Rounds are sacred
If someone buys you a drink, you're in a round. Your turn comes next. Leaving before buying your round is social death. This is Ireland's most important social contract.
🤝 Etiquette in Ireland
Etiquette in Ireland is mostly invisible until you break it. Greetings, gestures, dining manners and the social cues locals expect are worth learning before you arrive.
In Ireland, etiquette comes down to a few things: rounds are sacred, self-deprecation is communication, and the long goodbye.
Self-deprecation is communication
Irish people understate achievements and exaggerate misfortune. Bragging is deeply uncool. If someone tells you they're 'not bad at all,' they might be excellent.
The long goodbye
Saying goodbye in Ireland takes 20–45 minutes. By the door, in the hall, at the car, through the car window. Don't fight it. It's how love is expressed.