Fenians

Noun

Fenian (plural Fenians)

1. (Ireland, historical, in plural) A member of a roving band of hunter-warriors in ancient Ireland, especially the band led by the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill in Irish mythology; (generally) a person of ancient Ireland.
   • Do you compare your psalms / To the tales of the bare-arm'd Fenians?1816, [Walter Scott], chapter I, in The Antiquary. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page...
2. (Ireland, UK, also, historical) A member of an organization opposing British rule in Ireland, especially the Fenian Brotherhood and Irish Republican Brotherhood which were active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; (generally) an Irish nationalist or republican.

   Antonyms:

   Orangey, Prod

3. (Northern Ireland, Scotland, derogatory, offensive) A Roman Catholic person, chiefly one of Irish descent or ethnicity.
   • It was sound advice for anyone visiting Northern Ireland in 1999 and remains so today: do not refer to Protestants as "Prods", or to Catholics as "Fenians" or "Taigs", and whatever you do don't refer to your visit as "being out here".[2023 August 23, Rory Carroll, “Files reveal terms ministers were warned not to use in Northern Ireland”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC...

   Synonyms:

   taig, Tim

   Antonyms:

   Orangey, Prod

4. (Northern Ireland, Scotland, derogatory, offensive) A supporter of the Scottish association football club Celtic Football Club.

   Synonyms:

   taig, Tim

See all 8 meanings of Fenian