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?

Something I've noticed is housing in rural Ireland is usually a detached house, surrounded by a garden and maybe fields on 3 sides, and grouped in linear formations. In rural England, a lot of houses seem to be built in a cluster, sharing walls with neighbours and gardens adjoining and complicated access/rights of way. There might be a semi-detached building and then nothing for miles.

Is there a historical reason for that, does anyone know?

Beyond that, I think we've far more in common than not. I've never found any real cultural misunderstandings or awkwardness the way I have with, say American friends, or Continental European friends.

Irish men are fit. That is all.

If your Irish you can say your proud to be Irish and everyone will love you.
If your English your not allowed to be proud because your racist.
And people can openly mock the English and get away with it but do it to other nations/cultures there would be uproar.

As a very broad generalisation : Irish, Scottish and Welsh people all have more in common with one another than they have with, in particular, middle-class people from the south of England who are culturally very different from the rest of the inhabitants of these islands.

The attitude to funerals and children not going is only something I hear on MN. I live south of England. My now teenagers had been to lots of funerals before they even started school. I have not been to a funeral that has not included all ages

Pies ( and sausage rolls) aren't popular in Ireland.
In England ( and rest of UK as far as I know) it's soup or a sandwich, not both.

Irish people are more brazenly nosey and emotional....even the West Brits

irish people fight and drink beer
English people eat Victoria sponge and drink tea

You see this is funny, just on how i spend ny time with my parents. My english dad ot was all about the beer. (Ok maybe not the fighting) his visits were all at pubs.

My irish mother, its tea and victoria sponges, it really is, victoria sponge are her favourite.

I've gone from knowing the local area by pub to by teashop.

The OP was tongue in cheek I'm sure.
I think Irish people are more genuine and better looking. Better writers, artists and artisans.
Great singers too.

Well I'm Northern Irish, so can claim to be both. These threads always end up with a load of old nonsense generalisations in them. Pies and sausage rolls aren't popular in Ireland, err what? Irish people turn up late for breakfast in B&Bs, wtf? And as for this gem, I have no words!

however the flip side is the Irish I have "heard" about growing up there were several times when there were bomb scares that was apparently Irish people too I find it hard to reconcile the two groups so 🤷‍♀️

Your last para is nonsensical

Monty27, you do realise I am quoting another poster? I should have put quotes around it, because yes, it is nonsensical.

I’m Irish and live in England so I’m only comparing to England and not Scotland and Wales, and I’m from a small town so maybe places like Dublin or Belfast are different. But differences I have noticed since I’ve lived here:

English people use a card for most things (nowadays usually contactless). I pay for everything from dry cleaning to a round of drinks by card. Ireland still seems to have more of a cash culture. Lots of shops in small towns, takeaways etc don’t accept cards.

Wakes/funerals are very different. In NI at least, if you die on a Monday you’re buried on the Wednesday or Thursday. The days in between there will be a wake at your former home complete with open coffin where everyone who knew you or one of your family members comes to pay their respects and drink tea and eat biscuits. Half the country comes to the funeral. I’ve never seen the wake before the funeral happening in England and you wouldn’t attend a funeral unless you knew the deceased well.

Also a NI thing - pay before you pump at the petrol stations. Go inside and ask for £30 of unleaded at no. 2 please. I can’t think of a single petrol station in a 15 mile radius of my home town where you fill up and pay afterwards.

There’s a much bigger charity shop culture in England, everyone seems to shop in them now and there are lots in every town and everyone brags about their second hand bargains. In Ireland there still seems to be a stigma attached to buying second hand clothes and nobody wants to admit to shopping in charity shops. This may well just be my (massive) family and friends but there are definitely far fewer charity shops across the pond.

I think tea consumption per capita is largely similar between the two.

When did you leave evil harpy? I think maybe even 3 years ago that we didn’t do these things but most people now that I know use contactless.

We have “pay at pump” or if it’s a smaller petrol station they usually just look out and see you st the pump and start it - it’s only a rare one now you have to go into.

Wakes are still the same as you’ve described them.

Charity shops are definitely becoming a bit more of the “in” thing especially furniture and upcycling etc

God, you lot are dull. You can't generalise, you can't do this, you can't do that! Of course you bloody can.

Irish people love a funeral and British people especially the English are all horrified by death and funerals and going to funerals?
I went to my husband's funeral this year and was comforting my crying kids. One still at primary school. I'm English so that probably explains why I was definitely more horrified by it than loving it.

Oooh, how about in Ireland football clubs fake the death of a player to avoid any penalties for cancelling due to not being able to make up a team. Allowing minute silences for the not-actually-dead player.

^ the most bizarre news story of the day. And possibly a generalisation seeing it's not exactly a common occurrence.

@PurpleTrilby that's not true. As an English person I studied and had exams on both American history and Irish history in the late 2000s

I'm English and have never been to Ireland, but the stereotype I hear most often about the Irish is that they try to force you to drink tea - even if you say no several times they keep offering it to you. I genuinely don't like tea and have often wondered if there's any polite way to get out of it in Ireland. How true is that stereotype, and is there a secret code word you have to say to get your host to realise you genuinely don't want any?

"Neither the Irish or the British are a hive mind. This is perhaps one of the most ridiculous threads started this week."

Do you always take everything so seriously Faeriequeen, and plod dourly onto threads that are obviously meant to be light hearted to tick everyone off.

Having lived in Ireland for five years the most baffling cultural difference I found, was when you'd go to a bar, ask for a packet of plain crisps AND YOU'D GET CHEESE AND ONION. I never managed to get my head round that one.

Also, mashed potato as a sandwich filling at sandwich shops. What's all that about?

Also bungalows. The Irish are certifiably bungalow-mad.

I'm English and my dh is Irish. There are virtually no differences in the people. Some cultural differences but very minor, only as much as you'd notice moving from say Manchester to London.

The accents.

Irish accents are very attractive!

I would agree pies are less popular in Ireland though!! I had another English colleague and we used to buy each other pork pies for secret Santa as they're unusual here (in Dublin). But really the two peoples are so intermingled differences are minimal.