Why are the Irish perceived to be so stupid?

[Richmondbread]

As someone with a lot of Irish ancestry, I have to ask. My assumption is the "potato diet" they were on for quite awhile may have lowered their cognitive functioning? The Irish have the lowest IQ in all of NW Europe. That's why many joke they are black people turned inside out. But I have noticed that Irish seem really good in the arts- -particularly writing and music. So there must be some kind of compensation there. Thoughts?

[Graham]

Historic bigotry and Penal laws on the Irish.


Don't think people really think that these days though.

[JamesBond007]

As someone with a lot of Irish ancestry, I have to ask. My assumption is the "potato diet" they were on for quite awhile may have lowered their cognitive functioning? The Irish have the lowest IQ in all of NW Europe. That's why many joke they are black people turned inside out. But I have noticed that Irish seem really good in the arts- -particularly writing and music. So there must be some kind of compensation there. Thoughts?

Define the term 'Irish' please. For instance, does it include diaspora 'Irish' who are possibly plastic paddies ? I have an Irish hiberno-norman 'name' but since I'm American my ancestors include English, Irish, German/French and possibly Scottish ancestors ,as well, so I doubt I'm 'Irish'. My Y-DNA could be Scottish or Welsh in origin or Irish and my MTdna is similar or the same as Queen Victoria's of England. I think if I was just an Irish and English or Irish/English/Scottish I might just identify as Irish but the kraut/Frog bomb at 25% was too much for my 'Irishness'.

[Östsvensk]

My guesses would be that the country is considered to have come out of the Middle Ages after the rest of Western Europe, England thinks that they can't speak proper English, and Catholic-Protestant rivalry.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDBjsFAyiwA

[Longbowman]

When people realised you had Irish ancestry, the stereotype just formed itself.

[Golden Lining]

Well, their IQ scores and scholar achievements have always been subpar, especially compared to the other "North-Western European" people. But to be honest, I think it's mostly caused by the heavy drinking. Even pregnant mothers drunk when I was in Ireland. It's actually quite a wonder that the country works so well.

[Norb]

Not for me they're not. Americans yes

[Universe]

They aren't.

[LittleDarkAge]

The Irish are the only Anglos I have respect for (maybe Scottish as well). The English are the first people to assert their pride, but can't even prevent non-European hordes from taking over their country.

Edit: it turns out that the Irish are actually Gaels. What a horrible mistake! My point is still valid.

[Linebacker]

British propaganda mostly. Both the Irish and British did it to each other, the British one got more popular because of their greater social influence.

British propaganda against the Irish:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Scientific_racism_irish.jpg

Irish propaganda against the British(Chad vs Incel way before it was cool):
https://i.imgur.com/zZIR5k8.jpg

[Wallace Darling]

Every Irish person I know is smart :) . Don't generalize a whole group of people, man.

[Creoda]

British propaganda mostly. Both the Irish and British did it to each other, the British one got more popular because of their greater social influence.

British propaganda against the Irish:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Scientific_racism_irish.jpg

That was from an American publication (Harper's Weekly), like many of the famous Irish caricatures.

[JamesBond007]

British propaganda mostly. Both the Irish and British did it to each other, the British one got more popular because of their greater social influence.

British propaganda against the Irish:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Scientific_racism_irish.jpg



The Irish look primitive and can't blend into any other European country because of that. They are aborignal with Western UP caveman UP (not borreby) dominating their phenotype; Some people say I look West British but I can pass in the Benelux etc.... Check out this Irish simian with his negro fro and primitive cave man chin etc...this guy does not look European in that he does not pass anywhere but Ireland (he can't blend into France, Italy, Germany , the netherlands , Belgium , Spain etc... he sticks out like sore thumb:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3d/bb/41/3dbb41c9d41d50d9330864b20d3d2852.jpg

https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/files/2011/01/73.jpg



You don't talk much about English faces, Polish faces, Korean faces or Nigerian faces. You never say "He had a face like the map of Belgium."

...

"The common classes [of Ireland --jb007] are strongly marked with the national peculiarity of features, and by this they are readily recognized in other countries." -- "A Pictorial Geography of the World" (1856).

But what is the peculiarity? What is their Irishness?

Among these faces:

Map of Ireland: big chin, thin upper lip, nose of topographical complexity and hooded eyes whose lids seem to cross the pupils on a slow diagonal -- features almost too big for the face, heavy and quaint like a 1954 Buick Roadmaster.

Goddess Colleen: big-boned, redheaded, like Athena with freckles, skin as pale as Chinese takeout cartons, and a look of splendid uncaring about their architectural cheekbones.

Black Irish: The same skin without the freckles, and hair that is not dark but black, Spanish bullfighter black, telephone black, vestment black, a blackness said to come from survivors of the Spanish Armada, but come on, now. The Black Irish sometimes have quick eyes like the redhead goddesses, suggesting that they're thinking a little faster than you're talking.

Wait-and-See: Dark eyes and dark mouths, dark as bruises. They all slope down like chevrons. These faces give away precisely nothing. They make you worry they know something you don't. Georgia O'Keeffe had a little of that in her face -- a dark, hard thing.

Leprechaun: Wide, with no upper lip at all, but a long, full lower one, and slanting eyes.

Tip O'Neill: Faces of this model, named for the late speaker of the House, cannot be imagined young. They are huge, like barns shingled with jowls, layer on layer, chin on chin, eye bags on eye bags, sometimes with the vast, red nose that has provoked the definition of an Irishman as "Thirty pounds of face and 40 pounds of liver."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/projects/stpats/look.htm

[LittleDarkAge]

All I know is that I have a coarse ass hair like many Irish do.

[Hialt]

I'll take on your question seriously. I think it has to do with social class orientation, instead of any "brain defect" on the part of the Irish. The Irish have proven themselves in my mind as sharp a people as you'll ever meet. Irish mop-pushin' ladies of Long Island, NY, they'll pick your pockets while kissing you, take your truck out for a midnite spin out to meet an elderly black dude.
I think the root of the "dilemma" of what you're talking about, which is a social-class, rather economic, manifestation of identity. They were probably associated with crime/slicksters (ex: "Irish Need Not Apply" signs) ways, in NY only because their social background was gutter-level, in terms of the so many who escaped "horror-poverty" in their homeland.

[Davystayn]

The Protestant Catholic divide explains why people looked down on the Irish years ago.

It is easy to forget how crucial this divide was in European history. Dozens of wars over centuries about it.

[Creoda]

All I know is that I have a coarse ass hair like many Irish do.
Thanks for that image. Don't want to know why you know about the coarseness of 'ass hair' in different people.

[Hulu]

Thanks for that image. Don't want to know why you know about the coarseness of 'ass hair' in different people.

:lol: I think he's using an Americanism, not literally ass, like big ass house for example.

[LittleDarkAge]

:lol: I think he's using an Americanism, not literally ass, like big ass house for example.

He knows that perfectly well, he's just trying to be a smart ass.

[Hulu]

He knows that perfectly well, he's just trying to be a smart ass.

Creoda cracking a joke, who would have thought

[Ruggery]

British propaganda mostly. Both the Irish and British did it to each other, the British one got more popular because of their greater social influence.

British propaganda against the Irish:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Scientific_racism_irish.jpg


Why Iberian?

[PaleoEuropean]

That is such an outdated view xD. That is like the views on Poles, Italians etc. It's all political rhetoric. The Irish in America are not only smart but they have moved up the ladder of society way more than most other immigrant groups historically. The Irish took over the police, the unions, fire departments and the military to become a political machine. They were a threat to the American establishment and had a lot of socialist and catholic views which clashed with American capitalism and society.

[Richmondbread]

Not for me they're not. Americans yes

What's wrong with Americans ? Most Americans claim German heritage, btw.

[Richmondbread]

I'll take on your question seriously. I think it has to do with social class orientation, instead of any "brain defect" on the part of the Irish. The Irish have proven themselves in my mind as sharp a people as you'll ever meet. Irish mop-pushin' ladies of Long Island, NY, they'll pick your pockets while kissing you, take your truck out for a midnite spin out to meet an elderly black dude.
I think the root of the "dilemma" of what you're talking about, which is a social-class, rather economic, manifestation of identity. They were probably associated with crime/slicksters (ex: "Irish Need Not Apply" signs) ways, in NY only because their social background was gutter-level, in terms of the so many who escaped "horror-poverty" in their homeland.

I'm descended from the more Anglo and "lace curtain" Irish, who immigrated to the Southern part of the United States, and before the potato famine.

[Grace O'Malley]

I'm descended from the more Anglo and "lace curtain" Irish immigrated to the Southern part of the United States, and before the potato famine.

It is old propaganda. The Irish are very obviously not stupid. Who do you know that thinks a whole ethnicity is stupid? Every population has stupid people and I can think of some countries which I think must have a lot of stupid people. :) The Irish are on the whole more politically aware than a lot of other populations and are in fact one of the most educated populations in Europe.

https://universityobserver.ie/ireland-has-highest-proportion-of-25-54-year-olds-with-third-level-education-in-europe/

Ireland was the European country with the highest share of graduates in 2018 with over 40 percent of those aged between 15 and 64 having a degree in that year.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1084737/eu-28-adults-with-tertiary-education-attainment/

https://ourworldindata.org/exports/share-of-population-age-15-with-completed-tertiary-education_v2_850x600.svg

[Gauthier]

Never heard of such stereotype. In the combat sports culture they are known as warlike people.

Their maximum representative being Conor McGregor.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-QyRQ9yXBk

[sevruk]

Typical Angloracism ... I like Irish