We’re feeling very much at home in Dublin. And no small part of that is the extraordinary friendliness we receive pretty much everywhere we go. So that got us thinking about Irish stereotypes: what are the things other nations think about the Irish, and to what extent are they true?
Blarney
We have on many occasions stood in the street, not quite sure which way to go. And just about every time, someone asks us if we need help. Others engage too. At first we thought it might be our funny accents (the Irish, as a general rule, love Americans, which is a nice change from everyone else everywhere in the world). But sometimes even when we are sitting quietly not having any accents at all, people strike up a conversation.
So we can personally attest to the fact that the Irish are indeed extraverted. You could even say garrulous. They have a lot of opinions, on everything, and are keen to interact. We’ve been told where to buy a house in Dublin, where to meet former Sinn Féiners, where to buy sausages, how to pull a proper pint of Guinness, what is wrong with the EU, and, naturally, about various family members now or formerly resident in the good old US of A. (We didn’t ask about any of these, though we don’t mind hearing.) And we’ve been made fun of by total strangers, all the time, when we don’t get their sarcastic comments.
Gregariousness ranking: 9 out of 10.
Potatoes
Surely, we thought, it’s an exaggeration. Nobody is that fond of potatoes. Don’t get us wrong – although not Addicted to Spuds, we like a potato here and there. The Irish, however, like them here and there, and a few other places as well. Even a small market will offer four or five different kinds varieties. And every restaurant meal we have eaten (excepting fish chowder and salad) comes with chips (=fries). Often a menu won’t even list chips, but they’re still there. That’s because it’s obvious that you can’t have a meal without some form of potato. Sometimes they come in more than one form. Dishes that traditionally have rice, like curry, come with rice here as well. But also chips, and sometimes mashed potatoes too. If they don’t mash or fry them, they boil them. So this Irish stereotype comes with a solid dose of reality. (And potatoes.)
Spud ranking: 10 out of 10.
The Little People
Yes, we know. And it’s possible that they’re all having us on (see first topic). Also, that nonsense about the leprechauns with the belt buckles and green beards is insulting – ‘Hollywood stuff’, as someone said to us with utter disdain in his voice. (There is a Leprechaun Museum in Dublin, but it focuses on the important Irish skill of storytelling.) What we’re talking about are the shy wee folk, who live in nature. They are indeed wealthy. That’s because – being long-lived and curious – they know where centuries of Irish chieftains buried their gold. And they will indeed grant you wishes if you capture them. But it’s not very likely that you will, is it? You can see where the talk about the wee folk comes in: the Irish countryside is truly magical, both beautiful and enticing, and you can easily imagine that you’re Not Alone Out There.
Leprechaun Ranking: 3 out of 10.
Guinness/Whiskey
Ireland is the party school of Europe. Which is saying something, actually. We live just outside of Temple Bar, one of the most well-touristed bits of Dublin, and that’s full of vacationers. But everywhere, even outside the tourist districts, you can find pubs on just about every block. A lot of drinking goes on here, and not just on weekends. And the drinking is, sadly, often to excess. We’ve found many Irish who draw attention to their own consumption, past, present, and immediate future. When we asked for a menu in one pub, another customer said, ‘Ah, no food here. Here we’re just alcoholics.’
Alcoholism ranking : 11 out of 10.
Luck of the Irish
Centuries of occupation and religious suppression, potato famine, rocky soil: what’s with this idea that the Irish are lucky? We’ve heard that it’s Irish-American in origin, dating to the gold rush, when a group of Irish miners hit it big. Or that it’s all part of that four-leaf clover business. Maybe so. We think that perhaps what makes the Irish lucky is that they get to live in a beautiful country and get to spend time among a wonderful people.
Luck ranking: 10 out of 10.
