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What is an Irish Bull?
An Irish Bull is a male animal that is always pregnant
J. P. Mahaffy
Humour based on verbal misunderstanding, or apparently ill-matched notions, is as old as speech.
Our word probably comes from the Middle English verb to bull, meaning to befool or cheat.
The origins are no clearer, but the effect is plain enough to see. Perhaps Ambrose Bierce shows something of the spirit of the Irish Bull in his Devil's Dictionary
A Few Examples
Riddle of the Sphinx
A citizen of Mallow, sitting at a Dublin supper table, heard the Sphinx mentioned, and whispered to his neighbour.
"The Sphinx, who is that now?"
"A monster, man," replied the neighbour.
"You don't say so? And I thought I knew everybody who was anybody in Munster!"
Bull Verdict
Foreman of the jury: "Your Honour, we find the man who stole the mare 'Not Guilty'".
God bless the Holy Trinity
Motto seen on a banner in a Dublin religious procession.
Everything here is perfectly abnormal.
Dublin saying
Irelandseye will feature more examples of the 'Irish Bull' in the coming weeks and months.
From the Appletree Press title The Male of a Cow: An Anthology of Traditional Irish Humour
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