Perceptions about Ireland that people just assume but aren't true

completedit

Idea that we are all somehow educated and worldly because we go to Vancouver, London, New York and Sydney. Irish people do this strange thing whereby we seem to compare our national intelligence to British Yobs on tour and use that to pat ourselves on the back. Like most things in Ireland it's a low bar to set.

That begrudgerly on exists in Ireland. As if around the world rich people and successful people are idolised. This seems to come from Bono's quote when comparing Ireland to America. I got his point but misses the point

Ireland is corrupt or a kip.

L1011

edit: probably misinterpreted the last line based on the first...

py2006

That we are all nice, friendly with a great sense of humour!

I have met, worked with some absolute disgusting human beings with extreme narcissistic personality disorders. People who are vile and obnoxious and horrible to anybody who is not in their circle. (And even in their circle)

Other than them, we are deadly!

Wanderer2010

That our population is about 400. Very common myth with the insular Americans.

Dj Stiggie

L1011 wrote: »

If you think Ireland is corrupt, you haven't managed to compare it to anywhere.

The stuff that TDs have gone to prison for here wouldn't make a councillor on the take in a UK city blush.

Try getting a basic planning application through in a small town anywhere in Southern Europe without a bribe. Not an issue here.


You've managed to give your own untrue perception in the opening post. Congratulations.

I think you missed the point

punisher5112

Leprechaun

cj maxx

That we are always on the drink.
In both the US and the UK people drink more often morning and lunch time for example

L1011

Dj Stiggie wrote: »

I think you missed the point

Probably. Based on the first line I thought it was a statement not a perception. Shall nuke the post in case.

Blaze420

cj maxx wrote: »

That we are always on the drink.
In both the US and the UK people drink more often morning and lunch time for example

This - the fact they think we drink drink drink and they still have the neck to think they’d take any of us Irish pint for pint. American bravado is a big player but put any yank in front of me and they’ll be passed out with a pants full of **** and piss before I even contemplate calling it a night....

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

That we're religious (not true) and tend to settle into old tradition and routines too easily (bang on the money).

We're intelligent in debate (most Irish people I know will back down from discussion in order to just keep the peace - in person, anyway).

tdf7187

The perception that the Irish are interested in literature and the arts in general. The majority are not. In fact many Irish are downright unashamed philistines.

riclad

It's a myth all Irish people are heavy drinkers
In the last ten years many pubs closed down. There's a coffee shop on every street. Not every Irish person is friendly. Apart from schools the church has little infuence
Most young people do not go to mass. Irish people
are similar to young people in America. Everyone takes selfies most young people are on some social media
They use similar dating apps. We are very influenced
by American media TV and music. Most hotels and cafes
are staffed by non nationals at least in urban areas

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

tdf7187 wrote: »

The perception that the Irish are interested in literature and the arts in general. The majority are not. In fact many Irish are downright unashamed philistines.

Music, no. Everything else (especially visual art) absolutely, yes.

Thrashssacre

tdf7187 wrote: »

The perception that the Irish are interested in literature and the arts in general. The majority are not. In fact many Irish are downright unashamed philistines.

This.

punisher5112

Eskimos

Blaze420

tdf7187 wrote: »

The perception that the Irish are interested in literature and the arts in general. The majority are not. In fact many Irish are downright unashamed philistines.

Staring at paintings or reading books don’t pay the bills or rent - much like doing a college course in the “orts” is code word for being a useless sponging bastard who can’t face the real world of holding down a job or paying bills without government subsidised welfare payments. The “artistes” tend to have a very romanticised and deluded view of their place in the world.

1 sheep2

Blaze420 wrote: »

Staring at paintings or reading books don’t pay the bills or rent - much like doing a college course in the “orts” is code word for being a useless sponging bastard who can’t face the real world of holding down a job or paying bills without government subsidised welfare payments. The “artistes” tend to have a very romanticised and deluded view of their place in the world.

Lol. Land of poets and scholars.

Pauliedragon

We do drink a fair bit and we are especially big on binging. 2 naggins before even going out is common and our most popular tourist attraction is a brewery.

Zaph

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

That our population is about 400. Very common myth with the insular Americans.

And that everyone knows every single one of the other 399.

Rothko

Blaze420 wrote: »

Staring at paintings or reading books don’t pay the bills or rent - much like doing a college course in the “orts” is code word for being a useless sponging bastard who can’t face the real world of holding down a job or paying bills without government subsidised welfare payments. The “artistes” tend to have a very romanticised and deluded view of their place in the world.

So there's no point in having an interest or hobby if you can't make money from it?

Pauliedragon

Zaph wrote: »

And that everyone knows every single one of the other 399.

Christ the Aussies are like that.
Aussie: Where are you from?
Paulie: I'm Irish.
Aussie: Really, I used to work with an Irish guy. Mmmm, he was tall, brown hair I think his name was something Murphy. You might know him.
Paulie: Is it John.
Aussie: Ya that's it do you know him?
Paulie: Ya he's my cousin.
Aussie: Really. Nice fella.
Paulie: You're a ****ing moron.
Rinse and repeat almost daily with those dopes down there. I think being upside down makes the blood rush to the brain and damages it.

Blaze420

Rothko wrote: »

So there's no point in having an interest or hobby if you can't make money from it?

There’s no point in choosing “orts” for a college course if you end up as a government artist.

YFlyer

What point are you making?

Blaze420

YFlyer wrote: »

What point are you making?

The point is choosing an arts degree might as well be an early sign up for the dole- that’s where most of them end up anyway when they realise the qualification isn’t worth a shake of a bad **** in the real world.

Ipso

Red hair.

YFlyer

Blaze420 wrote: »

This - the fact they think we drink drink drink and they still have the neck to think they’d take any of us Irish pint for pint. American bravado is a big player but put any yank in front of me and they’ll be passed out with a pants full of **** and piss before I even contemplate calling it a night....

I heard yee Irish can drink a whole six pack.

Yeah when getting ready before heading out.

smilerf

Top o the morning to ya
Arrgh I have never in my 40 years heard an Irish person say this and if I did I'd deck them

ILoveYourVibes

completedit wrote: »

Ireland is corrupt or a kip.

It kind of is.

People think the landscape is great. But honestly you can see more amazing landscapes in North America.

Better buildings etc.

ILoveYourVibes

Blaze420 wrote: »

The point is choosing an arts degree might as well be an early sign up for the dole- that’s where most of them end up anyway when they realise the qualification isn’t worth a shake of a bad **** in the real world.

Bull****. I know many people an arts degree doing very well.

punisher5112

Langers

Atlantic Dawn

That we had a famine.

ILoveYourVibes

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

That we had a famine.

We did Alex Jones.

punisher5112

That we are in Britain

ILoveYourVibes

That its a socialist utopia where we all work 5 hr a day can afford housing and get free healthcare.

Matt Damon literally believes Dalkey is Ireland.

Arghus

That we're still all mighty mass going Christians.

talla10

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

We did Alex Jones.

I think he is making the point it was a holocaust instead of a famine when only one crop failed and there was still plenty of food in the country for export

completedit

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

It kind of is.

People think the landscape is great. But honestly you can see more amazing landscapes in North America.

Better buildings etc.

Hmmm, kind of, I think there's this idea that Ireland's scenery and beauty is like no other. I think it's because of Irish people moving to ****e industrialised UK cities and then coming home and seeing a coastline and green. Basically everything we do is compared to the UK. It is our national reference point.

The funny thing I think about Ireland is that we never really appreciate just how insane it was that our similarly sized small island neighbour became one of the most dominant empire's in the world. It's pretty cool when you think that it could have been Ireland. I suppose we all existed in a time of European power and influence but really on a historic scale, we are literally from the back arse of nowhere.

Atlantic Dawn

talla10 wrote: »

I think he is making the point it was a holocaust instead of a famine when only one crop failed and there was still plenty of food in the country for export

Exactly, massive quantities of food shipped out of the country at a time when people starved, never a famine.

whisky_galore

The IrishCentral view of Ireland.

We are still chuffed about the Pope's visit. (Not the current one, the other one)
Only one movie was ever made in Ireland, The Quiet Man.
The Irish built everything in America.
Guinness is the only available beer.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Blaze420 wrote: »

Staring at paintings or reading books don’t pay the bills or rent - much like doing a college course in the “orts” is code word for being a useless sponging bastard who can’t face the real world of holding down a job or paying bills without government subsidised welfare payments. The “artistes” tend to have a very romanticised and deluded view of their place in the world.

You coudln't have illustrated the point he made better if you'd tried.

completedit

That Irish people think Irish people of American descent in America who identify as 'Irish' actually think they're Irish. Yet we will claim someone else of Irish descent as 'really Irish' if it suits us

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

That we hate the Brits.

Blaze420

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

You coudln't have illustrated the point he made better if you'd tried.

Paint me like one of your French girls because I haven’t a ****in clue what you are on about

completedit

whisky_galore wrote: »

The IrishCentral view of Ireland.

We are still chuffed about the Pope's visit. (Not the current one, the other one)
Only one movie was ever made in Ireland, The Quiet Man.
The Irish built everything in America.
Guinness is the only available beer.

That everyone in America thinks they're Irish.

We are really successful for a small country(normally said to illustrate Ireland's prominence in the cultural space) Reality is Ireland is an English speaking nation which dominates the cultural global landscape and famous people and musicians will have to come from somewhere.

ILoveYourVibes

talla10 wrote: »

I think he is making the point it was a holocaust instead of a famine when only one crop failed and there was still plenty of food in the country for export

AH sorry. Its a bit of both to be honest.

whisky_galore

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

That we hate the Brits.

Start a "Brit" related thread and watch the bile flow.
Still not over it.

ILoveYourVibes

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

That we hate the Brits.

Many people do.

We have a complex relationship with our neighbors.

I've to apologize to a few british friends for how they were treated by idiots.

talla10

Blaze420 wrote: »

This - the fact they think we drink drink drink and they still have the neck to think they’d take any of us Irish pint for pint. American bravado is a big player but put any yank in front of me and they’ll be passed out with a pants full of **** and piss before I even contemplate calling it a night....

The first part of your post is seems to be annoyed that everyone think all we do is drink.....then finish off by saying you'd drink any American under the table.

Ipso

completedit wrote: »

That Irish people think Irish people of American descent in America who identify as 'Irish' actually think they're Irish. Yet we will claim someone else of Irish descent as 'really Irish' if it suits us

Of course those people who say their Irish do so because their Irish parents drilled it into them. In the past, when Irish people emigrated they ended up living in enclaves that were almost like a miniature Ireland.

ILoveYourVibes

Ipso wrote: »

Of course those people who say their Irish do so because their Irish parents drilled it into them. In the past, when Irish people emigrated they ended up living in enclaves that were almost like a miniature Ireland.

That's not actually true.

It was really only the JFK thing and when it became cool to be Irish in the 90s.

Before that not so much.

It wasn't anything like a mini Ireland. They like to believe that.

completedit

Ipso wrote: »

Of course those people who say their Irish do so because their Irish parents drilled it into them. In the past, when Irish people emigrated they ended up living in enclaves that were almost like a miniature Ireland.

I find our obsession with this so weird. We lament about the British and famine and our poverty and show no comradeship towards the descendants of those who were the poorest and most destitute and had to get out of Ireland. We were the fortunate ones who could stay(kinda)