Do you consider the term "Irish Twins" offensive?

SueAnn24 · April 2011

I'm having "Irish Twins" and was wondering if you or anyone you knew found the term offensive. I read that it is considered that because of the larger Irish families in the Catholic church. FWIW, I am part Irish and Catholic to boot, but I think it is kind of funny... What do you think?

hellopoppyseed · April 2011

Nah. I have Irish twins. I think it's kind of a neat term now and much more unusual today. So we like sex and I'm freakishly fertile-nothin to be ashamed of really. On the day that my boys are both 1, I was thinking of having some kind of Irish celebration for them just for the novelty.

rosesandpeonies · April 2011

nah. I am Irish and Catholic and it doesn't bother me. It is what it is

My mom had Irish Twins (my little sister and brother) and they think its funny...(they are 18 and 19 now)

12bailey18 · April 2011

My hair dresser referred to her kids as Irish twins so I never thought it was offensive since she always said it. I would never initiate that comment, though- just in case some would take it offensive.

mamamimi77 · April 2011

I dont find it offensive at all and Im part Irish and used to be catholic. Ive used it quite a bit and never run into anyone who thought it was offensive, its just an easy way to describe 2 kids within the same year.

meredith9 · April 2011

I'm part Irish & Catholic. I don't find the term offensive at all.. My mom & her brother were "Irish Twins"

laura1 · April 2011

I am an Irish Twin, and it doesn't bother me

I always thought it was something kind of special. You don't meet a whole lot of other people who are Irish Twins!

kcisthebombdotcom · April 2011

Not at all. I even call my kids my "irish twins", even though they missed officially being irish twins by 22 days.

smerka · April 2011

I asked this same question about a year ago on this board. For the most part, people were cool about it. One person said their mom or aunt or something was horribly offended by it. If I had to guess, I'd say it's more the older generation that gets their undies in a bundle over the term.

I look Irish (but am Italian - go figure) and a lot of people say it to me. So I guess they don't think I would be offended by it. My 20 year reunion is in September and I'm looking forward to explaining that I have two one year-olds and that they're not twins, but Irish twins.

bridgeybride · April 2011

Totally not.. My sister has Irish twins (my nephews are 11 months apart).

I'm Irish Catholic. and see some truth to it.. my grandmother had 10 kids within 14 and a half years. Lots of Irish twins in there.. she got alot of help from Catholic charities.

I often wonder how she did it when I have ONE toddler to look after while pregnant.

Megan.10.06 · April 2011

Not at all. I don't have them, but I wanted to

The term just stems from the fact that Irish Catholic families saw (and some still do see) birth control as a sin - it's not like it's a derogatory term, just more of a generalization! My parents had 6 kids and 3 miscarriages in 12.5 years - just from seeing those numbers you could guess Irish Catholic!

Maybe it's a bit of a stereotype, but it stems out of a fact, not a negative opinion,