Give Me a Crash Course In . . . friendly, liveable Ireland

Are we not a nation of begrdugers after all?

When it comes to complaining about Ireland we’re so rarely found wanting that it’s hardly a surprise that so many eyebrows were raised to the heavens after the publication this week of two pieces of research that suggested Ireland is actually a pretty good – and very friendly – place to live. In recent years

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, that glossiest of travel magazines, has been asking its readers to rate the countries they have visited. This year Ireland managed to get two cities into the top 10 in the Friendliest category, with Dublin finishing in third place and Galway ending up in sixth.

What? Dublin is friendlier than Galway?

Quite how the capital beat our soon-to-be capital of culture in the friendliness stakes is anyone’s guess. And the people of Cork are likely to be miffed at missing out entirely, but apart from these understandable concerns we’d do well to celebrate the news. They’ll certainly be celebrating in Charleston, South Carolina, which was declared to be the friendliest place in the world. Sydney finished second, just ahead of dear old Dublin, after which came Queenstown, in New Zealand; Park City, in Utah (never heard of it); and then Galway.

What did they like about the Irish cities?

“Just look at this city – it’s hard not to be charmed,” the people at

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said about the City of the (friendly) Tribes. Galway enchanted

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readers with the “live music in the pubs and in the street, the food”. And when asked why he was voting for the city one reader shouted: “THESE ARE THE FRIENDLIEST PEOPLE I HAVE EVER MET.” Some readers’ comments about Dublin, meanwhile, would cause sweet hearts to glow and colder hearts to smirk cynically. “The people make the place” here, one reader gushed, with “pubs and restaurants filled with locals and tourists alike, coming together to celebrate life”. Another person said that they had “never been somewhere with friendlier drinkers”. A third said that the Irish “are so much fun” and that “there’s always a smiling face to talk to”.

Bejabers, aren’t we only great? Any other news?

That was only the start of it. The

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survey, while gratifying, was hardly scientific, unlike the Social Progress Index compiled by Deloitte, and also published this week. It, too, had nice things to say about us, finding that the Republic is the 12th best country in which to live. Rather than using economic indicators, which can paint pretty sterile pictures at the best of times, this survey looked at things that it reckoned matter more to people than money. It examined 133 countries, assessing quality of water and shelter, access to healthcare and education, and people’s ability to improve their lives through equality and personal rights.

How did we do?

Ireland was third in the world when it came to tolerance and inclusion, with last year’s marriage equality referendum almost certainly giving us a bounce. Access to advanced education was said to be good, too.

Are we utterly flawless, then?

The news was not all good, and we performed badly in the obesity stakes, being deemed only the 108th most svelte of states. Still, it gives us a goal to reach. If we can collectively lose a few kilos over the next 12 months we could finish in the top 10. And how could we not want that?