A PRO-BREXIT article, which has branded Ireland a “land of puppy farms, rain-soaked holidays, dingy bars, drugs mule celebs, verbal diarrhoea and squeaky fiddles”, has caused a stir online, with one person reportedly making a complaint to the Met Police.
The piece for Country Squire Magazine, titled 'Get Stuffed, Eire', warns that as Britain is Ireland’s biggest trading partner, Brexit could have ‘devastating effects’ on Ireland.
Author Jim Browne raises valid concerns for Ireland that Brexit could result in reduced trade between the two countries, higher priced imports from Britain and a brain drain from Ireland.
However it is the tone of the piece that has shocked readers, with the article branding Ireland “A ‘country’ where the burglars from Britain – with surnames like Kettle and Rafferty – return to build eyesore ‘palaces’ in ratholes like Rathkeale (a small Irish town swollen by the proceeds of crime)”.
Referring variously to the country as Ireland and Eire, it goes on: “Eire’s history is basically British – before that it was a bunch of warring families and a corrupt church involved in an incessant spiral of gobshiteing and slaying – certainly not a nation.
“The best things in Eire are all British – amongst them Cadbury’s chocolate, Jack Charlton and the English breakfast.
“Even their much-heralded patron Saint was a Brit and they had to kidnap the poor fellow.”
The piece adds that ‘lippy’ Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is “used like de Valera by the Germans” and that the British Government “should pay as much attention to whining Varadkar as it does now to the punctured gasbag Sturgeon”.
Advocating a hard Brexit in which Britain should dictate the border with Ireland and undercut its neighbour’s trading corporation tax rate, it concludes that Britain will flourish after Brexit.
“If Britain wants to it can run Eire into the ground where there are no consolations – its spotty youths will brain drain again to the US and Britain and its economy will crumble,” it concludes.
Unsurprisingly, the piece didn’t go down well with Irish people.
Journalist Ken Murray tweeted that he had reported the article to the Met Police, for its “shocking racist bile against all Irish people”.
Another user described it as “the nastiest, most racist and parochial b******s I've read”.
Country Squire Magazine, which launched in November 2016, describes itself as hoping to "reflect the vision, the dreams and the narrative of those who have already chosen green fields over high rises, narrow lanes over the fast lane".
Reaction to the article
I just made a complaint to the London Met Police Force against this shocking racist bile against all Irish people. https://t.co/zA5vbQRUxA
— Ken Murray (@NewsMurray) August 11, 2017
just about the nastiest, most racist and parochial bollocks I've read from an English source on #brexit https://t.co/kPzmYHfa9D
— Steve Woods (@wood5y) August 11, 2017
I thought that Effie Deans piece was craziest thing I'd ever read on #brexit and Ireland. How, how wrong I was. Nuts https://t.co/iEDBEFbtP8
— Peter Geoghegan (@PeterKGeoghegan) August 10, 2017
Stereotyped & prejudiced views from certain quarters in UK will never go away when it comes to Ireland #Brexit https://t.co/RaL99oOKDs
— Michael Keaveney (@Keaveneymichael) August 11, 2017
https://t.co/Nxj00yL0LX Someone in the UK needs to report this knob for racism. The Irish. The only permitted racism allowed in the UK
— Caroline McCarthy (@Carolin77679304) August 11, 2017