A few years ago, a women
website was looking for new contributors. The application process consisted of writing
a piece listing 10 things every man should know about Irish Women. This is what
I wrote and sent them. They never contacted me back, so I guess it’s not that
good. It is also more directed at foreign men than Irish ones, but I just found
it again and thought it was quite funny, albeit a bit caricatural!
So as we just
celebrated International Women’s Day, I thought I would share it with you.
10 Things Every Man Should Know
About Irish Women
I am treading
on dangerous grounds here, being French and all... but I often found myself having
to defend my Irish “Sisters” and even listing all their assets to foreign
visitors like, say, my darling, hunky, single, Parisian brother. Maybe he could
find Love here, too? However, I needed to warn him about the less pleasant
stuff too. C’mon, he’s my brother, after all... And some Irish men could do
with a bit of enlightenment too. So, gentlemen, dear brother, here are a few
things, good and less good, I found out about Irish Women after living here for
13 years.
10. They are all beautiful Irish lasses
I’m not
talking about celebs, actors and models. You know the ones. But as the first
impression count, you guys have a variety of beautiful Irish gals to choose
from; be it adorable chubby blondes with smiling eyes, or fiery red heads with porcelain
freckled skin, or blue-eyed brunettes with dimples that would melt your
heart... I have yet to meet a truly, completely ugly Irish girl. Their beauty
is varied, natural and, thankfully, durable. You should know that under the
fake tan and a few fashion mistakes, lays a true Cailín bean.
9. They’re insecure
This kinda ties
in with my previous point: where you read the “smiling eyes”, they read
“chubby”. It’s not that they don’t want to recognise and flaunt their assets
(as anyone out on a Saturday night will witness), it’s that they are genuinely insecure
about what they see as imperfections. Unfortunately, this goes for other areas
of their life: their talents, their professional potential, their motherly
skills. They all doubt themselves and no amount of comforting cuddles and kind
words from you will make a difference. Not until you are both grey and they
finally realise that you’ve stuck by them all this time. So just bear with them
and appreciate all their qualities, even if they don’t.
8. They understand lads
They do.
Stop dreaming about hot California girls, sophisticated Parisiennes and sultry
Italian chicks: nobody in the world will understand and accept the lads like an
Irish girl. Even if you get a bit of nagging, a bit of sulking, the Irish woman
KNOWS what you need: your mates, your football/video game/night on the tiles
with your gang, your food, your books, your grumpiness. And she’ll let you have
it, if you don’t abuse it. And if you are lucky, you might find that she can be
one of the lads too...
7. They hold their drink better than
you
Well,
strictly speaking, this might not be true for Irish men. But for the others,
watch out; If you have spotted the love
of your life amongst a group of Irish girls in a pub, if they’ve let you
approach them, chances are, they’ve had a few and will have a good few more
before you start mixing languages. You might be intimidated by the volume
level, the glitter and the outfits (or part thereof), but bring your nose down
a notch and you are in for the true “craic”. Just pace yourself, even if they
don’t: someone will have to call them a cab and hold their shoes. Might as well
be you. A night out with the Irish girls is a night to remember.
Note: avoid
hen nights, though. They are not for you.
6. They are simple
No, I don’t
mean they are stupid, you silly! They are simple as in wholesome, no hassle, no
psychological manipulation or mental torture. They are simple as in easy-going,
uncomplicated, friendly, approachable. You’ve tried the exotic nutters with the
cute accent, the murderous, jealous psycho stunners from all around the
Mediterranean; now why not try a relationship based only on what you thought
you were getting from the start? Whether it’s a one night stand, a future wife,
a workmate, a friend, a soul mate... what you see is what you get. The Irish
woman will never push you to the point of making you cry into your pillow.
Unless that’s what you’re into, of course.
5. The other one in their life
No, you’ll
never be the one and only. In their bed, maybe, but not in their life. I’m
talking about their “other” significant other: it could be their Mammy, Daddy,
sister, bff, gay friend, puppy, overweight cat, Robert Downey Jnr... Get over
it. Refer to previous points 9, 8 and 7: Irish women are insecure and need time
with their gang, vice, own self too. They’ll let you have yours, let them have
theirs. This may mean a bottle of wine in your sitting room, tears, loud
laughter and chocolate... just go for a walk.
4. They are better at sports
Even the
ones who wouldn’t run to catch a bus often know more about rules, teams,
scores, types of sports, etc. The most knowledgeable person about GAA I know is
female. One thing that makes them internationally cool, wherever they go: they
are brilliant supporters (you all know that by now) and successful (I couldn’t
do a list without having Katie Taylor in there). But what you SHOULD know is
that they are thousands others who hardly ever get credit or coverage for their
achievements. So maybe it’s time to don your colours and support the ladies
team, dude...
3. They love a bit of gossip
Boil the
kettle; I’ll tell you all about it. So you bagged yourself your perfect Irish
woman. Now you are comfortable enough with each other to brush your teeth at
the same time and to lie in bed, last thing at night... gossiping! If you are
foreign and haven’t mastered the art yet, just nod and interject with a few “ooooohs”
and “haaaaas” and “no. way.” Trust me; you’ll get the hang of it quickly
enough. In no time, your boss, neighbour, best buddy, mother, every single
person in your life will have been grinded through that talk-mill. Also, be
warned: some of the people she’ll tell you about are not real: she’s not going
crazy and nobody she knows has committed murder/adultery/bank robbery... it’s
just characters from something they call “soaps”. Tune into Irish television
for more info.
2. They are fighters
Irish women
don’t give up; it could be opposing property tax, water charges, surviving
cancer, dealing with pay cuts, removing a stain on that carpet or containing a
bunch of rowdy toddlers... no matter how big or small the task or the hurdle,
an Irish woman will roll up her sleeves and get on with it. That makes them
reliable, dependable and extremely annoying to you, males with the “that’ll do”
attitude.
1. They’re the fabric of Irish
Society
We are not
talking silk, here but strong, tight woven linen. They are everywhere: as
mothers on parents associations, on sports committees, local drama and musical
societies, charitable organisations, tidy towns... they don’t necessarily
occupy places on boards but they are the active ones running the show, making
sure there’s tea when the thing starts, regimenting volunteers for fund-raisers
and whispering brilliant, creative ideas into the chairman’s ear. Irish women
are maintaining thousands of years of strong community spirit up and down this
country. And that’s why I love them as much as you will when you get to know
them.