They say there’s no place like home, and this certainly rings true when talking about the Irish home. Here are 10 things you’ll find in almost every one.
Living in an Irish home is a truly unique experience. What makes a home is everything that you can find in it, including its items. An Irish home contains some unique and funny items that may seem strange to the outsider.
Here we’ve listed what we believe to be the most wonderfully strange items that you will most likely find in any Irish home.
10. The random drawer – full of mystery
We all have this drawer, whether it’s located in the kitchen or the living room. This drawer is home to everything and anything. Looking into it is like a lucky dip: you never know what you will find! It’s full of random items that are rarely if ever used, but they are never thrown out just in case one day they might come in handy!
9. The bag full of bags – where all bags go to die
Through countless shopping trips, the Irish home has accumulated a countless number of plastic and paper bags; the best of these often seem to get thrown into a bigger bag that contains the ever-growing collection of bags. Will these bags be used? Probably not. Will the bag of bags continue to grow bigger? Most likely.
8. Batteries – old, new, and in many sizes
Every Irish home seems to have a drawer or bag of countless batteries. Half of them might actually work, and the other half should have been thrown out a long time ago. You will most likely spend 20 minutes trying to find enough working batteries before you become frustrated and buy another pack, continuing the never-ending battery mystery cycle.
7. Fancy blue china plates – for impressing the guests
There must have been a massive sale on these in the 80s and 90s, as it seems that every Irish home has these tucked away in their fancy glass press to impress guests. Whenever the neighbours or relations are over for dinner, you will be sure to see these plates make an appearance.
6. Collection of pint glasses – souvenirs from the pub
Every Irish home has enough pint glasses to run their own bar. No one questions where they come from and how they keep increasing in number, but we imagine they are finding their way to Irish homes from the pubs.
5. Stacks of Yellow Pages – Internet before the Internet
The Yellow Pages were once a vital part of every Irish home and were often kept on the phone chair by the main phone. Before the internet, this was your one-stop shop to find the number for anything and everything.
Need a plumber? Try the Yellow Pages. Need a clown? Try the Yellow Pages. While they are now completely obsolete, it seems that some Irish people just can’t bring themselves to let them go.
4. Bottle of holy water from Lourdes – blessing in a bottle
Similar to #2 on our list, this religious item can be found in most Irish homes. Often used to top up the holy water font by the front door, these little blessed bottles from Lourdes were usually brought back by a granny and are as common as a classic Irish blessing.
3. Wooden spoon – the constant threat
The wooden spoon remains a firm fixture in every Irish home, always on hand for the Irish mammy should she feel the need to instill some fear into misbehaving children.
2. The Sacred Heart – pride of place
Another staple of every Irish home is the Sacred Heart, which takes pride of place in many the household. It often can be found beside a picture of the pope (usually Pope John Paul II), and even for families who aren’t overly religious, there always seems to be one there.
1. That biscuit tin – deception and disappointment
Every Irish home seems to contain the deceiving biscuit tin. We all know too well how this disappointing tale goes: you find it in the drawer, open it up in excitement to enjoy some biscuits, only to be shocked to find out that instead of having a selection of delicious treats, you now have the components of a sewing kit!
Now that you have read our list, we challenge you to check your house or an Irish relative’s and see how many of these items reside there!
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