In one of the internet’s weirder asides, a joke has been resurfacing on social media platforms X and Bluesky recently, insinuating that an Irish-themed McDonald’s mascot was in the IRA.
McDonald’s Irish Uncle with a ‘past’ to make a return
Yes, you read that right. In 1975, McDonald’s used a character called Uncle O’Grimacey to coincide with the launch of the brand’s ‘Shamrock Shake’. He featured in ad campaigns right up until he was forced to retire in the late 1980s.
One screenshot that’s been widely shared in various forms on social media claims, in part, that Uncle O’Grimacey was “quietly phased out of McDonald’s marketing after a few years due, in part, to an alleged incident in Philadelphia in 1978”.
The main origin of this lore can be traced back to a 1997 article from publication The Onion, which quipped that the IRA would “embark on the most aggressive campaign of violence in its history if McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes are not made available year round”.
Online users have been digging up the furry green creature’s past again for comical reasons, as McDonald’s confirmed last week that Uncle O’Grimacey will be returning after almost 50 years.
The Shamrock Shake, a former seasonal staple of St Patrick’s Day, returned to US restaurants on February 10.
David Whitehead, originally from Co Down, sent this lovely letter to his new neigjbours in south Manchester
Dog lover’s letter gets paws-itive response
A widowed pensioner originally from Northern Ireland has been making readers in northern England smile, after he wrote a heart-warming letter to his neighbours regarding his love for their dogs.
As first reported by the Manchester Evening News, David Whitehead (75) moved into a leafy suburb in Chorlton and posted a note asking his new neighbours if he could meet anyone with pet dogs and if he could possibly join them on their walks.
The correspondence detailed how the former professor of ancient history, who could not have pets due to living in a rental property, missed ‘canine contact’, after previously looking after rescue dogs with his late wife.
The letter was later shared to a social media group with his permission, leading to a barrage of kind messages and offers of company.
As of last Friday, Mr Whitehead had met five more dogs, with more meets lined up for this week.
Helen Marshall (HLM Illustrations) has become renowned for her ‘pooches and pints’ drawings
Pooches love pints
Keeping on the canine theme, a Co Down artist’s paw-fect creations have really grown (four) legs, with an uptake of customers wanting portraits of their pooches — with pints.
Helen Marshall (31), from Comber, started HLM Illustrations to pay the bills when she began her PhD in Edinburgh. A scientist by trade, she said “the creative side of life always clawed its way through”.
Thanks to the help of Instagram, one of Ms Marshall’s main orders now is her ‘custom bar boys’ range, whereby customers just have to send her a photograph of their pet dog and she will sketch their furry friends alongside a glass of Guinness.