What Is The 'Irish Baby' Meme? The Image Of A Baby Holding A Guinness Explained

A photo of a very Irish-looking baby has been making the rounds on the internet, with many people joking about the baby looking old enough to be a world-weary grown-up Irish man.

When Irish author Seamus O'Reilly shared a photo of his "precious pintbaby," he may not have known the storm he would be kicking up on the internet. Irish culture is often celebrated in internet meme culture, whether it's the Ayo Edibiri Irish allegations or the numerous Mr. Krabs AI songs that took over YouTube in 2023.

Here are some of the jokes people shared about the Irish Baby Holding a Pint of Guinness.

Where Does The Photo Of The Irish Baby Come From?

In March 2020, Irish author Séamas O'Reilly posted an image of his infant son to his X account @shockproofbeats. The photo showed his son sitting next to a glass of Guinness stout beer with his hand held up to the glass as if he were holding it.

Most importantly, O'Reilly's son had a peculiar expression on his face that could be described as sardonic or disappointed, a peculiar mix that many immediately identified with Irish stereotypes.

The image resurfaced in February 2023, when Séamas O'Reilly posted an update showing that his son is now a toddler. The image still showed his son holding a glass of Guinness.

How Did The Baby Holding A Glass Of Guinness Become A Meme?

The Irish Baby's peculiar expression and supposedly very Irish appearance led people to share jokes about Ireland and it's culture. X user @Goldxn_Violin posted the image writing, "I just don't like ya no more," in reference to the 2022 film The Banshees of Inisherin.

On the same day, X user @teaandrobots posted the image writing, "this baby can list every English war crime from memory," in reference to Ireland's historic tensions with Britain.

What Are Some More Irish Baby Memes

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For the full history of the Irish baby holding a Guinness, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.