-ma-kated by Mumsnet!

The Irish are not a race.

They’re not brown, but they are a race.

Sorry, I should clarify what I mean by that, I mean, just because the Irish are white like the English, doesn’t meant they are the same race. Just because they don’t look ethnically different doesn’t mean they arent.

They are an ethnic group and there can be several different races within that group.

“Jesus we're not gonna be able to speak soon if people keep getting offended by everything”

RottenTomatoes959

I know I should have said it to her but I was a bit in shock that she would be so blasè about it and she left quite quickly then.

Actually the op said she was shocked.

www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/relationships/collections1/race-relations-act-1965/race-relations-act-1965/

“The Act banned racial discrimination in public places and made the promotion of hatred on the grounds of ‘colour, race, or ethnic or national origins’ an offence.”

She said she was a bit in shock that the woman would be so blasé about it, so that she didn’t mention it. Which is fair enough if she’s in Ireland. It’s not a term which is commonly used there. It doesn’t mean she’s so shocked she has to hide away as you said.

Sweaties and bluenoses for Scottish people? What? Have lived in Dublin for 54 years and never heard of those phrases and have only seen 'throwing a paddy' online once or twice, never heard it irl. Irish people are not racist btw in any make shape or form, I have no idea why that gets bandied around on here. Older Irish people especially those living very rurally tend to be wary of 'outsiders', no matter their colour, race, or religion but that is changing and there are bigoted arseholes in every country, that doesn't mean Irish people are racist.

Gosh you're a sensitive one. I think you know the intent wasn't to be offensive about Irish people

And there is huge dispute over its origin, namely because it's such an old term. But it is thought it goes as far back as Irish complaints about English oppression and William the orange killing catholic's. Which in my view, as a Scottish person, would be a righteous complaint from the Irish.

As no one really knows it's origin and few people use it as a derogatory phrase in regards the Irish, I would suggest you maybe find something else to get upset about.

Like world hunger. Brexit. Trump, whatever. If you wish to get upset about something there are plenty to chose from. Fill your boots.

I'm saying if you're going to be shocked by these kind of things then you should hide away. People are going to keep saying it, it's a phrase many know and many use. I've never had anyone say it's offensive. Of age was blasè about it, so many people say it.

of course she not of age. Stupid phone. Or does offend people of low intelligence...

Well, whether it offends you or not, I will keep saying the following:

Having a paddy
Taking the mick
Any phrase with mental/mad/crazy in it

Why? do you not know many words?