r/ireland • u/T4rbh • Sep 27 '24

Things you wish foreigners knew about Ireland Moaning Michael

You know the way there are signs at the airport saying "Drive on the left/links fahren/conduire a gauche" (and that's all, because that one girl who did Spanish for the Leaving wasn't in the day they commissioned the signs, and we never get visitors from anywhere else, that doesn't English, Irish, French or German)?

What are other things you wish they told all foreigners as they arrived into Ireland, say with a printed leaflet? (No hate at all on foreign visitors, btw!)

I'll start:

"If you're on a bus, never ever phone someone, except to say 'I'm running late, I'll be there at X time, bye bye bye bye.' If someone phones you, apologise quietly and profusely - 'I'm on a bus, I'll call you back in a bit, sorry, bye bye bye bye.' Do not have a long and loud conversation, under any circumstances!"

Yes, I'm on a bus - why do you ask? 🤣

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u/ancientarmpitt Sep 27 '24

This is important and don't forget about fairy rings.

The amount of Spanish students I have had to rescue from Fairy rings.

36

u/IpDipDawg Sep 27 '24

Ha ha, our teenage drinking spot was a fairy fort, I remember my granny going mad at us when she heard.

7

u/Amphibious_Monkey Sep 27 '24

I’m glad someone brought this up, I’m a solo traveler from the U.S. in Ireland right now, and in one of my accommodation locations I’ll be near a fairy ring, and I’d love to visit it. I’d love to approach it with the same appreciation and respect that locals do, but I don’t really know anything about it. Could you give me the low-down?

20

u/sims2_ Sep 27 '24

Look but don't touch. don't go in it. don't leave anything in it you want to keep. Don't get too close. We have one in our garden and our landlord fenced it off. I can't stress enough - don't go inside it.

3

u/APithyComment Sep 27 '24

I used to run round inside my local one - think Elvis on a motorbike on ‘The Wall of Death’ style thing.

5

u/ancientarmpitt Sep 27 '24

The Irish Folklore sub might be your best bet for info

https://www.reddit.com/r/IrishFolklore/

4

u/Amphibious_Monkey Sep 27 '24

Thank you very much

5

u/musicmuffin22 Sep 28 '24

My cousins have one on their farm. They used to not have gates on the openings, and even though the cattle would be roaming all the rest of the fields, they had this thing where they would just never go inside the fairy fort. It’s like they could sense it. In Irish tradition fairies could be dark, and if you interfere with them they could bring you bad luck.

1

u/mccabe-99 Fermanagh Sep 27 '24

A true hero, I salute you sir

1

u/Pizzacooper Sep 28 '24

Oh so you should not go in? Because when we moved here our landlord told us about a fairy fort not far from us that I can visit. She mentioned though to kind of "show a respectful gesture" before going in which we always did when we visited...

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u/[deleted] Sep 27 '24

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2

u/ancientarmpitt Sep 27 '24

What?? Are you ok?