An Australian radio announcer has quit his job after complaining that the station was airing too many Irish jokes.

Half-Irish Brendan Belonvf left his job with station Heritage FM after four years as a volunteer announcer.

He said he recently began to notice "one too many jokes at the expense of the Irish people".

"I told station management that I wasn't happy with the telling of Irish jokes recently on air by a particular presenter because basically the jokes were portraying Irish people as dumb," he said.

"I am half-Irish myself and I find those kinds of jokes offensive," he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Heritage FM, based in western Australia, declined to comment on the matter.

Alan O'Meara, president of the Irish Club of western Australia, said he was not too concerned about the announcer's decision to leave. "Most Irish jokes are pretty harmless, I think," he said.

"Irish jokes have been a part of culture for a long time and I think most Irish people are able to laugh them off as harmless fun – as long as they are not mean-spirited or too derogatory."

Australian websites have been inundated with comments on the news, with Irish residents in Australia saying Belonvf should learn to "take a joke".

But one Irishman who identified himself as Con said he was tired of being portrayed as being from a "nation of idiots".

"Being Irish, but having chosen to make Australia my home, I accept that the majority of people telling Irish jokes mean no racial offence and so I tolerate it.

"That said, being repeatedly portrayed as coming from a nation of idiots is at the least annoying, and I agree with Brendan that there is no place for this form of 'humour' on public broadcast media. A funny story should elicit a laugh without being derogatory."

Another commenter, Lance Barron, added, "Did you hear about the Irishman who couldn't take a joke?"