5 Things Dubliners Do Differently Than Clevelanders

What Emerald City Revealed

During most of February I had the incredible experience to spend my days and nights living in Dublin, Ireland. Between places right now, I figured if I’m not paying anyone rent, I might as well anchor myself in Emerald City.

I rented a room from a terrific woman named Alison. She’s British, super cool and — living in the heart of Smithfield, just across the Jameson Brewery — made my stay incredibly hospitable and forever memorable.

It’s no secret that Cleveland has a huge Irish population and, especially my former stomping grounds, Lakewood, followed the heritage of churches and pubs on every corner. With St. Patrick’s Day this month, no doubt, once again, every Clevelander claims Irish roots: the parade, the green clothing, the hoisted flags, the outdoor festivities. It’s all part of the annual ritual, all part of the fun.

Having now visited Ireland twice, during this year’s Polar Vortex and, also, back in 2007 when I arrived in Shannon on the West coast and then traveled around Southern Ireland, eventually arriving in the city where I spent my entire trip this time, it’s also quite evident that the Irish in Ireland do things differently than the Irish in America. Even my home cities of Chicago and Cleveland have their own adopted traditions that are grounded from here, not from there.

And, so, without any sense of order, here are five of these different habits, behaviors and customs.

1. The Irish Love Their Sports. They Just Don’t Live For Them. Sports are very important in Ireland, especially football (what Americans call soccer, yet claim themselves football world champions when no other countries partake in the Super Bowl) as well as rugby. While I was there, Ireland played England in rugby and this trumped any sort of Olympic coverage, which wasn’t even on any of the TV channels. (Look for the RBS Six Nations). People cheer, root and pray for their teams to win, but it’s not a religion. It’s a pastime.

2. The Irish Want to Share a Meal with You. Even If You’re a Total Stranger. One of the things that’s prevalent at most dining establishments, whether they are cafes or pubs is that in addition to the small tables, there’s also prominent space dedicated to large, communal tables. Sometimes these are for groups that arrive together. Mostly they are for individuals or even couples to join others. If you want your privacy, that’s fine, too. But, you can also make a friend.

On one of my first days in Dublin, I overheard a filmmaker telling his friend that he’s about to shoot a film in Akron, Ohio. I introduced myself, we exchanged biz cards and there it was. Spontaneous social connection.

3. The Irish Treat Their Authors Like Rock Stars. Sure, here in the States we know our James Joyce and our Oscar Wilde. But there, in Ireland, they adore them. I stumbled on the Writers Museum, an entire building dedicated to the men and women with roots in Dublin that have since left a legacy in the literary world. Imagine the Rock Hall, but for those who labor over a different kind of keyboard.

And, just about every single public place holds at least one bookshelf, filled with physical books on all topics. Old books, new ones, doesn’t matter. Only rule is that they must stay within the establishment. But if you want to sip your coffee slowly and enjoy the suspense of a certain novel, stop by any time, pick it up, read, flip the pages, put it back away and then come back the next day and do the same. It’ll be there for you.

4. The Irish Support Their Artists. As in No Salary Taxes. Cleveland is an amazing cultural destination. Anyone who hasn’t visited the museums, the opera, the orchestra or the parks is missing out. But Cleveland also punishes hard working people by making them pay municipal taxes where they work AND where they live. In Ireland, qualifying artists, writers and musicians don’t pay taxes on the first 40,000 Euros of their salary. That’s just over $50K.

Additionally, the central government building is anchored with the museum on its left and the library on its right. It’s to remind the government where the people’s priorities are and they very much are with the preservation and growth of culture.

5. The Irish Make You Walk. Everywhere. When I lived in Cleveland, when I first moved to the Statler, downtown was a ghost town (except for game days, of course). It’s since grown and real estate has exploded. But it’s still not, for practical purposes, a pedestrian town. Lakewood is, Cleveland isn’t. I didn’t have a car during my month in Dublin and with exception of hopping on the double-decker bus a couple of days and playing tourist, I walked that entire city, as in three to five hours a day.

As timing would have it the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival took place during my visit and even their planners ensured that you walked as, unlike the CIFF which all takes place at Tower City, the JDIFF screens at three different theaters, all across town.

I encourage all Clevelanders, whether with Irish roots or not, to go visit Dublin. See how others live. Integrate yourself into the culture. Pick up a new tradition.

Till then, Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you. Sláinte!

Reprinted with permission and gratitude from Cool Cleveland.