Culture and etiquette

16 questions, answered plainly.

What do Irish words such as craic, grand, deadly and sound actually mean?

Four words that carry half the conversation.

How do I pronounce Irish place names such as Dun Laoghaire, Cobh and Portlaoise?

Say them the local way and nobody minds a near miss: Dun Laoghaire is dun LEER ee, Cobh is Cove, and Portlaoise is port LEESH uh.

Is it polite to try speaking Irish, and which phrases are safe to use?

Yes, and it lands well, because nobody expects fluency from a visitor.

What is the difference between Gaelic, Irish and Gaeilge when people talk about the language?

They overlap, but they are not interchangeable.

Where will I hear Irish spoken day to day, and what is a Gaeltacht?

A Gaeltacht is a district where Irish is still the language of daily life, officially recognised and supported by the State.

How should I behave at a traditional music session in a pub?

A session is musicians playing together for their own enjoyment, with the pub listening in, so treat it as a front room rather than a stage.

What is the difference between a session, a concert and a sing song in Ireland?

A session is informal: musicians sit in a circle in a pub, play tunes together, and come and go through the night.

What should I know before attending a GAA match as a visitor?

The two games are Gaelic football and hurling, played by amateurs who line out for the parish and county they come from, which is why the loyalty runs so deep.

What do the different flags I may see in Ireland mean?

The tricolour, green, white and orange, is the national flag of Ireland: the green stands for the Gaelic and nationalist tradition, the orange for the followers of William of…

What is Reek Sunday at Croagh Patrick, and can visitors take part respectfully?

Reek Sunday is the last Sunday in July, when thousands of pilgrims climb Croagh Patrick in County Mayo, the 764 metre mountain where tradition holds that St Patrick fasted for forty days.

Can I fly a drone at Irish heritage sites and beauty spots?

Often no, and the rules stack up quickly.

How do I join in St Patrick's Day respectfully without turning it into a caricature?

Start with the day itself: 17 March is a public holiday, the national day, and for many people it still begins with Mass and a family dinner rather than a pub crawl.

What is Kildare Town like in the evening?

Quiet, and honestly so.

Where would I hear traditional music in County Kildare on an ordinary weekend?

In the pubs, where it has always lived, though Kildare is a quieter music county than the west.

Who was St Brigid, and what of hers can you still see in Kildare Town?

Brigid was the fifth century founder of Kildare itself: in about 480 AD she established a monastery beside a great oak, Cill Dara, the church of the oak, which grew into one of…

Which everyday words are different in Ireland: petrol station, boot, bonnet and the queue?

Cars carry most of the differences.

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