I studied in The Emerald Isle for what turned out to be a much too short semester at University College Cork (UCC) and spent some of the most memorable months of my life in the beautiful country of Ireland.
Yes the land was green, the cliffs were awe-inspiring, and the pubs were beyond the best...but it was the people who made the experience, both the men and the women.
Let me start out by clarifying that this article is about real Irish women, not Americans with Irish descent. Also, the inspiration to write these words came after reading an article from Molly Muldoon (the Deputy Editor and a reporter for the Irish Voice) titled, “Dating Irish girls – A guide for American lads”. The article is an amusing and interesting guide on how not to look foolish when trying to date an Irish female. I do feel, however, that her article didn’t quite give the Irish ladies enough…love (as this was not the article’s purpose). Therefore, I felt I should give it a go.
Irish women have...humor. In America, guys aren’t used to women being humorous. Here, the guys make the jokes and the girls…well…the girls just laugh at them.
Irish girls have a certain amount of “wit”. Yes, banter, sarcasm, and jest...all part of the awesome Irish personality. It may even seem at times that their humor is a little harsh…but if you can have a sense of humor about yourself then you’ll definitely enjoy laughing with your girl rather than just making her laugh.
I’m not sure where Irish females rank in the world population chart of intelligence…but it seems much higher than I’m used to being around. At least, they seem much less ditsy. If they can be ditsy, they are much less annoying than the standard American ditsy that I’m used to (i.e. “OMG!”).
It all goes back to their attitude. I know Molly was somewhat in jest when she mentioned Irish women to be “a force to be reckoned with”, but I would like to say I’ve never seen them that way. They must only be that way when they need to be, because every Irish girl I’ve met has been easy going, laid back, talkative, and fun.
Even if Irish women tried to sound vicious, I don’t think they’d be able to master the wonderful art of American snide. And, they can get away with murder, at least with me, because as soon as they start to talk…I melt. I was listening to an Irish girl talk on the radio and I would have married her through the phone if she’d let me.
When the words “Irish” and “Drinking” are used together it’s a definite cliché…but I had to go there. It’s true that Irish girls can drink, I’ve found myself trying to keep up with them on more than one occasion. But what I enjoy most about their drinking habits is they aren’t afraid to order a good old fashion beer or stiff drink (or cider). I suppose it depends on the guy…but I for one am not attracted to the “$7.50 pink fruity drink” type girls. Irish girls know how to drink like a man…and…well…you get the idea about the rest.
If the American women share this article with each other I’m sure to be shunned or OMG’d to death. And if I seem a little harsh and unfair to my female American companions…I suppose I am. But, if you could tell me where to find one of those pretty Irish girls near Chicago, I wouldn’t mind ditching all those female American companions anyhow.
*Kevin Zarlengo is a sales account executive for a technology company in Illinois. He studied in Ireland in 2009.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.anglo-norman | Dec 16, 2012, 07:03 PM EST
Asian & Russian are the best. Irish women are stupidly stubborn & drink far too much. English women are slobs. American women on the whole are screwed-up.
Riverqueen | Aug 14, 2012, 10:19 AM EDT
Poor Kevin Zarlengo, you must get out more...out of Illinois that is and travel a little farther south, bless your heart. God forbid I sit around and wait for some guy to say something funny so I can he he he to him, I would hope he could keep up and come back with my humor and banter...that's the best! It is so true there is plenty of ditsy in this country...but there are plenty of women like myself around me that out wit most typical guys and girls and appreciate a good pint of Guiness, a shot of tequila or a Car Bomb...ok, No one take offense to that last term, I hope, that's what we call 'em and love 'em. Can probably out run you, beat you in arm wrestling and poker and out drive you on a tractor yet feminine to the enth degree. My ancestry is Irish on both sides, although it's been 250 years since they arrived in America, but the qualities Molly discussed in her article do exist in American women, you just haven't found them in the circles you run in. Get out of the city and the martini bars!
Kevin Longan | Jul 18, 2012, 11:41 AM EDT
I'm Irish-American and my lady is Asian from the old country (not Asian-American).. I'd like to throw my hat in the ring and say Asian women are the best! It's certainly not in reference to submissiveness because few I met are; it's their beauty and femininity. Most American women I know are fat and very masculine in appearance and manner, plus aren't interested in maintaining said femininity. I'm not stereotyping, just saying my opinion and experience. Sure I'm going to piss a lot of people off, sorry about that!
sirpeter | Jun 26, 2012, 11:47 PM EDT
ciaradexy.I married her for lots of reasons.All of which added to make her into an incredible person.Mentally: We hold the same values and expectations of life.And have achieved our happiness by having a fundamentally similar upbringing which helps togetherness and a meeting of minds as we go through the path of life.Being an Irishman I'm not going to get that from a BRAZILIAN skin painted,bone in her nose Amazonian Tupinamba tribes woman am I? (Even some people here are turned off by my double meaning Irish wit like this here)~~> I mean if Lady Tupinamba said.How about we do a bit of blow piping to get some dinner.An Irishman would take that all up wrong wouldn't he?All he'd hear was ~ Can I blow your pipe before dinner?.lol.It wouldn't be satisfactory at all.My extreme example proves that marrying within your "tribe" leads to less misunderstanding and so more chance of harmony.You are also totally wrong when it comes to physical aspects.Would you fancy going to bed with a BRAZILIAN skin painted,bone in his nose Amazonian Tupinamba tribesman??Of course looks are important.Even the tone of a persons voice or the hygiene of a person can be big turnoffs.It's all the many many little details from Nationality to Personality to Physicality which make up weather you think a person is incredibly desirable or not.~~ I suppose you're going to say I'm too fussy now.lololol Well I am.But so was my wife.We are 30 years together and very happily married with three children.Ciaradexy I understand where you are coming from in your argument and that's why I'm still married lol.I might get this wrong here and this guess doesn't take from my comment~~~But reading your comments over the last few months I'm guessing your age is between 25 and 30.Would I be right? BTW.No answer means yes ;)).
ciaradexy | Jun 26, 2012, 06:48 AM EDT
Sirp, I would hope that you feel your wife is superior to other women regardless of her hair colour,nationality of her granny or anything else thats not important. Did you marry her because she was Irish or did you marry her because shes incredible?
SingleDonald | Jun 25, 2012, 08:52 PM EDT
Many thanks, sirpeter! True, I have never been married, but am always looking. I'm pleased that you married that special Irish girl, and have a wonderful family!
sirpeter | Jun 25, 2012, 10:02 AM EDT
ciaradexy.I'm not defending SingleDonald here.I'm sure he can look after himself.I'm just defending his harmless comment.He just expressed a preference for a certain type of woman with certain attributes.That's a personal opinion and a personal preference.It wasn't a generalization because he was very specific.He's attracted to Irish/Irish American women with strong personalities.He regards them as the elite among women.Putting it another way.I regard my Irish wife superior among women.She,s the best in the world.And my kids are the most beautiful kids on the planet.Do I sound bloody scary and does that fit the profile of a guy who goes around sniffing womens underwear by that statement? The worst you could say is I'm delusional.In my opinion you placed a pretty nasty profile on a PRESUMED SINGLE guy because IN GENERAL what you said fits better than a guy who HAS married his superior woman and so been married doesn't fit that profile unless you want to label all men as underwear sniffers.But then you would be GENERALISING.
SingleDonald | Jun 24, 2012, 07:53 PM EDT
ciaradexy, I appreciate your clarification, but it is way off base! I wanted to illustrate how Irish girls started attracting me at a young age. In fact, at ages 6 & 7, I didn't even know that the girl who would make the 75 Most Influential Irish Women in America was Irish. The attraction just came naturally, as it did with the redhead who liked me in 6th Grade (albeit belatedly), and all the minor crushes I experienced in Catholic Grade School, save one (she was slavic). I have friendly debates with Irishmen, as to who has the most attractive women. They say the Italian girls; I insist it is the Irish girls!!
ciaradexy | Jun 24, 2012, 04:59 PM EDT
Sirp, he sounds like the kinda man who sniffs womens underwear just because the women are Irish. Generalising about a countrys women is ridiculous. Everyone is different. I have met American men like Donald before and they are bloody scary.They freak women out. Seanmor, this is not 1920's Ireland, seriously. Move on.
Seanmor | Jun 24, 2012, 04:04 PM EDT
If young Irish women are solely defined by their capicity to consume booze, that doesn't reflect positively on the people of Ireland as a whole. No matter how much alcohol is drunk by young women in Ireland nowadays, the fact remains that many generations of Irish females immigrationts lived exemplary lives in U.S. without becoming heavy consumers of alcoholic beverages. About half the Irish female immigrants I knew in the 60s were members of the P.T.A.A. (teetolars) and were noted for their sobriety, not for their boozing. Much of the money saved by these lovely ladies and their equally sober male counterparts found its way to needy families in the homeland.
sirpeter | Jun 23, 2012, 07:57 PM EDT
ciaradexy.I'm intrigued by your outburst at SingleDonald.Are you going to answer the man?
SingleDonald | Jun 23, 2012, 06:37 PM EDT
ciaradexy, Please explain, "You are scary enough to make any woman run a mile let alone an Irish one".
ciaradexy | Jun 23, 2012, 06:12 PM EDT
SingleDonald, you are scary enough to make any woman run a mile let alone an irish one.
SingleDonald | Jun 23, 2012, 04:19 PM EDT
As I have said, I, an Italian American, regard Irish girls as the elite among womanhood! I'll accept either an Irish American, or one from Ireland! I concede there may be a fundamental difference between the two, but that would be OK! I'll repeat that my co-favorite grade school crush was voted as one of the 75 Most Influential Irish Women in America, in 2009! The other was Irish, too, in the Catholic School we attended, in Woodside, Queens, N.Y.
sirpeter | Jun 22, 2012, 09:13 PM EDT
bogsidebunny.There might be plenty Polish,Latvian or Lithuanian lassies on the ground in Ireland.But there's an Irishman on top of each one of them.ppppppp
RGaskill | Jun 22, 2012, 03:38 PM EDT
I'm an American married to a wonderful Irish woman (direct from, not kin to). She has a kind heart, a keen intellect, and a great figure. There are many like her in America, I'm sure. But the twinkle in her eye as she deftly banters me with a sharp, insightful, yet elegant quickness - and stubborness - is the Irish of her upbringing that will always warm the confidence of this red-blooded American male.
sirpeter | Jun 22, 2012, 09:08 AM EDT
I agree with ciaraditzy.This winding-up American women is totally wrong on so many levels. ;))
bogsidebunny | Jun 22, 2012, 08:32 AM EDT
Yer better off coming to Ireland to find a Polish, Latvian or Lithuanian lass. There's plently on the ground in Ireland and they're looking for handsome Americanos!
mollymguire | Jun 22, 2012, 08:26 AM EDT
Flattery will get you everywhere. Yank, don't be surprised to find a few of those wonderful interesting intelligent women see you as a "rich American man" simply because you're there. If you write off ALL the women in your own country, taking into consideration how many "Ireland" fit into the United States, the problem might be your expectations, not American women...
ciaradexy | Jun 22, 2012, 07:17 AM EDT
Lokion, youre from Dublin and yet you refer to a woman from ireland as 'lass'? Youve spent too much time watching American versions of Ireland on film so. Some people like blondes, others brunettes, some like Polish women, some like Irish women. Its personal choice. You cannot say all American women are ditzy just like you cannot say all Irish women are strong. Generalising is ridiculous.
roibaird | Jun 22, 2012, 04:37 AM EDT
simple equation .. To each his own lol
mfinucane | Jun 21, 2012, 10:49 PM EDT
offenssive S.O.B.
Cyn | Jun 21, 2012, 09:21 PM EDT
Snide is a juvenile form. Wit is a skill that is homed. Thank you, ciaradexy, I see not much difference.
ciaradexy | Jun 21, 2012, 06:36 PM EDT
Why do so many on this site feel the constant need to compare us irish to you Americans? We are quite different but so what?! Get over it.
brian22 | Jun 21, 2012, 04:39 PM EDT
And she drinks very little!
brian22 | Jun 21, 2012, 04:34 PM EDT
I have been blessed with a 22 year relationship with a feisty, witty, redheaded angle of an Irish woman and I have not regretted a single day,(well,yesterday she was pretty annoying). Irish ladies are a treat to be around, they are real, strong, supportive and not princesses. As great as Australian ladies are I still think I have won the lottery being able to call this incredible lady my partner!
JBRAFTREE | Jun 21, 2012, 01:55 PM EDT
To me, there's a wild attraction when meeting a good looking girl with that unmistakable Irish accent. I always start the conversation with 'What County 'ya from'? I believe Irish women are stronger than most other women.
Nicomax | Jun 21, 2012, 12:16 PM EDT
Legend has it that in ancient times it was the Irish women who were the warriors, riding horses and waving swords, while the men stayed back near the camp fire minding the children and preparing dinner. It may be time for a major switch in that direction once again.
lokionline | Jun 21, 2012, 11:14 AM EDT
I'm from Dublin.
I spent my childhood in London and SE England. I have lived, gone to school and worked in education and publishing in Ireland, England, the US and Canada during the past 60 years. I have had normal interactions with girls and women as mother, sister, casual friends, relatives, schoolmates, colleagues, workmates, girlfriends, lovers, wives etc.
There are many talented, bright and fun ladies in the education and publishing fields - hint, hint, lads...
I was married to an Irish lass from Galway who was a tad flaky but great fun and very smart and I'm currently married to a Canadian from Vancouver who is a teacher and is common sense personified. No ditz there.
I feel reasonably qualified to make a comment here.
Is there some difference between the girls and ladies in Ireland, UK, US and Canada?
Other than the obvious national and cultural overlays that effect outlook, accent and values (to some or less degree)there is nothing that comes to mind.
There have been good and the bad, ditzy and the smart (often both), the beautiful and the plain. In my experience the lines are not to be found drawn around nationality.
pat1505 | Jun 21, 2012, 10:50 AM EDT
Irish Women are all of the above and one more thing that I think is worth mentioning they are strong willed.This enlarged back bone spirit of the Irish Woman is a thing to behold and a character trait to be appreciated. Irish Women are not shrinking violets or wall flowers they are passionate and earnest in love and life two virtues that are worth their weight in gold at any level of relationship!
barbara1953 | Jun 21, 2012, 10:42 AM EDT
The rest? Oh you funny guy...
Samraire | Jun 21, 2012, 10:40 AM EDT
Maybe you're not being unfair to YOUR female American companions. You come across as a shallow, immature, oaf. Birds of a feather flock together...
jamieLM | Jun 21, 2012, 10:39 AM EDT
@Kevin Z, I suggest you try to meet some Am. women away from the bar scene. You sound like a shallow twit when you're impressed by how much and what kind of alcohol women drink. I doubt you've met women from all regions of the U.S., so you're hardly an expert on ALL American women. Through my nursing career in a Trauma Center and in my volunteer work, I know lots of young women who are anything but "ditzes." They're busy working, studying towards advance degrees, and in their spare time, helping those less fortunate instead of worrying about whether they're "a fun time" in a bar for some twit like you. I have nothing negative or critical to say about Irish women. You describe them like they don't have individual personalities, strengths and weaknesses - know one, you know them all. So why don't you pick one from the group and shut up about all the American women you know nothing about and who don't spend all their time in bars (and neither do all Irish women) where you seem to be trolling for women who have such a great sense of humor that they find you attractive?
johnshiel | Jun 21, 2012, 10:27 AM EDT
nice job, Kevin!
hermitTalker | Jun 21, 2012, 09:32 AM EDT
Cannot comment since I returned here, but can testify to the ditsiness and sad stupidity of most American women and men as a University professor and citizen in the USA. Even the lack of breadth and depth of other professors, seems they were fed from a bag of the latest cliches, and half truths and could not see how illogical and dumb they sounded. I often said I pity the current generation of citizens and those next coming through their State school system at present. They will be swamped in every field by their fellow-citizens in the World Village.