Indirectly, Ireland and its people is always on someone’s lips. Historically, there’s a rich affiliation with Ireland and its culture as close to your own home town. Even if your roots lie elsewhere, you seem to believe that there’s a lot in common between you and those raucous Irish folks from down the road.
Plan your trip well
And, do you know what, you are not wrong. But the only way you are going to know this for sure is if you utilize the services of professional Ireland tours agents to book your next travel vacation to the Emerald Isles. Mapping out the perfect itinerary will not be difficult nor will it take long, even though there are literally hundreds of sites and cultural centers for you to visit.
But, unwittingly there’s one thing that good folks with good intentions and plenty of excitement forget to tell you, the first-time traveler to Ireland. You and your advisors are mostly right when believing that across the Isles, you’ll not be challenged with language, as the case would be if you were visiting the European or Latin continents.
Although Gaelic is the country’s first language and, indeed, not a language that can be learned in weeks, most Irishmen and women speak English, your very own first language back home. So far so good. But keeping up with the Irish’s penchant for telling tall tales and responding to their reputation for being the world’s happiest folks might not be so easy.
Mastering local lingos is easy
But mastering regional English-spoken dialects and local lingos will be. Here’s why. Firstly, all you need to do is listen carefully and pay attention. And before you do this, familiarize yourself with as many Irish slang words as you can. We only have time and white space enough to list a few common examples to set you on your way.
An easy one to remember is this one; anything half simply means half past any time you’ve been given. But be wary. When the Irish say that it is half past three, bear in mind that they really mean half past two. And do not get confused with possessive pronouns. Nothing is meant by referring to ‘your bus’ or ‘your man’. Simply think in terms of ‘a’.
Now, this is particularly important for when you are a tourist in Ireland, and you need to go to you know where rather urgently. Just remember that when locals refer you to the Jacks, they are guiding you to the toilet. And if you become overly friendly with any of them in one of their famous bars (pubs to them), ‘shite’ means ‘shit’.
Finally, here’s one curious and confusing Irish conundrum well worth clearing up before you board your plane. If you’re heading over to Ireland during that region’s summer months (it’s summer for you too, by the way), expect to experience nearly eighteen hours of daylight. But, technically, there’s no summer in Ireland at all. Trust the Irish to tell you things you need to know.
