How to Make New Friends in Ireland

Sometimes known as ‘The Land of a Thousand Welcomes’, Ireland is known for its convivial culture and friendly people as much as for its natural beauty. So whether you have relocated to this charming country or are passing through, here are a few pointers on meeting people and making new friends in Ireland.

Friendly and warm

The Irish have a reputation for being friendly, warm and easy-going not amongst themselves but with strangers too. So a visitor to Ireland will have little trouble striking up a conversation with a local in a pub, shop or a train. Irish men love to have a good time on the whole; they are often found in the midst of animated discussions and uproarious laughter in a pub or even enjoying a sunny day out with the gang. Not for them the psychological agony whether or not to get up and invite a pretty-looking woman for a drink or ask her phone number. Their open and friendly natures make them quite easy to get along among friends and while dating too. Irish women again are approachable and friendly but may not appreciate excessive familiarity, evident in cloying phrases such as ‘honey’, ‘sweetie’ and ‘baby’, especially just upon striking an acquaintance. If you tell an Irish girl she is beautiful, sexy etc they may be more embarrassed than pleased. Remember they are not very good at taking compliments so go easy on the charm. Instead offer mild flattery such as “Your eyes are very pretty” or “You have a lovely smile”. What Irish women are really looking for is subtlety and once you get this right, you will find it easy to be endear yourself to them.

Be careful of your manners

The Irish still have a charming, old-fashioned sense of courtesy. They may be friendly and spontaneous but they are also polite and soft-spoken. In Ireland, a man will pull your chair for a woman, fetch her coat and maybe offer to pick up her groceries – Irish men are quite attentive and even able to anticipate what is expected of them by the opposite sex or the older generation.  All this makes them extremely charming – an enchanting quality perhaps passed on to them by their mammas. In keeping with cultural expectations, Irish women love it when men court them in a traditional way. So take care to open the door for your Irish girl and never turn up for a date without flowers. Also while interacting with Irish women, make sure that you respect a woman’s values even if they differ significantly from yours. The Republic of Ireland is traditionally Catholic and undivided Ireland too had a Catholic majority. So chances are that in Ireland you will meet women who have been brought up according to a Catholic way of life Indeed those who are practicing Catholics, may not be open to intimacy before marriage and have certain notions about marriage and family.

Where to meet new people

As in the United Kingdom, there are innumerable clubs and associations you can join when staying in Ireland. These are not only a great way of meeting new people but also picking up useful tips about the Irish culture. There is also a wide range of evening classes held in most big cities which teach a whole lot of things from academic courses to crafts and folk music. In fact the Irish love of music and dancing is well-known which is why outdoor concerts, operas, musicals, gigs in restaurants and performances put up by amateur bands could be other fun ways of making new friends in the country.

The pub is one of the most popular places to meet people in Ireland. The Irish pub lies at the very center of the community – it is a place where not only the college student and the office-worker would drop in after a hard day’s work but where families gather to mark births, deaths, birthdays and Christenings. Here sports fans come to cheer on their teams just as many Irish couples first meet one another amidst the jolly chatter and clinking mugs of the pub. In order to reach out to singles in an Irish pub thus you need to keep the basically social nature of the pub in mind – don’t come here merely looking for a hook-up or drink yourself to oblivion. Mingle around, be friendly and you may be rewarded for your good cheer with the acquaintance of a comely Irish lass or a handsome Irish lad.

Love of conversation

One characteristic that both Irish men and women have in common is a love of a good discussion. Irish girls are quite loquacious and you will find them eagerly talking about sports, the weather, the Twilight movie series, their former partners and a whole lot of other things. However keep away from topics related to religion and politics. If you have an idea about the history of Ireland, you would know that it has lived through a lot of turmoil and bloodshed, resonances of which are felt even today. So if you don’t want to nip a friendship in the bud, avoid discussing controversial things like the IRA, Bono and Riverdance. Above all, remember that listening actively is an intrinsic part of a good conversation. So even if you have read up all about Ireland and Irish culture and are raring to show your newly-acquired knowledge, give your pal enough opportunity to speak as well and listen actively when he/she does. Indeed the Irish pride themselves on their eloquence – they frequently use stories and anecdotes to make a point and will appreciate any similar quality in foreigners.

At the same time though, the Irish dislike pretension and showiness. They have traditionally been simple people and still appreciate modesty which is why they can be suspicious of people who boast about their wealth and achievements. They have a tendency to look askance at ostentatious living and excessive spending, especially when the latter is to show the locals down. So while you should treat your Irish friend to a drink or a movie, there is no need to go overboard by flashing your credit card all around.

The stereotype of an Irish guy is sometimes a clownish fella who can never be serious and ready to sing and dance at the drop of a hat. This is a distortion of the Irish regard for humour which they often use to defuse a potential conflict. They dislike confrontation and would much rather make a joke and dissipate the tension in a situation. Likewise the Irish sometimes express themselves ambiguously to avoid hurting people with an outright refusal – this is because in Irish culture, it is considered bad manners to upset others. All these things are worth remembering when making friends in Ireland since these nuances may crop up in your conversations and impact your social relationships.