Joe Biden compared to Alan Partridge character after 'Black and Tans' slip up

During his visit to Ireland, US President Joe Biden has drawn comparisons with Alan Partridge for an awkward slip-up about “Black and Tans”.

The unfortunate remark came during a speech he made in the town of Dundalk, County Louth, at the Windsor Bar.

It is the region that Biden’s ancestors come from and, in his speech, the president referenced the former Ireland rugby player Rob Kearney, who is a distant cousin of his.

In 2016, Kearney was part of the Ireland team that beat the New Zealand All Blacks for the first time.

It was a reference to this feat that saw Biden mix up his words, saying “Black and Tans” rather than “All Blacks”. Instead, the Black and Tans were reinforcements added to the Royal Irish Constabulary during the War of Independence.

Biden said his cousin was a “hell of a rugby player, who beat the hell out of the Black and Tans”.

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His viral remark has sparked comparisons with the characters in the fictional comedy sitcom starring Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge.

On Twitter, many people shared a clip from the show This Time With Alan Partridge which showed the character Martin Brennan, singing a song about Black and Tans and the IRA.

One person joked: “Joe Biden remembers his cousin Rob Kearney singing about beating the Black and Tans.”

Another said: “Who had ‘Rob Kearney being complimented by Joe Biden for beating the Black and Tans’ on their bingo card?”

Biden is currently visiting Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

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