Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Local Syrian sources: A doctor was killed while trying to reach the government hospital in the city of Sweida.
Syrian local sources: The National Hospital in Sweida is currently out of service due to the siege it is facing.
Syrian local sources: Medical staff at the National Hospital in Sweida appeal for intervention after it was besieged and its electricity, water, and food were cut off.
Syrian Rejal al-Karamah (Men of Dignity) movement: What happened was a dangerous escalation that threatens civil peace and undermines the trust that authorities have worked hard to establish.
Rejal al-Karamah (Men of Dignity) movement: We condemn in the strongest terms the brutal attack on the city of Sweida and Jabal al-Arab by the Damascus government.
Maduro: We reaffirm that Palestine has the right to exist, resist, and live freely in a fully sovereign state with East al-Quds as its capital.
Maduro: Every bomb dropped on a Palestinian hospital, school, or home not only kills innocent lives but also destroys the foundations of world peace.
Maduro: What we are witnessing today in Gaza and throughout Palestine is not a conflict between equal parties, but rather a systematic plan to destroy a people and eradicate their identity.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at the Bogota summit: We raise our voices firmly outraged at the world's silence in the face of the ongoing genocide against the Palestinians.
Syria: Sources to Al Mayadeen: Israeli airstrikes target supply lines of military factions affiliated with the Syrian Interim Ministry of Defense outside Sweida and around Daraa.

'Paddystinian': How slur became badge of Irish pro-Gaza solidarity

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News Websites
  • 25 May 2025 17:11
  • 2 Shares
4 Min Read

The term's supposed origins as an insult have only accelerated its adoption on platforms like TikTok, where Irish users now identify as "Paddystinians".

Listen
  • x
  • 'Paddystinian’: A proud label for Irish activists
    Pro-Palestine supporters wave Palestinian flags as they march across Waterloo Bridge in Central London, UK (AFP)

Once believed to be a derogatory term coined by supporters of "Israel", the neologism "Paddystinian" has been reclaimed by Irish activists as a symbol of solidarity with Palestine and resistance to the war on Gaza.

Originally intended to mock Ireland’s pro-Palestine stance, the term has been embraced as a badge of honour, now proudly displayed on T-shirts, hoodies, pins, and social media bios.

Activists have turned the term into a rallying cry, using it to campaign against Israeli atrocities in Gaza and to push the Irish government to take stronger steps toward ending the aggression.

Its supposed origins as an insult have only accelerated its adoption on platforms like TikTok, where Irish users now identify as "Paddystinians", and in a playful twist on the traditional name Biddy, some women are calling themselves "Biddystinians."

From derogatory to positive

“It was being used as a negative,” said Ross McGann, a TikToker with nearly 40,000 followers. “Once I heard that, I thought: ‘Nah, we can flip this around.’ It’s a very Irish thing to do – you take an insult and you flip it back.”

Related News

Nasser Lahham released by Israeli occupation after arbitrary detention

Yemeni forces target Israeli military site, Umm al-Rashrash port

The 35-year-old content creator, who lives on a farm in County Offaly, has woven the term Paddystinian into his TikTok bio and videos, many of which have gained wide traction.

“The word paddy has been used in a derogatory sense towards Irish people, but in my family we have lots of Patricks, so to us paddy is a positive word. Given what’s happening in Gaza, I thought it’s only fair that we own it.”

New layer of Irish pro-Palestine activism

The spread of the term has added a new layer to Irish activism around Gaza, surfacing alongside ongoing controversy surrounding the rap group Kneecap. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, a member of the group, has been charged with a terror offence in the United Kingdom after allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a performance in London. 

While the exact origin of Paddystinian is uncertain, it gained wider attention in December when "Israel" closed its embassy in Dublin, accusing the Irish government of antisemitism and extreme hostility.

From symbol to strategy: Turning solidarity into political pressure

Merchandise featuring the term "Paddystinian", including pins, badges, and clothing, has gained popularity, with some groups like Uplift donating proceeds to Gaza aid. Izzeddeen Alkarajeh, a Palestinian cafe owner in Cork, reports strong pin sales, calling it a powerful example of reclaiming a once-mocking term. He says the word, along with support from artists like Kneecap, is helping raise awareness about Palestine among young Irish people, reflecting Ireland’s long-standing solidarity with the oppressed.

Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, the Palestinian ambassador to Ireland, praised the country’s strong show of solidarity. “Any link between the Irish people and the Palestinian people is a positive one," she said. "I hope the Irish people feel the same. We share the same history of colonisation and know too well how important freedom, justice, and human rights are.”

Activists say their aim is to translate this solidarity, especially the growing online movement, into political pressure on the Irish government. They are calling for concrete actions, including passing a bill to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, halting the Irish central bank’s approval of Israeli bond sales in Europe, and restricting the use of Irish airspace for flights suspected of transporting military supplies to "Israel".

“Our pressure point is the Irish government,” activist Lawlor said. “The rhetoric is very strong, but they have to back it up with actions. If they do that, we can start a snowball effect within the EU.”

  • Palestine
  • Palestinian resistance
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Israeli occupation
  • war on Gaza
  • Gaza
  • Occupied Palestine

Most Read

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025
An Israeli soldier abandons an excavator during an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades. Arabic text reads "The moment the soldier fled", July, 10, 2025 (Al Qassam Military Media)

Israeli media rue al-Qassam footage, alarmed by fighters among troops

  • Politics
  • 11 Jul 2025
This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows damage after an Iranian attack at the al Udeid Airbase outside of Doha, Qatar, June 25, 2025 (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Satellite images show Iran attack damaged US comms dome in Qatari base

  • Politics
  • 11 Jul 2025
Ukraine’s Corporate Carve-Up Collapses?

Ukraine’s Corporate Carve-Up Collapses?

  • Analysis
  • 11 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Syrian government forces deploy at the Mazraa village on the outskirts of city of Sweida, where clashes erupted between Bedouin clans and Druze factions, southern Syria, Monday, July 14, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Gulf-backed negotiations underway in Syria's Sweida to end clashes

UN: 798 Palestinians killed while trying to reach aid in Gaza
Palestine

UN: 798 Palestinians killed while trying to reach aid in Gaza

A damaged car is seen at a field that was hit in an Israeli airstrike in Nabi Sheet village, in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley, Wednesday, August 21, 2024 (AP)
Politics

Hezbollah condemns Israeli Bekaa massacre, urges action from Lebanon

Palestinians walk next to the closed humanitarian aid distribution center of UNRWA, the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli regime cuts electricity, water supplies to UNRWA Gaza offices

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS