Liz Dunphy

MIRROR WRITER, IRELAND

Just like squabbling siblings, the Irish hate the English because we’re too damn similar. Looking at British culture can feel like holding a not always flattering mirror up to ourselves. We look alike, we sound alike, we both have an obsessive compulsion to down gallons of tea by day and too much booze at night.

Yet, when the Irish travel, we get very annoyed when people immediately assume we’re British. When we say we’re Irish, they just shrug, clearly unaware of any difference. Maybe they’ve got a point. If we really look at ourselves, we may realise modern life has quashed much of our national traits turning us all into Americans anyway.