Fed up with jokes about 'stupid Irish' people?

[Happyspendingthedayinthegarden]

My maternal grandparents both came from Ireland and I am proud of my heritage.

For context I work for a Govt Dept that is very keen on promoting inclusive non-discriminatory policies - we even have to take a regular training programme to ensure that we are aware of direct and indirect discrimination.

Yesterday on a group 'Wellbeing' chat someone put a joke about 'Paddy' which was the usual Irish 'Paddy is stupid' kind of joke. IMO the joke would have been amusing if it had been 'Fred' or 'John' eg: not racially focussed. This joke got several 'likes' & generated other 'Paddy' & 'Murphy' type jokes. I felt insulted but didn't call it out because, well, I felt that would make me a WOKE Party Pooper.

AIBU & over-sensitive?

You're not oversensitive at all. Racism of any kind is deplorable.

As an actual Irish person, i don't really expect any different from most British people. But at this stage I'm not sure how much I care. Its just the last gasps of an dying empire really. We're ahead of the uk in education, and happiness and most metrics that matter. If people have to try to pretend to be superior to Irish people to feel like they matter, whatever.

You’re not oversensitive. It’s like “Taffy” and sheep shagger jokes about the Welsh.

I would have called it out - just posted an update on work policies. My Mil makes Irish comments despite knowing my ancestry. I just refuse to acknowledge her comments but, at work, you have HR on your side.

How so many people still don’t realise these jokes are inappropriate is totally beyond me. YANBU.

Oh, and she's 80. I've not really heard Irish comments from anyone below that age for years.

The irony, of course, is that the Irish population has for some time been much better educated than the British.

YANBU, at uni I wrote research paper on the othering of Irish people and why racism against Irish people is still socially acceptable.

I'd say something to your manager and, if you don't get a satisfactory response, to their manager. The only way to stamp it out is to challenge it.

As someone who is both Irish and has an IQ measured in the high 170s I recognise all the "tick fockin Oirish" shite for what it is, and ignore it. Much better for the blood pressure.

As a 2nd generation Irish woman I call it out and ask those saying it if they'd repeat an equally derogatory comment/joke to any other race or is it because the Irish are an easy target and good for a laugh?!

I

This is a problem with racist people. Call it out.
As a side note - as an English person I genuinely don't have any derogatory feelings towards Irish people. I see them as neighbours and the ones I know personally are all lovely and I'd never have a bad word to say about them. I was surprised to find out that there is still so much racism. It really doesn't make any sense to me. I would definitely be laughing at that person and snigger that they are so out of touch they think that's a good joke nowadays. Embarrass the fuck out of them.

And thieving jokes about scousers.

I agree. My paternal grandparents were Irish so I guess that's why Irish "jokes" hit a nerve with me but, to be honest, any racist joke gets me down. Or any joke that mocks people's perceived differences. It's just lazy & stupid.

Eg: Mark Wood, an England cricketer with a NE accent (most people would say Geordie but I don't think he is, actually) being interviewed and afterwards the commentator said "I didn't understand a word he said" which was just a stupid lie, said for a cheap laugh (& incidentally, he wouldn't have said that about a Jamaican accent or an Indian one). It just gets me down, this moronic attitude.

Yup I tick so many boxes 😂 Welsh grandparents, Irish dad, Irish name, scouser!

first day in my new job in the midlands- we’ve counted all the hubcaps in the car park, calm down calm down etc 🙄

However that’s just regional prejudice and stereotyping- the thick Irish shit needs calling out!

My English inlaws are banned from my house by their own son for their disgusting anti Irish comments. But they swear they aren't anti Irish 🙄

Yes, that's what I think, are 'Irish jokes' like this still a thing!

Maybe a bit over sensitive. I would try not to let it bother you so much. I’m Irish and that type of thing doesn’t especially bother me, but tbf I’m in Ireland so don’t have to deal with it. Plenty of negative things get said about the English where I’m from and I can tell you they are a lot worse than what you describe.

Thank you PP for your support. I will report it.

Ironically last week we had to sit through a 30 minute presentation from one of the 'Ambassadors For Fair Treatment' where the presenter just read out the Power Point script that we could've read for ourselves. That's 30 minutes of tax payer's money wasted (about 60 managerial grade staff present, plus some senior managers) & obviously went over the heads of some of my colleagues. 🙄

Do you work in 1985? I work for a public body and any jokes of that nature would be reported to HR and people disciplined. It's racism, deal with it like you would any other racist "joke" or comment.

Mr Monkey is Irish and he hasn't heard that sort of stuff since the early 1990s

YANBU - somehow it’s still fine to be racist towards white people (or cultures perceived to be mostly white). See also “miserly” scots and “sheep shaggers” of Wales. I’m Northern Irish by birth and have actually had work colleagues make jokes about me knowing how to make bombs - I have called it out because it’s insensitive, and much worse, not actually funny. I’d describe myself as anti-woke if anything and love a joke, but Paddy jokes can get in the bin of comedy along with every other lazy race-based “joke”.

yanbu, I would also report it to a manager/hr

And dummy Brummies!

TBH deep down I'd take it as a compliment from those undereducated and far less sophisticated than you are. I see it as envy really. All forms of racism usually stem from idiots.

The Irish are highly educated very warm welcoming people, come from a wealthy well run country that values education, looks after its underprivileged and its elderly very very well. I envy you, but not in the racist way I described above!

As you say, the Celtic nations tend to value education, music, poetry & the finer things of life. The Brits don't have this heritage so, like you, I suspect that they are envious.

Let me tell you a joke about the White Anglo Saxon Male Brit who was so stupid that ......😂