Jackeen what does it mean and where did it originate?

Possibly:

From Oxford English dictionary second edition:

jackeen (________). Anglo-Irish.
[Irish dim. of Jack n.1]
A contemptuous designation for a self-assertive worthless fellow.
1840 Fraser's Mag. XXII. 320 A buckeen, a jackeen, a squireen, or any of the intermediate classes.
1892 Q. Rev. July 138 _Jackeens' loitering about the Dublin Theatres.
1897 Sir C. G. Duffy ibid. Sept. 451 In manner and bearing he is a superb Jackeen.

If so it comes from

2. _ a. (As a common noun.) A man of the common people; a lad, fellow, chap; esp. a low-bred or ill-mannered fellow, a _knave'. Obs.
1548 Udall Erasm. Par. Luke vi. 65 A common poyncte of pleasure doyng, that euery iacke vseth.
1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. ii. i. 290 A mad-cap ruffian and a swearing Iacke.
1600 Surflet Countrie Farme i. xvi. 108 They send them [geese] to the medowes_vnder the custodie of some little small Iacke, who may keepe them from going_into any forbidden places.
_1640 Day Parl. Bees v. (1881) 33 A halter stretch thee: such ill-tutord jacks Poyson the fame of Patrons.
1682 Bunyan Holy War (Cassell) 354 But Mr. Unbelief was a nimble Jack; him they never could lay hold of.
1746 Brit. Mag. 75 Familiar both with peers and Jacks.
_ b. Phr. to play the jack: to play the knave, to do a mean trick. Obs.
1610 Shakes. Temp. iv. i. 198 Your Fairy_Has done little better then plaid the Iacke with vs.
1611 Beaum. & Fl. Knt. Burn. Pestle Induct., If you were not resolved to play the Jacks, what need you study for new subjects, purposely to abuse your betters?
1668 Pepys Diary 23 Feb., Sir R. Brookes overtook us coming to town; who played the jacke with us all, and is a fellow that I must trust no more.

which in one sense would make sense with the use of the suffix -in in Irish to mean little (in other words "jackeen" would have been the equivalent of "little jack", jack having the same usage as in English since the late 14th century.

Funnily enough, one use of the word "jack" (when applied to flags) refers itself to "small" (it's properly a small flag, smaller than an ensign, used at sea as a signal or mark of distinction, flown at the bow of a vessel (formerly at the spirit-sail topmast head) - so in other words, the application of the word "jack" to refer to the Union flag would have been wrong, at least originally) - so if it does refer to the Union Jack, the "-een" in jackeen may be a redundancy.


The Union Jack explanation seems as good though. Believe whichever one you like. Either way, as a put-down reference, both suggested origins appear to have an equal ability to explain the term. The term certainly did not originally apply to anything that happened during Queen Victoria's visit, though, given that the term dates from at least 1840, though it may have taken on that meaning later on (or from lynchie's definition, before).

"Sham" is actually a Galwegian term. It is the name given to a resident of Tuam, and also the name of the langauge that Tuam people speak.

This may have something to do with the fact that the place is rife with knackers. Easily the worst town in Ireland.

Sifo wrote:

Jackeen - dubs who supported the brits back in the day...

bogger - everyone outside dublin

Great, a three year old thread. Lovely.

Great, my chance to restart a 4 year old thread.

Correction, the Easter rising too place in Dublin if you didn't know. The majority of the signatories of the Easter proclamation where Jackeens as were most of the fighters. The only boggers to do any fighting were a few culchies in Cork. The rest of you were too busy giving out about Jackeens causing trouble