Irish twins: it’s a term you’ve probably heard used to describe siblings of very similar ages.
Strictly speaking, Irish twins are only those siblings born within 12 months (or less) of each other.
The phrase originates from the United States and Britain of the 19th century and was a disparaging term used to describe siblings from large, and mostly poor, Irish immigrant families.
Back then it was common for families to have children in quick succession as most families adhered strictly to the Church’s teaching on contraception.
When someone mentioned ‘Irish twins’ it usually implied that the family was Catholic and also hinted that the user thought their typically large families were impractical and that they should start using contraception.
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Do people still find the term offensive? The internet suggests so.
@SavannahGuthrie nasty and unnecessary comment about J.S's babies being "Irish twins" this a.m. Originally meant and remains offensive. — JoAnn Taylor (@mollypitcher2) December 26, 2012
Is asking someone if their kids are "Irish Twins" offensive? I think I just found out the hard way. — Reilly Wilson (@reilly_wilson) November 27, 2013
@InfieldSingle Heh. Around here, siblings born within a year of each other are sometimes called Irish twins. Offensive, but colorful. — Colleen Barry (@CopyCurmudgeon) August 17, 2011
Although not everyone is so sure.
Even that whole "Irish twins" thing isn't offensive anymore, now people say it like it's cute. — Billie Jean Davy (@ScreamQueenMom) March 11, 2014
As Irish Catholics have increasingly begun to disregard Church teaching regarding family planning and families sizes have plummeted as a result the use of the phrase has declined, although as the tweets above show it still provokes a strong reaction among sections of the diaspora.
What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.
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ParkingLotRanger on June 17th, 2018 at 15:47 UTC »
I'm male, have a twin sister, and our younger brother is 364 days younger than us. Every year on his birthday, we are all the same age. I guess we are Irish triplets.
AngloRyan on June 17th, 2018 at 15:42 UTC »
I used to work with a guy who has a sister barely 10 months younger than him.
He always used to say, “when I came out my dad went straight back in!”
SaviorSixtySix on June 17th, 2018 at 14:15 UTC »
My brother and I were born 356 days apart. We share the same age for 9 days. It's cool.