Irish People Respond to Joe Biden's 'Black and Tans' Gaffe: 'Eejit'

• President Joe Biden made a gaffe on Wednesday during a visit to County Louth, where he mistakenly referred to the notorious British recruits in the RIC as "Black and Tans."
• The people of Dublin have reacted with good humor and even praise for Biden's visit, despite the gaffe.
• Biden will deliver a speech to the Irish parliament on Thursday.

The people of Dublin have reacted with good humor, and even praise, after U.S. President Joe Biden's gaffe on Wednesday where he said former Irish rugby union player Rob Kearney had beaten the "Black and Tans."

Biden made the remark during a visit to County Louth, where some of his Irish ancestors originated, and he was likely referring to the New Zealand rugby team, known as the All Blacks.

The president's accidental reference to the notorious British recruits enrolled in the RIC, a police force, during the Irish War of Independence has largely gone over well in Dublin, where locals seem pleased with Biden's visit.

Biden described Kearney, who is his cousin, as a "hell of a rugby player who beat the hell out of the Black and Tans." Kearney was part of the Ireland team that beat the All Blacks at Chicago's Soldier Field in 2016.

"He's an eejit," joked an elderly man, who described himself as "just Vincent" while sitting under the statue of Irish author James Joyce on the city's North Earl Street.

"Eejit" is a mildly pejorative used in Ireland to mean "idiot."

"Sure everyone knows it was Michael Collins who beat the All Blacks," Vincent joked.

Michael Collins is a national hero in Ireland. He led the Irish forces that fought the Black and Tans, as well as other British forces.

A portrait of Collins hangs in the famous Palace Bar, a Victorian heritage pub, on Dublin's Fleet Street as well as those of other figures in the history of Ireland, including writers and poets.

"I thought it was funny, actually," the barman told Newsweek on Thursday. "It was just a slip. Everyone knows what he meant, but he's a right man for gaffes."

"Tell Joe I said 'hi,'" the Barman added. "I'd love him to come in for a drink."

Biden's gaffe made it into the editions of some newspapers on Thursday, though the president's comments came too late for others.

One taxi driver was reading about the incident while waiting for a job near O'Connell Bridge on the River Liffey.

"Good old Joe," he told Newsweek on Thursday, "It was no surprise."

Did this Dubliner think the president's gaffe was made on purpose?

"Of course! He knows what he's talking about," the taxi driver said emphatically, though that seems to be the minority view.

"It was just a slip of the tongue," retired police officer Jerry O'Brien told Newsweek, saying his father had attended the game in Chicago in 2016 and had laughed at Biden's comment.

"You have to judge him on his speech in Belfast yesterday and his speech today," O'Brien went on. "The Belfast speech was very measured. He's a won a lot of praise for that. He knows what he's doing. You've got to focus on the speech today."

Biden will deliver an address to the Irish parliament on Thursday before attending a banquet at the historic Dublin Castle, once the seat of British administration throughout the island.

Approaches to Dublin Castle were cordoned off early on Thursday and there was a notable police presence.