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?

....is a rabid hatred of English people.

Glad to say I don't hate anyone, still less have a rabid hatred for them.

I'm Irish. My timekeeping is impeccable.

I dislike lazy stereotyping. Surely all natives of a country be it Ireland or England or elsewhere cannot be generalised about, whether that is in a positive or a negative way.

@StepAwayFromGoogle

“I'm English and I thank bus drivers!

I think what most unites the Welsh, Scottish and Irish is a rabid hatred of English people. If you move to England as a Welsh, Scottish or Irish person it will not affect your chances of getting a job. Being English in Wales, Scotland or Ireland will DEFINITELY affect your chances of getting a job.

I lived and volunteered in Scotland in my 20s. Scots would say to my face:
"We hate the English"
"You're all so arrogant"
"You stole our oil"
"You invaded our country"
And on one occasion a pub refused to serve me because I was English. I thought they were joking, I laughed, they weren't, I had to get my Scottish friends to buy the drinks. My Scottish friends used to say "We hate the English. But we like you" as though that made it OK!

An old friend of mine, who was Irish, moved back to Ireland with her English boyfriend. They were back within the year because nobody would hire him because he was English. Even his girlfriend admitted that was why.”

Hahaha dear god, how ridiculous are you?
I say this as a mongrel. No one, absolutely no one is struggling in Cardiff to get a job because they’re English. It’s not a thing. There are soooo many English in the Diff. There may be more animosity towards the English in more rural areas of wales perhaps who knows? Although when I had an English accent I never had any issues in west Wales. Me thinks you’re just a huge xenephobe.

Also takeaway in Ireland was called carry out

Nope,never heard a takeaway called that.And im born and bred in Ireland

France is so much closer to Britain than Ireland is.

Rural Ireland reminds me of rural France - but I can't really say why exactly - might be the low population density and mostly agricultural life?

The thing about funerals is not an especially Irish thing. It's to do with coming from small communities and having a religious framework. The Jews in London (which is what I know about) are exactly the same, everyone goes to all and any funeral. Jews and Muslims also get buried quickly in the UK because they have invoked their cultural and religious reasons for doing so. Presumably the (Irish) catholics haven't. Ive been to funerals of many sorts and the Jewish and catholic ones are very "scripted", everyone knows exactly what to do and what to say, they don't vary much other than the words about the deceased and I find them quite cold in many ways.

Takeaway was always carry out where I grew up (NI) Once I moved I realised that this meant alcohol to most people so I switched to take away.

Jezebel had to laugh at that - did it come down to the absence of mainline gas, that we all had electric heated water? I know some people had gas tanks in the garden.

Carry out popular in Scotland although it can mean food or drink carryout

@alwayscrashinginthesamecar1
Sorry. No offence intended. I must have missed a post or ten
I make you right though.

The state of yer wan! Yer man has the smell of himself! I love Dublinisms.

Probably the most remarked on thing that visitors to Ireland have mentioned to me is thanking the bus driver as you get off.

I think it's lovely, some visitors think it's bizarre.

Thanking the bus driver is also very much a thing in South Wales

And Sheffield, Peckham, Gloucestershire, Newcastle and probably lots of other places too!

Probably the most remarked on thing that visitors to Ireland have mentioned to me is thanking the bus driver as you get off.

Alwaya done in the Midlands

The education system is a bit different in Ireland. Kids start school a year later and spend a year longer in primary school. Secondary school in Ireland goes up to age 17/18 when they sit the Leaving Cert. There is no 6th form or college and they still wear school uniform up to this age. All students have to take core subjects Maths, English, Irish and a MFL plus 3 or 4 more elected subjects right through to Leaving Cert.

Some of the boys at 18 could go to the pub for a pint after a school football match with the teachers

everyone knows exactly what to do and what to say, they don't vary much other than the words about the deceased and I find them quite cold in many ways.

Yes, i dislike this notion that such funerals are some how better, nicer or more inclusive somehow. 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. When my nan died my mother ran herself into the ground trying to care for her, not one of the extended family came near or phoned to say 'how is she'. A few attended the funeral and the consensus was that they had a bloody nerve showing their faces. Thankfully none chose to, but it would have been made quitely clear to them they weren't welcome at the crematorium if they'd tried to go.

I see funerals as occasions to bury the dead with quiet dignity and respect, not into a day trip out for all and sundry.

Some of the boys at 18 could go to the pub for a pint after a school football match with the teachers

Happened when i was at school in England most Friday lunchtimes.

Irish people will sing, dance, or play music at the drop of a hat. I've just watched 3 different videos on FB this morning of young Irish travellers abroad having a music session on their commutes.
English people are very reserved and take offense quite easily. You have to constantly be aware of what you're saying, as you're likely to offend someone. In Ireland, you can pretty much say what you like.
Irish people swear a lot.
Irish people tend to be more hot-headed.
In Ireland, everyone will know someone who knows someone that you know. It's very important to be able to 'place' someone. 'Oh I know who you are now!' lol
In London, I don't even know my neighbours apart from to see.
Irish people are incredibly nosey and fond of gossip. If an ambulance passes, they have to find out who's in it.
Going to the post office and being in a queue is like The News. You'll get all the local gossip.
Sit in a GP surgery waiting for an hour, and by the time you're called, you'll know every ailment of every waiting patient, plus how many kids their children have and who has married who.
English people think you're a freak if you try to strike up a conversation.
Irish people take defeat in sports quite well as they are not terribly accustomed to victory. Apart from a spectacular year in rugby. English people don't tend to take defeat so well.
Irish people tend to revere the local doctor, solicitor, accountant etc.
Land is very important to Irish people - to marry a big farmer, is quite the catch.
In rural Ireland, everybody knows everybody else's business. Usually, they know more about you than you know yourself.
The pub is still the focal point for social interaction in Ireland. You can go in on your own and end up chatting to everyone.
Irish people are generally friendly and better at idle chit chat than English people.
I miss Ireland sometimes, just the people really, but I still prefer London.

Career-wise, a lot of Irish in London seem to end up in nursing/teaching (women) or in Engineering/Construction (men).

Here are two clips, which would typify a sort of caricature of Irish people. The first one is from a film called The Field and the second is a comedy about how Irish people deal with death (they love gory details) - accent might be difficult to understand as it's a strong Cork accent.

I don't know any Irish people who 'revere the local doctor, solicitor or accountant'.
Maybe a couple of generations ago, but certainly not now.

Ye, I'm talking about my parent's generation.

Eh no,thats not the case at all.Mary is an old fashioned name.Im actually struggling to think of someone called Mary.

I work with 2. I can name out about another 15 or 16 that I know of.

And nobody takes the turf in! I’ve hardly seen an open fire for years. We had one when I was a child but no turf.

I do. We've a load of turf stocked. So does all the in-laws and plenty of neighbours. It's not the main source of home heating as we have oil but we have an open fire which would be used a lot. I do live in the country side though, when I lived in the city there would be still an open fire in most houses but it was rare to see a turf fire. Apartments rarely had an open fire.

I see funerals as occasions to bury the dead with quiet dignity and respect, not into a day trip out for all and sundry.

Except for the quiet bit, so do Irish people. We just have different ideas of what constitutes dignity and respect.

I have attended loads of funerals where I have either not known or barely known the deceased. I go because I know one or more of the bereaved. It is about showing respect to the bereaved and offering support to them.

I would expect to go to the funeral of colleagues parents or spouses, same with neighbours. If I don't make the funeral, I'll send a sympathy card.

zulor i think a lot of the changes could be explained as young vs old or urban vs rural rathar than England vs Ireland. I can't imagine many say, Dublin based law professors aspiring for their offspring to marry the local farmer's son or spending hours gossiping in the post office.

I see funerals as occasions to bury the dead with quiet dignity and respect, not into a day trip out for all and sundry.
It very much depends on the age of the deceased and the death that occured. Someone who had good innings and lingered a lot towards the end it might be more of a send off, but for funerals where it was a young person or the death was unexpected or tragic it's a lot more sombre and funnily enough people are less likely to intrude on your grief in the latter. They may briefly pay their respects but then leave discreetly.

I think the Irish are just a bit more matter of fact about death and dying. For example, I brought DS who was 5 to his grandfather's funeral. I explained what would happen beforehand and just asked him that he keep his questions until afterwards to ask me. And he behaved impeccably.