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Top ten myths about the Irish

By
MICHAEL FUREY
,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Saturday, November 28, 2009, 11:40 AM
Updated Sunday, November 29, 2009, 10:25 PM

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Not all Irish women are tempestuous redheads
Not all Irish women are tempestuous redheads

There are many myths told about the Irish: that they’re fighters, they’re stupid, they’re belligerent, or that they never forget. Nonsense. The truth about the Irish is much harder to pin, and much more elusive than they’re given credit for. Even the great Sigmund Freud himself thought it pointless. “This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever,” he wrote.
So how can you tell the reality from all the myths? Well you can start here, with IrishCentral's top ten myths about the Irish.

1. The Irish are always friendly
Many Irish people will happily give you the shirt off their back, but others would much prefer sue you for it (especially if there’s a disputed family will in the mix somewhere). Usually the Irish are genuinely friendly, but like anywhere a lot depends on who you are, where you are and what you are.

Quibbling aside, the land of a hundred, thousand welcomes deserves its reputation because the truth is that most Irish people can be so kind and considerate it will take your breath away. But like anywhere, a few nettles sprout among all the roses, so tread carefully betimes.

2. The Irish are religious
Even avowed Irish atheists will call upon all the angles and saints when there’s a crisis or they’re in danger. But that doesn’t mean they’re deeply religious, it’s just a reflex hardwired into them from birth. You trip, you sprain your ankle, you’ll call the Lord’s name (and many others).

The truth is most Irish people are much closer in spirit to Father Ted than to Rome, and they always have been. James Joyce, as always, put it best: “O Ireland, my first, my only love/Where Christ and Caesar are hand in glove.” If you can reconcile those two opposing forces and learn to live with them without giving it another thought, you’re well on your way to being Irish yourself.

3. The Irish can sing
Two words: Ronan Keating. Make those three words: Chris De Burgh. Let’s face it, even housewives favorite Daniel O’Donnell is no threat to Luciano Pavarotti - and he’s dead. Not every Irish man can sing a rousing rebel song on request, despite what you see every time in the movies.

Irish people can however reduce you to heaving sobs with their songs about lost love, lost land and faded hopes. Be warned: otherwise perfect social evenings can be brought to a standstill by the power of just one Irish ballad competently sung. Your guests may weep copiously or begin to think about snow falling faintly, and faintly falling, and if it does happen just go with it, it’s the Irish way.

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Posted by DrTrelawney on Jan 16, 2010, 06:29 AM EST
Most Irish atheists will call upon the "angles and saints", you say? In my experience no Irish atheists call on the "angles" and very few call on angels either.
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Posted by edwardkeating on Jan 15, 2010, 06:08 PM EST
i sure am glad me da was born in the old sod of IRELAND. i"m first generation irish and i love it in every moment of the day, and every year of my life. i have a pint or two or three or.......at 70 i'm still going strong like me da did. "quote...charlie taylor"...god save ireland from thee all.
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Posted by manhattan on Dec 01, 2009, 10:03 AM EST
An Italian girl I worked with asked me if it was true that the Irish dance and sing at their wakes? WHAT? A boss said to me " Pat, watch that Irish temper". Also, there were remarks that the Irish are dirty. As to the jokes about Kerry people the truth is when they came here to America they made sure their children got the best education. So many became successful in America. I believe all the bigotry fostered upon the Irish in Ireland and here made so many believe the stereotype of themselves. But today thankfully all the talent that has always been there is being recognized.
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Posted by Downunderyan on Dec 01, 2009, 07:22 AM EST
And don't forget that the first ever monorail train was built in Kerry, between Ballybunion and Listowel. The Frenchman, Lartigue, engineer who developed the concept couldn't get backing or support anywhere in France or Britain for his idea. However, the Irish embraced his idea and the resulting train ran, albeit uneconomically, for a number of years between the late 1800's and the early 1900's. Also, don't forget that the first viable submarine was developed in America by Holland, a former Christian Brother from County Clare, who emigrated to America and developed his ideas there. His name is still given to the 'Holland Class' submarine to this day. Eire Abu!
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Posted by slainte9 on Nov 30, 2009, 11:04 AM EST
There really was a Good Will Hunting. His name was Dennis Hart Mahan. He won an appointment to West Point in the early 19th century and almost singlehandedly transferred the engineering expertise of France to the United States where it was used to build America, and not a few bridges and railroads in India, too.
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Posted by carrickcourt on Nov 30, 2009, 09:40 AM EST
Good article on myths about the Irish. Like any other people there is great variety among the Irish. I suppose sterotypes do apply at times though. There are those Co. Kerry jokes. How did the sterotype start of the Co. Kerry folk being a bit slow? I know people from Co. Cavan are supposed to be a bit tight with money and other things.


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