Irish cockney
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
A person born of Irish parents in any part of the southern counties of England.
Register: archaic, slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
a child born of Irish parents in any part of the southern counties of England. It is a singular fact that Irishmen born profess great abhorrence of IRISH COCKNEYS, while the latter despise all Irish, and use the word as one of reproach. IRISH COCKNEYS were originally only Cockneys born of an Irish strain, but the term has proved very elastic, and threatens soon to mean any English-born person whose descent is Hibernian.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Irish cockney” mean?
A person born of Irish parents in any part of the southern counties of England.
Is “Irish cockney” formal or informal?
Irish cockney is generally archaic, slang.