What's the strangest or most remote place you've met an Irish person?

JackieChang

We have a knack for getting around. I wouldn't be surprised if there was an Irish lad living in some village in Afghanistan. Have you come across any Irish folk in remote or strange places?

This isn't exactly strange or very remote but I think it fits the bill.

I had just arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and started making my way to a "cool hidden beach campsite off the tourist trail" somebody recommended to me.

"Nobody knows about this place, it's not in the Lonely Planet books" etc. etc.

It was a bit of a trek to get there - had to take a taxi and a tuk tuk through polluted streets and then a dangerously overloaded ferry and then another tuk tuk.

Just to give you a mental image of the place I arrived to - the campsite was on the Indian Ocean. Secluded, quiet, away from the city, right on the white sand turquoise water beach which was lined with palm trees - ticked all the boxes. Hammocks were dotted around the campsite gently swaying in the breeze and the bar/reception was a thatched structure with no walls, so the breeze made its way through the bar which was a godsend in the roasting heat. You could hear the sound of waves breaking quietly in the background and nothing else. There were no other tourists there. The place was totally empty.

I thought to myself - I couldn't be further away from home.

After throwing my luggage into a tent I went back to the bar and ordered a beer. Then I turned around to eye up one of the hammocks and saw a ginger guy standing beside me, burnt to an absolute crisp and wearing a football jersey. He had just arrived. I asked him where's he's from. He said Mayo. And that was the end of my secluded holiday.

A couple of days ago up the side of a mountain I was climbing in New Zealand. There wasn't a soul around for hundred miles (or so I thought) when this guy appears out of nowhere, shirtless, sunburnt, and a bit jarred, and asks me if he's near the top yet. No, seriously.

ClovenHoof

Tulsk, County Roscommon. I was amazed it was capable of sustaining any human existence at all.

fleet_admiral

Dublin, Ireland. Driving a taxi

antodeco

Balgaddy (may be a locales joke only!)

Mr. FoggPatches

In an art gallery.

Toots

I was on a bus in Sydney on my way home from work. A couple of stops later this guy in his 20s gets on and sits next to me. I suspected from his swaying gait as he walked up the bus that he was half pissed, and my suspicion was confirmed by the strong smell of cider off him. A few mins later my dad rang me on my mobile and at various points during the conversation the guy beside me kept laughing.

He was really creeping me out and I was horrified when I got off the bus, he got off at the same stop and started following me down the street. I sped up, so did he. I crossed a side road, he followed. He caught up with me at the pedestrian crossing (by then I was convinced he had planned to either rape or kill me) and drunkenly explained to me that he thought it was gas to hear my south dublin accent in the middle of an aussie bus () and he wanted to know where I was from. Turned out he lived on the road behind my parents. He thought this was the funniest thing that had ever happened. I said good luck and started walking home, looked back at the end of the road to see him still standing where I left him, cracking his hole laughing, and hanging onto a lamp post for support.

muddypaws

I guess it wasn't really that strange, but while backpacking around Israel in the 80s we stayed in a hostel that was in a convent in Nazareth. One of the nuns was from Dublin, and took us on a tour of places that aren't open to the public, purely because of the Irish connection.

I also stayed on a kibbutz whilst there, there was an Irish family living there, I went to their home for dinner a couple of times at their invitation.

cml387

So I can take it from these posts that if mankind ever makes it to the moons of Jupiter there'll be a half cut guy in a Roscommon jersey wandering around asking "How's the craic".

retalivity

In the wall across from me in a capsule motel in fukuoka, japan. He was from roscommon

eeguy

Times Square NY.

I was walking through and a lad handed me a pub flier and said "come on over lad, craic is mighty"
Met another lad from Palmerstown in the hostel

Rumpy Pumpy

I was on a small boat off Tierra del Fuego going out to see the seals, whales, penguins etc. They had this raffle on the way back where they'd give you a flag with the promise you'd take a picture of it when you got home and sent it to them. I won and announced I was from Ireland. Turns out the girl sitting across from me was from the next county over and I'd gone to college with his sister. We spent the next month or so travelling back up through Southern Argentina and Chile.

rossie1977

Temple bar

Conor Bourke

eeguy wrote: »

Times Square NY.

I was walking through and a lad handed me a pub flier and said "come on over lad, craic is mighty"
Met another lad from Palmerstown in the hostel

Hardly strange or remote?!

Jawgap

Kerguelen!!

Arrived to do a research assessment, and as part of the orientation for the site you had to have a chat with the doc......who was from Dublin!!

jackwigan

eeguy wrote: »

Times Square NY.

I was walking through and a lad handed me a pub flier and said "come on over lad, craic is mighty"
Met another lad from Palmerstown in the hostel

Irish in New York! Small world so it is.

cml387

Didn't happen me, but to my brother.
On his travels at a remote telegraph station in Darjeeling, there was a white man there who accused my brother of imitating his accent.

Yes, of course. Both of them were from Mullingar and this story is absolutely true.

Capt'n Midnight

Mr. FoggPatches wrote: »

In an art gallery.

Was it raining ?

Duff

Was hiking with two friends fairly off the beaten trail in Yosemite National Park and was taking a pish in a bush when I heard "Jaysis Mark, there could be a feckin' grizzly two foot from us and ya wouldn't see it". Turns out there was two other Irish lads from Waterford hiking the same area. Didn't meet a single other person in the 3 days we were there.

Dr Crayfish

I love how meeting Irish people annoys Irish tourists who are trying to out-backpack everyone else by being unique in their experiences, like no one else has ever gone to these places.
I remember being in Argentina somewhere on my own and was happy to hear some albeit D4ish accents. I approached them in the hostel in a friendly manner asking how they were doing etc, while drinking a beer, usually other humans tend to exchange pleasantries and perhaps even have conversations and fun etc. They just cold shouldered me totally and muttered something about not meeting any Irish people on their travels. I was travelling with a French guy at the time and whatever we did our own thing but I remember how friendly and talkative they were with the other backpackers of all nationalities. I don't particularly fit the sunburnt GAA jersey stereotype (I tan quite well!!) either.
Anyway, I feel like going back to these places and burning the sh*t out of my skin, wearing a Dublin jersey and following these types around hostels just trying to embarrass the f*ck out of them by getting blind drunk and singing Luke Kelly songs etc. Maybe that's my next holiday

ChikiChiki

Heard some lad speaking some mad language from the distance in Barabinsk Russia on the trans siberian railway. Got a little closer and turned out he was from Banagher Co Offaly. Absolute lunatic aswell.

To be honest I'd say his family were delighted he was let do his thing in the wilds of Russia.

cml387

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Was it raining ?

I hadn't noticed.


Sorry couldn't resist

eeguy

jackwigan wrote: »

Irish in New York! Small world so it is.

It's the strangest place I've met another Irishman. Sorry it doesn't meet your criteria;):D

Aka Ishur

Parked up the campervan in the wilderness of the new Zealand South Island at 2 in the morning. Drove hours to get to the back arse of nowhere, genuinely nothing for hundred miles in any direction, difficult mountain roads etc etc.

So of course when I got up the next day another camper van was parked up beside us, tricolor flying, and the most red freckled Irish bearded head pokin out the back. Kerry accent roaring to me 'lovely mornin'

No feckin escape.

Berserker

At a Shell station in North Dallas, Texas. Was filling up the car, person walking by me dropped something on the ground and I pointed it out to him. He thanked me and I noticed the accent. Chatted briefly to him. He was from Leitrim.

Dr Crayfish

Aka Ishur wrote: »

Parked up the campervan in the wilderness of the new Zealand South Island at 2 in the morning. Drove hours to get to the back arse of nowhere, genuinely nothing for hundred miles in any direction, difficult mountain roads etc etc.

So of course when I got up the next day another camper van was parked up beside us, tricolor flying, and the most red freckled Irish bearded head pokin out the back. Kerry accent roaring to me 'lovely mornin'

No feckin escape.

You poor thing he sounded like a real bastard.
You really went to the wrong place to avoid Irish people, NZ is full of them.

Aka Ishur

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

You poor thing he sounded like a real bastard.
You really went to the wrong place to avoid Irish people, NZ is full of them.

Ah hé was grand cooked him breakfast, just the strangest place to encounter a countryman as the op asked. Would have been just as surprised to see Santa himself turn up it was so remote.

maudgonner

Aka Ishur wrote: »

Parked up the campervan in the wilderness of the new Zealand South Island at 2 in the morning. Drove hours to get to the back arse of nowhere, genuinely nothing for hundred miles in any direction, difficult mountain roads etc etc.

The whole of the South Island is around 500 miles long.

Are you Bear Grylls by any chance?

Roadtoad

Sat on a log on a beach in Oregon USA once. Looked over and a next-door neighbour from Dublin was sitting further down the same log.

Ferrari3600

eeguy wrote: »

Times Square NY.

I was walking through and a lad handed me a pub flier and said "come on over lad, craic is mighty"
Met another lad from Palmerstown in the hostel

No offense but that really isn't particularly strange, is it? I mean, half of NYC was practically founded by the Irish.

The first time I went to NYC I went to the Breeder's Cup with some friends and I saw a guy that looked remarkably like my cousin. I has half thinking of approaching him but he walked off and I thought, never mind, probably just a look alike, plus I'd have felt pretty stupid if it turned out to not be him.

A few weeks later back home in Ireland, found out from his mother back that it was indeed him, he had been posted to NYC for a few months for a work project and had attended the Breeders Cup.

SkinnyBuddha

I met somebody who I went to secondary school with , who I had never seen after the inter cert , in the UN club in Gaza.Late 90's.

He was sound in school and he was sound when we met as adults.

true story

cajonlardo

May have posted this before...

Mate was out running in rural japan and due to dehydration and jet lag got very lost. He had no water and was in serious trouble. He saw someone walking towards him and as they got closer he realised the man was a westerner. When he was close enough my mate called to him for help.
Yer man turned out not only to speak English but was actually Irish. He offered to drive my mate back to his hotel. During the drive he asked my mate what part of Ireland he was from. Mate said Bray and the man asked him if he knew my own Father - turned out this lad was an Army guy who had served side by side with my Father for over 20 years.....

Also, an uncle of mine and I had sort of similar experiences. Uncle was driving through a market in Palestine ( 1940's) and saw a big crowd He climbed on the bonnet of the jeep to see what was going on and there were 2 lads he'd gone to school with in Bray boxing the heads off each other in the middle ....

In Florida I got attacked one night by about half a dozen serious head cases. Next thing this lad bursts into the middle and starts laying out bodies left right and centre - it was only when we got clear and were running for our lives we realised we'd been mates growing up.

Heard several other stories kinda like that over the years. Wherever you go, remember who you are and where you came from - because if you don't someone will be along very shortly to remind you

Father Hernandez

My story is a little different but kind of relatable so why not.

Sitting in a quiet bar in Johannesburg, South Africa around lunchtime with a local enjoying a beer and an Ozzie was strumming away on the guitar.

After a song, he mentioned how the night previous had been bad for SA rugby (losing to Japan in the RWC) where I commented the Irish had a great win.

Over the mic he asked where I was from and turns out he lived in the next town over to my hometown for 4 years with his now ex girlfriend who is my best friends cousin.

Small world.

Losty Dublin

Wandering down a random Chicago street one winter Sunday and who do I bump into but Conor Murray, Robbie Henshaw, Tadhg Furlong and CJ Stander. Mad, Ted

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

In Canada, at niagra I got talking to someone from cork. He asked me where I was from, I told him. He told me his aunt was from same county. Told me his aunts name. His aunt lived across the road from me all my life.

uck51js9zml2yt

I was on the train from bratislava to northern Slovakia. A guy comes into my booth asking was the train going to another city further up the line. He was from dublin and going to see his wife who was over there studying.

darkpagandeath

I think I maybe the only one that would not find it strange to find an Irish person in another country or remote area. You are well known travellers of the world.

Arghus

There was that time I was in the Gulag in Siberia and sure wasn't the fella shackled in the cell beside me from Mullingar. What are the odds I thought.

He said it was actually better than Mullingar when all was said and done.

fuzzydunlop85

Met an Irish fella absolutely steaming drunk on the tour of the Demilitarised zone between North and South Korea.

FizzleSticks

This post has been deleted.

Calibos

Not me personally but....

Aunt and Uncle 40 year emmigrants to Perth walk into their local bar and are served by the new Barmaid. Soon as they hear her Irish accent they ask what part of Ireland she's from. "Bray Co. Wicklow" says she. "Wow" says my Aunt, "My Sister/brother-in-law own a shop in Bray". "Your not Calibos' Aunt are you?". "YES!!!!!!"

They were returning to live in Ireland for their retirement. At my uncles retirement party at work, the company owners daughter was in attendence with her new Irish Boyfriend. "What part of Ireland are you from Sonny??". "Bray Co. Wicklow" says he. "Wow, My Sister/brother-in-law etc own a shop in Bray!! Calibos'. Do you know it?". "I should do, my mother owns the premises that shop is in!"

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Not so much an Irish person, but I overheard two girls speaking Irish while in an ATM queue in Berlin during the summer.

Lyle Lanley

Don't think I've been to a country yet where I haven't met an Irish person. I would consider myself relatively well travelled but haven't been anywhere all that remote.

Met four lads from cork in Laos once, went to the Irish pub where it turned out the owner was a distant cousin of one of the lads.

I also met my childhood next door neighbour in an airport in Vietnam.

mfceiling

Standing on top of table mountain in Cape Town. Oul lad near us asks if we would take his picture. Wife takes his photo and hands him back his camera. Asks her where she's from? She tells him laois. What's the family name. She tells him. Oh are you "t's" daughter. Yes I am. Grand tell him I was asking for him. Ok so...

Teyla Emmagan

We are big into networking though. Or at least figuring people out. So a simple "I'm from Bray" is never enough for an Irish person, most would not be happy until a blood relationship has been established. And then both parties can retreat, satisfied.

bradolf pittler

Got talking to a guy in the rugby club in Doha,Qatar last year.You'd swear he was local cos the sun had turned him mahogany.Turned out he was from Letterkenny ,been there for the past 12 years and knew some friends of mine in Donegal.

razorblunt

Emerald Lake in Canada (ironic name I know).
Hiking through the woods and came across 3 lads having a pit stop, "how are de lads" they ask.
"Erra, not too bad now yourself?" was answered with.

Parchment

Met a guy in Miami, he was from Laois. Turned out he managed a very fancy golf club there and invited us over - we got to fly around on golf carts amongst very wealthy people.

Lollipops23

Not remote, but I was staying/living in a hostel just off Queen St in Toronto. Was walked through the reception one evening on my way to the kitchen and ran smack bang into the lad I grew up next door to back home. His family had moved away about 9 years ago and we'd fallen out of touch.

OU812

Not remote, but bloody strange.

Was in universal studios in LA about 15 years ago with my missus.

About 50,000 people in the park and we'd zig-zagged through it all day, no direct route, just running to the attractions we wanted to see first before doing the rest.

About 4pm we just got off the BTTF ride and I wanted a photo at the Delorean, so I tapped this girl on the shoulder to ask her would she take one of us both.

She turn around, looks at me for a second and said "are you (my brother's name)'s brother?"

I nearly fell over. Turned out she lived in SF for the past five years, but her mother lived about 10 houses away from my brothers girlfriend.

I'd never met her, he had once or twice. But she recognised me through him (& we're not even very similar).

Totally bizarre.

Flibble

In Nanjing working for a couple of months & staying in a filthy dive of a hotel- was having a particularly shítty week and as an introvert it was beginning to bother me tremendously that everywhere I went I was being treated like an attraction. Like, if I stopped for more than 5 minutes on the street, a crowd like those on Grafton Street would form around me, "the pale westerner". I just felt really bleh & homesick.

I found it really tough to try & exercise outdoors due to 1) the smog & 2) the staring so I decided to treat myself to a gym membership in a swanky hotel at the other end of the town. It was about 15 stories high, I think. Anyway, on this particular day, heading to the gym & feeling bleh, I got into the hotel elevator to take me to the 8th floor where the gym was located.

Looking at the elevator button listing thingy (is there a name for that??) I noticed a small shamrock next to the 11th floor button I hadn't seen before, so I pressed it.

Lo & Behold, on the 11th floor of this swanky hotel, was an Irish bar manned by a lovely lad from Galway who made me feel right at home! I really, really, REALLY needed that right then. It was a really quiet bar, can't see how there might have been a demand for it, but it was lovely to have pizza & beer & watch movies in English on the TV and hang out with him. Of course, gym membership didn't get used again...

Not a remote place by any means, but I just thought it was an odd place to find an Irish bar!!