Basic Trope: An Irish character with a Hair-Trigger Temper.
- Straight: Patrick walks into a bar and gets into a nasty fight with another guy.
- Exaggerated: The fight involves several (supposedly) upstanding members of the community, such as Father O'Brien. And even a few women.
- Downplayed:
- The last time Patrick was ever in a physical fight was when he was nine years old, but he has a Berserk Button about Irish stereotypes, potato famine jokes, or being mistaken for an Englishman, and you'll catch an earful from him if you make any comments like that. A Cluster F-Bomb may be involved.
- Patrick saves his violent urges for the boxing ring.
- Patrick is only partially Irish, or his ancestors are Irish immigrants to America from the 1800s, but the trope still plays out anyway.
- Justified:
- Patrick was drunk (and had lost some inhibitions), and somebody said something like "I Banged Your Mom" or something equally incendiary.
- The other guy started the fight by throwing a punch; Patrick is defending himself.
- Inverted:
- Patrick walks into a bar and quietly orders a beer for himself, before having a nice, civil, friendly chat with his buddies.
- Not only Patrick doesn't ever start fights, he's the one to stop them, to the point of turning sworn enemies into best friends.
- Patrick is the only person to not participate in the Bar Brawl.
- Subverted: In spite of people's assumptions, Patrick seems nice, serene, and respectable in the public ...
- Double Subverted:
- ...But in private, he drinks like a fish and takes out his violent temper on his wife and children.
- ...But attack him or his friends, and learn the hard way why it's a good idea to Beware the Nice Ones.
- Parodied:
- There is always a Bar Brawl going on at the pub. The bartender doesn't even care anymore.
- Ireland's national sport is bar fighting.
- Patrick discovers that his great-great-great-great-great grandparents were Irish and instantly develops a thick brogue and a Hair-Trigger Temper.
- Zig Zagged:
- Someone attempts to start a fight by saying something incendiary to Patrick, likely regarding his Mom. He laughs it off, orders a Guinness for the fellow - then cold clocks the guy when he's mid-drink.
- Patrick sometimes acts pacifistic, and sometimes acts violent Depending on the Writer.
- Averted: Patrick doesn't get involved in any fights. (He may even be an Actual Pacifist.)
- Enforced: National Stereotypes
- Lampshaded: "Aye, I'm Irish, an' ye 'better not pick on me, or there'll be un' hell o' brool."
- Invoked: See Justified.
- Exploited: The local nightclub owner is thinking to hire Patrick as a Bouncer for his reputed prowess and temper.
- Defied: Patrick decides to just ignore the other guy and instead plays games on his phone, drinks quietly, or talks to his friends.
- Discussed: "An Irish guy walks into a bar... and a fight breaks out..."
- Conversed: "I wonder why it's always an Irish guy?"
- Deconstructed:
- Not everyone of Irish descent is like this. Most, in fact, are not much more temperamental than any other randomly selected person, and are no more likely to be alcoholics than anyone else.
- Patrick loses his friends because they can't stand being around someone who's so violent.
- Patrick's violent tendencies eventually get him arrested.
- Reconstructed:
- However, the Irish are portrayed as fiercely protective of their friends, which comes to a head when a new company starts causing ruckus at the pub.
- Patrick gets new friends who are equally as violent as he is.
- Officer O'Hara keeps letting Patrick off, saying that "he's made a mistake".
- Played For Laughs: Patrick is commonly subjecting others to Amusing Injuries.
- Played For Drama:
- See "Double Subverted".
- Patrick acts this way due to severe trauma he's experienced throughout his life that made him think that he constantly had to defend himself.
- Played For Horror: Patrick is a violent Serial Killer.
- Implied:
- Patrick has a temper, and his accent seems vaguely Irish.
- Patrick is Irish, and many people seem nervous around him.
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