NYC Mayor Bloomberg Apologizes For Comments About Irish

Bloomberg Apologizes For Joke About ‘Inebriated Irish’

Red-Faced Mayor Chided By Speaker Quinn, Irish Community

February 10, 2011 11:45 PM

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

Reporting Marcia Kramer

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Local, News, NY News, Politics, Seen On CBS 2HD, Watch + Listen

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — For many, it’s no laughing matter.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s joke about the Irish and drinking has drawn boos from the crowd.

The mayor tried to explain away his controversial comment Thursday, but the damage was already done, reports CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer.

Get this man a shovel. After recently digging himself out of the city’s controversial response to the Christmas blizzard, the mayor now finds himself digging out from another misstep — making a joke about the “inebriated Irish” at a reception honoring the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The remarks drew a handful of boos and forced the mayor to explain just what he meant about the parade when he said he was used to seeing inebriated Irish hanging out the window of the American Irish Historical Society just around the corner from where he lives.

“I was talking about a party that they have every year on St. Patrick’s Day where they sort of … it’s traditional to hang out the window, to yell and scream and it’s in good fun and I certainly didn’t mean anything that anybody should take offense to,” Bloomberg said.

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But offense they did take.

John Dunleavy is the chairman of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. He said he was shocked.

“I couldn’t believe it for a minute. It took me a while … did he really say that?” Dunleavy said with an embarrassed chuckle. “We’ve been trying for many years to get away from that with regards to the parade.”

Even New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, a frequent ally of the mayor, chided him for his words.

“Because of the mayor’s long history of support for the Irish community, his remarks last night were both surprising and inappropriate,” Quinn said.

Later Thursday the mayor put out a written statement in which he said: “I apologize. I certainly did not mean to offend anybody.”

“I just wish that I didn’t have to march in the parade. I’d rather be up there with them,” Bloomberg said.

Some Irish-Americans have said the mayor’s remarks were taken out of context. Irish-American radio show host Adrian Flannelly said: “We are a nation of wisecracker. That’s what we do. And it was strictly in that sense.”

Did the mayor’s comments anger you? Tell us your thoughts below.

Bloomberg Apologizes For Joke About Inebriated Irish

Pat

From our leprachaun mayor, I love it.
sean

Well it’s true. that is what most of us do on the 17th day of March.
Flynn

I’m half Irish, and I’m very offended by the Mayor’s insensitive comment

However, my other half is telling my Irish half to have another beer and shut the hell up.
Proud to be Irish

Jared, the only image I have about the Irish is their determination. At one time there were signs in the window saying “Irish need not apply” yet they are the ones who built our bridges, tunnels and roads in this country. What have you done????? No one has the right to make comments about other nationalities. If he made a comment about Muslims or even Jews, he would be thrown out of office. Maybe that’s what should happen here.

PJ

“Irish” is not a religion

sean

Jews don’t know the difference, they think Jewish is a nationality

smiffy

funny comments here
Lucky Charms

The mayor was wrong in saying what he said….St. Patrick’s Day is generally used by those of Irish descent to wear green, drink, brawl, and fight Irish stereotyping…
paul

Hey Sandbagged, how many non Irish do you see passed out and puking on March 17?
Fred

There go his chances for a Presidential run.

Lucky Charms

Are the Irish allowed to vote anyway?

Paul Kohloff

I wish he came up with a muslim joke about allah ,lets see how they take it.

Lucky Charms

They’d do what the Irish would do….get drunk!

Jared

The Irish really need to get thicker skinned. Everyone knows that they can;t go two hours without either an ale or beer. And jokes are not offensive, unless they hit a nerve. Change the image you all have and maybe you will find the humor in it too……..

Rugbyball

@Jared, an Ale is a beer, so is a Lager. There are only two types of beer yeast.
Ales which are top fermenting yeast fermented at warmer temps ~68 deg F., and Lagers which are bottom fermenting yeasts fermented at cooler temps, some as cold as 32 deg f.
And about stereo types, most come from some form of truth but that doesn’t mean you should blanket an entire group with it.
You are usually allowed to ding your own kind, he would have been safer to crack a joke about rich Jewish folk.

Jared

Considering that last year most were hurling down subway entrances, and in between buildings thinking no one was looking, stereo type or not, still the image they choose to portray. Besides, like the old saying goes, ‘If the shoe fits..” Not exactly an attractive sight for out of towners to see, visiting from foreign countries. But I guess most in NY think nothing about image, or what tourists will take home with them………..
Lucky Charms

Rugbyball is definitely Irish…he sure knows his beer facts! LMAO
Bloomberg is an idiot

@ JARED…..
#1 those ARE the tourists, you idiot.

BOB C

Don’t be upset, he’s just an idiot.
non Irish non drinker

As a non Irish non drinker I am extremely offended by emperor mikes comments. He should resign and take his useless School Chancellor with him. Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
Lucky Charms

He does have a point…its not fun walking down the street or taking the subway on St. Patricks Day with all these inebriated Irish men and women screaming and carrying on hanging outside of every bar in the city…I’ll be sure to stay safely at home that day…

Rugbyball

@Lucky Charms
Please do stay at home that day, we don’t nee you getting in our way.

Lucky Charms

Hey Rugbyball,
Thanks for the warning….well noted
badman

getting in the way of what? your beering and puking? yep, this is the serious business of ST Pat’s day.

Bloomberg recalled something he observed. he didn’t make it up or exaggerate it.

If you’re gonna be a bunch of drunken slobs, at least stand up and be proud of it! don’t get your panties in a twist bc of an observation by the mayor.

Josue Rodriguez

I am Puerto Rican and I love the PR jokes. So does every one else. I’m sure every Irishman out there has said an ethnic joke at one time or an other. So hey, frickin’ liven up. If we can’t laugh at our selves, and enjoy life, and spread the happiness that one joke can bring to many people, then stay home in bed and let the world pass you by. But of course never anything dirty, and the Mayor, I am sure meant no disrespect to our Irish-american countrymen. Joe Rodriguez. (School Bus Driver)…
john

14If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
David Icke

Michael Rubens Bloomberg is part of a secret group of reptilian humanoids called the Babylonian Brotherhood that seeks to control humanity.

Capt. Reptile

We are among you and plan to take over your planet…Bwahhhhaaahahahahaaahah!
WOODSIDE MIKEY

DUDE !!! THAT IS DEEP RITE ON !!! AND CHEERS !!!

RIch

As a white, catholic NYC civil servant, in this day and age, if I made a comment about another race, creed or color like that, I would be fired on the spot. Good old double standard.
JFK

People — please you think us Irish really give a DAMN about this nonsense. We ain’t like other folks and ain’t never gonna head to that kind of rhetoric. .

TELL us a Paddy Wagen joke anyday.

Wake up people, WAKE up!
sd

Suprisingly! the irish are the kings of wise cracks, and now they take offense when a joke hits them ..get real. ive never met an irish man whom cant tell a great joke or story. where have all the real guys gone.
jim

He should know better…disgraceful!
ttc

its not a stereotype if its true, and it is
yeah

Does anyone actually believe he cares what anybody thinks? HE WAS ALLOWED TO BUY AN ELECTION. He has bought out any critics. Yeah, complain, Mr. Doomberg doesn’t care.
fordham kid

A joke is a joke, if you can’t take it then you are not grown-up. Now, if the joke is repeated and offended then that is no longer a joke but an intention. For GOD sake I hate this SOB many times for extending mayor term in his favor, but this is not what we should attack him about, this is too personal. Just ask yourself, if you have make mistake once, and people keep nagging that you are intended to do so.
go yankees

Bloomberg is a joke.

Reetired44

One of the finest mayors NYC every had.. All politicians slip-up with saying insensitive things to the wrong people and at the wrong places… It’s the nature of all public officials to do that….So What…

Pedro

Some people take themselves too seriously, definitely, if you can’t take a joke for what it is, you’re taking political correctness to extremes.

sean

An overheard joke taken out of context is excuseable but to make a racist statement at a dinner for the race you are slighting is just stupidity. So it is not about the offense taken but the stupidity or arogance of the man for asying in the venue he did.

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Bloomberg Apologizes For Joke About ‘Inebriated Irish’

Red-Faced Mayor Chided By Speaker Quinn, Irish Community

February 10, 2011 11:45 PM

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