Calling all rep-of Ireland Mumsnetters!! Main differences between Ireland and UK??

[Neighbour1]

Just that really, posting here for traffic!

What are the main differences that you can see, about lifestyle, wages, attitudes, work, education, people?? In general I can see a few on here so thought I’d ask, as the two countries are so close (and were once 1) there seems to be a lot of differences!!

Having never lived in Ireland but visited for many weeks every year I think there is a huge difference dependent on where you are, for such a small country.

My mums family are from rural Kilkenny but she grew up in Dublin. They are different worlds. The funeral director/undertaker who buried my grandmother was also the village plasterer (and a cousin), the funeral ended in tea and cake in the village hall and at least a hundred villagers turned up to see the body the night before and to the funeral. The village estate agents is located in the pub. They are also both cousins of my mum. They all love a pristine bungalow and take massive pride in their appearance and how morally wonderful they are.

Went to my great aunts funeral in Dublin and it was like being in a naice part of London but with trad Irish music, family only, and a party going on until the wee hours.

DHs family are in west cork and again there’s a difference. Whilst the young people I know in rural Kilkenny are very traditional and quite sheltered the west cork ones are quite worldly wise, very open minded and seem to have been educated so much better than we are here in the UK. No pristine bungalows in sight where we visit, gorgeous crumbly cottages filled with oddities collected from travels or inherited.

Again these are just groups of family and friends I’ve met and like will gravitate towards like, but I don’t think you can put the whole of Ireland in a box.

You can’t put the whole of anywhere in a box. I’ve met some great people in Ireland but I’ve listened to some of the most racist comments ever from one or two.... I don’t attribute that to the whole country.

I'm Irish and have lived in England for the past 10 years or so. I like to think that at this stage I'm fairly assimilated but one thing I have always struggled with here is the seemingly complex set of rules around how well you need to know someone before you say "hello" when passing them in the street. I've had full, perfectly friendly conversations with people one day, then the next day they'll walk past as though we've never met before! I find it so awkward, and wonder if it is a cultural thing or if it's something about me...

I have always struggled with here is the seemingly complex set of rules around how well you need to know someone before you say "hello" when passing them in the street.

When I visit my cousin in England she always has to hiss at me to stop saying “how’s she going/well/alright/fresh the day” to everyone in the street. “You can’t do that here, everyone thinks you’re a weirdo”

Thanks Lilifer, same re yours.

I love a kebab. I also seem to have avoided being sexually repressed by the church blah blah blah. There's a Boots on the high street of a town near mine.

Beginning to wonder if maybe I'm not Irish after all, or even living in Ireland ...

I was trying to keep it light hearted. Myself my dh and my parents don't drink and I know not everyone is the same but it sometimes it's ok to speak I generalisations especially give the topic of the op. As I said I think we have more in common that we have differences but that wasn't what the thread asked for. I don't think anyone really thinks we say begorrah well at least I hope not and I'm converted from Catholicism to a different years ago but don't practice at all now. I did say that in the last 20 years attitudes had changed and the catholic church has lost its hold over what goes on in peoples bedrooms.

Not a lot of difference really as we watch so much English tv and sports. Dublin is entirely different to the rest of the country and becoming more like London everyday. We have a huge desire for property and lots of people build big properties on family land in the country and they are amazing.Brexit I feel may change this relationship .England is home to a great many of our people forced to leave here due to lack of employment.The Eu has been good to us in terms of infrastructure.Mrs Brown does not represent many Irish people it was made with the bbc.
British politics is fascinating and so different to ours
Education has been the big thing to change this country with huge numbers going to third level in the past number of years. One thing I do notice is that the majority of 3rd level students don’t have loans as parents in Ireland sacrifice their souls to keep them there.
They are both beautiful countries. I hope Brexit comes with the best decision possible as both countries due to there historical shared heritage need not suffer.

Fair enough MysweetAudrina, didn't mean to come across as super serious. I suppose I just am very wary of national or ethnic generalisations, because more often than not they have some connection with stereotypes. They're rooted in them, or they feed them. I do agree funerals tend to be culturally different here though. And yes weddings do tend to go on into the early hours, at least for some guests. But our population is (thankfully) so much more diverse now than before - which you acknowledged - that talking about what 'we're like' can be tricky, iyswim.

are so close (and were once 1)
well from that astonishing level of ignorance your education on the subject can only get better.

On this limited point, in think it's unfair to describe the one-country view as ignorance. There is certainly a different perception in Ireland, but as far as Britain (and international law) are concerned Ireland was certainly an integral part of the United Kingdom in a way that, for example, Australia or Zimbabwe were not.

In the spirit of the thread I think it's as well to observe that there is a certain amount of sensitivity in Ireland to matters which in the UK seem straightforward, and British people sometimes need to learn to tread carefully.

It's difficult to discuss culture without generalising, that's essentially what culture is. It's fascinating to compare two very similar but very different cultures, and entirely possible to do so without negatively stereotyping.

Someone mentioned a slight to teachers upthread but I didn't see one - something I've seen repeatedly on here is that teaching is better paid and more respected in Ireland, with much shorter hours. Irish people would view that as a good thing I think, education is highly valued.

One thing that I think might surprise some British posters is that Ireland tends to rank higher for gender equality than the UK. The pay gap is narrower and there are more women in leadership positions. Obviously there's been huge progress on reproductive rights recently so I suspect the gap will widen.

A reason I've seen put forward for this is the Irish Mammy - Ireland has a very matriarchal society, which ultimately means unpaid caring work is valued and appreciated. This in turn means men are more likely to be involved with running the house and raising children, meaning women can return to work.

This fascinates me as I think Ireland is viewed as being repressive for women. Certainly we have much to be ashamed of in our history but I also think in my lifetime we've done a lot to confront it and change things.

as the two countries are so close (and were once 1

Christ on a bike.

Ill tell you the main difference, they teach history a little different in the UK...

and were once 1

Ouch. Maybe one big difference is how casually some people in England (and I say England advisedly) think about and refer to the invasion/settlement/colonisation of another, sovereign country.

See also impact of Brexit

Here In Ireland we are All called Murphy, with our Taoiseach Leo Varadkar being the only notable exception to this.

Well duh Bosco. Sure what else would we be called? Leo is pure notions.

My MIL died yesterday. The funeral is today.

Bosco. One thing I've noticed living in England, is when you visit someone you are lucky to get offered a cup of tea never mind anything else whereas at home I'd expect to get cake and more ( shallow I know ).
Also although my friends here are lovely, I've noticed that when it comes to family time that is sacred, excluding friends, whereas that would never happen in Ireland, or at least Irish people wouldn't openly say so!

Yea we chuckle but Boris Johnson actually said that about Leo

A big difference is that Irish people know our history between our two countries better than the English and have many many beautiful songs about it. Also rebel songs, England doesn't. Live bands play them in pubs all over every week.

Irish people are much friendlier.

Cars from UK have better speck, history and are better looked after.

Education in Ireland is very expensive as is food.

Benefits system pays more in Ireland, not that this is a good thing.

Loads more.

Moved back to Ireland last year after 15 years in the UK.

For me one of the main differences I noticed is in terms of families - I had never come across in Ireland the number of people I met in the UK who had strained or little to no relationship with their family (siblings mainly).

That’s clearly my own anecdotal experience and I don’t know what the reasons might be. Maybe Irish people put up with more from family members?!

Be interested to see if anyone else has noticed this?

Keeping it light here too, I have never ever seen a sandwich or a piece or fruit at a kids party, never! Not a kids party where adults attend but a party for kids. It's all sweets and maybe a cocktail sausage and some goujons at an Irish child's party, but all I see on mn about parties is sandwiches, fruit, hummus and olives!

Irish language, culture and history taken far more seriously in schools than the same in England where I think we're too concerned about offending someone by doing so. Consequently, English people make mistakes about thinking we were the same country out of sheer ignorance (@Neighbour1 you may want to be even more careful about how you describe N.I / the occupied 6 counties / Ulster / the North!)

(& Irish mammies are better at cleaning houses than us slovenly english)

What was the slight against teachers ? That they are often seen to leave with the kids??
That's true in my school anyway. I leave at 2.30pm every day .
And yes we are well paid ( the older teachers ).

The main difference I see is the UK obsession with 'class'. Defining yourself as 'middle class' etc. You just don't really do that in Ireland. It would be considered quite obnoxious.

Doesn't the state support artists, poets etc in Ireland? I think the preservation of traditional culture and the arts is much stronger there than in the uk.