When the trailer for Dear Erin appeared online and in cinemas this month, Irish viewers were appalled – if not entirely surprised. The trailer for the 'film' managed to pack an impressive number of clichés into its 80-second runtime, including Irish fiddles, flat caps, Guinness, whiskey and, of course, the name Paddy. "What did we Irish people ever do to you to deserve this?" one of the top YouTube comments laments. But it turns out all was not as it seemed.
All of those stereotypes were, on this occasion, entirely deliberate. Epic, the Irish emigration museum in Dublin, has revealed itself to be behind the trailer, releasing an extended cut in which actor Peter Coonan breaks character and decries the stereotypes on display.
