Some of this will not mean much unless you are very familiar with Ireland. Absolutely, no offence intended by any of the following.....


Irishness is...

Describing someone with longstanding, persistent and untreated psychosis as "a character".

Saying, "There's definitely no recession here!" every time you see more than 5 people in a pub

Your ma or da greeting you with the phrase "d'ya know who's dead?"

That mini heart attack you get if you go out and forget to turn off the immersion

"You're not drinking??? Are you on antibiotics?"

Wallpaper on your school books

Being "grand"!!

Boil everything in a huge pot for 3 hours

Being absolutely terrified of a wooden spoon.

Learning a language for 12 years and not being fluent

Going absolutely mental at concerts because famous people rarely come over

Flat 7UP heals all illnesses

Calling Joe Duffy instead of the Guards

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Forgive my ignorance, a Shaoirse, but what's an immersion, and why does it need to be turned off?

The tastelessly boiled food lasts for a generation or two even after emigration. I hated all vegetables as a kid, because they were cooked to a tasteless mush. My experience as a tourist in Ireland was great, though. I think food has changed much for the better there (but perhaps not in some private homes).

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I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

The immersion is the thing we turn on to have hot water for a shower, usually located in the "hot press".If you left the immersion on twould ate electricity like mad!- Des Bishop was on about them.

The Hot press is similar to a huge press with a door *the kind u walk through! haha, it has a boiler in it and is used to try the clothes as well.

We used to use or immersion all the time, until we discovered instant showers! haha and that was only about 5 years ago and I'm only 20 now! haha.

Modern houses don't have them anymore but most houses in Ireland do. The age of the immersion is nearly dead however.

Don't bother tryin to google hot press or immersion you wont find it!

haahahahaha, ur not truly Irish unless you have experienced all of these!

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Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice

Des Bishop may help you to understand it better than I could. It's nine years old, but explains the whole 'turning off the immersion' thing rather well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52bna-tn_dY

You may actually have a few more questions after watching it.... hot presses etc.

Post your queries at will!

Crossed with An Cionnfhaolach....

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I must be Irish...I grew up so terrified of the wooden spoon, it's amazing I can go into the kitchen and cook anything!

Redwolf

I wonder if I could use the fear as an excuse to get out of cooking? I'd love to, but it's just too traumatic.....

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Good luck with that!

On the upside, you might be able to parlay that fear it into a nice new immersion blender to do your stirring...not to be confused with an immersion.

Redwolf

The immersion is like a big electric kettle. It has a coil immersed in the cylinder to heat the water.

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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I always wanted a hotpress. So great having warm sheets, clothes on a raw day

There is even a des bishop t-shirt about it .

http://hairybaby.com/index.php?page=sho ... &Itemid=26

No question can strike fear into a Irish kid than you mother turning round and saying did you switch the imerssion off and you knowing you havent.