"If you come to Ireland, forget about umbrellas!"

Meet Marcus, our driver-guide for Irish tours departing from Dublin. As a proud Irishman, he loves showcasing the beauty of his homeland.

Quick fire questions

• U2 or Cranberries? The Cranberries

• Beaches or cities? Cities, I like cities

• Guinness or whisky? Guinness

• Rugby or football? No rugby. Only football!

• Favorite Irish celebration? Samhain, also known as Halloween

• Best city to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day? Dingle

• Favorite Irish city or town? Dublin - because I'm from Dublin

• One word to sum up the Irish people? Complicated!

How would you describe Ireland in one word?

Captivating. Ireland grabs a hold of you and it never lets go. One of the things I know about my tours is people have come back to Ireland numerous times. So I suppose to describe Ireland, I describe it as captivating.

What's your favourite Irish whiskey and meal?

My favourite whiskey is Jameson with red lemonade, known as a 'Jamie and Red', best enjoyed with a pint of Guinness. As for meals, I love coddle—a hearty dish with sausages, potatoes, onions, and soup all cooked together in a pot - a famous Dublin dish.

How would you describe Ireland in one word?

Captivating. Ireland grabs a hold of you and it never lets go. One of the things I know about my tours is people have come back to Ireland numerous times. So I suppose to describe Ireland, I describe it as captivating.

Things to see travelling from Dublin?

I suppose it depends on what direction you’re going in, but I would recommend Glendalough, which means the ‘Glen of Two Lakes’. It’s only an hour away from Dublin and yet its beauty makes you feel far from the bustling city.

What's your most useful travel tip?

Well, it rains a lot in Ireland, so bring a rain jacket. No umbrellas! If you come to Ireland, forget about umbrellas. They'd only be blown inside out.

The best thing about Ireland?

People are the best thing. And I'm not saying that because I'm Irish, you know. They're easy-going, the Irish. They're

approachable. If you ever travel alone in Ireland and go into an Irish pub, within ten minutes you'll be talking to somebody. So, although we do have beautiful scenery, I think the people of Ireland are one of our strong points.

Name one Irish word or phrase?

Gargled, which means you’re drunk. Or 'that person likes to gargle', which means likes to drink. Plámásing is another word that's often used in Ireland, used to charm people. Get them to do what you want. If guests come to Ireland and they come to Blarney, they'd be able to 'plámás' when they kiss the Blarney stone.

Plámásing: [plaw-MAW-sing]

The Irish art of mind tricks

Long before Luke and Obi-Wan used Jedi Mind Tricks to get their way, there was Plámásing, the Irish art of flattery to soften someone up so you can bend their mind to your will. Maybe this was the reason why the Star Wars producers chose Ireland as a film location; where better than the home of mind tricks itself?

The word Plámásing is slang, with origins in Hiberno-English, which is basically the way the Irish speak English. HibernoEnglish arose among native Irish Gaelic speakers as they heard more English spoken after the Anglo-Normans arrived in Ireland in the 1170s. Other common Hiberno-English words are Ejit (fool), Craic (fun), and Jackeen (a person from Dublin).

The Irish are famous for speaking in code, and the art of plámásing plays an important role in this mind dance when the Irish engage in conversation, especially within a pub. Concealing one’s meaning is important when plámásing. So grab a pint of Guinness when you visit the Emerald Isle and use some of these phrases to help you Plámás along with the Irish.

Craic (pronounced ‘crack’) means ‘fun’ or ‘what's going on’, for example: “What's the Craic?” If someone in Ireland asks you this, they could be asking are you well? Where are you going? Or maybe what’s happening? The fun part is figuring out what they mean by “craic”… or are they plámásing you?

Gas is another common term – meaning “funny”. If somebody says that you're a “gas person”, they could mean you’re funny, but it could also mean you're chancing your arm, that you're crazy, or you’ve suggested something crazy, like climbing Croagh Patrick in the rain.

How’s she cuttin’? is generally used as a greeting. Or maybe you will hear your Rabbie’s driver in Ireland say “We are now Sucking Diesel” which means we are making great progress. Around the Emerald Isle you will hear the Irish saying “I’m Grand”, but be careful… are they grand?0 “Grand” could mean anything from very good to absolutely dreadful, because, in the art of Plámásing, all may not be as it seems. So there you have it.

Plámásing: the art of Irish mind tricks, charming people to get what you want. It can used from politics to flirting. So when you come to Ireland on your Rabbie’s tour why not try plámásing someone into buying you a pint of Guinness.

And as we say in Ireland: “May the Craic be with you.”

To listen to more from Marcus and hear his charming Irish accent, scan this QR code: