Clip turned out to be a stunt, but strength of reaction speaks to genuine affront at Ireland’s portrayal on big screen
A
man in a bar with a flat cap, bloodied knuckles and a dreamy look lays down his whiskey and writes a letter. “Dear Erin,” he begins, and a soundtrack of fiddles swells as he yearns for his lost love in the distant land of America.
The trailer for the upcoming film – tagline: “she was the Irish goodbye he never forgot” – ran in recent weeks in cinemas and online and was accompanied by a poster showing green mountains, shamrocks and a rainbow.
For many, it was Hollywood’s latest affront to Ireland. “What did we Irish people ever do to you to deserve this?” said one social media post. “Christ could they not find a leprechaun to complete cliche bingo,” said another. Some sought solace in sarcasm: “I think they nailed it. I’m always in the pub in the 1910s writing love letters to American girls with my big dirty fingernails. Finally I feel seen.”
