From the existence of leprechauns to county rivalry, there are a few things the Irish will never openly tell you about.
While you may think you know everything there is to know about Ireland, there are quite a few things that Irish people like to keep to themselves. There are just certain things locals don’t want to admit about Ireland.
There are a few things on the list which may surprise you, so take a look to see the ten things locals don’t want to admit about Ireland and see how many you’re familiar with.
10. Leprechauns – our national treasures
Ireland is a place where having the craic is a way of life, and if people believe that leprechauns are real, then we will always go along with it.
An Irish person will gladly point you in the right direction if you are looking for leprechauns but will never admit that they don’t exist. It’s the Irish banter!
9. The luck of the Irish – it’s not what you think
Believe it or not, the phrase ‘the luck of the Irish’ is not as positive as you might have guessed; it means the opposite and is considered mockery back when miners first used it.
To this day, people use this phrase in a positive light, and we will never admit the real meaning behind it.
8. Liking U2 – a dirty little secret
Irish people love to talk about Bono and U2, but one thing we’ll never admit to is liking their music when actually everybody can’t help but sing along when their tunes come on!
7. Potatoes – our favourite food
There is a common stereotype around the world that Irish people love potatoes. Since it is something visitors like to make fun of, Irish people will never admit that Ireland is, in fact, a nation of potato lovers.
We want to pretend it’s not true. However, give us meat, spuds and veggies, and we are happy as a pig in muck.
6. Ryanair – the airline we love to hate
Irish people might love to complain, and when they take a cheap Ryanair flight that is delayed or even cancelled, they vow never to fly with them again.
Yet, Irish people bow down to the most affordable airline in Europe because it allows them to go wherever they want at a low cost, so of course, we will fly with it every time.
5. It’s cold − the realities of Irish weather
When an Irish person is talking about Ireland to someone from abroad, they tend to play down the fact that Ireland is cold most of the time, even when the sun comes out from behind the clouds. Ireland is a rainy country, but there is no way the Irish will ever admit that it is mostly rainy and cold.
4. The Irish language – we’re not all fluent
One of the biggest things locals don’t want to admit about Ireland is that the Irish people don’t have an excellent grasp of the Irish language unless they’ve attended a Gaeltacht during their school days or live on the remote Irish islands. Irish people pretend to be fluent in impressing people, which is not always the case.
3. Rival counties – competitive to the core
One of the main things locals don’t want to admit about Ireland is that there are rivalries between county tribes, especially regarding our local sport, GAA.
You will notice county flags flying proudly from houses throughout the country, which signifies excellent support and pride for their region and the underlying meaning that ours is better than yours.
2. The accents – nod and smile
There are many accents in Ireland, but we all predominantly speak English, so we would inevitably understand each other.
Wrong! Some of the accents in Ireland are so hard to realise that there are many times we nod along without having a clue, which is something we will never admit to.
1. The National Anthem – they will never know
The Irish are a proud bunch, so of course, when it comes to singing the National Anthem, which is in the Irish language, we will never admit that we don’t know every single word of it.
What would people think? Even if it means making up words or mouthing along, we will almost always pretend we are in the know.
So, how many of these ten things locals don’t want to admit about Ireland did you already know?
