Now that we’re going down this road, every team name and mascot will be examined.
The Irish Post reports:
Notre Dame University defends use of ‘Fighting Irish’ nickname and leprechaun mascotIn a statement provided to the Irish Post, the University also defended its continued use of a leprechaun as the team’s main mascot.The Fighting Irish moniker came under the microscope after Washington’s NFL franchise announced it was ditching the teams “Redskins” nickname – a term long considered a slur against Native Americans.In the wake of the furore, one Irish-American Notre Dame fan and writer accused the University of encouraging “negative portrayal of Catholics and immigrants” with its use of the “Fighting Irish” name.Dave Hannigan in the Irish Times also hit out at the team’s logo and its depiction of a leprechaun with “fists raised, hat askew and chin curtain beard”.He argued that the logo was “a replica of the simian-featured caricatures deployed by Punch magazine when mocking the Irish throughout the 19th century.”Notre Dame University has resoundingly rejected both claims, however, pointing to the history behind the nickname as the chief reason for its continued use.“Notre Dame’s nickname – Fighting Irish – began as a term of derision directed against the university’s athletic teams,” they explained.
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