Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Irish) derog. term for a member of the working classes.

2000		P. Howard Miseducation of Ross O’Carroll-Kelly (2004) 12: It was their ‘Christian responsibility’ to show us how people less fortunate than ourselves – meaning skobies – lived. [Ibid.] 108: They’re so, I don’t know, engrossed [...] in talking to the two skobes.
2005		P. Howard Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress 37: It’s the little skobe who just called me a wanker.