Dos & don'ts

Do

• Learn a few words: “go raibh maith agat” (thank you) opens doors and faces.
• Stand your round in the pub, and get it in before you leave.
• Wave thanks to drivers who pull in to let you pass on narrow roads. A raised finger from the steering wheel is the local dialect.
• Book the famous sights (and dinner in small towns) ahead in summer.
• Tip around 10% in restaurants where service isn't included. It is appreciated, and increasingly the norm in cities.
• Plan for the weather you get, not the weather you want. Then enjoy how fast it changes.
• Ask locals for recommendations. You will get three, plus a story.
• Take the smaller road sometimes. The Ireland you're picturing is mostly off the motorway.

Don't

• Don't do the accent. Ever. Even the good one, especially the good one.
• Don't order an “Irish Car Bomb” cocktail: the name references car bombings of the Troubles and is deeply offensive in Ireland. Order the (excellent) whiskey instead.
• Don't call the Republic of Ireland part of the UK, or Northern Ireland “Ireland” in the political sense. The geography is simple, the history isn't; let locals lead on it.
• Don't expect US-style tipping obligations. Nobody will chase you, and service staff are paid a standard wage.
• Don't honk, tailgate or rush on country roads. There's probably a tractor, a sheep, or a view worth stopping for.
• Don't treat leprechaun kitsch as the culture. You'll find Ireland funnier, older and more interesting than the gift shop suggests.
• Don't photograph people, wakes, funerals or church services without clear permission.
• Don't leave the pub without saying goodbye to the group. The famous “Irish goodbye” is a myth locals laugh about, not a courtesy.