Irish Picnic was once an ethnic slur

*From “The Callahans and The Murphys” (1927) starring Marie Dressler (center).*

When an Irish Picnic was no picnic

Irish social organizations in Greater Portland have been hosting an annual Irish Picnic for more than a century. THE TRADITION CONTINUES this Sunday (26 July) and next month (16 August).More on that shortly. But first, while perusing old newspapers for this item, I came across an ethnic slur aimed at the Irish in America last century. IRISH PICNIC was what newspapers called a free for all, a drunken brawl, a donnybrook. To wit, “Frank Kelleher, who precipitated the IRISH PICNIC, was fined $100,” was how a brawl at a Triple A game was described in the Oregonian in 1953. I’ve heard my share of derogatory terms aimed at the Irish, but never this one. Have you ever heard Irish Picnic used that way? Irish Wedding maybe but not Irish Picnic. Click here for the story of a movie called The Callahans and The Murphys, which features an Irish Picnic. (Possible paywall.) Because of its blatant stereotyping of the Irish and the subsequent well-organized protest, the movie was pulled from big screens nationwide.

Two peaceful Irish Picnics on tap in Greater Portland

Sunday, July 26 - Irish Network Portland carries on the tradition at Foothill Park in Lake Oswego. All are invited. No brawling but lots of games. Here are the details.

Sunday August 16 - No local Irish organization has been hosting picnics as long as the All Ireland Cultural Society. They’re gathering in Linnton at Saint Brigitta Church grounds. Details and a chance to RSVP here.

GAA All Ireland Final Sunday

You may never learn the Irish language, but you can figure out indigenous Irish sport as played and promoted by the Gaelic Athletic Association. The GAA All-Ireland Senior Football Final will be played this Sunday (26 July) at Croke Park in Dublin. The team from Kerry, which has won the title 39 times, takes on Mayo, which hasn’t won the Final since 1951. Surprisingly, the best preview piece I found was this one from the BBC. If you’d like to find out where you can watch the match locally – action starts at 7:30 A.M. - drop me a line at pdxhibill@gmail.com.

A couple of thousand pilgrims will climb Croagh Patrick in Co. Mayo this Sunday July 26. Many will be barefoot and circle a cairn near the summit while reciting the Rosary out loud. I took this photo in October 2025.

A 1500-year-old Irish tradition endures this Sunday

The other big event in Ireland this Sunday takes place in County Mayo not far from the town of Westport on Clew Bay. It’s Reek Sunday at Croagh Patrick. Thousands will climb the mountain where Saint Patrick fasted for 40 days; as spiritual seekers have been doing since the Fifth Century. Many of them will do it barefoot. Because the Mayo-Kerry match doesn’t start until 3:30P.M., most of the local penitents and pilgrims are expected to make the 2500-foot climb early in the day. Many of them will be wearing Mayo GAA jerseys . Here’s a good report on Reek Sunday: From the Irish Examiner last year.“Previously, there may have been 50,000, 60,000, or 70,000 coming into the town on Reek Sunday — but there were no concerts, there were no big sporting events and festivals all over the country.”

From the sacred to the profane

Only an hour’s drive south from Croagh Patrick is Tuam. Nearly 800 children died at an Irish home for unwed mothers in Tuam between 1926 and 1961. Just two of those children received a proper burial. The Lost Children of Tuam is a new movie based on a newspaper account of the woman who exposed how those remains were handled. You can read that newspaper report here as part of a PHS website story. Irish actor Liam Neeson is one of the producers of The Lost Children of Tuam.

Where no Irish woman ever went before

Before Brenda Fricker was named Best Actress for playing Christy Brown’s mom in My Left Foot, no Irish actress had ever made that walk to the stage to accept an Oscar. She passed away last week. Brenda Fricker was 81. Though honored for her work with Daniel Day Lewis, she may be best known for her work with Macauley Culkin as the Central Park Pigeon Woman in Home Alone 2. Here’s a career rundown.

How Matt Damon charmed an entire nation

Ireland has topped the global box office as the country with the biggest opening weekend per capita for The Odyssey. RTE. The Odyssey’ Breaks Records With Massive Debut at U.K. and Ireland Box Office.Variety. It didn’t hurt that Matt Damon has become Ireland’s favorite American actor since he spent several months living with his family in Dalkey during Covid. He talked about his love for Ireland recently, “Damon enjoyed his Irish stint, and claims his daughter regularly reminisces about the country.”

Rory takes one for Team Ireland

At the British Open the other day, Rory McIlroy criticized the American golfer Bryson DeChambeau for basically being a prima donna and delaying play for others. There’s no love lost between the two. But one day later, Rory went all diplomat and invited his rival to play in the Irish Open in September at Doonbeg. He knows how DeChambeau will spike the ratings for his home-country tournament, so he set their row aside. Here’s the whole story, including how DeChambeau wanted his buddy in the White House to intervene and overturn a penalty he received at the British Open. Seriously.