The Emerald Isle? A gem of a place.
May you live to be a hundred years, with one extra year to repent.
Ireland
Weather…Gift of the Gab…All Good Craic
Ireland is famous for many things; from dramatic coastlines to stunning scenery, from social scenes and live music to literature and the arts. One thing it tends to fall short on, however, is the weather.
Defined by Spring (March, April, May), Summer (June, July, August), Autumn (September, October, November) and Winter (December, January, February), each season brings a little special something and pretty much all of them bring a good measure of rain – which Ireland is pretty famous for.
As you slide down the bannister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction. Oscar Wilde
Ireland beckons you to ramble down its back roads and over its green hills. Spend an afternoon in a local pub having interesting conversations with locals you’ve felt you’ve known your entire life. Find a street festival in any number of towns, listen to music, have a pint and breathe it all in. You’re in good hands – it’s a wonderful land, and it’s true, everything you’ve heard… Ireland is stunning.
Everyone will argue over the iconic must-sees but you can’t go wrong if you put the brooding loneliness of Connemara, the dramatic wildness of the Burren and the world-famous scenery of counties Kerry and Clare.
History abounds, from the more recent history of the forbidding Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin to the ancient breathtaking monuments of prehistoric Ireland at Slea Head in Kerry to the fabulous ruins of Ireland’s rich monastic past at Glendalough and Kilkenny.
All good Craic
The Irish have a reputation for their wit and humor – which they call having ‘the craic’ [pronounced crack]. As well as quick-tongued with jokes they also make eloquent and witty speakers. They pride themselves on being able to find humor and it is often self-deprecating or ironic.
It is common for the Irish to trade insults and tease one another (called “slagging”) with people to whom they are close. If you are teased, it is important to take it well and not see it as personal. They have a rich history in storytelling which was used to pass information down through the generations (poems and songs also served the same purpose).
How you speak says a lot about you in Ireland.
Communication Style…The Irish have turned speaking into an art form. Their tendency to be lyrical and poetic has resulted in a verbal eloquence. They use stories and anecdotes to relay information and value a well-crafted message.
The Irish appreciate modesty and can be suspicious of people who are loud and tend to brag. They dislike a superiority complex of any sort. So, for example, when discussing your professional achievements it is best to casually insert the information in short snippets during several conversations rather than embarking on a long self-centered outline of your successes.
Communication styles vary from direct to indirect depending upon who is being spoken to. There is an overall cultural tendency for people to view politeness as more important than telling the absolute truth. This means that you may not easily receive a negative response. When you are being spoken to, listen closely. A great deal may be implied, beyond what is actually being said. For example, if someone becomes silent before agreeing, they have probably said “no”. They may also give a non-committal response. This may be due to the fact that the Gaelic language does not have words for “yes” or “no”. There is a tendency to use understatement or indirect communication rather than say something that might be contentious.
Generally speaking they do not like confrontation and prefer to avoid conflict, which they attempt to avoid by being humorous and showing good manners. May your troubles be as few and as far apart as my grandmother’s teeth.
