Heard the one about the Irishman forced to resign for printing Irish jokes??

Race watchdog forces village magazine editor to resign after printing Irish jokes (even though he's Irish himself)

Last updated at 16:45pm on 12th September 2007 Comments (10)

A village magazine editor says he is the victim of political correctness after being forced to resign for printing Irish jokes.

Denis Lusby, aged 58, has spent 11 years building up the parish magazine in Cornwall from a flysheet to a 56 page monthly.

He has resigned after Cornwall County Council's head of equality and diversity, Ginny Harrison-White, complained and asked local schools to boycott the magazine.

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Denis Lusby says he is the victim of political correctness after being forced to resign for printing Irish jokes in his parish magazine below

She objected to Irish jokes which Ulster-born Denis has been including in the magazine for more than a decade.

She wrote to the schools as a private resident but mentioned her job with Cornwall County Council's education department in the letter.

A joke taken from a recent issue runs: Paddy was in New York. He was waiting patiently and watching the traffic cop on a busy street crossing.

The cops stopped the flow of traffic and shouted 'okay pedestrians'. After a while he'd allow the traffic to continue.

He had done this several times but Paddy still stood on the sidewalk. After the cop had shouted 'pedestrians' for the tenth time, Paddy went over to him and said: "Is it not about time ye let the Catholics cross".

Mrs Harrison-White, who works with Irish traveller communities, complained specifically about the names Murphy, O'Reilly and Paddy appearing in jokes.

One of the schools is now planning to start their own magazine for parents and pupils.

Parish councillor Denis, who runs the village shop in St Breward, near Bodmin, has devoted three days a month to the Blisland with Temple, Helland and St Breward Community Magazine.

It circulates around the four villages on the edge of Bodmin Moor and sells 500 copies a month for 30 pence apiece as well as carrying local advertisements.

Grandfather Denis is now looking for someone to take over his work.

A love of laughs: Comedy legend Frank Carson is also an Irishman who just can't help telling Irish jokes ... just like parish magazine editor Denis Lusby

He said: "It is political correctness gone mad. The lunatics have taken over the madhouse." "If she can frighten our village schools like this I might as well pack it in and concentrate on running the shop," he added.

"I have spent my life being non racist and anti racist and against bullying and to have somebody accuse me of being racist is really hard to take. It is not fair criticism."

Proud of his record, the amateur editor is not about to apologise for the magazine he spent 11 years building up.

"The magazine evolved out of the church notices and grew over the years and I have always put in the odd joke or two."

"I had some Irish jokes and turned some of them into Cornish jokes and nobody has ever complained before. In fact they have just sent me more jokes."

"Life in a rural community can be hard and you have to have a laugh."

Hurt by the charge that his gags are racist, joke enthusiast Lusby thinks the complaints against him are unfair.

"The magazine had all sorts of jokes, not just Irish, but in her letter this lady complained about the use of the names Murphy, O'Reilly and Paddy, which is funny because Patrick is my middle name."

"I am a Roman Catholic from Northern Ireland and I lived in London when the IRA bombings were going on so I reckon I know a lot more about racial prejudice than she does."

"I feel this lady has used her position to put pressure on the schools, which are entirely funded by the department she works for."

"I have never met her and the only time I have spoken to her was after we ran a joke about an Essex Earthquake appeal which was full of Essex Girl jokes."

"She rang up and said her neighbours came from Essex and was concerned they would be offended. I told her that all humour is subjective."

"I felt her letters to the school put the tin lid on it so I am resigning. If people are going to react like that the job goes from being a pleasure to a chore."

"I like the rough and tumble of debate but this was out of order. It was someone using a big stick and her important job to frighten other people. She even quoted some piece of legislation."

"My computer is stuffed full of e-mails of support but I dare say some people will also say good riddance."

Mrs Harrison-White, who lives in the neighbouring village of Blisland, said she sent the letters to the schools in her capacity as a local resident rather than her County Council role.

She said: "The context of the letter was to follow up an informal conversation."

"Because of my role I clearly come from an informed position with particular expertise and knowledge."

"I firmly believe that it is the responsibility of all members of society to support each other to ensure that any actions, comments, or public materials do not cause offence."