Before you take the plunge or allow your Irish boyfriend to put a ring on it, please review IrishCentral's list of the pros and cons of marrying an Irishman.

It just might save your sanity, or at least prepare you for the madness that awaits!

Six reasons to marry an Irish man:

The family is extremely important to an Irishman.

Irishmen don’t sweat the small stuff - they have surprisingly great coping strategies. Stress isn’t in the vocabulary of an Irishman; chilled and relaxed is the way he embraces life.

An Irishman will go out of his way to do nice things for people who are important to him. He will pick your mother up from the airport even though his favorite team is playing on the television, he will sit with your best friend and listen to her woes, and he will take your brother to play golf even if he doesn’t like him. 

An Irishman has a fantastic sense of humor. He makes light of serious situations, which can defuse an argument or simply make you feel better after a hard day's work.

An Irishman’s loyalty to his friends is admirable. In addition to his family, an Irishman takes pride in his male friendships and goes out of his way to make certain his friends' needs are met in a generous and heartfelt manner.

An Irishman’s heart is as big as the ocean. Although Irishmen might not be the best at expressing their emotions, more often than not their actions speak volumes.

And ... six reasons not to marry an Irish man:

Mammy will always come first. He may love you but he loves his mother more; you are destined for a life of comparison. “This is how my mother cooks it, this is how my mother does it…"

An Irishman doesn’t like to shop. He thinks it’s okay to wear the same pants and shirt you met him dressed in six years ago to your mother’s retirement party. If you want him to wear new clothes, then you'll have to shop for him. And don’t ask him to come along with you to the mall.

An Irishman can’t dance. He doesn’t know his left foot from his right foot and therefore provides for a clumsy first dance mate at your wedding reception. And dance lessons prior to your wedding are out of the question. He would be too embarrassed if his mates discovered he took lessons.

 An Irishman rarely shows emotion. The exceptional occasion is the death of a loved one or the loss of his favorite football team. Aside from that, an Irishman keeps his feelings behind lock and key and the issue is rarely up for discussion.

*Originally published in 2010, updated in 2023.