Sir, – A few years ago, on holiday in Inishowen, my Norwegian father-in-law remarked after a walk along the coastal path outside Buncrana that in just an hour or so he had learned at least 50 new ways of saying “hello”.
After returning to Norway from another trip to Ireland, my son once said to me as we walked to the local supermarket and I greeted someone who passed us in silence: “We’re not in Ireland anymore – would you stop saying hello to people you don’t know. They all just think you’re weird!”
Irish people are far more likely to say hello, even to strangers, than most other nations and long may that continue!
– Yours, etc,
READ MORE
KEVIN McCAFFERTY
Rådal,
Norway.