Stupid and lazy analysis.... they were not English. The French and the Germans were also not English. Nothing to do with racism it was nationalism.

French and Germans were not depicted in English publications as apes.

The Irish were coerced into the UK and were officially British citizens, that is ostensibly, co-nationals. They weren't treated as such because those in power regarded them as subhuman. If that isn't racism the word is devoid of meaning.