The Shamrock Shake is back at McDonald’s, and with it, a long-lost member of McDonaldland lore! Following the popularity of the viral “Grimace shake,” the fast food chain has brought back one of the monster’s relatives, Uncle O’Grimacey.
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Bright green and appropriately decked out in a leprechaun hat and shamrock shirt, Uncle O’Grimacey was first introduced in 1977. He is, of course, Grimace’s uncle and was used to mark the start of Shamrock Shake season.
However, it’s been many years since the character has been seen in McDonald’s’ advertising.
Grimace and Uncle O’Grimacey even made an appearance on Today on Tuesday to celebrate the return of the beloved mint-flavored shake.
uncle o'grimacey called to say the shamrock shake is back pic.twitter.com/8fh8lrG2yh
— McDonald's (@McDonalds) February 4, 2025
“Haven’t seen Uncle O’Grimacey in a while,” host Carson Daly remarked, as the characters welcomed fans in the outdoor plaza at 30 Rockefeller Center. “He was a fan favorite in the ’70s. But it’s been decades since he graced us with his [presence].”
McDonald’s Introduced Uncle O’Grimacey in the 1970s to Celebrate the Shamrock Shake
Uncle O’Grimacey is part of McDonaldsland lore, but more than that, he is part of the Grimace canon. This is, uh, very important to some people on the internet, as evidenced a few years back when one McDonald’s manager tried to claim that the purple character was, in fact, a giant taste bud.
After being named Outstanding McDonald’s Manager of the Year in 2021, Brian Bates gave an infamous interview with the CBC, in which he made the claim.
“He is an enormous taste bud, but a taste bud nonetheless,” Bates said at the time.
Writing for The Takeout, Lillian Stone, ripped into Bates’ theory.
“Grimace isn’t a taste bud. He’s a GRIMACE. He comes from a line of GRIMACES,” she insisted. “They’re big purple monsters with no evolutionary prowess other than looking goofy! They don’t serve a purpose, nor should they!”
Stone even offered a shoutout to the “shillelagh-wielding Uncle O’Grimacey” in her impassioned defense of the character.
“Grimace has a story. Grimace has lore,” she wrote. “Grimace is to be respected.”