Although everyone in Ireland- and most of Europe- speaks English, there are so many other phrases, habits, and common knowledge every American should know before crossing the pond.
For example, it’s very common for the Irish to get excited about something fun and call it ‘good craic.,’ which in English sounds like ‘good crack.’ Obviously, coming from the states and never having heard this term so loosely before alarmed me before realizing its actual translation. Thankfully for me, there weren’t too many other phrases I came across that could be interpreted differently. Most of the phrases that are new to me and aren’t too common back in the states include ‘cheers’ or ‘that’s grand.’ Trust me, these phrases catch on quickly.
Other aspects of Irish culture that were new to me included getting used to calling fries ‘chips,’ and the abundance of flavors of Doritos with their respective salsa dips not available back home. You would also be shocked to find that the stereotypical potato, cabbage, and beef stew, aren’t as common as you initially thought. While yes, these are staples to Irish diet, it is more so popular in tourist restaurants. Instead, if you’re looking to try unique Irish meals, you should order lamb and cheese considering it’s all from fresh farms. Or even seafood- Ireland is an Island after all! There is an incredible variation of good food in Ireland almost anywhere you go, not just Guinness.
Finally, I guess I’ll give a short history lesson considering most people don’t realize that Ireland and Northern Ireland are two separate countries. Northern Ireland is part of the UK, uses the sterling, and its capital is Belfast. The Republic of Ireland has its own flag, uses the EURO, and has its capital at Dublin. Most people do not realize this, including myself until freshman year of high school, especially because as of now there is no border control or passport checks between the two countries and they are located on the same island. This makes it easy to travel between the two countries and it is very safe to do so, though there were tensions in the twentieth century.
Ireland has a very interesting history, dating back to its Viking and Medieval ages which can be learned about in Ireland’s FREE National museums. Yup, some of the museums in Dublin are free and well worth the visit.
I’ll stop blogging for now because I need to pack my bags and travel to London! More blogs to come- cheers!