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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Huffington Post column agrees with printing anti-Irish jokes

Posted on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 03:08 AM

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Huffington Post columnist Rory Fitzgerald has come out in favor of Douglas Murray, the Scotsman who encouraged his readers to tell their worst Irish jokes in his column in The Daily Telegraph in London. A hundred or so took Murray up on it, and his column was filled with the worst kind of Irish stereotypical jokes.

"Mr. Murray is in the right of it, I think. He's defending the right to free speech, which includes the right to offen," Fitzgerald writes.

I could not disagree more.

Murray is, in fact, director of the United Kingdom's Center for Social Cohesion. This institute was founded "to promote human rights, tolerance and greater cohesion among the U.K.'s ethnic and religious communities and within wider British society."

It is incredible that a man in that position would allow his column to be used for the worst kind of anti-Irish humor-- and that the Huffington Post columnist would agree with it. In this case, it is not the joke but the status of the person who is encouraging it to be told that is the issue.

Murray used the spurious reason that his column was motivated by a settlement involving a fine against a minor British politician for telling such a joke in public after an Irishman who heard it complained.

He has every right to an opinion, but to then encourage the bigots to tell their own jokes in his own column is a bridge too far.

The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has already complained about the absurdity of an alleged civil-rights worker openly encouraging such bigotry.

And bigotry is what it is. If you lived in Britain as I did during the 1970s, the vicious strain of anti-Irish sentiment was no laughing matter.

Everywhere from tabloid media to television comedians to construction workers among whom I worked were "Paddy" jokes depicting us as thick, dumb and lazy.

I knew fellow construction workers who adopted fake British accents, who grew extremely self-conscious about their identity as a result. It was an interesting insight into what other ethnic groups in far worse situations must face. "No Dogs, Blacks or Irish " were well-documented signs used by some landlords at the time.

It was no joke.

The anti-Irish sentiment faded after the end of The Troubles and the Celtic Tiger, but now appears to be making a comeback, perhaps because Ireland is in recession again. Murray is doing his bit to fan the flames. The fact that he is allegedly someone interested in better race relations makes it doubly troubling.

If Murray had called for Black or Muslim jokes, the outrage would have been heard all across the Atlantic. But somehow, Irish jokes are okay.

They are not, especially coming from the British. Rory Fitzgerald and the Huffington Post, that alleged paragon of truth and equality for all, should be able to see that too.

(Huffington Post columnist responds to IrishCentral. Click here for story)

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16 comments

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sheilamurray | Mar 02, 2010, 04:23 PM EST

I lived in Britian in the 60's and heard all the nasty jokes from the middle aged so called gentry. After they told us kids a joke they would go HA HA HA and it was not even funny.

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blueblue | Feb 19, 2010, 07:09 PM EST

I think Niall you are way behind in pointing this out.In recent months Tommy Smyth an Irish announcer with ESPN has been savaged by The Guardian. Why did it take a huffington post edition to get "your Irish up".I was amazed that nobody that I read came to Mr Smyth aid in view of how The Guardian was racist in terms like " Smyths cod fish Iris accent". I am delighted you took this stand and now maybe you can tell a thing or two about the Guardian.

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PatrickLee | Feb 19, 2010, 03:57 PM EST

Wow Naill, this must be a bitter pill for you to swallow coming from another "liberal" blog. Maybe you should come over to the "dark side" of the conservatives. At least we are less likely to make tasteless jokes.

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borefield | Feb 19, 2010, 02:59 PM EST

The Huffington bag of gas would be dust if she agreed to this type of freedom of speech for Blacks, muslims or hispanics. The Irish rise above it, Thank God.

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FastEddy | Feb 19, 2010, 12:52 PM EST

Mr. O'Dowd, perhaps Irish Central should also report on some of the more popular I'net blogs. How does World Net daily handle this Irish "question"? ... National Review? ... Daily Beast? ... (She is not really Irish you know.)

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Searlit | Feb 19, 2010, 10:39 AM EST

It has seemed to me for quite sometime now that the Irish people were the only ones that it was still okay to make jokes about. The Irish people are a hardy group and don't like to complain, and they have a great sense of humor and enjoy a good laugh. However, discrimination and stereotypes are not good material for jokes. The funniest jokes are those that are played off the 'comedian', people are at their most entertaining when they can laugh at themselves.

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Derrylass627 | Feb 19, 2010, 09:41 AM EST

Right on Niall! On a visit to the UK my hubby & I were insulted at a B&B breakfast table when we mentioned going to a soccer game. The Brits said they wouldn't be caught dead cheering for "stripe shirts" (celtics). People have a right to speak their mind, but doesn't anyone ever consider that rudeness is very unbecoming and does nothing for tolerance. Bigotry can really spoil one's day!

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brennanirish | Feb 19, 2010, 09:29 AM EST

I agree with the article. its time to stop dismissing this bigotry as casual. It is is not. This hatred is institutional in England. It is as ingrained in England as anti-semitism was ingrained in Germany. Can anyone point to a State sponsored website, anywhere in the world, that has such bigoted content? Please advise. Remember this issue the next time you hear UK politicians lecturing someone, somewhere, about civil rights....

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maloney | Feb 18, 2010, 09:39 PM EST

brits & the huffington pile are not worth worrying about, low rent don't you know

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tfoley10 | Feb 18, 2010, 02:13 PM EST

I was deeply offended by the so called Irish Jokes, I wrote to complain to the Daily Telgraph and received aletter from Edward Roussel (Digital Editor) supporting Mr. Murray. Mr. Roussel stated that, 'Douglas Murray's blog was legitimate...nor was an inctement to racial hatred. Mr. O'Dowd I have forwarded a copy of the letter to info@irishcentral.

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JosephOCasey | Feb 18, 2010, 12:02 PM EST

I don't see what the big deal is here. It seems like everybody is in a rush to be some sort of victim. Lose sleep over this if you'd like, but I've got better things to do.

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SouthSideIrish | Feb 18, 2010, 11:09 AM EST

Oh please; yes we are back to the days of no dogs; blacks or micks. How thin skinned are we? We have an Irishman in the White House for fecks sake!

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SouthSideIrish | Feb 18, 2010, 10:28 AM EST

Niall, I agree with you. I have always found "Paddy jokes" offensive. They have the insidious effect, if not intent, of portraying the Irish as owners of a primitive, child-like intelligence, clever, sly, devious, witty - but not to be trusted or taken seriously. Unfortunately, we ourselves are the worst offenders in perpetuating these put-down jokes.

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Rebelforce | Feb 18, 2010, 09:20 AM EST

Excuse me, but are you only now coming to the realization that it's perfectly okay to be bigoted against Irish-Catholics among the "Politically Correct" crowd and many "right-wingers" as well? Where have you been all these years? This is nothing new. And the Irish ofcourse are often their own worst enemies, with many of them proving just how "thick" they really are by championing such anti-Irish programming as "Fr Ted".

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Padraig | Feb 18, 2010, 08:45 AM EST

I don't like it but honestly... really not surprised. And they(whoever they are) say the Irish can't get over hate relations with the english, they(that would be the english)'re putin fuel to the fire boys.

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