Comments on: Why Are Catholics Called “Left-Footers”?

By: William V

William V — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:12:23 +0000

Tom Daly: I am so glad you responded. I come from an extremely Irish Catholic background ( Irish Christian Brothers etc etc).”Left footers ” were Protestants and the expression was a common one.
Thank you
Bill V.

By: Thomas Sullivan, MD

Thomas Sullivan, MD — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:48:27 +0000

My Grandfather was from Co. Mayo and I was raised in the most “Anglican” US community – Charleston, S.C. Lowcountry. I was called ‘Mackerel Snapper’, “Irish Rebel, & ‘Papist’ almost as an introduction!.We smiled and knew that “There are Irish and those that wished they were”. Irish-American confidence is contagious and a “Faith” in itself. My dearest friends are Anglican, Jewish, Baptist and Papist. God bless America for the “Grand Stew” we truly are!

By: DMH

DMH — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:08:27 +0000

I haven’t heard this term since I was a small child living in my Scottish GM & GGM’s house in the ’60′s. I suppose it’s now been resurrected.

By: Richard

Richard — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:36:09 +0000

It is a well-known derogatory term for Roman Catholics. My granduncle, born in Scotland in 1891, had an open disdain for Roman Catholicism. In Scotland the term is “left hander”, not “left footer”. I roared with laughter when I heard it said on Downton Abbey last night.

By: k.c. layman

k.c. layman — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:08:33 +0000

Believe it or not I find this article a bit comforting. I had never heard of this term before in my entire 56 years and what I find comforting is that racial slurs do eventually disappear as society evolves in it’s acceptance of differences. That is why I find this a comfort, lets get to work to remove other racial slurs from our vocab and knowledge!

By: Tim Canny

Tim Canny — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:39:57 +0000

I’ve created a sodality in honor of poor Irish Catholic Tom Branson. Who wants to join? tmblr.co/ZEVqOydVinrp

By: John M. Breen

John M. Breen — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 06:10:43 +0000

My reaction to the Earl’s expression was the same as Tom Daly’s, though I would add this. My Dad, who was from Belfast (Falls Road) always used the term to refer to Protestants. A few years ago my wife and I were surprised to hear the father of a friend of ours from Canada (who was Protestant) refer to us as “left footers” upon learning that we were Catholic. And we quickly responded “No, that’s what you are!” Fortunately, this was all said rather jokingly and without malice. The same could not be said of Lord Grantham’s remark.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:10:26 +0000

For those who actually dig dirt (as I did when I worked for the county many summers ago) you learn to push with the left foot if you are right handed. Much less moving of the shovel handle from side to side on each shovelful.

If that’s a nasty remark from the Brits about the Irish, it just shows British stupidity.

Of course, Lord Grantham never used a shovel in his life, so for him it’s second hand information.

By: Tom Daly

Tom Daly — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:11:58 +0000

When I heard the Earl say that, my first reaction was that my parent’s generation of Irish-American Catholics used the term to refer to Protestants. Perhaps something was twisted around during immigration? I had heard the shovel story, but in precisely the opposite sense.

By: pentamom

pentamom — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:50:01 +0000

supertradmum — everybody had to dig stuff, whether for gardening, or construction, or drainage, or whatever.