Spalpeen

Quick meaning: Spalpeen is a noun meaning (Ireland, ethnic slur) A poor migratory farm worker in Ireland, often viewed as a rascal or mischievous and cunning person.

Meaning

(Ireland, ethnic slur) A poor migratory farm worker in Ireland, often viewed as a rascal or mischievous and cunning person.

More Meanings

1. (Ireland, sometimes endearing) A good-for-nothing person.

Example Sentences

"And they stood you before the magistrates, like a spalpeen or a tinker." / "Sure the French wouldn't bring with them barrels of coppers for the spalpeens of Connaught. It is murder and bloodshed they would bring."

The men were mainly evicted farmers from Connaught and West Cork, beggared spalpeens from Carlow and Waterford; a cooper, some farriers, a horse-knacker from Kerry; a couple of Galway fishermen who had managed to sell their nets.

[A] fortunate accident […] happened to me when I was a very little boy. A good-hearted old Irish nurse (whom I shall not forget in my will) took me up one day by the heels, when I was making more noise than was necessary, and, swinging me round two or three times, d——d my eyes for "a skreeking little spalpeen," and then knocked my head into a cocked hat against the bed-post. This, I say, decided my fate, and made my fortune.

Word Forms

• spalpeens

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include spanner, snapper, skin, knacker, scut, sculpin.

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