Irish pro-Palestine activists embrace 'Paddystinian' term as badge of honour

Believed to have originated as an insult by Israel supporters, neologism is now used to campaign against war in Gaza

Protesters at a march for Palestine in Dublin as earlier this year. Picture: Leah Farrell/© RollingNews.ie

The term was coined to disparage Ireland’s solidarity with Palestine but has been adopted as a badge of honour that now adorns T-shirts, hoodies, pins and social media bios: welcome to Paddystine, home of the Paddystinians.

Irish activists have embraced the neologism as a galvanising term to campaign against Israel’s war in Gaza and to pressure the government to do more to end the conflict.