When meeting guests in social situations, the Irish generally exchange greetings with a handshake. When meeting friends and family, they often prefer to kiss or touch cheeks two or three times instead of shaking hands, signifying warmth and friendship.
By convention, guests should offer to pay for any phone calls made. Business meetings should be scheduled in advance, but it is important to remember that the Irish are not particularly time-conscious. If you are invited to an Irish home, bringing flowers or chocolates for the hostess is welcome. If invited for dinner, a bottle of wine or cheese is an appropriate gift. Giving gifts in a business context is not common practice. Avoid discussing religion or politics.
The Irish consider cross-handshakes or engaging in cross-conversations with several people simultaneously to be discourteous. They view these as impolite behaviors. They consider seeing a single magpie as a bad omen, believing that if you see a single magpie, something unfortunate is about to happen. However, if you see two magpies at the same time, it is a sign that good news is headed your way.
The Irish do not like others to ask about their whereabouts, salary, age, or marital status. They believe these fall under the scope of personal private life and do not require interference or inquiry from others. They generally value efficiency. They are accustomed to focusing on work while at work and prefer not to deal with work matters while resting. Therefore, they do not like to discuss business during their breaks or meals.