Ireland Culture and Customs: Express Your Irish Side With Popular Irish Traditions!

In a sense, this entire site is about Ireland culture and customs. Or more exactly, it's about bringing the culture of Ireland into your daily life, wherever you are in the world. We like to call that expressing your Irish side. 'How can I do more of that' you may ask? Read on!

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Ireland Culture and Customs: Some Fun Facts

There is so much to know about the culture and customs of Ireland. A bit of trivia can help you understand them and put them into practice in your own life. For example, did you know ...

1. Ireland is the world’s 20th largest island and the third largest in Europe

2. Over 90% of the population of Ireland is Roman Catholic

3. The golf links in county Mayo were made by hand.The farmers actually used rakes and other tools to carve these links out in 1987 to 1993.

4. Four Irish authors have won the Nobel Prize for literature.

5. There are no known snakes living in Ireland. (Now THATis a useful bit of Irish trivia!)

6. The national emblem of the country is the Celtic Harp, not the shamrock as many believe. Fun additional fact: no other country in the world has a musical instrument for their national emblem.

7. The Irish learned how to distill spirits from monks that came to Ireland during the 7th century. This led to centuries later there being more than 400 different brands of Irish whiskey being exported to the USA (one of the Ireland facts that many enjoy whether they know it or not!)

8. The RMS Titanic was constructed in Belfast, Ireland. Harland and Wolff had the job of building this famous ship. When she was finished she was the world's largest passenger ocean liner powered by steam.

9. Some Irish people believe that only St Patrick will judge them on judgment day, while Christ will judge the people from the rest of the world.

10. The famous Aran sweaters typically have family weaves embedded in them. This way when a fisherman drowns in a storm it is easier to identify who they are.

11. The White House in Washington, D.C. was designed by James Hoban, an architect who was born in Kilkenny, Ireland. He also designed the official residence for the president of the country of Ireland, Aras an Uachtarain.

12. The Gardia which is the police force in Ireland are not armed. The detectives are the only ones that carry guns.

13. The last known witch to live in Ireland is Dame Alice Kytler and she was born in Kilkenny in 1280.

14. There are more cell phones in the country of Ireland than there are people. (Wow!)

15. The founder of the Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford, was of Irish descent

16. According to legend anyone kissing the popular Blarney Stone is given the "gift of gab." Hundreds of thousands of people have kissed this stone over the centuries.

17. It was not until 1997 that the first divorce was granted in Ireland.

18. In County Antrium, Ballygally Castle is now a hotel. It is believed that the castle is haunted by the ghost of Lady Isobel Shaw who jumped from an upper window to her death, after reportedly having been locked in her bedroom by her husband. Today, it is thought that her spirit will knock on the doors of the castle to make her presence known to the guests.

19. Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula was Irish.

20. Saint Patrick's true name was Maewyn Succat.

21. Real Irish dirt is sold on the Internet today along with shamrock seeds. One of the world's most creative Irish gifts :-).

22.Cedric Gibbons designed the Oscar Trophy that is given out for the Academy Awards. He was born in 1823 in Dublin, Ireland.

10 Popular Irish Customs

Now let's have a look at some Irish customs which you can use to express your own personal Irish side! Here are 10 of our favorites:

St Patrick's Day

Man in green hat with big smile holding large mug of green beer.

St Patricks Day is one of the main public holidays observed in Ireland, and while it doesn't quite reach that status in other parts of the world, many of us act as if it does! Don't believe us? Have a look at our...

Main page on St Patricks Day traditions.

Irish Weddings

Ornate cake with white frosting, white rose petals and green trim.

Irish weddings are a wonderful blend of older and newer Irish customs - a terrific opportunity to express your Irish side, wherever you are in the world! We have witnessed many wedding experiences with Irish themes - and they are an experience to be treasured.

Visit our main section on Irish weddings here.

Irish Dance

Group of young people in a circle holding hands and performing an Irish step dance.

Dancing in Ireland has a long, rich history. Traditionally it was a way in which Irish friends and neighbors would meet at the crossroads of their village to spend a day and evening socializing. Irish dancing, with its captivating beats and social energy, is sure to enchant you.

Click here for more information on Irish Dance.

Irish Birthdays

9 birthday cupcakes with white frosting and green lettering, rainbow in the middle.

We have only found a few birthday traditions specifically associated with Ireland. But they are fun ones! Want to know more?

Click here for Irish Birthday Traditions.

(More) Irish Holidays

Young boy peeking through grass and grasping a colored Easter egg.

Celebrating Irish holidays gives us the perfect opportunity to express our Irish sides numerous times each year! We try to bring at least one Irish expression into each of our holiday celebrations. And from time to time, we will plan an entire holiday party around a theme in Ireland culture and customs. Want to know more?

Click here for our main page on Irish holidays!

Irish Clothing

Could there be a more confident and personal way to express your Irish side than wearing Irish clothing? No? We agree!

From the traditional Leine to the modern Brogue shoe, Aran sweater or tweed cap, our section on Irish clothing is sure to give you ideas.

For creative ideas on using clothing to express your Irish side, wherever you are in the world, visit our section on traditional Irish clothing.

Irish Sports

My family has always been athletic, but our journey to discover our Irish sides has opened us up to a whole new world of sport! We now understand (and truthfully, have come to love) soccer and rugby like never before, and we have just begun to understand Ireland's passion for Gaelic Football and Hurling.

Visit us at Irish Sports to get an overview of this fascinating expression of Ireland culture and customs.

Irish Movies

Seeking out movies that tell Irish stories is another way we have come to express our Irish sides. If you have not seen "Brooklyn," make sure you check out that highly acclaimed and oscar-nominated movie, you will not be disappointed.

In addition, there are many great films that tell stories about Ireland, and still others written and / or directed by Irish talent.

Learn much more in our section on Irish-Themed Movies!

Irish Baby Names

Bestowing an Irish name on your new baby, or new pet, or favorite toy, is a very personal and enduring way to express your Irish side (and theirs!). Many Irish names have rich meanings and historical importance.

For more information on Irish baby boy names, baby girl names, pet names and more, visit our entertaining section on Irish names!

Want More Irish Customs?

It is probably obvious - at Irish Expressions, we love Ireland culture and customs. Expressing ourselves through these traditions gives us a deeper sense of connection with Ireland, wherever in the world we happen to be!

Over the years, we have created many downloadable, share-able Irish games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, and much, much more.

Want them right now? Keep reading to learn about "Your Irish Expressions Playbook."

More Fun With Irish Expressions

Congratulations on learning more about the Emerald Isle and discovering what we like to call your "Irish Side." You may be thinking "I'd love to actually VISIT Ireland but that's really not in the cards right now. What am I supposed to do with the stuff I just learned?"

Well never fear! Since 2007 we have collected all of the best printable, shareable resources we could find, to help you put your new knowledge of Ireland to good use. We've put them all together in a single download we call "Your Irish Expressions Playbook," which contains over 100 pages of games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, travel guides and much, much more.

Purchase them ALL for one small price, print as many copies as you like and share them with your friends - with no limitations! But order soon - we are already adding to the Playbook for future editions and this price will not last long.

Oh, want one more reason to order right away? If you buy YOUR copy of the Playbook now, you will be allowed to upgrade to any new future edition for FREE.

PRO TIP: Be sure to click the 'return to merchant' button following checkout, to ensure you are routed to the page where you can download your Playbook. Any issues? Just reach out to us at support@irish-expressions.com and we will make it right.