Pic: Irish Dad completely ruins son’s Christmas homecoming surprise in family WhatsApp conversation

And he would have gotten away with it too if it wasn’t for those pesky kids.

Suggesting that all Irish people of a certain generation struggle with technology would be blatant stereotyping, but we’re sure some of you have parents or older relatives and friends who would class themselves as luddites when it comes to smartphone apps, social media and the like. A prime example of the type of person we're talking about was highlighted to us by JOE reader Mary Sheanon, who let us in on a family WhatsApp conversation a little earlier today. Mary’s brother John has been travelling the world for a year, but had planned a surprise trip home at Christmas after their eldest brother had got engaged. John and Mary’s Dad was the only one in on the surprise, or at least he was until he unintentionally blew John’s cover in the family WhatsApp group, obviously having thought that he was just sending a message to John himself. As another well-known Dad might say, "D’oh!" Hat-tip to Mary Sheanon for sending this one our way