Interesting fact:

Clowns aren’t always fun and games. Some historians say that clowns played upon stereotypes of the Irish (red hair, ruddy-appearance from too much drinking) to create their distinctive looks. The acts of the clowns themselves continue to pervade age-old stereotypes – clowns are often seen fightin each other. In Elizabethan England, the Irish were also depicted as heavy drinkers who often fought one another.