Black Irish

The following story, which I had placed into my Daily Record blog, was killed by the copyeditor, who considered it racist. He spoke to other editors about it, but did not talk to me.

From A Book of Anecdotes, selected and edited by Daniel George, Citadel Press, 1957

Irish Emigrants

In Greville’s diary for November 12th, 1829, is the record of a party at Lord Clifden’s. Among those present was Tom Moore, who told the following story:

“Some Irish had emigrated to some West Indian colony; the negroes soon learnt their brogue, and when another shipload of Irish came soon after, the negroes as they sailed in said, ‘Ah, Paddy, how are ye?’ ‘Oh, Christ!’ said one of them, ‘what, y’re black already!’”