The Irish have been known worldwide for many reasons, but some are not entirely true. So, let’s take a look at the top ten common misconceptions about the Irish to set the record straight.
For centuries now, the Irish have travelled all over the world, either settling abroad or just exploring other countries.
Through these stints abroad, others have come to assume they know Ireland from what they might have heard or imagined.
Hollywood itself has depicted Ireland and Irish people in a certain way, which has definitely led to some common misconceptions about the Irish.
So, today, we are here to break it down and explain precisely what Irish people are like and, most importantly, what they are not like.
Here are the top ten common misconceptions about the Irish.
10. We only eat potatoes – just how much do we love our spuds?
While this may have been true at one point, since the famine, we have learned to expand our diet and include all types of food, especially meat, root vegetables, and bread.
Of course, however, a meal is not complete without a side of spuds!
9. We all travel by pony and trap – cars aren’t for us
We blame movies and Irish postcards from the ‘golden days’ that show Irish people travelling around by pony and trap, which is most definitely not the way we like to get from A to B these days.
8. We believe in leprechauns – our favourite little green men
Some of us may have been asked when abroad if we have ever seen a leprechaun, only to laugh and then realise it was not a joke.
Yes, people actually think we believe in the small mythical man searching for his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
7. We all speak fluent Irish – the gift of the gab
At one time, this may have been true, but sadly, the language has been in decline since Ireland was colonised.
At this point, English became our primary language, but luckily many people and many schools are still keeping the Irish language alive and well.
6. We’re all great Irish dancers – dancing before we were even walking
Eurovision 1994, when Riverdance got the world to pay attention to our traditional dancing skills, meant that many believed we all danced this way. This is definitely one of the biggest misconceptions about the Irish.
5. We’re all British – it’s a confusing subject
We can understand how this might be confusing, but only the people living in the six counties of Northern Ireland identify as British (not all of them, however). In the Republic, we identify as Irish.
4. Everyone is called John or Mary – our favourite names
While there are hundreds and hundreds of Johns and Marys in Ireland, it doesn’t mean that it is everyone’s name.
However, we do all know someone by the name of John or Mary, so we suppose it’s half true.
3. We all have red hair and freckles – the Irish look
Now, this is a very common misconception about the Irish, but you’ll be surprised to notice that there are Irish people with all hair colours, skin colours, and eye colours.
2. Everyone in Ireland knows each other – we’re a small nation of besties
Most of us have met someone who has asked us if we know that Irish person they met years ago. In actual fact, the chances are ever so slim.
That’s not to say coincidences can’t happen, but in general, this is one of the biggest misconceptions about the Irish.
1. We all love the drink – we are fond of the odd tipple
Alas, the number one spot of the top ten misconceptions about the Irish is, drumroll please, that we all love to drink.
Yes, we do like to have a pint while enjoying the ‘craic agus ceol’, but we’re not heavy drinkers like you may assume. We have produced some top-class whiskey, beer, and stout, but we like to enjoy them in moderation while being sociable.
We could go on and on about the common misconceptions about the Irish, but these are definitely some of the main ones we have all heard during our lifetime, especially if we have travelled abroad.
The more people travel to Ireland, the more these misconceptions are broken down, and everyone realises that we are a happy go lucky nation, who like the occasional potato and beer, and to chat with strangers wherever we are without knowing them, and that’s what makes us truly Irish!
