8. Make a joke about Potatoes
You will definitely get asked about potatoes or be told a potato joke. If you didn’t know, Ireland had a potato famine which caused starvation, depleted the population and pretty much destroyed the country. Some even say the famine should be classed as genocide by the English, as they were in charge and could have prevented it. Certainly a no go area for jokes.
9. Ask an Irish person ‘why aren’t you drinking Guinness?’
If you are at a bar and get any drink that is not Guinness you should not ask the Irish person to explain their reasoning from departing from Ireland’s national drink! Not everyone drinks Guiness, there are other drinks out there!
10. Ask a complete stranger if they are ‘Catholic or Protestant’?
Nobody really cares what religion you are in Ireland apart from some deprived areas of the north. Consequently, we hate to be asked this one.
11. Visit the Blarney Stone
If you’re planning on visiting Ireland you’ve no doubt heard of the Blarney Stone, but we recommend that you skip this site. This attraction has become something like the Disneyland of Ireland, with posed pictures and exorbitant fees. Basically, you will pay over 10 quid to stand in a queue for an hour to kiss a dirty stone.
12. Describe yourself as ‘100 percent Irish’
If you tell someone who was born in Ireland and lives in Ireland that you are ‘100% Irish’ because your Grannny was from Dublin, you might get laughed at.
13. Bring a British Flag out in public
Irish people aren’t anti-British, there are thousands of British tourists who visit Ireland every year and the Irish welcome them. In fact, Britain is the country that visits Ireland the most. However, due to the complex history of Ireland and the recent memories of bloody conflict, it might be best to avoid showing symbols of Britain in Ireland.
14. Don’t wave back to a man on a country road who waves at you
Aside from staying on the left side, we also recommend that you respond to other drivers on narrow country roads with a friendly acknowledging wave. Just raise your hand or finger from the steering wheel when you pass someone on a quiet road. Greeting fellow motorists is common in Ireland, even if the respective drivers do not know each other.
