Greetings Alumni and Céad Míle Fáilte (100,000 welcomes) to Ireland!
Here is some insider info, to give you a better understanding of our quirky Irish culture, plus help you find your way around.
Irish Culture and Language:
The first thing you need to know about Irish people is that we love to laugh, talk and have fun, and we try not to take ourselves too seriously. It is assumed on your arrival to Ireland that you have agreed to participate in “the craic”. Craic (pronounced “crack”) does not refer to crack cocaine or any other illegal substance. It’s a popular Irish term that refers to everything entertaining, news-worthy or fun. For the duration of your stay, we encourage you to enjoy “the craic” and to be “good craic”. In Ireland, the highest compliment a person can get is to be described as “great craic” and the lowest insult is to be “no craic at all” or a “craic killer”.
Everyone speaks English in Ireland, but our national language is “Irish” or Gaeilge (pr: go-wail-ga). This is a very old Gaelic language and it is spoken as a first language in areas called “Gaeltacht areas”. Irish place names are written on most signposts, and you may also encounter people with traditional Irish names. You might notice that these contain far too many consonants and are rarely pronounced as they are spelled. This is because we find it entertaining to hear non-Irish people trying to pronounce them. Just a bit of craic! 😉
Here's more information on names and pronunciation: https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/commonly-mispronounced-irish-names
For all this, and more information from our Irish alumni, plus a link to a traffic circle diagram, visit this PDF file.