You say "Ireland" in Irish as Éire (pronounced "AIR-uh"), which is the official Irish name for the country, while other forms like Éirinn ("AIR-in") and Éireann ("AIR-en") are used in different grammatical cases, such as "in Ireland" or "of the Irish".
While Éire is simply the name for the island of Ireland in the Irish language, and sometimes used in English, Erin is a common poetic name for Ireland, as in Erin go bragh. The distinction between the two is one of the difference between cases of nouns in Irish.
The traditional Irish alphabet (aibítir) consists of 18 letters: ⟨a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, u⟩. It does not contain ⟨j, k, q, v, w, x, y, z⟩, although they are used in scientific terminology and modern loanwords.
Southern Ireland was superseded in law on 6 December 1922 by the establishment of the Irish Free State. The term Southern Ireland does not have any official status today.
Grand takes on a slightly different meaning when in Ireland. When someone says something is 'grand', it actually means that whatever they're referring to is okay or fine.
Irish people have the reputation of being very friendly and easy-going. Small talk is an important part of everyday life even among strangers. Being polite is also very important: people use 'please' and 'thank you' often and they use indirect ways to ask for something.
In Australia, the preferred spelling is cosy, following British English conventions, while cozy is the American English spelling; both mean comfortable and warm, but "cosy" is standard for Australian English, used by local media like the ABC, and seen in Australian brands like shop cosy.
It comes from the Irish word aoibh, meaning beauty, radiance, or joy. In Irish mythology, Aoife was known as a fierce warrior woman, associated with strength, independence, and confidence. Today, Aoife remains hugely popular in Ireland and is loved for its simplicity, history, and strong feminine energy.
Brit. Brit is a commonly used term in the United States, the Republic of Ireland and elsewhere, shortened from "Briton" or "Britisher".
A rhotic accent is one in which the letter "R" is pronounced clearly wherever it appears in a word, including at the end of syllables and words. Examples include most accents in Scotland, Ireland, the West Country of England, and North America.
Common greetings include “Howaya?”, "What's the craic?" and "How's she cuttin'?" “Grand” is a word you will hear a lot in Ireland and means fine or okay. Irish people love slagging.
For now however, “ageing” remains slightly more favoured. Q: So for an Australian audience, you'd suggest going with “ageing”? A: We would. But “aging” isn't incorrect (Macquarie Dictionary lists both) – so if you want to use that, just be consistent.
The Americans favour the spelling cozy, while the British prefer cosy. Both spellings are used in Canada. A well-insulated house is cozy (or cosy) all winter long.
In Australia, "pyjamas" (with a 'y') is the standard and most common spelling, following British English conventions, while "pajamas" (with an 'a') is the American spelling; both terms refer to sleepwear but "pyjamas" is preferred Down Under, as seen in local retailers like Peter Alexander and Lorna Jane.
"Agus tú féin?" means "and you too" in English.
What not to do in Ireland
If the left palm itches you are getting money. If the right palm itches it means a strange shake hands. If the left ear is hot someone is talking good about you. If the right ear is hot someone is talking bad about you. Wish and bow when you see the new moon for the first time.
What is a séimhiú ? A séimhiú lenites, ie makes thinner, the letter at the start of the word, which changes the sound of the word. In Irish this change is shown by adding a h after the first consonant in the word.