To think that “Irish twins” is an offensive term?

[CroissantwithCheese]

I read a thread on an American pregnancy forum about the term “Irish twins”. The OP posted some gushing statement hoping she was pregnant and that it would mean she had Irish twins. A commenter said it was offensive and I deeply agree. It was an idiom apparently created in the US in the 1800s, referring to the large families of Irish immigrants. It was derogatory, stereotyping the Irish for not having any sort of family planning and not using contraception. But this was hardly their fault as the church had banned contraception. The term has now become some sort of cutesy way of referring to two children born within a year of each other, and seems to be completely accepted. How can that be accepted and not considered offensive?!

When i was growing up, I had a friend who used to refer to things that were a contradiction in terms as 'Irish'. I thought she was being prejudiced. However, I was learning a very famous traditional Irish song the other day and it has a line about a 'false true lover' in it. I have to say my mind jumped back to those days as I couldn't really understand why that contradiction had been left in. Is it just to make the line scan? Can anyone Irish (north or south) explain it to me?

I don’t think Irish people were the only ones having lots of children back in the 1800s or even the early-mid 1900s

Of course they weren't.

But is was considered a very 'Irish' thing to do by people convinced of the superiority of their own choices.
For 'Irish' read 'backwards', 'unsophisticated', 'rustic', 'ignorant'.

Reading this thread has really annoyed me. I'm Irish (Dublin, not that it matters if its ROI or NI), this phrase doesn't bother me at all. Like a PP said though, it could be that I've lived in Ireland my whole life so have only heard it from Irish people.

But some of the people on this thread really need to understand that not everyone is going to have the same opinion as you. Just because this doesn't offend me doesn't mean someone else is being stupid or easily offended for not liking it. I think most people who are offended by it have outlined some very clear and rational reasons as to why it offends them. And its the people who are not offended being the unreasonable and rude ones.

As for the northern ireland being britan thing... I can't believe people still think like this. I have yet to meet a northern Irish person who calls themselves English. Yes the North and South are seperate, but they don't live in bloody antartica! They live in Ireland, on the same Island as the republic. Trying to tell someone their own nationality is just so ignorant I can't even begin to comprehend it.

I’m Irish and don’t find it offensive. Cant believe there are 17 pages of comments! .

Anyone offended by Germans calling tattoos “English rash”?

Cant believe there are 17 pages of comments!

Standard for an Irish “is this offensive” thread. For some reason it takes a lot of explaining

I hate the anti-Irish sentiment in the UK...ahem, I mean on MN ...
but this is one thing I just can’t get worked up about I’m afraid.

I was learning a very famous traditional Irish song the other day and it has a line about a 'false true lover' in it. I have to say my mind jumped back to those days as I couldn't really understand why that contradiction had been left in. Is it just to make the line scan? Can anyone Irish (north or south) explain it to me?

What has that go to do with being Irish? I'm not Irish and I don't know the song you are referring to but even from the limited context it's clear it is referring to a betrayal.

Someone's "true love" has either jilted them/ lied about being single/ up-dupped them and run off. The "true love" proved false.

It's a common trope in folk songs.

"up-duffed them etc.

If the song you are referring to is False True Love it is an English folk song but is widely disseminated into other folk traditions, such as Appalachian.

Because if they're false, they're not true, are they? ' false lover' alone would suffice. It's not a phrase i've personally come across in songs from other areas of the British Isles but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

Because if they'refalse, they're nottrue, are they? ' false lover' alone would suffice

False True Love emphasises the betrayal.

But sounds daft, whatever nationality is singing it!

Each to their own. It doesn't sound daft to me. It's an oxymoron . It conveys far more of a sense of betrayal by adding one extra word than "false lover" does.

I'm Irish and this doesn't offend me. Not offence in the slightest. People need to concentrate on real issues this does nothing but add to the anti PC brigade.

I've never heard of the term!

I'm not Irish, but I'm well aware of the phrase and wouldn't use it, because it feels (really) offensive.

It's implying that because of the traditional Catholic stranglehold over the country, the Irish are at it like rabbits, churn out babies at a rate of knots, and don't even come up for air before the next one.

How is that not offensive?

Don't forget it was coined at a time when 'decorum' was the word of the day, and (as with so many other jokes and phrases at the expense of the Irish), it was very much implying they had none.

I thought jedward too