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?

I have just moved back to Northern Ireland from Scotland. I currently work in West Belfast and all my colleagues see themselves as Irish. Main difference is the sense of humour. We all have lunch together and sometimes I am almost falling off my seat laughing. They love to tell ridiculous stores, can be really quite dark, and also love to discuss history and politics. They are also very kind, tell it like it is to the point of being blunt, and don’t take any crap. Some similarities to Scottish friends on the Glasgow side, but not at all like Edinburgh middle classes- in fact my friends in Edinburgh would be horrified by many of the conversations.
Food is also a big thing in the office- Belfast bap every morning- everyone shares. Buns coming out your ears, and some one brings a big pot of soup in every Monday for before the team meeting. Despite dealing with horrible stuff at work- everyone is amazingly upbeat. Worked in a similar field in scotland and colleagues could be more morose.

An Irish friend always said to me that the English were the most tolerant, unprejudiced and fairest people anywhere, especially towards non English people.

Personally, I don't see much difference. There is so much regional and individual variation, that you can't really generalise. Except, perhaps, that we are always apologising!

In Ireland the funeral celebrates the life - rather than marks the death - of the person. That lacks neither dignity nor respect.

English people take their dogs for a walk and then carry it most of the time. They're also generally very polite drivers, and if you let someone out of a side road they'll nearly always acknowledge you.

From my perspective (undoubtedly determined by the cultural context i grew up in) it seems like self serving rubber necking to attend the funeral or to make a show of weeping and wailing, when you didn't bother with then in life.

Yeah, that's not how a standard Irish funeral works. Shame for you if you grew up and attended funerals like that, but it's not reflecting Irish culture.

The thing about funerals is not an especially Irish thing. It's to do with coming from small communities and having a religious framework. etc
I refer to the post I made up thread

Clearly the most important difference of all is the late late toy show
The little boy giving his bone marrow to his cousin.My heart melted

Loved the Irish rugby stars coming in too as he's obviously a fan as he named off a few bless him.

I was presuming the two Mammies were twins (as they looked identical to me?)

If we can agree that more English people are Protestant than Catholic and vice versa re the Irish.

I find it amusing that the English Lord's Prayer is longer. The only, only time we say more in church!

I have lived in and loved both ..

Ireland - more likely to hear gossip but on the upside I think you are guaranteed to have a good send off if you pass away / good fundraising

Strong education system in Ireland for all- not as much reliance on private sector.

Jobs in Ireland - still a bit of who you know more than what you know

Ireland - harder to make friends in rural areas / people tend to hold onto school friends

Begrudgery - I think exists in Ireland (more so than uk ... eeeeek)

I think the education system is stron gv in Ireland but lot of good opportunities in uk if you are not academic - vocational routes

Well your reading and comprehension isn't up to par then

My reading and comprehension are just fine thanks.

Ooo re the comment about the Irish and funerals. I'm Cornish and the Cornish love a good funeral. Must be the Celtic connection.

I'm laughing at the posters still coming on three days and many pages into this perfectly civil and generally pleasant thread to predict it's all going to turn nasty and what an awful thread

Yeah, that's not how a standard Irish funeral works. Shame for you if you grew up and attended funerals like that, but it's not reflecting Irish culture.

You appear to have misconstrued what i was saying. I was making the point that if in the context and culture i grew up in (older relatives were fairly austere methodists) a mining town in England, that if at a funeral were a bunch of people who had a very lose connection to the dead turned up at the service it would be seen as disrespectful rubbernecking and intruding on private events. It would likely reflect badly on them and may would consider it distasteful that a private family event had turned into circus. Likewise overt displays of emotion during the funerals is generally frowned upon.

I am not saying either is right or wrong, but the behaviour in one context and place that would be appropriate would be very differently construed in another.

Nor do i consider it 'a shame' that funerals of close relatives are a mass event. I would find a huge number of people turning up to a close relative's funeral very intrusive and insensitive. Again, for the avoidance of doubt i am not saying this is the right or wrong way or better or worse, but what I'm accustomed to.

Funky, that is actually fascinating. I don’t know much about English funerals but that is just such a completely different mindset. I’m quite a reserved introvert but i would secretly hope for a huge funeral, the more the merrier! (And hopefully one with a “celebrating a life” atmosphere rather than a tragic one ie not an untimely death but none of us are in charge of that). It just shows the differences culture can make in thinking.

Also anyone I know who has suffered the loss of a loved one have appreciated all the people who came to show their respect.

Nor do i consider it 'a shame' that funerals of close relatives are a mass event. I would find a huge number of people turning up to a close relative's funeral very intrusive and insensitive. Again, for the avoidance of doubt i am not saying this is the right or wrong way or better or worse, but what I'm accustomed to.

Which is not what I'm saying. From your first comment, you apparently did experience people rubbernecking at a funeral. That is what is a shame.

Which is not what I'm saying. From your first comment, you apparently did experience people rubbernecking at a funeral

I did at my Nan's funeral, thry all came crawling out of the woodwork. Their presence was at best a distraction and at worse a source of annoyance. Made the funeral harder than it needed to be.

Apologies if we have been talking at cross purposes.

People on this thread think Ireland is some back ward country.Its not,we have an openly gay Taoiseach who took a HIV test today on Twitter.In honour of World Aids Day
twitter.com/twitter/statuses/1068784264676864000

I think the English are weird about food. I don't think this is a specific English / Irish thing because I've been given similar-to-Irish hospitality by people of lots of different backgrounds other than English - Chinese, Italian, Spanish, Palestinian, Persian. I think it's basically just the English. They're terrible at food. Despite having lived in England all my life, I'm still horrified by how mean they are with food - not deliberately - they just don't care about food or sharing. (My family are Irish and Scottish and the kids I went to Catholic school with were from Irish families and didn't do this weird English thing)

This would never happen in any other country but England:

Person A arrives at person B's house. It's 1pm.

Person B (eventually) "are you hungry? Do you want anything?"
Person A (looks around, no sign of soup or sandwiches or any food at at all - thinks person B must be an early luncher or doesn't eat or something) "no no I'm fine."
Person B "OK. Well I was just going to have a sandwich actually." Person B makes and eats a sandwich in front of Person A without offering them anything further. Person A hopes their stomach growling isn't as audible as it feels.

ONLY English people would ever do that.

An Irish person would jump out of 20th storey window and die rather than do that.

Had to laugh at the food thing.

A cup of tea in England is just that. Whereas in Ireland it is (after many Mrs Doyles lol) accompanied by lots of goodies.

Tea is tea in England. That's ok, but it marks a bit of a difference sometimes. No matter, it is what it is.

People on this thread think Ireland is some back ward country.Its not,we have an openly gay Taoiseach who took a HIV test today on Twitter.In honour of World Aids Day
twitter.com/twitter/statuses/1068784264676864000

Openly gay, and mixed race.

The Taoiseach for those who don't know, is the PM.

Irish people = funny
English people = not funny

(I'm neither)

Only joking

It's funny. I have always found English people to be very friendly and open when I have visited.

But if I based my opinions on what I've learned from mumsnet I think I would be terrified to visit because I'd be so scared of breaching all this etiquette that I would have no idea existed.