A GERMAN MAGAZINE writer’s article depicting Ireland as a nation of over-drinking leeches, where two-thirds of the population have barely any teeth left, has been doing the rounds on Facebook this week.

Antje Joel’s article in Switzerland’s Die Welt Woche – which was published on Facebook, in translated form, by Cork’s 96FM – sees the writer complain that Ireland is more grey than green, and says Ireland spends more on stout than it does on primary education.

This is the latest incident in which outsiders’ portrayal of Ireland and its identity has hit the headlines. One Australian writer was baffled as to why Ireland had its own team at the Olympics and the Daily Telegraph sparked a furore when it described Ireland’s Katie Taylor (whose father, admittedly, is from Leeds) as ‘Britain’s Katie Taylor’.

What do you think of the reaction of the Irish public and media to such incidents which are deemed to have stereotyped or otherwise cast aspersions on our sense of identity?

Do you think we’re too sensitive to how Ireland is portrayed by outsiders?