Brits believe Mrs Brown's Boys is the 'real Ireland'

Nearly half of British people believe that the comedy series Mrs Brown’s Boys is an accurate portrayal of life in Ireland.

That is according to a recent study that was conducted by whiskey makers Whyte & Mackay ahead of the British and Irish Lions Tour of New Zealand.

Whyte & Mackay surveyed 1,635 people from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland to find out how they perceived one another.

It would seem that people from all four countries may be a little guilty of buying into the national stereotypes of their neighbours.

Mrs Brown’s Boys is hugely popular in the UK and nearly half of people from England, Wales and Scotland believe that Brendon O’Carroll’s Irish mammy is true to life.

They also believe that Ireland is the most friendly of the four nations and has the most popular accent.

Three out of five people believe that the Irish do indeed possess the ‘gift of the gab’ but only a third think that the Irish sense of humour is the best of the four nations.

Another stereotype that our neighbours across the sea don’t quite believe in is the ‘luck of the Irish’ – with only 39% thinking there is a truth to it.

The other nations had both good and bad stereotypes attributed to them. The English are considered to be the poshest of the four, and also the most miserable and the sorest losers.

However, they are also seen as the most intelligent and the most polite.

The Scots are considered the most gracious and humble – but are also tight with their money.

The Welsh are seen by the English as being obsessed with rugby, and in they turn they believe the English are obsessed with tea. Two thirds of English people believe the majority of the population speak Welsh rather than English.

Surprisingly 53% of people surveyed said they would support one of their neighbouring countries in a sporting event – unless it was against their own country.

Kieran Healey-Ryder from Whyte & Mackay said: “The Lions tour arrives at a perfect time. The tournament is uniquely placed to build unity across the four nations, putting aside everyday differences, to find common ground in our shared passion for top flight rugby.

“We wanted to take a closer look at our home nations to find out if the stereotypical caricatures of the people on these islands really held weight. It’s clear to see that despite some differences, we actually share a lot of common ground – just like the Lions squad.”

British people think Mrs Brown’s Boys is accurate portrayal of Ireland

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