What the world asks Google about Ireland

We asked Google what were the most common questions people searched about Ireland. Here is what they came up with.

If you haven’t got the time to search them all yourself, we have given a brief answer on each question for you.

…hate the English so much?

They don’t, simple as that. For centuries, Ireland battled for independence from British rule, which they eventually achieved in the early 20th century, but they certainly don’t hold a grudge against the English today.

Not 99% of the population anyway. The truth is in fact the opposite. Many Irish people have family and friends living in England, and vice versa.

Aside from the regular sporting rivalry, the two countries are now friendly neighbours.

…drink?

Well because it’s fun, all part of the craic. The Irish have a reputation around the world as being heavy drinkers when in fact, they just enjoy a social night out.

Visiting a traditional Irish pub with a folk band playing and sinking a few pints of Guinness is a must for all visitors to Ireland.

What they might not notice though, is that few of the locals are knocking it back quite as much as they are, after all, most of them have to be at work in the morning.

Of course there are some hardened drinkers in Ireland that overdo it sometimes, but no more so than any other country in the world.

…hate the Scottish?

Same as the English, they don’t. Irish people get on with Scottish people and Scottish people get on with Irish people.

The two countries have an intertwining history dating back centuries, with Celtic tribes travelling back and forth across the Irish Sea.

They have also spent much of their histories with a common enemy in the English, although as mentioned above, that issue has also long been put to bed.

…not speak Irish?

The Irish language is still used in some remote rural areas of the country, but the national language is now certainly English.

In fact, it has been since the 17th century when Oliver Cromwell invaded the country.

The Irish had already been invaded by the British Normans a few centuries earlier, but most of these Normans settled in Ireland and integrated into the Irish society.

They formed alliances with deposed Irish kings and the country kept hold of most of its traditions, including its language.

The British grew restless of this and King Henry VIII ordered another invasion. For the next couple of centuries Britain gained a firm control over Ireland, and it was then that the language began to die out.

It was almost impossible to find work with an Irish sounding name so everything became more anglicised.

At the start of the 20th century, Douglas Hyde campaigned to preserve the Irish language and tradition to stop it disappearing forever.

Thankfully, it is now taught in schools, and although it is unlikely to become the national language again any time soon, it is no longer under threat of being lost for good.

…have red hair?

Well, this is not such a simple one. Google has its work cut out here.

There have been various theories about the origins of red hair over the years. Some believe it was brought to Ireland by the Spanish.

Others claim it can be traced back to the Vikings. There has even been a theory put forward that the entire world’s population of red haired people have descended from just one man – from the Middle East.

We don’t know about this one, please refer back to Google.

…hate orange?

The Irish don’t hate orange. The only explanation for any thinking behind this question would be the invasion of Ireland by William of Orange and Queen Mary in the 17th century.

William was a Protestant and he had ousted King James II, a Catholic. Many Catholics in Ireland opposed this change.

However, that was centuries ago. The Irish tricolour flag is made up of green to represent the native Irish Celts, orange to represent the Protestant settlers, and white in the middle to symbolise the peace between the two.

…say feck?

Good question. Feck is not considered a rude word in Ireland. It is certainly not on a par with its English counterpart that we all know so well.

It is generally used in the same way though, to emphasise a point or express emotion.

It’s just not considered to be a swear word so doesn’t cause any offence. A far better system really. Still probably best not to use it in front of your Nana though.

…hate Bono?

The Irish don’t actually hate Bono. He is not the nation’s favourite son, but certainly not public enemy number one either.

Most people in Ireland will enjoy his music, and admire him for the charity work he has done throughout his career, but if you really asked them, they don’t really care one way or the other about him.

Bono does have his critics but they tend to come from the UK and America, possibly because of his perceived arrogance and self-promotion.

Whatever the reason, it doesn’t come from Ireland.

…like to fight?

Do they like to fight? The Irish are generally fun loving peaceful people.

Maybe the odd bar fight breaks out after a few too many on a Friday night, but that happens in all countries in the world.

The Irish certainly have a history of fighting. Firstly, ancient family clans would fight each other for territories across the country.

Then for centuries the Irish people rebelled against the British rule. But these fights weren’t for fun, they were people fighting for what they believed was right, and for their freedom.

The Irish don’t like to fight, they much prefer the craic.