New museum campaign tackles negative perceptions of Irish people

A new campaign from the EPIC Emigration Museum is seeking to challenge negative stereotypes of Irish people. 

According to museum researchers, search data has shown that "many incorrect and misleading perceptions" of the Irish still prevail globally, the most common of which include fighting, drinking and holding grudges. 

The campaign - called 'This Is Not Us' - aims to confront perceptions from around the world head-on by using them to visualise what a person would look like if they were true. 

It's hoped the resulting imaginary CGI character, Paddy McFlaherty, shows just how misleading the stereotypes can be. 

#ThisisNotUs: where do the most common Irish stereotypes come from and how can we disprove them?

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— EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum (@EPICMuseumCHQ) July 20, 2022

CEO and Museum Director of EPIC, Patrick Greene, said of the campaign, "'This Is Not Us' is a challenge for the world to assess their assumptions about the Irish and evolve their perceptions beyond stereotypes.

"As an experience that prides itself on delivering an authentic and true understanding of Ireland and its people, this is what we aim to do." 

Voted Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction for the past three years, EPIC brings Irish history to life and allows visitors to discover what it really means to be Irish. 

The latest campaign is not the first time EPIC has rallied against stereotypical and clichéd depictions of the Irish; in 2019, the museum offered free tickets to visitors who handed in their plastic St Patrick’s Day merchandise at the door.