A question from a hoosier about the Irish and Ireland.?

Question

What is the main mistake, or wrong idea, that people in the U.S.A have about the Irish and/or Ireland in general?

Answer 1

When we moved from Oregon to West Cork 10 years ago the most common misconception was that the "troubles" around Belfast, Derry and the border affected the whole island.

Now I would guess that Americans think they can visit Dublin and experience Ireland.

Answer 2

That were all alcoholics.

That we are over run by Leprechauns.

That we are lazy. We are NOT.

That we all have red hair and green eyes.

That all the men are called Sean and all the women are called Mary.

And a load of other stereotypical stuff like that, but any intelligent person knows not to believe in stereotypes. Right??

Answer 3

well everybody in the U.S.A thinks they're Irish.  It really bugs me to hear people coming to Ireland saying in a strong New York accent, "Hey there Paddy, I'm Irish"

Well if you're Irish then why the feck are you talking like that!!

I also hate when Americans say Top of the morning to you.

I've lived in Ireland all my life and never once have I heard someone say that (unless they're taking the p155 outta the Americans!!)

Answer 4

That we are all alcoholics (even though we are the highest consumer of alcohol in the world)

That we're aggressive fools (we're actually quite nice, even to people that we disagree with and are noted for being highly educated by people in the know)

That there is war all over the country(there is however some trouble)

Answer 5

that they are alcoholics and have red hair and a bunch of freckles!

Answer 6

i.r.a.

brit control

red hair

alcoholics

lazy

bossy women (like it's not bad enough to get nagged by an american woman , but the irish women taught em)

leprichans

the o'riley factor

ill tempered

easily insulted

snobish and clanish

wear nothing under ? / i.e. commando

Answer 7

That we are a kind of leprechaun talking to the fairies and dancing at the cross roads, continually drunk and engaged in pub brawls, or throwing bombs at each other.

Most Americans are also surprised by the lack of general redheadedness and they miss the smell of illicit distilling that they expected to permeate the place.

Answer 8

In response to Ducket's answer, I certainly understand your frustration--and it's not undeserved.  Americans celebrate St. Patrick's Day because it's an excuse to party, and it gives them a chance to make a mockery of the Irish--and they think they're honoring them!  It's a religious holiday, and a cultural one honoring a man important both in Ireland's history and in its lore.

I myself am from Seattle, although I've been living in Germany the last few years (I'm coming back home next month finally, though!), and I've been to Ireland a few times.  I've got a wonderful set of friends up north in Ulster, close to Belfast.  Ireland's a gorgeous country in its own right, but it's not all green, it's not full of leprechauns, and there's far more gorse growing on the hedgeways than there are "thickets of clover".  I don't think many sensible Americans--especially those who've been there, and have bothered to see more than just downtown Dublin or the insides of pubs in the Temple Bar district--would believe those silly stereotypes.  Take comfort, even if it be small comfort, in knowing that not all of us Americans are ignorant of the facts where Ireland's concerned :)

Answer 9

Absolutely no one in Ireland says "top o' the morning" and we do not have a weird leprechan accent. Only a minority of people have red hair and WE AE NOT LAZY!! We are the most welcoming country in Europe. The weather is not as bad as people make out. O.k, winters are bad but summers are really good, hot, but not too hot and very little rain. And we are not all beer-swilling drunks, but we do have a very large amounts of pubs with my home town having a really good reputation for loads of very friendly pubs and very little drink related accidents or crashes. The worst thing about Ireland is the cost of living. Nothing is cheap. We celerate St.Patrick's day every year and it is a Holy day for us but the American's celebrate it in the most unholy way possible by making it out to be a day where they can boast that they are so proud because their second cousins aunt's neighbour has a cousin with an Irish ancestor and celebrate it with boose and drunkeness that makes Ireland out to be a stereotypical drunken hole. And by the way, if any american wants to find gold at the end of a rainbow should study meteorology and more specifically rainbows and the gold you will be getting will only be your wages and a waste of time.

Ireland Rox! Who agrees with me?

Answer 10

I moved to Seattle Washington a few years ago frok Cork,and every St. Patricks day people are running around with fake-accents.It drives me nuts!I have a real irish accent!

DRUNK PEOPLE CANT PULL IT OFF

Even those that are actually irish try to have an accent.It just doesnt work...

And im really sick of the whole "green on St. Patricks Day" thing.My family and I never really clebrated it when we lived over there.

Why green?

We dont have feilds of green clovers and maids running the house.

We dont have drunks running around the streets.

Stupid american people putting stereotypes in other peoples minds!

Answer 11

Warm beer.