Top ten tips - things you should know before vacationing in Ireland - PHOTOS

...leave the white sneakers and Notre Dame gear at home....

Tip 11.That's Georgie Boy Dillion in the picture.If you look like an immigrant stay away from him.

Two quick comments on #7 and #9. I am Irish and enjoy dual citizenship/passports with Eire the US. Before my first trip back in 1965 I was coached: Enter the bar. Wait until someone says QUE HAY SHIN (spelled phonetically, obviously)? In one place I was taught to say MAC MIKEXXXX and in another MAC BRIDAXXX. Don't want to be more specific. Those simple words opened the West of Kerry to a young man who was clearly family. No need to say more about being Irish. #9 Brida my sainted Irish mother went to a funeral with me. I was a pallbearer, so she drove with friends and their late teen-age children. Unfortunately for the internment, the young people emerged from the car in hysterics. Appartently, my 83 year old mother regaled them on the entire route with "graphic" quotes of the many variations of the f-bomb words used by her neighbors. Of course she, as a lady, would never resort to such language, except in a quote. As If. Thus my experience affirms at least 2 of these standards. Thnakfuly she entertained more than angered my friends.

@antoman, sorry, but I never address adult men as "boy" whether I'm in the U.S. or in Ireland - just not gonna happen. @MotherIrish - you've given some practical tips for tourists. @ DrTrelawney, you're right that Americans are often guilty of saying they're Irish when what they really mean is that they have Irish ancestry. They're PROUD of the fact that their ancestors came from Ireland or they wouldn't mention it. When talking about ancestry with other Americans, they'll often say, "Yeah, I'm Irish," or "I'm German." It's a shorter way of speaking about ancestry. Unless you're Native American, all Americans are the descendants of ancestors who came from somewhere else. Americans really do think of themselves as Americans, not Irish. I understand how irritating this must be, but it's just a way of trying to identify with the country of one's ancestors and is not meant to be insulting.

@ Antoman, that's really not helpful, but it makes me laugh.

Now do you think that the town with the Leprechaun's clothes on display in the pub would be upset by your comment? We found that folks were very interested in the fact that my dad came from Ireland for one, two,that I had my Irish citizenship and passport and for three, wanted to know when I was going to come back or move to Ireland so who thinks up some of this gunk you print? Guinness is cheaper than a 200ml Coke & so why do you think it will upset the digestive system. I hate beer of any sort and thought it was ok for a one time drink. Do you think Obama was in the toilet for a long time - Oh yeah, he used AirForce One. Your toilets use a heck of a lot more water than ours do in the USA - we used to have one flushers that used lots of water years ago.Now our one flushers are water friendly and don't sound like a Boeing 777 flush. Found the English cursed a lot, did not hear one Irishman/woman do so in 2 weeks! WHERE OH WHERE DO YOU GET THESE CRAZY THINGS FROM??

Oh yeah, better tips would be tractors are on the roads everywhere and it is ok, they are licensed. One lane roads have way-bys, use them Parking on both side of the streets, either way is ok and you many just have enough room to get by. You don't get refills on soft drinks and ice tea is just about impossible to find. Order hot tea and a large glass of just ice. Bring your own Equal or Splenda, hard to find in Ireland Food is expensive, get over it the first day. When you order bottled water, ask for still water. Buy Irish made goods. They are of good quality and plentiful and you help the economy. The Irish are a cheerful people who walk all the time, weather is not a factor. Don't complain about the weather, they are most used to wind, rain, sun, rainbows, and cool weather.

Some of this makes sense. It is certainly true that it drives the Irish mad when some American tells us they're "Irish too". Regrettably, the point about bad timing is also accurate. Many Irish people seem to regard it as "charming" that so many if us are incapable of turning up on time. It's not. It's plain rude. But the point about not hailing a taxi with your hand is sheer nonsense. That's how everybody hails taxis here (well, in Dublin at least). Where did this shred of gibberish cone from?

@muirisobric- A yank approached the proverbial Kerryman who was cutting grass with his lawnmower and asked "Do she burn oil sir?" To which the Kerryman replied "She would if she got it".

Another useful tip... Don't refer to the Irish language as Gaelic (and Irish Central should also heed this advice)!! The only Gaelic in Ireland is Gaelic football. Would you say to a person who speaks Spanish that its really Latin that they speak? No! They speak Spanish but the Spanish language is in the Latin family of languages.

Concerning hailing a taxi. At least in Dublin the best way to hail a taxi is to go to a taxi stand, where taxis wait to pick up customers. Taxi stands are near major hotels and like places in Dublin. Calling for a taxi from where you are staying is also a good method to get a taxi. If one is planning on spending a bit of time at a local pub in Ireland it is always better to get taxi to and from the pub. My cousins near Kingscourt, Co. Cavan did this when we went to Gartland's Pub in Kingscourt one night.

A yank approached the proverbial Kerryman sitting against the ditch smoking his pipe in peace and said. "I'm afraid I'm lost!" to which the Kerryman responded : "Morally or geographically?"........

To the yanks when asking for directions or something. Don't be going on with this 'sir' business. "Excuse me sir". We think you are taking the piss at our inferiority complex, that all us Irish have. Know what county you are in. For instance if a yank was here in Cork he would ask for directions by starting with "excuse me boy" before asking for how he would get there. In Kerry you would replace the word boy with gombeen. Little things like that will endear the tourist to the natives.

As an American, I'm insulted by #4 (oh, pu-leese) & where I live, #6, certainly doesn't apply; one flush is sufficient, as we also have "ultra modern" toilets. Actually, there was nothing on this list that I didn't already know. Maybe #10 could be up for debate by the Irish posters.

I agree with all except the Leprechauns bit....I've seen'em & talked to'em. I don't believe in the pot o'gold stuff tho. They have a great sense of humor. They're more prevalent when the pubs close & usually scatter when people approach so as not to be intimatating. Very profound. Very well educated & charming. But don't try to BS them. The're not into that atall...& contrary to popular lore they don't drink alcohol. their hiccups are caused by the strong odor of alcolol coming from the likes of us attempting to converse wit'em....So I wish ú'd retract #4 above and ease up on this politically correct stuff.