Is it time to reconsider Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish nickname?

The University of Notre Dame has long been known as the Fighting Irish, but is it time to re-examine that particular nickname?

Dan Snyder has been on the record as saying he would never change the nickname of the Washington football team. This is true, despite years of pressure to do so. That’s because the nickname of the Washington team is the Redskins, a term long considered a generalized slur against Native Americans, regardless of tribe.

Last week, as financial pressure mounted, Snyder’s stance changed. The nickname is now under review.

Say what you will about why Snyder is changing his stance. The fact is that he is no longer hiding behind words like “tradition” and “history” to justify keeping a racist name in place. Frankly, justifying a racist nickname in 2020, because the nickname has always been racist and change upsets your disposition, is a flimsy argument.

We are seeing this across the United States, from the Confederate Flag being removed from NASCAR to statues of figures like Christopher Columbus being toppled. It’s not about erasing history, just not memorializing immoral history any longer.

So, when I say this, know that I’m not suggesting erasing all history of the Notre Dame nickname. In fact, historically, being called the “Fighting Irish” has helped Notre Dame a lot. It helped them build a national following, especially in cities with a lot of Irish Americans. In fact, my home town, which has its roots with Notre Dame, has a disproportionate amount of Notre Dame fans because of the nickname. It’s even helped establish an International following.

The nickname “Fighting Irish” has given Notre Dame a strong, cultural identity. We are Catholic, often proudly immigrant (with men like Knute Rockne carrying the torch), and you’re in for a fight when you play us. None of that is inherently bad for a small, Catholic, Midwestern university.

The term came from sportswriters, who who would use it to describe the manner in which Notre Dame played. Preferable to other terms used for the team, like Vagabonds, Dirty Irish, and Papists. Others, claim it came from an Irish brigade during the Civil War, and Notre Dame merely adopted it. Notre Dame’s third president, Rev. William Corby, C.S.C., was in that brigade. Yet another origin is said to come from a halftime speech in 1909, when a player called out the Irish players on the team, saying, ““What’s the matter with you guys? You’re all Irish and you’re not fighting worth a lick.”

Unequivocally, the origins of the nickname stem from a desire to differentiate Notre Dame for its Catholicism. It is a negative portrayal of Catholics and immigrants. It is a stereotype of the violent Irish. It’s just been spun into a positive over time.

Now, in all of this, it would be easy to see the nickname “Fighting Irish” as offensive. However, many people don’t find it offensive at all. In fact, they have embraced the nickname. As for myself, it didn’t bother me growing up, despite being Catholic and of Irish descent. Being the “Fighting Irish” wasn’t why I rooted for Notre Dame, though many of my friends growing up did for this reason.

However, over time, my personal feelings on that have changed.

When the Irish came to America, they were second class citizens. In my hometown, so closely associated with Ireland that its original name was “Ireland Parrish,” there were signs in windows that stated “No Irish. No dogs.” My ancestors dug the canals and built the dam that powered Holyoke, Massachusetts into the industrial revolution. As for the jobs, “Help wanted: No Irish need apply.”

This, their welcome to a nation with streets paved with gold, as they fled the genocide of Black 47. As they left an island stolen from them, a language eradicated, a culture razed they came to the United States and weren’t trusted for their religion. This, in a land built on the basis of freedom of religion. They came to the United States on coffin ships. They lived in slums. This, to build the United States up for someone else.

So, yes, it bothers me that the term “Fighting Irish” is used for a nickname. It bothers me that its origins are based on stereotypes, and trying to make the Catholic team seem lesser than their opponents. It bothers me that their mascot and logo are a leprechaun with his fists up like he’s John L. Sullivan.

I’ll continue to simply refer to them as “The Irish.” This embraces the cultural ties to Irish Americans, without using an outdated stereotype.  The superimposed ND is a good logo. We don’t need a fighting leprechaun.

Change is good, especially when it moves beyond stereotypes. Embrace it.