Major blow for Irish construction worker who sparked uproar after he called Aussie tradies 'soft'

By ZAK WHEELER, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 03:19, 9 May 2026 | Updated: 03:19, 9 May 2026 An Irish construction worker has been given the boot after sparking furious debate when he slammed Australian construction workers as 'soft'.  Ian Dowling says he is out of a job after the management at his worksite called him into the office to discuss the controversial TikTok video last week. Despite offering to take the video down, HR said it was too late.  Mr Dowling shared the latest update with his followers on Friday.    'Last week I got fired from my job for the videos I've posted online,' he said.  'The main culprit is the one where I said that Aussie construction workers are afraid of the rain. Do you think it warrants getting sacked from the job?' Aussies were divided in the comments, with supporters saying it was a step too far.  'It's called banter, Jesus wept. Hope you get on with another job soon,' one said.  View this post on Instagram Ian Dowling says he has been sacked after he slammed Aussie trades as 'soft' in a viral video 'Yeah brother, definitely doesn’t warrant a sacking. Just a p***take, classic Aussie value is taking the piss and being a larrikin,' a second agreed.  'They are obviously a lot softer than you thought...' a third wrote.   The Irishman said the real irony was that he also hates working in the rain.  'Why do you think I came all the way to Australia? It was to get away from the rain in the first place,' he said in another video.  Mr Dowling sparked uproar when he called Australian tradesmen 'soft'.  'As an Irish lad working in the construction industry in Australia, I've learned one thing about Aussies,' he said. 'They're going very soft. Terrified of the rain, they are. As soon as there's a couple of spits out of the sky, that's it, they're out the door and into the pub. 'And they say they love the water. They're all about the surfing, but if the water's falling out of the sky, f****g terrified of it.' Mr Dowling said it was because his Australian counterparts were 'terrified' of the rain  Aussies were quick to slam his hot take in the comments.  'Try concreting or rendering in the rain. It just doesn't work,' one person said. 'Power tools are not waterproof,' another added.  'Wet steel, no deal,' a third said.  Mr Dowling said he now plans to cycle across Australia performing stand-up shows for local crowds for the next year.  Until then he will remain on the Sunshine Coast to organise the shows.  The Daily Mail has contacted Mr Dowling for comment.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.