to think that perhaps we should be more tolerant of fellow posters?

I'm Welsh and it would never cross my mind to find offence in a joke about the Welsh. Isn't there enough going on in the world right now to fret about without this?

i have never heard it and i find it offensive.
to say that something is of long-standing does not make it ok.
the original title of an agatha christie book now called,
'and then there were none', used a highly offensive term.
that term was of long-standing, didn't make it right.
i took the view that the original so=called mythical person was an oversight. it is not a term i recognise nor find acceptable.
but the response being a claimed justification was even more offensive, so that suggests to me that the writer is not willing to examine the terms used, and the assumptions behind them, and doesn't care about giving offence. so if that is not racist, call it something else, some other category of offensive.

I'm Northern Irish. I thought the quote was quite funny.

When I was a child growing up in Glasgow, I often heard a police van called a paddy wagon. It was commonly used with no intended racism.
My four grandparents were Irish and I'm certainly not offended.

Welbeck, having been in Elegran's, company, on a number of occasions, I have never met anyone less racist.
Her posts are usually, interesting, calm, concise, and non-confrontational.
In fact, she is often the voice of reason, when posts become heated.

the first statement is declared not to be casual racism.
it is then followed by a paragraph that is highly contentious and tendentious, to say the least.
others might call it offensive, if not racist.

Agree Chew and as one who has an Irish mother, Welsh father and was born in England, I love the English/Irish and Welsh man jokes ! Some people just love throwing in the racism card whenever they can

Well that's put the kibosh on any "English men, Irish men and Welsh men" in a pub jokes welbeck!

I wasn't doing casual racism, I was quoting an old saying - that was why I said "mythical".

Irishmen have always had a reputation for enjoying a fight. What's more it was deserved. Why were police vans known colloquially as paddy waggons? Because they were often full of Irish navvies being taken from a fracas to the police station.

These days, I am sure the Irish are no more likely to be in a pub punch-up than any other nationality (not race) so the myth is like other myths, pure fiction - like unicorns or the tooth fairy, or Robin Hood.

what's with the 'mythical irishman', why irish, could the point have been made without throwing in the casual racism.

There are various ways of being nasty, The downright, straight out with it nasty and then the stab to the heart wrapped up in a bow with a little smiley face.

Well, it would be a shame to waste them.
What will you eat on Easter Day though?

Eaten all the ones we bought for the children etc?

Oh, you need cocoa butter.
Never mind, I'm on my last but one piece of chocolate

Does anyone know how to make chocolate out of out-of-date cocoa?

Think of eating that Easter egg as an act for the greater good. You eating that one, means that there is one less out there for me to eat!

Marydoll of course you had to eat it. All food has a "use by " date. Okay, you were probably a tad early but it would just have taken up space in your fridge. (I like any chocolate cold!)
One cannot be too careful with a "use by" date like yours.

DD left the one I ate on the doorstep on Mother's Day, so it was ok to eat! ?

Chewy I do this too, I mix wit, sarcasm and logic, to make a pithy reply however, I’m so afraid that one day instead of just moving off of the page , I’ll press Post Message.

I’ll have to stop.

I have Easter eggs upstairs and I’m determined not to eat any of them, they are for DDs, but every time I pass the door.........

to think that perhaps we should be more tolerant of fellow posters?

Obviously not.

Kalu, unfortunately I only have creme eggs now. They will just have to do! They are planked somewhere safe!

Marydoll. Don’t you dare eat another Easter egg!! You have already been tellt ya sneaky besom??‍♀️?

I like a good debate Grandad. I even prepared to do what I was taught to do and that’s argue a side that is actually opposed to my own personal view.

Gosh I enjoyed those debates?

Me too! I type in a long and worthy post and then think, oh b****r it, I cant be bothered!

Marydoll, you've got so much support and friendship here xx

Rufus I know how blunt Australians can be, so I will be blunt too.

I don't know what is going on but it is obvious that there are simmering tensions and I can see you have really upset someone who is going through a tough time.

I enjoy your daily posts from Down Under and wouldn't like to see you banned so, as they say in Queensland, Pull Your Head In, mate.