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Top ten ways to pass as Irish - tips for tourists in Ireland

Ideas for passing as a local while vacationing in Ireland

MICHELLE K. SMITH,

IrishCentral Intern

Published Thursday, September 27, 2012, 7:36 AM

Updated Thursday, September 27, 2012, 12:31 PM

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24 Comments

American tourists: Ideas for passing as a local while vacationing in Ireland

Photo by Google Images

Read more: Top ten walking trails in Ireland - SEE PHOTOS

6. Enjoy every morsel of a full Irish breakfast.

Make sure to try everything in an Irish breakfast- bacon, sausages, fried eggs, white pudding, fried tomato, black pudding, and soda bread or brown bread. Wash it all down with a couple of cups of Barry’s or Irish breakfast tea, not coffee!

7. Ensure a potato-based food item accompanies every meal.

The Irish are experts when it comes to cooking with potatoes. Have shepherd’s pie or lamb stew with mashed potatoes, eat a bowl of potato soup, or enjoy some fish and chips. The possibilities are endless.

Read more: Enjoy Ireland’s super-food - top ten potato recipes with a twist

8. Handle the curvy roads like a racing pro.

Irish roads are small and winding but this shouldn’t stop you from driving like a local. Don’t forget to drive on the left side of the road and look both ways before turning!

9. Quote Joyce, Yeats, or take a risk and go Wilde!

You can’t go wrong with quoting some of Ireland’s best known writers. Haven’t read much by Joyce? That’s okay, there’s now an app for that. Students at Boston College released Joyceways, an iphone app that is both an interactive tourist map and study companion. You’ll be quoting “Dubliners” in no time!

Read more: Our top ten Irish novelists of all time

10. Have a good joke and a good story to tell.

The Irish are known as great storytellers and your new pub friends will all take a turn telling you one of their favorite stories. Make sure to have a story to share when it’s your turn!

Read more: The best and worst Irish jokes

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dorculla | Oct 10, 2012, 04:14 PM EDT

One tip for passing as an Irish person: Don't. It's the equivalent of us going over to the States, wrapping ourselves in an American flag and singing the National anthem.

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seamusryan | Oct 09, 2012, 07:34 AM EDT

"2. Before enjoying a refreshing beverage with friendly pubbers, say slainte (pronounced “slawn-cha”), which means “to your health.”" In plenty of places, if you do that, you'll just have done the equivalent of jumping up and down on the table while screaming "I'm a tourist". YMMV

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Searlit | Sep 30, 2012, 05:21 PM EDT

@Seanmor, thanks for clearing that up on an Ghaeilge. You are right on the feminine nouns being aspirated with h. I knew I should have put an there. Oh, bhuel.

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angrypaddy | Sep 29, 2012, 12:16 AM EDT

What a load of rubbish

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Seanmor | Sep 28, 2012, 11:18 PM EDT

pilibO4: Glad that you mentioned Gaeilge twice, using the definte article "an" on both occaasions. Since "Gaeilge" is a feminine noun, it is "an Ghaeilge", because most femine nouns are arpirated when preceeded by the definate article. (There in NO indefinite article in Irish). You also state that, Ireland is "God's creation", which is correct. Since God made Ireland as a single, separate geographical entity and since it had a language of its own for almost 2,000 years, it has two very obvious claims to nationhood, but most of the current T.D.s are quite happy with an Ireland that has been partitioned by a foreign power for nearly a centuries and whose language has almost disappeared.

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pilib04 | Sep 28, 2012, 06:16 PM EDT

Italiangirl, you have quite the right attitude. Don't let the bigots and sourpuss get you down. Enjoy the beauty of God's creation, she created Ireland so that we could get through this life on earth.

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pilib04 | Sep 28, 2012, 06:14 PM EDT

Posted before correction. Try it again. Bogsidebunny, you dropped the ball with regards to an Gaeilge. We have found speaking Irish in a public place is quite the icebreaker. Particularly since our teacher was from Donegal and we our Midwesterners. We end up with quite the dialect. Invariably someone shares with us. Of course now, we shy away from large cities. So most of our haunts are villages in out of the way places. But even in Bundoran or Lahinch, you will receive a response if you use the Irish. Perhaps your experience was in Dublin. Not much experience there. We have made a number of good friends this way. We've yet to come across a B&B host who could not speak a few words or respond to our meager usage.

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pilib04 | Sep 28, 2012, 06:01 PM EDT

Bogsidebunny, you dropped the ball on an gaeilige.

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WoundedKnee | Sep 28, 2012, 11:06 AM EDT

An interesting variant on this would for the Irish;--Ten Ways to Pass as an American. I'll start with Number 1: Stop cursing in every sentence.

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Smyrnian | Sep 28, 2012, 10:22 AM EDT

And for Americans remember to NEVER leave your money on the bar between drinks! Dead giveaway!

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IrelandNorth | Sep 28, 2012, 07:20 AM EDT

Not all Irish people are drinkers. And not all drinkers are Irish. Some of us do recognise a thinly disguised comercial for the intoxication industry masquerading as a human interest story. Equating Irishness with the devil's buttermilk (and a certain British brewer that purloined an Irish national symbol before patent), is objectionable. PS Only people who wore green tea cosy Tam-o-Shanters - "with fuzzy ball on top" were Black-n-Tans out-and-about doing a spot of British state terrorism in Ireland - fadó fadó! Agus, nach bhfuil An Stáit Áontaithe Meircánach sceal dhá naisiuntanach anois - daonlathanach agus poblachtananch?

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Searlit | Sep 28, 2012, 01:05 AM EDT

The article would have been more popular if the title was how to fit in while visiting Ireland. Everyone should do what they enjoy, be courteous and friendly. The rest is a matter of taste. If you want to speak a little Irish you can always go to a Gaeltacht area. I speak a few words when I'm there because I like to see how people respond. People that do speak the language are helpful, since they respect Gaeilge, too.

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AlunPalmer | Sep 27, 2012, 10:15 PM EDT

I don't think that following these rules will convince anyone that you're Irish. Why try, anyway?

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Tom Mo | Sep 27, 2012, 07:10 PM EDT

Does Michelle have any advice on how to prevent sneaky little Irish caddies from stealing from the bags of their unsuspecting and decent foreign golfers? Another stupid article. I was told years ago by my brother that Americans dress too bright. They should probably dress drab like themselves. Thank God for Rory McElroy and the new Irish golfers/dressers.

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italiangirl | Sep 27, 2012, 06:09 PM EDT

Me,personally, I do not want to look like nor try to pass myself off as a local of Ireland. I want these wonderful Irish to know that I have chosen to come to their beautiful country(to me one of the most beautiful countries in the world)to experience and get lost on whatever road I am on. I have been to Ireland one time in my life and I am planning to go back for my birthday this spring. I would not trade my experience's in I reland for nothing. If I sound like a romantic,I am. But, only to Ireland=)

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