# Ask the Irish Bloke **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 23, 2000, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305 "2000-06-23T12:24:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/1 "2000-06-23T12:24:54Z")
Not to be outdobe by a limey (;)mattk) , but I feel there is a lot people dont know about the Irish. Ask away ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/2 "2000-06-23T12:31:39Z")
Why do the Irish talk to GaWd? Sorry, bad Braveheart joke šŸ˜ƒ On a more serious note, why are the Irish so zany/crazy/fun to be around? -Sam ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/3 "2000-06-23T12:38:48Z")
Gawd, perhaps that when we work hard, we know how to enjoy ourselves afterwards. Some people find solace in being alone, whereas there is a great community spirit prevailent in Ireland. The best place to meet as a community was in the pub or the churchā€¦ although their is a lot more separation of the church from Irish life in the last 20 years. short answer, We know how to party. ---
**Author:** ![Gilligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Gilligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gilligan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/4 "2000-06-23T12:43:30Z")
What, no ā€œCead mile failteā€ to welcome us to your thread? What does the ā€œ **-gan** ā€ ending in many Irish surnames (like yours and mine) mean? ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/5 "2000-06-23T12:43:32Z")
> [@](#): > > short answer, We know how to party. After spending some time with a few of your choice brethern, I can definitely say the above is true šŸ™‚ -Sam ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/6 "2000-06-23T13:09:35Z")
Gilligan, Cead milĆ© failtĆ©, a chairde. Chonas ata tu? why so many gans? It has to so with the Anglisised versions of Irish names. for instance, my name Sean Oā€™Learragain, comes from Lannigan or"0ā€™Leannagain" or ā€œchild of the Smithā€ as for what the Gill- part means, Iā€™m not sureā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/7 "2000-06-23T16:02:44Z")
[Moderator Hat: ON] Moving this one to MPSIMS. * * * David B, SDMB Great Debates Moderator [Moderator Hat: Handed Off to Euty & Unc] ---
**Author:** ![Globe-trotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cab0a1/32.png) [@Globe-trotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Globe-trotter)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/8 "2000-06-23T16:08:34Z")
Ok John. How 'bout telling me the stuff that I really must see while in Dublin? (Other than the pubs, thatā€™s already on the itinerary). šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/9 "2000-06-23T16:18:15Z")
this can be divided into 2 Categories (off the top of my head) 1. Touristy the Book of Kells and Trinity College (where they filmed Educating Rita, with Michael Caine) the Georgian houses (Merrion sq.) not very good Christchurch Cathedral 2. Non Touristy the liffeyboat tour your taken on an amphibious vehicle on a tour of dublin, by road and by river. The Ghost bus tour, an alternative tour or ā€œThe most haunted City in the worldā€. good gfor a laugh the Church of St. Michimā€™s, where in the Vaults are preserved Human Corpses from the 18th Century. there are countless moreā€¦ but thats all I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![sorrel554](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@sorrel554](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sorrel554)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/10 "2000-06-23T18:01:18Z")
Moosie took my question šŸ˜ƒ Iā€™ll be there for a week in August. Can you recommend any good day-trips outside of Dublin? ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/11 "2000-06-23T18:55:27Z")
Moosie and D Marie took both my questions. Hey John, when I come over, how can I avoid looking like a big American tourist lummox? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/12 "2000-06-23T18:58:05Z")
OK, I love Ireland, and had a great time when I visited the place. I do have some questions, though, about how religion and politics mix there: To what extent does the Catholic church involve itself in politics in Ireland? Is there separation of Church and state as we have in the US, or does the government sponsor religious activities? Are there any protestant churches (outside of Northern Ireland)? Does anyone ever talk about ā€œthe Troubles,ā€ or what to do about Northern Ireland? When I was there, the whole topic seemed taboo. There was a lot of awkward stammering and silence when I brought it up. And have you kissed the Blarney stone? šŸ˜‰ Also, how do the Irish manage to stay so friendly and pleasant with tourists? Seems like you would get sick of all the Americans tramping about all over the place. Iā€™ve never met anyone who was rude or even less than friendly in Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/13 "2000-06-23T19:00:10Z")
Now, Iā€™ve heard that a Scotsman can drink any Irishman under the table. Is that true? ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingRiddles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SwimmingRiddles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingRiddles)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/14 "2000-06-23T19:01:13Z")
My familial name translates into ā€œBlack Hero.ā€ But while I have been dubbed a ā€œWhite person with soulā€ by my Cuban friend, I am most decidedly white. What does my name mean? The guesses in my family usually have to go with Coal mining. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/15 "2000-06-23T19:55:49Z")
Swiddles: Black hair, perhaps? Darker pigmentation that average for the Irish, but still Caucasian? [url=ā€œ[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_077.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_077.html)ā€]Cecil on the ā€œBlack Irishā€ ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/16 "2000-06-23T20:01:32Z")
> [@](#): > > the Church of St. Michimā€™s, where in the Vaults are preserved Human Corpses from the 18th Century. _cough_ St _Michanā€™s_ ā€¦ and at least one of the corpses dates back to the Crusades. > [@](#): > > Now, Iā€™ve heard that a Scotsman can drink any Irishman under the table. Is that true? You obviously havenā€™t met Mr Larrigan yet šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Tymp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Tymp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymp)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/17 "2000-06-23T20:17:50Z")
JohnLarrigan, You are invited to join a panel of experts assembling [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=28528) in Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/18 "2000-06-23T22:19:49Z")
I hear the Irish have a hard time qualifying for major football events, such as, oh, EURO 2000. Is this true? My source tells me that the Irish squad is particularly unsuccesful when opposed to the Dutch team. Mr. Larrigan, whatĀ“s the Straight Irish Dope? ---
**Author:** ![Globe-trotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cab0a1/32.png) [@Globe-trotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Globe-trotter)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/19 "2000-06-23T22:23:39Z")
Coldie, you smug bastard. Go get him, John. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305/20 "2000-06-23T22:29:41Z")
No fair Coldy! The Dutch team didnā€™t ā€œqualifyā€ for Euro2000 either šŸ˜‰ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-irish-bloke/23305.md?page=2)