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Known for his love of the English and his ability to blight days of national celebration, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been accused of "patronising" the Irish in a St Patrick's Day message.
Two St Patrick's Day events have decided not to screen the Prime Minister's video message as the blowback made headlines in Ireland.
"It's safe to say this is the one day of the year when it's good to be green," Mr Abbott said with the comic timing of four dads in one.
"As you can see, I've got my green tie on for the occasion."
For those who could in fact not see - or did not know what a tie was - Mr Abbott held his up to the camera.
The Prime Minister sought to broaden the appeal of Ireland's most famous day by proclaiming it "a great day for the Irish, and the English, the Vietnamese, the Cambodians and everyone who cares to come to a party".
Quoting a historian, he cited the Irish people's main contribution as "song".
Mr Abbott showed admirable restraint by not using the phrase "top of the morning to you" or "to be sure, to be sure". There were no explicit references to drunkenness.
He signed off with the final line: "Today we celebrate our Irish heritage. I'm sorry I can't be there to share a Guinness or two, and maybe even three. But like you I do rejoice in St Patrick's Day."
It's not the first time Mr Abbott has upset the Irish.
In a 2011 speech he compared the Gillard government "to the Irishman who lost 10 pounds betting on the Grand National and then lost 20 pounds on the action replay".
Nor was it the first time Mr Abbott made a joke about having "a Guinness, or two, or three". The speech was eerily similar to his 2014 message, in which he quoted an Irish saying about life's three mysteries: "God, human folly, and laughter."
"We can't do much with the first two, so we must do what we can with the third," he said.
Mr Abbott continues to do what he can.