Irish People and Irish Culture Traditions

Ireland is known worldwide for its sweeping green landscapes, picturesque seaside cliffs and the historical castles sprinkled across the country. If you plan onvisiting Ireland, these great castles are must-see destinations.

Pub Etiquette

Ireland is famous for its love of pubs, and there’s no better place to start experiencing Irish culture. The key word to minding your P’s and Q’s is understanding one term: rounds. Essentially a ‘round’ occurs when one pub patron buys the drinks for their group, and the others continue taking turns buying the next round. While accepting drinks without purchasing the next round is considered impolite, refusing a drink can be too.

Religious Influence

While the population isn’t as centered around religion as it was in the past, it’s still common to see reminders of the culture in practice. For example, when entering a church, it’s a typical practice to light a votive candle, especially when trying to overcome hardship.
Likewise, it’s not uncommon for people to make the sign of the cross when passing a church or cathedral.

Rich Cultural History

Ireland has produced some of the most prolific writers and musicians in the history of the English language. Such writers as James Joyce hailed from Ireland, and many locations are featured in his works.
Another cultural star to familiarize yourself with is John McCormack, a famous Irish tenor that had a great influence on Irish music and traditional melodies

Superstitions

Ireland is home to superstitions that fascinate most of the world. Magpies are often greeted, to avoid bringing bad luck upon the person that passes them. Likewise, magpies are also believed to be able to predict one’s future, including the sex of an unborn baby.

Itches play into superstition too; an itching palm is supposed to indicate that money’s on the way. An itching nose is thought to signify an argument or disagreement will occur soon (in some areas this also means that someone is talking about you).