Apropos of The New York Times's semi-offensive "blipster" (black hipster) mention in this article (via Brooklyn Vegan), *bitter defeat* proclaims itself home of the Irish hipster, henceforth to be known as the mickster. As with other ethnically determined labels, mickster refers not only to Irish hipsters, but also to hipsters in the Irish diaspora.
Mickster heritage stretches all the way back to the late 1970s, from whipcrack piss-takers like Elvis Costello (aka Declan McManus), and Morrissey to such shabby, devil-may-care proto-micksters as Bob Geldoff, and, of course, the granddaddy of us all, Shane McGowan. Aside from yours truly, prominent current-day micksters include Ryan McGinley, Cillian Murphy, and the band The Thrills. We tend not to rock the shaggy bearded look so popular with hipsters of other ethnic backgrounds, due primarily to our genetic shortcomings in the body hair department. However, the Irish black-rimmed-glasses quotient is off the charts.
The mickster tends to exhibit some combination of stereotypically Irish tendencies and behaviors (alcoholism; rueful self-deprecation; exceptional storytelling ability; pronounced cynicism; alcoholism; free-floating guilt; defeatism; anger-management issues; a wicked sense of humor; severe impulse-control problems; below-average penis size (aka "The Irish Curse"); alcoholism, etc.) with more universal hipster characteristics (skinny jeans; undersized blazers/military jackets; ironic consumption of cheap domestic beers; polymathic obsession with useless pop culture, contemporary art, record collecting, and vintage guitars; beards [when able]; shaggy hair; an undue reverence for The Liars and TV on the Radio, etc.)
So give your local mickster a pleasant smile and a "Top o' the mornin'" the next time he stalks by. He's sure to shoot you a nasty look and keep right on walking.
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