Differences between Irish and British people

[Picnicinnovember]

Inspired by the very interesting thread on differences between British people and Americans.

I'm Irish and over here we watch British TV, have loads of British chain stores in our towns and cities, read very similar newspapers, British magazines, grew up reading British comics etc. but yet we're very different in many ways from British people, particularly English people I would say.

I'm just wondering what people think the main differences are? We're pretty crap at timekeeping in Ireland, have a fairly distinctive sense of humour, and aren't that bothered about breaking minor rules and regulations.

Any other differences people have noticed?

Irish people love a funeral and British people especially the English are all horrified by death and funerals and going to funerals

I think there's only one difference: Irish people know their history as well as British history. British people (well, perhaps Eng&Welsh, not Scottish so much) only know British history and quite often not much of that. On Irish history, forget it, some don't even understand the NI border exists and I am not joking about that.

Irish fans seem to be very well behaved in other countries compared to our English ones. Also Irish people tend to be more religious maybe?

This thread is just going to turn into a "bash the English" thread. I usually hate thread-zapping but can we just stop it now? It won't end well.

We've already got two posts splitting out the English from the rest of the UK.

Custard yellow houses!!!

And since I wrote my post, 4.

Weddings. Irish weddings go on for days and English weddings finish at midnight!

Yes I think our attitude to death and funerals is very different. In Ireland it's quite normal to just go along to the funeral of a former colleague, friend's parent, neighbour or whatever. There's no such thing as having to be invited, and there can sometimes be a huge crowd at a funeral (people had to stand outside at my dad's because the church was full).
It's also considered polite to sympathise with people when they come back to work, whereas in England it seems to be considered polite to leave the person alone and not mention their bereavement.

These threads have been done before and always end up causing offence. You can't generalize about millions of people without offending some .

Religion. They're mad for it in Ireland, not so much in Britain.

I heard the lunacy of Intelligent Design was getting some traction over there. Utter madness and delusion, and teaching it to kids is tantamount to child abuse.

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Differences between Irish and British people8

Today 16:40Picnicinnovember

Inspired by the very interesting thread on differences between British people and Americans.

I'm Irish and over here we watch British TV, have loads of British chain stores in our towns and cities, read very similar newspapers, British magazines, grew up reading British comics etc. but yet we're very different in many ways from British people, particularly English people I would say.

I'm just wondering what people think the main differences are? We're pretty crap at timekeeping in Ireland, have a fairly distinctive sense of humour, and aren't that bothered about breaking minor rules and regulations.

Any other differences people have noticed?

Today 16:42Poodles1980

Irish people love a funeral and British people especially the English are all horrified by death and funerals and going to funerals

Today 16:44PurpleTrilby

I think there's only one difference: Irish people know their history as well as British history. British people (well, perhaps Eng&Welsh, not Scottish so much) only know British history and quite often not much of that. On Irish history, forget it, some don't even understand the NI border exists and I am not joking about that.

Today 16:46Mads123

Irish fans seem to be very well behaved in other countries compared to our English ones. Also Irish people tend to be more religious maybe?

Today 16:47Satsumaeater

This thread is just going to turn into a "bash the English" thread. I usually hate thread-zapping but can we just stop it now? It won't end well*

Actually going by the anti irish sentiment on here resently i suspect its goinf to turn in to an irish bashing thread.

But other than that i agree.

Also there is already a similar all be it now zombie thread like this in tje craicnet section possiably go and read that

Yeah, British people only know British history this thread will only go one way. Mainly twats being twats.

The Irish are always late! As a brit living in Ireland it used to send me demented!

Not sure what happened with my quoting

I agree actiongirl. Our timekeeping is absolutely appalling. Nothing every starts on time, and saying you'll meet somebody at 8 o clock really means 'somewhere between 8 and 8.30'.

The Irish talk a lot and everyone's a friend. And they like a drink even more than the British.

I’m Irish and am never late for anything. I don’t think it’s a particularly Irish trait.

I think you have started this thread to be a GF.

I'm Irish and always on time. I'm not 'mad' for religion either. And I rarely drink.

Okay I'll bite, the English are sexually and emotionally repressed morris dancing snobs whereas the Irish are all drunk simpletons with a nobly stick in one hand and a pig under the other who love nothing more than a fight.

Oh no, that's just a bunch of reductive stereotypes.

The simple answer is that you cannot reduce two societes each hugely varied in terms of class, region, ethnicity, sexual orientation, first language,age, financies and education to a set of trite statements along the lines 'The English (let alone the British) are like this and the Irish are like that'.

There are cultural differences, just as there are between Danish folk and Italians, Turkish people and Australians. But they do not apply to individuals as they are stereotypes. Not really sure if there is a British stereotype as distinct from one for each of the different countries involved in the UK.

I find that Irish people are generally a lot friendlier to each other and will strike up a conversation with anyone. Not saying Brits are unfriendly, just more a case of them being a bit more reserved.

ODFOD.

Funny how no threads on the differences between the British and Pakistanis or British and Germans but this goady shit is allowed.

Why are people seeking to highlight the differences instead of celebrating the similarities?

The simple answer is that you cannot reduce two societes each hugely varied in terms of class, region, ethnicity, sexual orientation, first language,age, financies and education to a set of trite statements along the lines 'The English (let alone the British) are like this and the Irish are like that'.

I disagree. Most nations have broad stroke characteristics that define them and set them apart the citizens of other countries.

There is no good way for a thread like this to end. Even the starting point wasn't great! (ps my time-keeping is excellent).