Why can't Irish people say Thank You??

LuckyMe63 wrote: »

I think that during the boom in Ireland, we felt entitled and now that times are not so good we have lost our manners and gratitude for what we have or receive. I have just returned to Ireland after 7 years away and particularly notice this.

Over Christmas I put thought & expense into mailing 7 gifts to family & friends. Only 3 of these have been acknowledged and each of these 3 are Americans friends.

So do I get onto An Post and report the other 4 packages as ‘lost’ in the mail? Or put it down to bad manners?


With winter blues and recessionary times, we need to take a few minutes and make an effort to brighten someone’s day.
Were you invited somewhere over Christmas, did you give the host/hostess a call afterwards to thank them? Not just a “thanks, see ya” on the day. Your host would have put energy, effort & expense into preparing food, drink, decorations…. even if it was your mother!
When sending a Christmas card, did you add – “will call you over the festive season” but haven’t yet.
Did you RSVP “yes” to a function and then not show up or not bother sending a RSVP at all?
Did someone help you out during the snow/icy weather?
Did you get a particularly thoughtful or unexpected gift?




Is it really so hard to pick up the phone, send an email or text message to say “Thank You”? No one is too busy to take 5 minutes out & say Thanks.

I say thanks all the time some times for no clear reason (like to ticket machines etc.)

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Were you invited somewhere over Christmas, No.
When sending a Christmas card, did you add – “will call you over the festive season” but haven’t yet.I don't send Christmas cards, I text people. Think of all those poor trees.
Did you RSVP “yes” to a function and then not show up or not bother sending a RSVP at all?Again, I text people. RSVPs are really impersonal and I'm not forking out for a stamp for people I don't really like that much.
Did someone help you out during the snow/icy weather? Nope, I helped others out though and they were very nice.
Did you get a particularly thoughtful or unexpected gift?No, I gave some though.

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sheesh wrote: »

I say thanks all the time some times for no clear reason (like to ticket machines etc.)

Me too! So does that make us good because we've said thanks, when in reality we're just distracted and haven't a clue what we've said. Just because we say thanks doesn't mean we are thankful, and in the same way it doesn't mean that if you don't say thanks that you are not thankful.

On the subject of opening or holding doors (not part of the OP), I am with El Horseboxo and si guru, and very few acknowledge the gesture. To doubleGG, you say "Men never do this for women here". Well here's three of us anyway.

Does doffing the hat or touching the peak of a cap to a woman look strange. A habit I picked up from my father which I still do and it is amazing the number of women who say "I haven't seen anyone do that for years" or words to that effect or maybe smile indulgently to the poor misguided imbecile who still raises the hat. Chivalry seems to be forgotten by many men and ignored, or even frowned on, by many women.

My partner admonished me on one occasion when I helped a woman carry a toddler in a buggy up a flight of stairs in the London Underground. "They don't do that kind of thing over here." At least the woman thanked me.

rainbowdrop wrote: »

Don't you think that kids should be taught to say thankyou though?

Yes of course I do. I don't recall saying otherwise??

LuckyMe63 wrote: »

I think that during the boom in Ireland, we felt entitled and now that times are not so good we have lost our manners and gratitude for what we have or receive. I have just returned to Ireland after 7 years away and particularly notice this.

Over Christmas I put thought & expense into mailing 7 gifts to family & friends. Only 3 of these have been acknowledged and each of these 3 are Americans friends.

So do I get onto An Post and report the other 4 packages as ‘lost’ in the mail? Or put it down to bad manners?


With winter blues and recessionary times, we need to take a few minutes and make an effort to brighten someone’s day.
Were you invited somewhere over Christmas, did you give the host/hostess a call afterwards to thank them? Not just a “thanks, see ya” on the day. Your host would have put energy, effort & expense into preparing food, drink, decorations…. even if it was your mother!
When sending a Christmas card, did you add – “will call you over the festive season” but haven’t yet.
Did you RSVP “yes” to a function and then not show up or not bother sending a RSVP at all?
Did someone help you out during the snow/icy weather?
Did you get a particularly thoughtful or unexpected gift?




Is it really so hard to pick up the phone, send an email or text message to say “Thank You”? No one is too busy to take 5 minutes out & say Thanks.

Just quoted your post op, did you put all those colour tags in?

Thanks Mate cheers.

Raoul wrote: »

I would always hold the door open for a woman or let a woman go before me through the door. The reactions are startling. Some woman are pleasantly surprised, some just simply say thanks and then the ignorant ones just look at you and walk through. HATE THOSE ones.

That would be me, I'm always surprised when someone goes out of their way to do this. And even though it's not that uncommon it makes me smile every time.

I do think good manners makes a big difference to me. If I thank someone I expect them to acknowledge it, or if I do something for someone I expect to be acknowledged. Maybe I'm overly sensitive about it because I worked in retail (and trust me, a please and thank you can go a long way) but lack of manners bothers me.