DUP MP Gregory Campbell criticised for making ‘curried yoghurt mein herr’ joke about Irish language

The East Derry MP was accused of disrespecting Irish speakers after a comment he posted following a BBC documentary ‘Nazis Sa Ghaeltacht’ that aired on Sunday.

The film focused on Dr. Ludwig Mühlhausen, a professor of Celtic studies, who was also a member of the NSDAP and who lived for a time in Teelin in the south Donegal Gaeltacht.

“I’m informed that BBC 2 NI had a programme on tonight about a suspected German spy who lived in the RoI during the war.

“The humourous bit was that he was supposed to have spoken Irish with a German accent. I vill not be tempted to ask vot is dis curried yoghurt mein herr [sic],” posted Mr. Campbell after the show went out.

The controversial DUP MP had previously angered some people by phonetically rendering the Irish phrase go raibh maith agat (thank you, literally, may good be at you) in nonsense English.

For example, in 2007 during a debate on parity of funding for Irish and Ulster-Scots when he was still an MLA Mr. Campbell used the phrase “Cora my Yogi Bear, a can coca colya,” with ‘a can coca colya’ used, apparently, in place of a Ceann Comhairle (chairperson, literally head of the council).

Then in 2014 during a debate on an Irish Language stategy, again at Stormont, he used the mock-sentence “Curry my yogurt can coca coal yer.”Back then the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure Carál Ní Chuilín reacted angrily, stating: “If what you have just done is anything to go by, we do not need a strategy for pure ignorance. Pure ignorance. Your conduct is not befitting a Member of this Chamber, and it does not warrant an answer.”

Mr. Campbell’s latest joke has prompted a similiar response.

East Derry Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald tweeted: “Gregory Campbell is MP for a constituency with a vibrant, growing Irish language community, it has the only Irish medium secondary school outside Belfast.

“It’s unacceptable he continues to mock the Irish language and disrespect Irish language speakers he’s supposed to represent.”