Top ten most annoying things about Ireland

I must share my love of the Irish road signs so badly maligned here. Some years ago we decided to have a trip out with the family to Carrantuohill and followed the signs this way and that and just could not find it. As the afternoon was drawing on to evening we gave up and laid a picnic in the grass. While devouring our late lunch we heard giggling coming from over the wall at the small schoolyard nearby and I turned and noticed a little hand turning a road sign around to face the opposite direction. I soon realised that we had passed this way a number of times during the day. Better than a trip up Carrantuohill I have this story to relate forever more, it's all about the craic.

I couldn't get the Bank of Ireland to convert $100.00 US bills to Euros as they say they have a policy of not accepting $100.00 US bills. At the same time my US credit cards were frozen by three different issuers as I was out of the country even though they were called in advance and advised I would be in Ireland. It took four international calls to get one card unfrozen. When I got home there we 6 phone messages from my credit cards issuers wanting me to call them as my card(s) had attempted to be used in Ireland. With all these brillant people running the financial world it is no wonder we are in the tank!

I have Polish, Russian friends who I love, also friends in the U.S. I don't look on them by their nationalities but who they are. I worked in tour company and looked after tourists from the U.S. Aus, Hong kong and Ca, by far the people from U.S. were the jolliest and happiest many of them on return trips, so we must have something going for us, and not just a boring little Island.

There is a very odd phenomenon underway. Ireland is commiting ethnic suicide and bragging it up. There are Bulgarians roosting in Co. Roscommon! Meanwhile, the Irish Americans who kept their heads down for nearly 100 years are banding up. The Irish Americans are showing pride in their history and suffering to learn Irish. It's like watching a mirror turn into a window ... fascinating.

gstevenson: "There is a good reason why all transatlantic flights (not just to Ireland) make the eastbound trip overnight." That's flat wrong. Not all transAtlantic flights are overnights. Why don't you refrain from posting on things you're ignorant of?

gstevensoN: "Ireland's openness to immigrants should be welcomed, not criticized." WHY?

I don't know anything about Morrison, but I would guess he is an American who had never visited a foreign country before. Most of his comments are trivial or unfair. There is a good reason why all transatlantic flights (not just to Ireland) make the eastbound trip overnight. Ireland's openness to immigrants should be welcomed, not criticized. I do agree with his seventh point about road signs in rural Ireland, however. They can be confusing if you don't live in the neighbourhood.

As an Irish person LIVING in Ireland. I agree 100% with the top 10. I also happen to agree with most of the below comments... with the exception of the latter part by DUNKELLY1. I found your RANT most objectionable. I personally hope you dont return over here. Our 'narrow roads' met nicely with your 'narrow mind'. We've enough negativity to deal with without your sad GENERALISATION of our little island. Your NOT welcome back anytime soon.

George Dillon.....In my opinion you make a valid point. Much the same as America, businesses are doing the immigrant shuffle. Of course there are plenty of unemployed Irish, however why hire an Irish person when you can hire a foreign national that will sleep in a room with eight other people, not complain, and be happy to take what they are offered, because it is more than they are able to earn in their homeland. A large percentage of businessman are financial whores, and the generation of healthy profit by having employees earn next to nothing (in a relative sense) is considered good business sense amongst themselves. National loyalty is for fools that that have been conditioned in that train of thought since childhood. In America, people will say "oh the Brazillians work so hard" Of course they do, because they will return to Brazil and purchase a house and land with money made in someone else's country, while the locals try to live to a standard that guarantees they will never own anything ! They cannot enter Brazil ! To emigrate there , you need $70,000 cash to start. When that is questioned, Brazils answer is " we already have enough poor people"

What a clueless comment from TheOriginalWes. He says he can't find Irish workers, yet there's almost half a million Irish out of work. He obviously made no effort. He prefers docile Easrern Europeans or Asians who will sleep three in a bed while they try to save money to send home. Pity they didn't import a Pakistani worker to put this "stupid American" (he's an abusive creep too) on the dole where he belongs. I've stayed in Irish hotels which were situated on the edge of neighborhoods of huge unemployment, yet virtually all those working in the hotel were foreigners. As to RichardP, unless you're travelling on business, in which case it's understandable that you don't care whether you're in Detoit or Dublin, it's really weird that you have no interest in the country you're visiting.

If you didn't like the service you got, or a second cup of coffee, I suggest that you stay at better lodgings. Killarney Plaza was wonderful and had coffee and tea up me arse!

My first comment was for katiemac.

From your tirade against Ireland, I can only assume you won't go back any time soon. I've traveled alot - mostly when I was younger, but I don't think I ever had a bad experience. I was agreeable, polite, interested and didn't complain. I believe if you treat people with respect, you will be treated with respect. It's all attitude and I've been luck to have a good one when it comes to travel.

Let me first address the small pours or whatever it was called..friends and we were literally blown into a pub, the Strand, somewhere near Arthurstown about 9 pm on our first night in Ireland. My friend asked for a Manhatten, which the bartender did not know how to make but was eager to learn..we each ended up with a waterglass full..had an incredible time...I asked for mussels and I swear the staff went out back to get them directly from the Irish Sea and heap them on my plate...wonderful, wonderful people and have never encountered a bad waitstaff in our 9 trips to Ireland

The lack of road signs is part of the charm.