I have been getting such a kick out of the Irish Mammies Twitter account lately. Have you seen it? It was started by Colm O’Regan, and he tweets things an Irish mammy or mom would typically say. From what I know of Irish mammies, the little 140 character snippets are spot on. Here are a few examples:
Well would you look at that! A HOLE in my slipper. Already. They don’t make stuff to last at all now.
I see Kate Middleton is expecting… Twouldn’t be any harm if the two of ye were getting a move on too.
Listen to me now: You’ll eat it and what’s more, you’ll like it.
The Irish Mammies Twitter account even inspired a book that was recently published! I did a little interview with Colm about his alter ego. Here’s a little inside scoop!
What’s the most popular thing the Irish mammy has tweeted?
Go out there now and don’t mind what anyone says to you. They’re only jealous of your grand anorak. I think it resonates with a lot of people forced as a child to wear an item of clothing that they loathed. Deep down they knew well no one would be jealous of their anorak.
Do you ever find yourself speaking like an Irish mammy offline? Yes, particularly when it comes to coats and the discussion in the hall. Is it cold enough for a coat? Shur bring it anyway, if you’re too warm you can take it off. No sooner were the words out of my mouth I realised the wheel had come full circle. I think what people like is that the tweets are little slices of very mundane, very ordinary conversations that would ordinarily never appear in a public forum. When they appear in their Twitter feed sandwiched in between Stephen Fry and Charlie Sheen, it brings them back home for a moment.
Do people ever send you suggestions, if so, what takes the cake? Yes, all the time. But for the moment I haven’t tweeted them as I don’t want to steal them! I think I will when I run out. My favourite one is a little obscure: Where is the comrade of that sock? The International Communist movement never foresaw the word comrade being used in that context, I’m sure.
Irish design firm Curious Design came up with a few Irish mammy tea towels based on some of the most popular tweets and they’re giving one away to an FCV reader! You can find all their designs here. To enter, leave a comment here with your favorite Irish Mammy tea towel and I’ll pick a winner on Tuesday next week. Good luck!
12 Comments
Your Grandmom always urged us to pray to St. Anthony when anything was lost. The prayer: “Dear St. Anthony, please look around. Something is lost and cannot be found.” And St. Anthony almost always obliges! My first memory was when I was about five years old and I had lost a little pouch of colored stones that I absolutely loved. We prayed to St. Anthony over and over again. My little pouch of stones was found–on the roof of the front porch! I was told that a bird must have picked it up, but I always suspected those two annoying big brothers of mine and their bad friends!
“Will you have it in a bowl or on a wafer.”
My Irish Granny’s voice rings through my memory 🙂
Gallivanting is a word that always reminds me of my lovely irish granny, love that saying!
The scissors saying resonates with me… fabric scissors, garden scissors, kitchen scissors, and other categories. Fabric scissors are always ranked highest.
“Will you have it in a bowl or on a wafer.”
Oh those were the days… 🙂
Will you have it in a bowl or with a wafer – I always went for the wafer. MMMMMMMM ice cream
I love the “Did you say a prayer to Saint Anthony” tea towel! My Irish mammy in law is an ardent candle lighter and likes to remind us to say a prayer or two when we seem to have lost our way or our keys.
If they put “Is it cold enough for a coat? Shur bring it anyway, if you’re too warm you can take it off.” on one I’d buy it too! I can’t count how many times his mam said that while they were here visiting Australia in spring! bless.
It’s definitely the scissors one! I didn’t realise it was said anywhere other than our own home. After years of childhood yearning – “it’s too expensive, sure you’ll never look after that” – I went out and bought my own pinking shears. Not letting the mammy near that 🙂
Oh defo the ice cream one!! oh the decisions to be made of a Sunday afo in houses round the country.
Love to be able to buy a tea towel with the old saying ” May you get to heaven before the Devil knows your dead” or something like that . Saw it in N/Ireland many many years ago
Is love the prayer to St Anthony for my mam who has St Anthomy plagued!
*I’d