No Irish Need Apply • Exposing Anti-Irish Sentiment in Lord Apollo & the Colleen
If you were a young Irishman looking for work in the 19th century, you might have come across an ad with the words No Irish Need Apply. Anti-Irish prejudice began in the medieval period, and was thought to be greatly influenced by Norman propagandist, Gerald of Wales, who sought to justify the invasion of Ireland by Henry II by painting the Irish as barbarians:
“Dedicated only to leisure and laziness, this is a truly barbarous people. They depend on their livelihood for animals and they live like animals.” (The History and Topography of Ireland) (1185)
Irishman as Monkey: John Tenniel’s satirical cartoon published in Punch sometime between 1845 – 1852
In addition, despite all efforts to convert the Catholic majority to Protestantism over the years, Catholicism persisted. Although Protestantism took hold in parts of Northern Ireland, it was still the minority. This difference of religion added fuel to the fire of prejudice for those who saw the Irish as backward and lazy. British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli said,
“The Irish hate our order, our civilization, our enterprising industry, our pure religion. This wild, reckless, indolent, uncertain and superstitious race have no sympathy with the English character. Their ideal of human felicity is an alternation of clannish broils and coarse idolatry. Their history describes an unbroken circle of bigotry and blood.”
The Irish even wrote songs about “No Irish Need Apply” (1862).
In Lord Apollo & the Colleen, I touch upon this anti-Irish sentiment. Megan Shields, fresh from Ireland, is quite aware of the prejudice, and attempts to soften her accent to improve her chances for success. Does she outwit the naysayers who seek to keep her in her place? ~ S.G. Rogers
Lord Apollo & the Irish Colleen is available for pre-order HERE (release date: June 15th)
Five years after his supposed death, Theo King has returned to Graceling Hall…but a mystery remains. A stranger is buried in his grave, and nobody knows if his death was accidental…or murder. As Theo resumes his former life, the dead man’s sister shows up on his doorstep to hold him accountable. If he helps this Irish spitfire solve the mystery, will she finally leave him in peace?
Start the Graceling Hall series from the beginning, with Larken!
The sole survivor of a train accident, young Larken Burke is dubbed the Miracle Orphan. Four years later, however, her life is far from fortunate. Because of her emotional and physical scars, she believes she’s un-marriageable. With little hope for the future, she agrees to wed a gentleman she’s never met. Unfortunately, his aloof manner proves difficult to take.
Marked by romantic tragedy and the loss of his brother, Brandon King has forsworn marriage. Obliged to take in a ward, he advertises for a mail-order bride to raise the boy. Since the union is to be a marriage in name only, his criteria are youthful age, a certain level of intellect, good breeding, and that the girl shouldn’t be so ill-favored she would embarrass him in society. To his dismay, he gets more than he’d bargained for.
Will it take a miracle for Mr. and Mrs. King to fall in love, or is their marriage another accident waiting to happen?
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Tagged: Anti-Irish Sentiment, Larken 
