iPhone app reckons Ireland is all leprechauns and pubs

DEPENDING on your viewpoint, the new iPhone app which sums up Ireland as the land of leprechauns, pubs, shamrocks, and drinkers is either deeply offensive or a harmless stereotype.

Given the news about how much a little old bank called Anglo is going to cost generations of Irish people to bail out, it’s likely that today you are siding on the latter.

Back in the good old days of the Celtic Tiger (remember that?), no doubt outrage would have been vented all across every lunchtime phone in radio show in the country

Given our current standing internationally, being called the home of leprechauns, pubs, shamrocks, drinkers and red hair is very low on the worst thing that could be said about us.

However, the Italians are not best pleased with what iPhone application What Country has to say about them.

The light-hearted app, which characterises each nation with a very brief description accompanied by images, neatly summed up Italy as “the home of the Mafia, scooters, crazy drivers, pizza and pasta”.

No mention of the Renaissance, Michelangelo or indeed anything else that Italy has offered the world in its proud history.

Italian tourism minister Michela Vittoria Brambilla, a former beauty queen and close ally of controversial prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, labelled the app’s description of Italy as “offensive and unacceptable”.

Ms Brambilla even went so far as to instruct government lawyers to take action against Apple and demand that the application be removed from its iTunes online store.

“Italy is a beacon in the world for its history, culture and style.

“I cannot allow our country to be discredited by having it represented by a criminal organisation,” she said.

Clearly the Italian tourism minister didn’t agree with iTunes description of the app as “a light-hearted and funny view” of the world.

“This is not a travel guide and should not be taken too seriously. Enjoy and have fun!” went the description.

Other countries also don’t fare too well. Britain is characterised by “tea, a weird sense of humour, football hooligans and rain” while Kazakhstan is once again tarred with the “Borat” brush.

If it’s any consolation, the number of tourists visiting Italy is up. So the pizza and pasta must be good.