Is Ayo Edebiri Really Irish? The Ayo Edebiri-Irish Jokes Explained

This weekend the Saint Patrick’s Day holiday was celebrated in Ireland and the United States. As part of the celebration, thousands of people and brands shared jokes, memes and pictures honoring the holiday online.

One specific post on Twitter / X made by Amazon Prime, highlighting some memorable Irish actors, got netizens a bit confused as to why actress Ayo Edebiri was in the picture. (shown below)

So, when did the Edebiri is Irish rumors started and how did she become an honorary citizen in Ireland? We've got it all covered here!

Is Ayo Edebiri Really Irish?

The short answer is no! Ayo Edebiri is a Boston-native actress, comedian, and television writer born on October 3rd, 1995.

How Did The 'Ayo Edebiri Is Irish' Memes Started?

Edebiri decided to partake in a gag during a Letterboxd in April 2023 in which she pretended to be Jenny the Donkey from the movie The Banshees of Inisherin. In the video (shown below), Edebiri was asked how she prepared for the role, to which she said she lived in Ireland for about four months to get "in character for the role."

The silliness of the gag quickly made the video go viral on TikTok and spread the rumor about Edebiri's alleged Irish roots. The joke reached a new level when the actress won the Golden Globe award for "Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series" for her role in The Bear. For example, on January 7th, 2024, X user @michaelcollado posted a picture of Edebiri and Irish actor Cillian Murphy holding their awards paired with the caption "Ireland winning big tonight!!!"

On January 10th, the X page @filmindublin congratulated the actress nomination for the 2024 BAFTA "Rising Star Award" pretending she is from Ireland. (shown below, bottom)

What Has Ayo Edebiri Said About The Irish Memes?

On January 15th, 2024, Ayo Edebiri was interviewed by Entertainment Tonight during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards and mentioned the memes about her nationality. She said "Shoutout to my people…shoutout to Dublin." (Shown below)

Ayo has also given a special nod to Ireland while hosting Saturday Night Live on February 4th, 2024, by wearing a white t-shirt featuring a four-leafed clover and her name. (shown below)

For the full history of Ayo Edebiri Is Irish, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.