History Main / OfficerOHara

The Pogues' "Thousands are Sailing", about Irish immigrants to America, asks "Did you work upon the railroad? Did you rid the streets of crime?"

* Craig Shaw Gardner's ''Cineverse'' trilogy, set in a world that runs on film tropes, has the helpful Officer O'Clanrahan, companion to the astounding [[HeroicDog Dwight the Wonder Dog]]. He eventually turns out to be [[TheMole secretly working with the villain]] because he's [[TheResenter tired of playing sidekick to a dog]], but by the end, he's changed his mind and repents his evil ways.

** Directly addressed in a skit at the end of "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E09TheIndestructibleMan The Indestructible Man". After Joel swears to stop making jokes about policemen and their [[DonutMessWithACop alleged love for doughnuts]], Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson appear as policemen and begin complaining about other stereotypes about the police, including this one:

'''Frank''': HA HA HA-- ''[laugh dies down awkwardly as he [[MyGodYouAreSerious realizes Mike wasn't making a pun]]]''

** Directly addressed in a skit at the end of the ''Film/TheIndestructibleMan'' episode. After Joel swears to stop making jokes about policemen and their [[DonutMessWithACop alleged love for doughnuts]], Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson appear as policemen and begin complaining about other stereotypes about the police, including this one:

* Officer O'Malley in ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' seems to be based on this sterotype but since he's an [=AI=] in a robotic body it's presumably an afectation on his part.

* In the '90s ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' cartoon, a ''very'' Irish cop witnesses the Thing and the Hulk [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3ApPHCmXrI duking it out.]]

** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS20E14InTheNameOfTheGrandfather In the Name of the Grandfather]]", an Irish judge comments that Ireland has gotten nicer since they sent all their incompetent half-wits to America... "Where you, for some reason, made them police officers." Cue Chief [[StockForeignNames Clancy]] Wiggum entering and accidentally macing and tasering himself.

** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS20E14InTheNameOfTheGrandfather In the Name of the Grandfather]]", an Irish judge comments that Ireland has gotten nicer since they sent all their incompetent half-wits to America... "Where you, for some reason, made them police officers." Cue Chief Wiggum entering and accidentally macing and tasering himself.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'', which has shown many cops, has both straight examples and aversions.

* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyBravo'' features a couple straight examples in the episode "Date With an Antelope."

This sort of officer rarely, if ever, resorts to force when dealing with a perp, but may visibly carry a nightstick; will often have an impressive mustache.

Historically this was TruthInTelevision, as police departments in American cities like [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkCityCops New York]] (around 1900, five-sixths of the [=NYPD=] was Irish), Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Baltimore were disproportionately staffed by Irish immigrants.[[note]](“Fifteen thousand Irishmen from Erin came across./Tammany put these Irish Indians in the police force.”) This also rang true in other New World colonies like Australia (in UsefulNotes/NedKelly's day, 80% of Victoria's police), Canada (the NWMP was based on the Royal Irish Constabulary) and New Zealand ([[https://teara.govt.nz/en/irish/page-5 as much as 40% in the 1930s]]).[[/note]] (This is the reason why it was colloquially known as a "Paddy Wagon".[[note]]Unless it got its name from the Irish drunks it often hauled. As an old New York City joke goes, "If it weren't for the Irish we wouldn't have a police force -- and if it weren't for the Irish, we wouldn't need one."[[/note]]) A [[UsefulNotes/TheIrishDiaspora large wave of Irish immigration]] during the 19th century coincided with the time when major cities started establishing "professional" police forces, and police work was one of the few jobs open to Irish immigrants at the time. In RealLife, police forces offer many opportunities for recent immigrants, and they sign up, partly to protect their own people. Because early police work closely resembled [[PoliceBrutality thuggery]], it was not a prestigious position, and because poorly-paid police were vulnerable to [[CorruptCop corruption]], the police were widely despised. It did not take long for the urban police and TheIrishMob to become partners.

Mostly a DiscreditedTrope these days. Of course, Irish-American cops still show up frequently (noticeably in ''Film/TheDeparted'' in which nearly all the cop characters are Boston Irish--and all of the criminals are part of TheIrishMob), but the just-off-the-boat accent and whimsy are long gone -- except somewhat in HistoricalFiction. In modern works, Irish-American officers might be [[FamilyHonor following in the footsteps]] [[FamilyBusiness of several generations of police families]] and/or [[PursuingParentalPerils trying to live up to a parent who died in the line of duty]]. Additionally, in many modern works, cops in big-city police departments on the East Coast are often portrayed as being honorarily Irish even if they are not of actual Irish descent--which, given the extensive adoption of Irish customs within these departments (particularly wakes for fallen officers and fake wakes for retired ones) is more or less TruthInTelevision (see ''Series/TheWire'' for a good example: the Baltimore P.D. is one of those departments; also, many NYCPD-focused shows will have this element show up).[[note]]To paraphrase Lenny Bruce, in the NYPD, even if you're Black, you're Irish.[[/note]]

* Anther parody is Officer Big Mac from old 70s UsefulNotes/McDonalds commercials.

* Creator/RoaldDahl wrote a short story in which a wealthy New York City couple, having forgotten their keys, attempt to break into their own house - and are promptly shot dead by a gang of Irish cops.

* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'': In "[[Recap/RevolutionS1E6SexAndDrugs Sex and Drugs]]", [[spoiler: The O'Hallorans, the neighboring family that is burning Drexler's poppy fields, are a long line of such, although the father's primary motivation is personal: Drexel killed his daughter with a heroin overdose]].

* In ''Series/TheWire'', even though the Baltimore Police Department is racially mixed, with at least half of the officers African-American and another good chunk being Polish, their traditions still have a strongly Irish flavor. For example, they all attend Irish wakes for fallen officers at Kavanaugh's Pub, where Jay Landsman gives a eulogy to the departed and leads everyone in a passionate sing-along to Music/ThePogues' "Body of an American." It's explicitly stated in David Simon's book ''Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets'' - on which the show is partially based, that no matter your origin, when you join the Baltimore PD you become "honorary Irish". More directly, several police characters actually are Irish-American, including ostensible lead Jimmy [=McNulty=] and the first-season "humps" Polk and Mahon.

* There's one that pops up in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' from time to time. He's usually portrayed as a nice and jolly NYPD cop, but he's occasionally seen in Springfield.

* ''X-Men Noir'' is set in 1937, and Chief Eric Magnus is an Eastern European immigrant cop who is bitter over being discriminated against by the Irish-American cops who dominate the NYCPD; he claims he failed the Sergeant's Exam three times just because he doesn't have a shred of Irish heritage. It's never explicitly spelled out, but it's notable that none of the members of his clandestine "Brotherhood" are Irish, either.

Historically this was TruthInTelevision, as police departments in American cities like [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkCityCops New York]] (around 1900, five-sixths of the [=NYPD=] was Irish), Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Baltimore were disproportionately staffed by Irish immigrants.[[note]]This also rang true in other New World colonies like Australia (in UsefulNotes/NedKelly's day, 80% of Victoria's police), Canada (the NWMP was based on the Royal Irish Constabulary) and New Zealand ([[https://teara.govt.nz/en/irish/page-5 as much as 40% in the 1930s]]).[[/note]] (This is the reason why it was colloquially known as a "Paddy Wagon".[[note]]Unless it got its name from the Irish drunks it often hauled. As an old New York City joke goes, "If it weren't for the Irish we wouldn't have a police force -- and if it weren't for the Irish, we wouldn't need one."[[/note]]) A [[UsefulNotes/TheIrishDiaspora large wave of Irish immigration]] during the 19th century coincided with the time when major cities started establishing "professional" police forces, and police work was one of the few jobs open to Irish immigrants at the time. In RealLife, police forces offer many opportunities for recent immigrants, and they sign up, partly to protect their own people. Because early police work closely resembled [[PoliceBrutality thuggery]], it was not a prestigious position, and because poorly-paid police were vulnerable to [[CorruptCop corruption]], the police were widely despised. It did not take long for the urban police and TheIrishMob to become partners.

** DownplayedTrope with Kevin Ryan. He doesn't have the accent and is at least one generation, possibly more, removed from Ireland. Still, references to his Irish heritage crop up now and again, such as being RaisedCatholic and [[spoiler:having gone undercover with an [[TheIrishMob Irish-American gang]] in his earlier years]].

This sort of officer rarely, if ever, resorts to force when dealing with a perp, but may visibly carry a nightstick; will often have [[BadassMustache an impressive mustache]].

In every police precinct, you'll have several stereotypical types of cops. The most common of these will always be the O'Hara, the cop with the whimsical Irish accent who usually stands on the sidelines, offering recycled stereotypical quips about St. Patrick and the shores of {{Oireland}}.

This sort of officer rarely -- if ever -- resorts to force when dealing with a perp, but may visibly carry a nightstick; will often have [[BadassMustache an impressive mustache]].

Historically this was TruthInTelevision, as police departments in American cities like [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkCityCops New York]] (around 1900, five-sixths of the [=NYPD=] was Irish), Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Baltimore were disproportionately staffed by Irish immigrants.[[note]]This also rang true in other New World colonies like Australia (in UsefulNotes/NedKelly's day, 80% of Victoria's police), Canada (the NWMP was based on the Royal Irish Constabulary) and New Zealand ([[https://teara.govt.nz/en/irish/page-5 as much as 40% in the 1930s]]).[[/note]] (This is the reason why it was colloquially known as a "Paddy Wagon".[[note]]Unless it got its name from the Irish drunks it often hauled. As an old New York City joke goes, "If it weren't for the Irish we wouldn't have a police force -- and if it weren't for the Irish, we wouldn't need one."[[/note]]) A [[UsefulNotes/TheIrishDiaspora large wave of Irish immigration]] during the 19th century coincided with the time when major cities started establishing "professional" police forces, and police work was one of the few jobs open to Irish immigrants at the time. In RealLife, police forces offer many opportunities for recent immigrants, and they sign up, partly to protect their own people. Because early police work closely resembled [[PoliceBrutality thuggery]], it was not a prestigious position, and because poorly paid police were vulnerable to corruption, the police were widely despised. It did not take long for the urban police and TheIrishMob to become partners.

Historically this was TruthInTelevision, as the police departments in cities like [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkCityCops New York]], Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Baltimore were disproportionately staffed by Irish immigrants;[[note]]This also rang true in other New World colonies like Australia (in UsefulNotes/NedKelly's day, 80% of Victoria's police), Canada (the NWMP was based on the Royal Irish Constabulary) and New Zealand ([[https://teara.govt.nz/en/irish/page-5 as much as 40% in the 1930s]]).[[/note]] this is the reason they called it the "Paddy Wagon."[[note]]Unless it got its name from the Irish drunks it often hauled. As an old New York City joke goes, "If it weren't for the Irish we wouldn't have a police force -- and if it weren't for the Irish, we wouldn't need one."[[/note]] Around 1900, five-sixths of the [=NYPD=] was Irish. A [[UsefulNotes/TheIrishDiaspora large wave of Irish immigrants]] in the 19th century coincided with the time when major cities started establishing "professional" police forces, and police work was one of the few jobs open to Irish immigrants at the time. In RealLife, police forces offer many opportunities for recent immigrants, and they sign up, partly to protect their own people. Because early police work closely resembled [[PoliceBrutality thuggery]], it was not a prestigious position, and because poorly paid police were vulnerable to corruption, the police were widely despised. It did not take long for the urban police and TheIrishMob to become partners.

This sort of officer rarely - if ever - resorts to force when dealing with a perp, but may visibly carry a nightstick; will often have [[BadassMustache an impressive mustache]].

Historically this was TruthInTelevision, as the police in cities like [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkCityCops New York]], Boston, Chicago and Baltimore were disproportionately staffed by Irishmen.[[note]]This also rang true in other New World colonies like Australia (in UsefulNotes/NedKelly's day, 80% of Victoria's police), Canada (the NWMP was based on the Royal Irish Constabulary) and New Zealand ([[https://teara.govt.nz/en/irish/page-5 as much as 40% in the 1930s]]).[[/note]] This is the reason they called it the "Paddy Wagon."[[note]]Unless it got its name from the Irish drunks it often hauled. As an old New York City joke goes, "If it weren't for the Irish we wouldn't have a police force -- and if it weren't for the Irish, we wouldn't need one."[[/note]] Around 1900, five-sixths of the [=NYCPD=] was Irish. A [[UsefulNotes/TheIrishDiaspora large wave of Irish immigrants]] in the 19th century coincided with the time when major cities started establishing "professional" police forces, and police work was one of the few jobs open to Irish immigrants at the time. In RealLife, police forces offer many opportunities for recent immigrants, and they sign up, partly to protect their own people. Because early police work closely resembled [[PoliceBrutality thuggery]], it was not a prestigious position, and because poorly paid police were vulnerable to corruption, the police were widely despised. It did not take long for the urban police and TheIrishMob to become partners.

* In ''Series/TheWire'', even though the Baltimore Police Department is racially mixed, with at least half of the officers African-American, their traditions still have a strongly Irish flavor. For example, they all attend Irish wakes for fallen officers at Kavanaugh's Pub, where Jay Landsman gives a eulogy to the departed and leads everyone in a passionate sing-along to Music/ThePogues' "Body of an American." It's explicitly stated in David Simon's book ''Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets'' - on which the show is partially based, that no matter your origin, when you join the Baltimore PD you become "honorary Irish". More directly, several police characters actually are Irish-American, including ostensible lead Jimmy [=McNulty=] and the first-season "humps" Polk and Mahon.