How to piss off Irish People – (as a tourist)
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For some reason, Irish people have to deal with their fair share of ‘stereotypes' some are good, and some are not so good.
Often, tourists treat our little island almost as if it is a theme park featuring mystical creators and happy dancing men…Yes, I am talking about Leprechaun's.
As an Irish person, it can be hard to be taken seriously, it's is as if we are seen as people ‘stuck back in time' with very little connection to the modern world.
Honestly, it can be frustrating. We as a society are just as advanced as any other Western country yet our ‘stereotypes' fit into that of a movie script.
And to make matters worse, we are rather a rather polite nation and don't really have the tendency to correct people.
Typically, we will give a little smile and try to divert the conversation elsewhere, but my god, some things tourists say can really push a button or two.
So, naturally, to combat this, I have compiled a list, of interactions you should avoid in Ireland unless you are on a mission to piss off as many people as possible!
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1. ‘Are Leprechauns Real?' OR ‘Where can I find Leprechauns in Ireland?'
This is a harsh thing to hear for many tourists, but there are no ‘Leprechauns' freely running around the country waiting to be captured.
I know, it's hard to believe, but there is a 99.9% chance that you will NOT find one on your visit. Actually, let's make that 100.
And, to add more fuel to the fire, Leprechauns are not real, at least not in this century or the one before it.
Yes, the idea of Leprechauns does come from Irish Myths and Legends, but we have never actually found a real-life one or remains of one for that matter.
It's simply folklore and more than likely came from an Irish person telling the story of the ‘wee man down the road' when they had a little bit too much to drink.
The story goes that if you catch a Leprechaun, you gain access to his fortune. Otherwise known as a pot of gold. But that's it, it's just a tale with very little reality attached to it!
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2. ‘Where in England is Ireland?' Or “Ireland is My Favourite Part of the UK”
One sure-fire way to be called a ‘Gobshite' (aka an idiot) by an Irish person is to make reference to Ireland being part of ‘the UK', ‘Britain' or ‘England'.
We are none of the above and do not take statements like that lightly. We worked damn hard for our freedom, for it to be disrespected by tourists who failed to do some research before their visit.
Ireland is Irish. And Irish only!
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3. ‘Is the Irish language just English with an accent?'
I am shocked at how many times I have been asked this question, but for some unknown reason, tourists struggle to comprehend that we do, in fact, have our own national language that sounds NOTHING like English.
In fact, it doesn't even have the same number of letters in the alphabet. It comes from a completely different language group known as ‘Gaelic'.
In Ireland, you will see Irish or ‘Gaeilge' represented throughout the country on road signs and national announcements.
English is the main language spoken due to years of colonisation, but there are still Irish-speaking parts of the country in existence today. These are known as ‘Gaeltacht Areas'.
4. “What’s Your Opinion on Irish Unity?”
I get it Irish politics is not exactly easy. And most people who ask this question are just curious, but my god, since Brexit, I have lost countof the number of times I have been asked about a United Ireland.
It's like people didn't even realise the Republic of Ireland existed before the border became a hot topic.
We were just seen as part of the UK, and don't get me wrong, I am glad that finally, after 100+ years of independence, the world is aware of our little country.
But sometimes it is treated as it is part of our personality, like every individual Irish person thinks about it every minute of the day.
Spoiler Alert: We don't. Irish people, both North and South, have a lot more problems to worry about. For example, the country is experiencing an insane cost-of-living crisis, and there are barely any houses to go around.
Personally, I would love to see the North and South become one again (with unity from all those who live on the island), but only if it could be done is a peaceful way.
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5. ‘Your Accent Makes Me Laugh' ‘Can you say thirty tree?'
Look, I know Irish accents sound different to those from other countries. Believe me, I have been told multiple times.
So much so, that when I lived in the states no one called me Laura, instead they called me ‘thirty tree and a third'.
But it is so weird to have someone tell me I have a funny accent when I'm in Ireland. It's like they don't realise that they're in my country. So, technically, they're the ones with the funny accent.
And, yes we can not say the ‘Th' sound properly, but what many people don't realise the reasoning for that stems from the Irish language.
6. “Top o’ the Mornin’ to Ya”
Let's just avoid this one altogether. I don't think I have ever heard an Irish person actually say it…like ever!
I kind of just associate it with a Hollywood stereotype of a cringy man doing a sh*te impression of an Irish accent.
7. ‘You Don't Look Irish' ‘Why Aren't You Ginger'?
The number of times I have been told, as a fair-haired Irish woman, that I don't look ‘Irish'. In other words, I do not fit the stereotype of ginger hair and freckles.
And, yes, Ireland holds the record for the country with the highest number of redheads but that does not mean EVERYONE carries the gene.
In fact, not one of my family members has ginger hair, and our DNA is over 95% Irish. However, I sadly did manage to inherit the pale skin that lacks any sort of tanning capabilities. Lucky me 👍
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8. ‘Wow, Ireland is so much more advanced than I expected'
For whatever unknown reason, many people seem to be under the impression that Ireland is a land stuck back in time.
I have quite literally been told by tourists that they were surprised to see things like ‘highways', ‘direct flights' and ‘iPhones'. Yes, iPhones 🤦♀️
It may come as a surprise, but just like the rest of the world Ireland has moved on with the times. We are just as developed as any other European country. And we are also highly educated, so I don't know why people expect us to be dumb.
9. ‘I'm Irish Too'
We hear it time and time again. Everybody wants to be Irish. And I get it we are pretty class 😉
But if you were not physically born in the country or moved here at an early age, then in the eyes of an Irish person, you are not Irish. You're of Irish descent. And ye,s it's different.
We see Irish people as those who grew up in Ireland, with our customs, our schooling, our weather, and our own unique environment.
Now, before you come at me, I am not disputing anyone who has Irish DNA. It's more the terminology that tourists tend to get wrong.
If you have Irish parents, grandparents, great grandparents or someone in your bloodline who was Irish.
Then yes, of course, you have Irish heritage. And that is something you should be really proud of. And maybe in your home country, you drop the word heritage or descent, but in Ireland, it's probably best you use it.
Someone once said to me, ‘I'm Irish too', and then their follow-up sentence was ‘but I've never been to Ireland'. Can you see how that is kind of contradictory?
10. ‘My Aunty Mary lives in Letterkenny, do you know her?
This one always throws me. There are over 5 million people living in Ireland, yet tourists often assume we all know each other.
Sure, our population is small compared to other countries, but 5 million is still a lot of people. So no, I probably don’t know your aunt in Letterkenny.
That said, we can be a bit hypocritical. When we meet another Irish person abroad, we’ll usually try to figure out a mutual connection, and more often than not, we find one.
But that’s because we grew up here. The connections come from years of school, GAA clubs, social circles and random overlaps.
It’s not the same as expecting us to know your family connection or a long-lost cousin from abroad.
11. ‘I Heard it's Legal to Marry Your Cousin in Ireland'.
No, we do NOT marry our cousins in Ireland, it's not legal or practised, for that matter.
It's a weird one, but yes, I have been asked this question before, sadly more than once.
The population is small, but not that small. Thankfully, it is easy to date without having to eliminate family connections.
Just have to be wary of certain surnames 🤣
12. “You’re from a Rural Area? Have You Even Heard of the Internet?
Ah, yes, because clearly the moment we leave Dublin, we all revert back to the Stone Age…
It might be hard to believe, but there is actually this thing called the ‘internet’ in rural Ireland. It’s quite a handy service too.
Of course, in some more isolated areas you will experience patchy signals but for the most part you will be able browse online without any issues.
13. ‘You Must Drink Every Single Day'
Contrary to what the world leads people to believe, the Irish are not a nation of alcoholics.
The reality is our weather is sh*te 99% of the time, so a good old natter (chat) in the pub goes down a long way but that doesn’t always mean we are falling out of it at 2 am each night.
Don’t get me wrong, we love a night on the town, but the presumption that every person has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol is very much a stereotype.
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14. ‘Why Can't I Drive to London?'
This one takes the cake, but maybe, just maybe it’s due to the big body of water called the Irish Sea in the way?
Unless you have discovered leading tech that will allow you to drive through water, you’re not driving to London anytime soon.
I quite literally argued with an American guy once in a hostel because he was CONVINCED he got a 16-hour train from Belfast to Manchester 🤦♀️ Nothing I said or did changed his mind.
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15. ‘Irish Names Sound Funny'
You mean names like Caoimhe, Siobhán, and Tadhg? They only sound funny because they’re not English.
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve heard someone laugh and say, “How can Caoimhe possibly be pronounced Kwee-vah? Where’s the ‘v’?”
Cue the shock when I explain that there isn’t a ‘v’ in the Irish language.
Irish names follow a completely different set of rules because they’re in a completely different language.
Pronunciation feels like second nature to us, we don’t even think about it. In fact, I often struggle to explain why something is said a certain way because, to us, it’s just… obvious.
Take the town of Cobh in County Cork. It’s pronounced Cove because in Irish, ‘bh’ makes a ‘v’ sound.
But to an Irish person, that’s not strange at all, it just makes perfect sense. Even to those who have very little Irish language skills.
