Why do many Irish people shun people with the surname of "Ward"?

Question

I once heard a woman on the radio admitting to feeling guilty for accusing a schoolmate of having "Ward's Disease". What is Ward's disease? I got a job in Ireland and mentioned that the Irish part of my family was named Ward, I lost th job almost immediately. So I would like to have a truthful version of the reason for this treatment as it seems very strange to me.

I asked a really friendly Irish preacher about why people seem to have an aversion to people with the name . He suddenly had to go to the toilet and avoided me after that and never spoke to me again.

I understand that people with the Name Barrett have the same problem. When an Irish Olympic medal winner went to celebrate at a restaurant with his family he was refused entry, because of his family name.

What is it that is so awful about these families and why is everyone even remotely connected to them shunned?

Answer 1

I have never heard of this. I find this hard to believe you lost a job because of this.

Answer 2

I have Irish ancestry and I have never heard anything like that.

Answer 3

well its probably because your a d**k - richard

Answer 4

I have never heard this before!

My mum was from Dublin and she came to England at the start of  the war in 1939 and married my father in 1948-his name was Ward!

Answer 5

There are various names associated with travellers (an Irish type of gypsy).  Ward is one, Maughan another, but I have never heard of Barrett this way.

Travellers are often connected with trouble and violence. Sometimes unjustly, but sadly, sometimes deserved.

Answer 6

Had Irish grandparens and in-laws and been to Ireland many times and never ever have I heard this.  We actually know someone named Ward there and they are involved in absolutely everything in their town.

Answer 7

dacobren is right. Its associated with travellers.

Answer 8

its a travellers surname,quiet stupid tat in this day and age people are shunned on because of the names !!!!!!

Answer 9

I do not know about this. Maybe they were big landowners or agents at the time of  the famine.

i think we all have a name we prefer not to associate with,

McDonald's and Campbell's for instance.

My own pet hate is Whit tacker which is totally unjustified and goes back to when I was a child listening to a Radio Luxembourg series "Journey into Space"  they did have programmes then and that poor bloke was the traitor