Irish Stereotypes: Where Did They Start?

A Look Back at the Drunk and Disgruntled Irishman

So it's nearing St. Patrick's Day and while you are deciding on what "green" outfit to wear and which pub to get sloshed in, take a moment and remember these Irish stereotypes. While most people think of happy leprechauns, pots of gold, and hot-tempered Irish drunks, the stereotypes of the Irish man (or woman) didn't always have such a lighthearted past. Many of us picture ruddy-haired alcoholics and abusers who love to fight, the typical Irish American cop, or the disgruntled Irishman at the bar. Where did these stereotypical images start, and why?

The Beginning: 19^th Century Irish Stereotypes

Many of the stereotypes we know about today began in the 19^th century. During this time, many Irish immigrants came to the United States. Darwin's Theory of Evolution was a prevalent topic of the day. The struggle for labor between immigrants resulted in violence and discrimination. All of these things helped shape the Irish stereotypes you and I know today.

Back in the 19^th century, many people viewed the Irish as an "other" or different race from other white people. 19^th century cartoons portrayed the Irish as ape-like and racially primitive. Darwin's Theory of Evolution seemed to explain that the Irish were of a lower life form, not up to the par with the more intellectual white Americans. The Irish were seen as brash, hostile, angry -- all characteristics of a more primitive human form.

Around the same time, a labor struggle existed between Irish Americans and the freed African American slaves. The Irish clung to their occupations fiercely, blocking the attempts of newer immigrants or African Americans to enter them, and earning them a reputation for violence. After 1860, there were several Irish songs about employment advertisements reading, "Irish need not apply", which are now referred to as "the NINA signs." The songs had a deep impact on the Irish sense of discrimination. There is still much debate about whether these ads existed.